Vegan Republic, the Berkeley store run by Animal Place sanctuary, is now doing a monthly vegan Snack Club. All store proceeds support the rescue and care of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and more.

There are 6-9 different treats each month, both savory and sweet, often seasonally inspired, for $25. Recent snack boxes have included Surf Sweets gummy candy, Primal Strips jerky, No Whey peanut butter cups, Mediterra snack bars, Sjaak’s chocolates, Brami lupini bean snacks, Su Mama jerky, Barr Necessities cookies, Mavuno dried jackfruit, and Eli’s Earth Bars.

To learn more or sign up: https://www.veganrepublicstore.org/snackclub.html

To follow along: https://www.instagram.com/_veganrepublic/

We received this note:

“We’ve made our film about Cesar Chavez and his amazing great-grandniece Genesis available for free at www.cesarchavezrespectforall.org, along with a complimentary learning guide”

“Cesar would be proud since he took as much pleasure from converting people to veganism as he did from enlisting them in the campaign for farm workers.”

See: https://www.cesarchavezrespectforall.org/watch-the-film/

In 1993, The Vegetarian Resource Group had 55 vegan restaurants in our national restaurant guide. In 2015, we had about 600 vegan restaurants.

Currently, we have about 971, with more to add each day. These are all vegan restaurants. We don’t count ones that have honey, for example. There are of course many more establishments with vegan options. To see restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, go to:
VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

My name is Cindy and I work at Medical News Today. We’ve included The Vegetarian Resource Group in our news article, Recipes for a cholesterol-free diet: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317403.php

Please book mark and use this link. Eligible shopping will support our vegan education and activism. http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1279034

About Amazon Smile: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/about/ref=smi_se_rspo_laas_aas

Adams Vegan Mac and Cheese Collard Green Bake
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Gloria Clay asked to share her recipe, which was a Vegan Outreach Mac Down Competition Best of Show winner in South Carolina. She wanted others to share the recipe to raise awareness to cruelty-free eating. Please note: You can use whatever brands of vegan ingredients you like; these were ingredients I used as a personal preference.

8 oz. tempeh bacon (from Lightlife company)
½ cup vegan bouillon beef broth
12 oz. fresh collard greens (I used the bag kind that are already chopped and washed that is located in the produce section of your local grocery store.)
1 pound of Mueller’s campanella noodles (elbow noodles works just as well.)
4 Tbsp. vegan butter (I used Earth Balance.)
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups vegan plant milk (I used almond milk.)
¼ Tbsp. hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegan shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups vegan pepper Jack cheese
½ cup vegan cheddar cheese (for top of dish)
1 cup Go Veggie Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook tempeh bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp (3 minutes per side). Remove bacon, chop up and set aside. Add vegan beef broth to skillet and let come to a full boil. Add in greens and cook for about 4 minutes until wilted.

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package direction. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until well combined. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add milk, continue to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Add in hot sauce, salt, pepper and cheeses. Stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

Transfer half of the noodles to a 9” x 13” baking dish that has been buttered. Pour on ½ the cheese sauce and then ½ the collard greens. Repeat. Placed the reserved shredded cheese on top. Bake in oven for 35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of the cooking process, turn off the oven and topped with the chopped bacon and place back into oven. Let set for 5 minutes remove from oven and serve. Enjoy!

“I cook from my soul, to feed the souls of others”~ Gloria Clay
Gloria Clay is married with 4 grown sons and three grandchildren from Bennettsville, SC. She loves to cook and inspire other to try vegan/vegetarian dishes.

If you’re planning on attending the Veggie Pride Parade in New York City this weekend, please be sure to stop by The Vegetarian Resource Group table.

For information on the parade, see:
NYC Veggie Pride Parade 2018

VRG’s Parents and Kids Facebook Group is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Recent discussion topics include:
Vegan activities to do with kids during Easter
Raising Vegan Twins
VRG’s Essay Contest for Kids
Plus more!

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

Each year The Vegetarian Resource Group holds an essay contest for children. SUBJECT: 2-3 page essay on any aspect of veganism/vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is not eating meat, fish, and birds (for example, chicken or duck). Vegans do not use any animal products. Among the many reasons for being a vegan/vegetarian are beliefs about ethics, culture, health, aesthetics, religion, world peace, economics, world hunger, and the environment.

Entrants should base their paper on interviewing, research, and/or personal opinion. You need not be a vegetarian to enter. All essays become the property of The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Previous winning essays and complete details can be seen here: VRG Essay Contest for Children

Gloria Clay asked to share her vegan cheesecake recipe that was a first place winner in the Lucky Leaf Personal Creation contest. She wants others to see the recipe and to raise awareness to cruelty-free eating.

Vegan No Bake Premium Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake
By Gloria Clay

Makes 10 to 12 servings
Feel free to use any vegan brand ingredients for this recipe.

Ingredients for crust made in a 10-inch spring form pan:
10 graham crackers
1/3 cup melted vegan butter
20 Biscoff cookies more or less for the perimeter of spring form pan

Filling:
¾ cup coconut butter
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp fresh lime juice
½ cup vegan plant milk
3 Tbsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup vegan sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
Two 8 ounce containers of vegan cream cheese
4 Tbsp melted coconut oil
8 ounce tub vegan whip cream
21 oz. can Lucky Leaf Premium Strawberry Filling
[Editor’s note: Since this was a Lucky Leaf contest, their brand strawberry filling was used; however, feel free to make your own strawberry filling by cooking down fresh organic strawberries, etc. Easy recipes can be found online.]

Fresh fruit to top our cake:
2 cups strawberries
1 cup black berries

First let’s start off by making the crust for the cheese cake. Place crackers in a bag; use a rolling pin to crush. Placed crushed crackers in bowl with melted butter and stir until well coated. Pour crust into a buttered pan and use spatula to press the crumbs down firmly in pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes and let cool. After crust cools, place Biscoff cookies around the perimeter of the pan.

Now on to the cream cheese filling. In a mixing bowl, place coconut butter, lemon and lime juice, plant milk, vanilla, sugar and lemon zest. Blend together with a hand held mixer on high for 5 minutes until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl whip cream cheese until smooth on medium for 3 minutes, add coconut butter mixture to bowl with cream cheese mixture and mix until fully cooperated. Now beat mixture on medium speed for 3 minutes. Next pour in melted coconut oil and mix until well combined. Fold in whip cream.

Spread cream mixture smoothly over prepared crust in spring form pan. Place premium Strawberry Filling on top. Let sit covered in fridge for 3 hours. When ready to serve top with your choice of fresh berries.

Gloria Clay is married with 4 grown sons and three grandchildren from Bennettsville, SC. She loves to cook and inspire other to try vegan/vegetarian dishes. She says: “I cook from my soul to feed the souls of others.”