Carnival Cruise Line said they are proud to offer a wide variety of vegan-friendly options on all its ships.

See:
How to Eat Vegan on a Cruise

According to DairyReporter.com, Dean foods has ended milk procurement contracts with more than 100 dairy farms, because consumers are drinking less fluid milk. The company will continue to buy milk from about 12,000 dairy farms. According to Dean Foods, Americans drink about three gallons less milk per person per year since 2010 and per capital consumption is down roughly 11 gallons since 1975.

For information about nondairy milks, see:
Guide to Non-Dairy Milks

According to Kashrus Magazine, the OU (Orthodox Union) has now started using a “DE” symbol in limited situations for products that use dairy equipment and cannot contain actual dairy ingredients. This DE symbol is only used for a limited number of products.

According to the OUKOSHER website:
An ‘OU-D’ symbol indicates:
The product is a Kosher dairy product.
The product contains a dairy ingredient or a dairy derivative.
Alternatively, the product, while not containing dairy ingredients itself, was made on equipment also used for making dairy products.

photo from: L’Artisane

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Below are some recent additions. The entire guide can be found here: VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at:
Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Dellz on the Macon
2021 Reynolds Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29405
Dellz on the Macon serves a variety of all-vegan fare like freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, and savory items like mock-meat taco bowls and pizzas. The restaurant, however, aims to be more than just a place to eat; it strives to create social change. Dellz is an oasis in the middle of a food desert. With its nutritious options priced on a sliding scale, the restaurant serves as a more affordable and healthier food outlet for members of the surrounding community. The restaurant also serves as a community-building space where young local creatives to meet and express their ideas.

Garlik Vegan
3754 Brevard Rd.
Horse Shoe, NC 28742
Garlik Vegan is family run. Come for their Pizza made with an in-house dough noted for its crust. Specialty pizzas include a white, Alfredo Chik’n, Buffalo Tempeh and The Hawaiian. Sandwiches include the Chick’n Philly Cheese, BLT, and even Chickpea salad. Desserts and Beverages are also plentiful, with coffee provided from the local ShareWell Coffee CO. Decor is playful, food presentation is bright and shareworthy all with friendly service.

L’Artisane
7423 Collins Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33141
L’Artisane, located in North Beach, is a French-inspired bakery and coffeehouse. Classic French pastries like croissants, pain au chocolat, tartlettes, and a variety of petits gâteaux are painstakingly recreated at this all-vegan restaurant. The bakery also serves standard bistro items like salads, sandwiches, and quiches. Gluten-free items are clearly marked. Catering and delivery are available with advanced notice.

Pure Joy Kitchen
519 NW Colorado Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
Pure Joy Kitchen is free of gluten, processed sweeteners and additives. Their menu is divided into Pure Smoothies, Elixirs, Pure Breakfast, Pure Desserts, Pure eats (entrees) and Enhancements (snacks). Recommendations include the banana bread smoothie, the mate Latte, the Chia Breakfast bowl.

SaVeg Café
637 11 Ave. SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0E1 Canada
SaVeg Café (pronounced ‘savage’) is a family owned, vegan cafe located in Downtown Calgary. The menu is heavily inspired by Korean cuisine. Items on the breakfast menu are served until 11 am and include favorites like scrambled tofu, burritos, bagel sandwiches and sweet quinoa bowls. Wraps and burgers are introductions on the lunch menu, followed by main dishes like tofu rice bowls and Japchae, which is Korean savory ‘glass’ noodles with vegetable and bean curd slices. Salad rolls, bakes goods, and snacks are other menu options along with green, fruit, and specialty smoothies.

Turning Natural
1380 H St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Plus several other locations in Washington, DC and the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC
This restaurant serves up delicious juice-bar fare like smoothies, salads, and acai bowls, but it’s the mission of the restaurant that makes the place truly unique. The owner, Jerri Evans, continued the legacy of Turning Natural after her mother, the founder, passed away. Her mother had a passion for creating fresh and healthy food during her battle with cancer. After realizing that many lives could be saved if healthy food was available in her community, Evans continues to bring affordable, accessible, nutritious food to DC and Maryland neighborhoods that are located in food deserts.

Vegan East
2179 4th St.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Vegan East, located inside of the Avalon Mall, is an all-vegan bakery offering all sorts of baked goods: cookies, cakes, brownies, pastries, and much more. With unique dessert options like chocolate salted caramel cupcakes and strawberry jam rolls, it’s no surprise that the bakery has had lines out the door ever since its opening. Desserts can be bought in-store or ordered online. Gluten-free options are also available.

The Vegetarian Resource Group has produced a new bumper sticker saying: Vegans Have Good Hearts, which certainly spreads the vegan message on many levels and in a positive way. You can purchase these stickers from VRG here:

Minimum order of 2 stickers for $2

10 stickers for $6

According to Fidelity Investments, if you are age 70½ or older, IRS rules require you to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year from your tax-deferred retirement accounts. This additional taxable income may push you into a higher tax bracket and may also reduce your eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions. To eliminate or reduce the impact of RMD income, charitably inclined investors may want to consider making a qualified charitable distribution. A qualified charitable distribution is a direct transfer of funds from an IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity, such as The Vegetarian Resource Group. Up to $100,000 in charitable contributions made this way can be excluded from taxable income. With passage of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, the QCD provision is now a permanent part of the Internal Revenue Code. This means you can plan your charitable giving and begin reviewing your tax situation earlier each year. The contribution must be made directly from the IRA custodian to the charity, so speak with the institution where your IRA is held, concerning the proper forms and the proper deadlines. This is not personal tax or legal advice. Speak to your tax and legal advisor for specific information for your situation.

By Griffin Stein

The Vegetarian Resource Group had a booth in McDowell Hall at American University’s VegOut happy hour on February 21, 2018 staffed by myself, a Goucher Senior, and Yasmin Radbod, a previous VRG college intern who now runs the DC’s Womyn’s Collective, Femme Fatale. The event was hosted by the AU recreational center and brought to our attention by VRG volunteer Nicole Tuner. Around 30 students attended on a historically balmy February day.

The first speaker, a dietitian, discussed some of the best ways to get more fiber and protein while dealing with a rushed college schedule. Recommendations included making vegan oatmeal with almond milk and chia seeds as well as using Daiya cheese. The second part involved a cooking demo from a local caterer who herself was not vegan, but was very knowledgeable about how to purchase lasting ingredients to make a favorable vegan Paella with broccoli. The total time for cooking Paella should take around half an hour, but patience should be rewarded as it can be comfortably proportioned to feed you, your roommates, and their friends. Cold Pressed Juices from Garden Of Flavor were later provided and I tasted both Goji Pineapple and Turmeric Root/Ginger Root with Guayusa and Probiotics, the later being a bit too strong for my taste. AU also kindly provided attendees gift bags with a Pumpkin Spice RXBar, a LÄRABAR and Justin’s Peanut butter.

While people got their juice, we were able to talk to attendees and hand out copies of VRG’s DC vegetarian restaurant guide and copies of our Vegetarian Journal. Thanks to AU for hosting such a fun event on such a warm summer-like day in February! If you are interested in volunteering at a booth like the one above, please e-mail [email protected].

The Vegetarian Resource Group receive 5% for each enabled Store purchase, and $10 for every new Humble Monthly subscriber (some exclusions apply). Humble Bundle is a retailer of digital games and ebooks.

To sign up, visit www.humblebundle.com/store?partner=573&charity=573

Passover begins the evening of March 30, 2018 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. You can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)
(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped
5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 cups water
½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)
(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions
Vegetable oil spray
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper
1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)
(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 cups water
1 onion, peeled and chopped
¼ pound mushrooms
1 teaspoon oil
1 Tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup matzo meal
1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: VRG Book Catalog

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.

Complete details can be seen here: http://www.vrg.org/essay/