Earth Balance® – makers of a variety of plant-based, vegan products such as buttery spreads, nut butters and snacks – are thrilled to announce their 5th Annual Holiday Bake-Off. The national, virtual vegan baking competition launches Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 30, 2015.

This year, Earth Balance has enlisted the help of three judges who represent the best of vegan and plant-based cooking: blogger and cookbook author Dreena Burton of Plant-Powered Kitchen, cookbook author and restaurateur Chloe Coscarelli, and blogger and cookbook author Emily von Euw of This Rawsome Vegan Life.

“Some people may be intimidated by vegan baking,” said Coscarelli, “but they don’t have to be! I use Earth Balance in many of my own recipes, and it really makes dairy-free baking easy and delicious. This Bake-Off offers the opportunity for fellow vegans to show their own passion through baking, and I’m truly looking forward to reviewing the submissions.”

All recipe submissions must be 100 percent plant-based, original and contain least one Earth Balance product. The 2015 Bake-Off categories include:

· Cookies and bars

· Savory baked goods – new in 2015

· Cakes and cupcakes

· Pies

“Every year the team at Earth Balance looks forward to the Holiday Bake-Off,” said Adriane Pilcher, director of marketing for Earth Balance. “We are humbled and truly grateful for the participation of our world-renowned judges, and the addition of the unique savory category this year provides yet another opportunity for contestants to showcase their talents and prove that a plant-based diet doesn’t have to mean living ‘without.’”

Previous winning recipes have included Blackberry Green Tea Layer Cake, Chai Pumpkin Pie With Cranberry Orange Gremolata, and Banana Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cake.

Contestants can submit recipes for consideration at mjr.earthbalancenatural.com between Nov. 1 and 30, 2015. Winners will be selected in each of the four categories, and from those, one grand-prize winner will be selected to win a prize package including a trip to New York City. Throughout the contest, Earth Balance will also be awarding prizes via its social media platforms. Full contest details are available at mjr.earthbalancenatural.com/hbo2015.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is here to help. We share plenty of Thanksgiving recipe ideas and list groups/restaurants offering veggie meals for the holiday.

Visit: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php

Ava Lazar is a winner of The Vegetarian Resource Group video contest.

Ava stated, “I am 11 years old. I’ve been vegetarian for 3 years because I love animals. I made this video to show more reasons for being vegetarian.”

Here are the video scholarship winners: http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

If you would like to support VRG internships or our video scholarship contest, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate
Write the purpose under comments.

VRG also sponsors an annual scholarship contest for high school seniors. See http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Two Boots is celebrating World Vegan Month by adding a special new vegan pie to their many fine vegan options for the month of November. “The Super Vegan!” builds on their extremely popular regular menu item, the “V for Vegan,” by adding broccoli and vegan ricotta to an already delicious combination of artichokes, Shiitake mushrooms, and red onions, topped with Daiya vegan cheese and a criss-cross of their two homemade pesto sauces made from sweet red peppers and basil. If that’s not your flavor, why not try one of their other regular varieties done the vegan way, with such appetizing names as “The Vegan Larry Tate,” “The Vegan Mel Cooley,” “The Vegan Night Tripper,” and “The Vegan Tony Clifton”? You may even find these vegan options available by the slice throughout the month of November, whereas you would usually only find the “V for Vegan” ready to go in the counter case.

For a list of all their locations in the USA and more details see:
http://twoboots.com/vegan-month/

Now that the weather will be turning cooler in parts of the USA, we thought some of you may be looking for new non leather boots. Here are a few options:

Alternative Outfitters: http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/collections/womens-boots
Blowfish Malibu: http://www.blowfishshoes.com/ItemServlet?navOp=category1&op=SEL&cat=67&subcat=331
Charmone: http://charmone.com/product-category/boots/
MooShoes: http://www.mooshoes.com/womens-shoes/boots.html and http://www.mooshoes.com/mens-shoes/boots.html
Pammies: http://www.pammieslife.com/
Pangea: http://www.veganstore.com/category/womens-vegan-shoes
Vegan Chic: http://www.veganchic.com/women/vegan+boots/search.aspx and http://www.veganchic.com/men/vegan+boots/search.aspx

Are you looking for non-leather belts, ballet shoes, guitar straps, musical instrument cases, watch bands, and more? If so, see The Vegetarian Resource Group’s guide to non-leather alternatives in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, etc.: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/leather.php

If you are working for healthier foods in school lunches, this list of available commodities and other information below may be helpful.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fdd/USDA_Foods_Available_List.pdf

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/schoolscn-usda-foods-programs

You can receive a 25% discount off all items, including sale merchandise.

Go to http://www.lucachiara.com/

Use Code VRG25

A member Elaine Wiggins wrote us:

I really think you should know that several years ago I donated your book “Vegan in Volume: Vegan Quantity Recipes for Every Occasion” to the director of Nutrition Services at a local medical complex where I work. I received this phone call back (a long time later). He said that he had not forgotten my donation and that all along he had been working on a budget to incorporate some items from the book into their menu. He said he was really excited to do this and appreciated the suggestions in the book. Below my letter, please read the response I also received via email from one of his employees with details about the first menu items they rolled out this year.

Since that time I have eaten in their main cafeteria a few times and I am thrilled that it is becoming slowly more vegan friendly all the time. They now also serve soy milk, hummus and vegan friendly bagels, vegan energy bars, and other grab and go items in addition to salads, fruits, oatmeal, and main menu items. I am really excited that a medical organization is taking vegan interests into consideration!

Thank you so much for providing this book! I think it is a great resource for institutions and I love that the menu items are simple and easy to incorporate, and not so far out that people are turned off by them. At some point, I would like to do the same thing with the other local hospital/clinic system in my city. I think that it is very important for patients, family, and visitors to be able to maintain nutrition and ethical food preferences while visiting a medical health system. Thanks again for such an awesome book!

FROM THE FOOD SERVICE: I wanted to personally thank you for the wonderful vegan cookbook that you donated to Nutrition Services as well as to let you know that we are going to be implementing a couple of the recipes from your cookbook in the café in the next few weeks. We will have a vegan orange and wild rice salad in our salad bar which we will be having every Monday and Tuesday for at least a month. On our café menu, that will be on the 6th, we will have a vegan grilled stuffed portabella mushroom stuffed with cous cous and tomato compote that was inspired by your cookbook as well. I look forward to adding more vegan recipes, from this cookbook, to our menus in the future.

The Vegetarian Resource Group would like to thank all our health professionals, members, volunteer, activists, and donors, who are helping us to create a more vegan and humane world.

For more information on Vegan in Volume and food service ideas, see
http://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=10

http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

Hot Bean Spread (From Simply Vegan)
Makes 2 sandwiches

1 cup vegetarian baked beans
1 Tablespoon horseradish or more if desired
½ small onion, minced

Mash the beans in a bowl. Add the horseradish and onion. Mix well and spread on two slices of whole wheat bread. Serve with lettuce and tomato slices.

Apple “Cheese” Melt (from Vegans Know How to Party)
Serves 4

8 slices whole grain or oat bread
1 cup peeled, thinly sliced apples (your choice)
4 slices vegan cheese
Vegetable oil spray

Toast bread lightly. Place bread on a clean surface. Cover 4 slices with apples and cheese. Cover with remaining bread slices. Coat a large skillet with vegetable oil spray. Allow to heat. Place one or two sandwiches (depending on the size of your skillet) in the pan and allow to brown on one side. Flip sandwiches and allow to brown on the other side. Cut in halves or quarters and serve immediately.

Greek Fava Bean Spread (From The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook)
Serves 4

2 cups cooked fava beans, drained (approximately 19 ounce can)
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a food processor bowl. Blend until creamy. Chill and serve with pita bread, lettuce, and a sliced tomato.

Thanks to Surbhi for sharing the recipe below.

Quinoa with Veggies
(Serves 2)

1 Tablespoon olive oil.
2 Tablespoons peanuts
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
1 onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup cooked quinoa (cooked per package instructions)
Salt to taste

1. Take a pan and add olive oil. Add peanuts and fry over medium heat until they turn light brown. Take them out and keep separately.
2. In the same oil, add sesame seeds and wait until they start crackling.
3. Add diced onion and stir until soft. Then add diced bell pepper and carrot. Cook for about 10-12 minutes until done.
4. Now add cooked quinoa into this mixture and add salt to taste.
5. Top it with peanuts.
6. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.