| eLifelines June 2011 |
| Sunday, 09 January 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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June has arrived, and that means the second annual Compassion Week is just around the corner. In fact, just a few days away! Don't miss the Compassion Cafe where animal focused artwork will be on sale to raise funds for animal sanctuaries, or the Compassion Marketplace featuring food vendors, non-profit organizations and talks exploring human/non-human animal relations. But it's not just TVA that's hosting events this month: Brendan Brazier's in town, there's super affordable cooking classes happening, and registration is open for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, where the Toronto Vegetarian Team will be out in full force! Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!Compassion Week starts early June, with the Compassion Cafe on June 9th and the Compassion Marketplace on June 11th. Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on Facebook.
This Month... TVA in Action - Compassion Cafe, Compassion Marketplace, Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Waterfront Marathon In the News - Meatless Mondays Spreads Across the US, COR to Introduce Vegan Certification in Canada: Have your say! Animal Advocacy Profile - Smooth Sailing into Veganism: One Woman's Journey to Raising a Vegan Family Nutritious Food of the Month - Rhubarb Recipe - Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet Discount Profile - Loving Hut: 10% off Reader's Corner - Mock Tuna Salad Recipe, Brendan Brazier's in Town, Vegan Cooking and Yoga Classes, Share a Ride to Vegetarian Summerfest
TVA In ActionUpcoming Events
Drop by and enjoy conversation, art and jazz music while sipping on a tea or latte. Artwork encouraging people to care about animals will be displayed and on sale, and Larra Skye and Caitlin Black will provide entertainment. When? Thursday, June 9th at 7 pm Where? T.A.N Coffee (37 Baldwin Street) How much? Free. Proceeds from the sale of artwork will benefit local farmed animal sanctuaries.
Compassion Marketplace This year's Compassion Marketplace has been scheduled to coincide with the much-loved weekly farmers market at Wychwood Barns and will feature a talk from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Debunking the Myths About Being Vegan. The marketplace will also feature Erika Ritter, Vivek Gupta, a workshop by Food Forward, and local vegetarian businesses and non-profit organisations.
Come out and support the event by:
Gold Sponsor  When? Saturday, June 11th, 9 am to 6 pm Where? Wychwood Barns (601 Christie St.) Cost: Free admission to the marketplace, Erika and Vivek's talk, and Colleen's "Ask the Expert" session. Tickets for Colleen's talk on are $20, or $15 for TVA members, and can be purchased at the TVA Resource Centre or by phoning the TVA office at 416-544-9800. Find the full schedule and a list of exhibitors at www.compassionweek.ca. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. The Toronto Vegetarian Team is Back at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Are you a plant-powered runner? Join the Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon! You can sign up to walk or run the 5k, 1/2 marathon or full marathon to raise funds to support TVA. All runners on the team receive a special discounted charity registration rate, and will be invited to a post-run dinner at Rawlicious, where you'll get a complimentary appetizer and dessert. Plus, you have the opportunity to win some great prizes from Whole Foods and Moksha Yoga if you're one of our top three fundraisers! Last year, 17 members of the team ran or walked to raise a whopping $7500 for TVA. This year, we want to surpass that goal so that TVA can continue to expand our outreach program, distributing more vegetarian starter kits, and getting more people to take the Veggie Challenge and commit to trying a vegetarian diet for one week!  Plus, let's not forget the larger our team is, the louder our message that vegetarians are indeed strong, athletic and healthy. We hope you'll join us to make these dreams reality. To join the Toronto Vegetarian Team please contact Barbi Lazarus at blazarus@veg.ca or 416-544-9800 to receive the special registration code and next steps. And don't forget, even if you don't want to run or walk in the race yourself, you can still support the team by sponsoring a runner on the team, or the entire team by visiting the Toronto Vegetarian Team's website. TVA Group EventsThe Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Simon's Wok (797 Gerrard Street East, near Logan) on Thursday, June 16th at 7 pm. Please RSVP by the Wednesday before the event to 416-544-9800 or tvadinner@veg.ca. TVA Reads will meet to discuss Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess, and enjoy some vegetarian food together, on Monday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m. The excellent documentary Project Nim, based on this book, opens in theatres in late July. Following that, our next TVA Reads date will be August 29. Vegans, vegetarians, transitioning and guests all welcome. For more information or to join the group, contact Shân at tvareads@veg.ca. Join one of TVA’s social groups. Directory UpdatesNew veg businesses this month include a raw, vegan catering company, Earth and City, and a Sadie's Diner Juice Bar, soon to open right next door to Hot Beans in Kensington Market! Check out the June directory updates for details on these new hot spots as well as updates on offerings from Boardwalk Chocolates, Ramshi's Veg Cakes, Fresh and more. In the NewsMeatless Mondays Growing in the USMore and more corporations are joining the ranks in getting their offices to participate in Meatless Mondays. Sodexo, which provides meal services for thousands of locations across North America, recently announced that Toyota, Northern Trust Bank and the US Department of Interior are among the more than 2000 Sodexo clients now doing Meatless Mondays! Click here to read more. COR to Introduce Vegan Certification in Canada: Participate in their surveyCOR, The Kashruth Council of Canada, which certifies Kosher products in Canada, is considering creating a COR Vegan symbol to mark grocery products that are both certified kosher and vegan. The term “Kosher” refers to a set of laws that observant Jewish people follow with respect to any food that they consume. While the laws are complex, in general, there are three basic certification symbols that are currently found on packaged food in supermarkets: Dairy, Pareve, and Meat. Obviously, any food with a Dairy or Meat symbol is not vegan. But much of the Pareve food is accidentally vegan. COR supervises and scrutinizes every step of the process and guarantees that Pareve foods are free of dairy, meat, poultry, and insect ingredients. The only non vegan ingredients that may be in Pareve food are egg and fish. Now COR – Canada’s largest kosher certification agency is exploring adding an additional certification standard – “COR Vegan” – which would demarcate kosher food products with the additional criteria that they contain no egg or fish based ingredients. They are reaching out to the vegetarian and vegan community to ensure that they get the definition of vegan right, so there is no misunderstanding when people find a product on the shelves with a “COR Vegan” label. We invite you to participate in this survey to identify ingredients or other considerations you consider when identifying a product as vegan. Click here to take the survey. Animal Advocacy ProfileKnow someone you want to nominate for the Animal Advocacy Profile? Tell us about someone in the community doing inspiring work for animals. Smooth Sailing into Veganism: One Woman's Journey Raising a Vegetarian FamilyAnimal activism isn't just about getting out into the public eye, it's also about the changes we make in our personal lives and the impact those changes have on animals. It's estimated that with each new vegetarian, there's over 50 lives saved every year. That means that each one of us that decides to remove animal products from our diet is an activist, making a true difference. What's even more incredible is when we can inspire and influence the people around us to make that same choice and save another 50 lives. Click here to read about Julia's brave journey, when she made the decision to not only go vegetarian, but to bring her husband and children along with her as well. Her story is sure to inspire you to overcome any obstacles you or others in your life are facing on your way to transitioning to a vegetarian diet. Julia shares the tips and tricks she learned along the way that made the switch to veganism easy and delicious. Nutritious Food of the MonthRhubarbCare of Andrea Gourgy We’re in the throes of rhubarb season here in Ontario, where fresh rhubarb is available anywhere from January through June. And it’s well worth getting better acquainted with rhubarb this season—it’s a good source of potassium, vitamin C and calcium, and contains only 27 calories per one-cup serving. But long before rhubarb became a staple in our pies, cakes and muffins, it was actually used as a medicinal ingredient. It is one of the most common plants used in Chinese medicine, and is said to balance the digestive system, neutralize stomach acid and relieve constipation. A little more than 200 years ago, rhubarb finally made its way from the medicine cabinet to the kitchen, and people began to look forward to eating rhubarb at a time of year when most produce was not in season yet. When choosing rhubarb, look for a bright colour and crisp stalks. Rhubarb grown in greenhouses (“hothouse” rhubarb) tends to have a pink or light reddish colour and is milder in taste. Field-grown rhubarb tends to have a deeper red colour and a stronger flavour; field-grown rhubarb also tends to be a bit stringier and may require peeling. Rhubarb should be stored in the fridge. Before using, trim off any blemished areas and always remember to remove the leaves—rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which can be toxic if eaten. Since rhubarb is naturally quite tart, you’ll find that it is usually sweetened in recipes and often paired with other sweet fruits, such as strawberries, as in the sorbet recipe below. Click here to join TVA and receive the print Lifelines, which offers more nutritional info, recipes and cookbook reviews. Find more nutritional information at veg.ca/nutrition. RecipeStrawberry Rhubarb SorbetCare of Canadian Living Magazine
Ingredients
Directions 1. In a saucepan, cook rhubarb with 1/4 cup (50 mL) water over low heat for about 10 minutes or until juices are released. Stir in sugar. Increase heat to medium; cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Let cool. 2. In a food processor, puree rhubarb with strawberries until smooth. Pour into shallow metal pan; freeze for 3 to 4 hours or until almost firm. 3. Break up into chunks and transfer to food processor; puree until smooth. Place in chilled airtight container and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. (Alternatively, freeze in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.) Store in freezer for up to 1 day. Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes. Discount ProfileLoving Hut: 10% off with the TVA Discount Card
The menu was tricky to navigate, only because there were so many fabulous options! My mouth watered looking at the pictures and descriptions of wonton soup, sweet and sour fireball, savoury crisp and singapore star. But it wasn't all mock versions of typical Chinese dishes.There was an array of luring drinks including mango and avocado smoothies. It took a while, but finally my friend and I narrowed it down to an avocado smoothie, the spicy cha cha and the sweet and sour fireball. The smoothie was thick and rich. The spicy cha cha had a nice crispy batter and was surrounded by plenty of onions and celery. The sweet 'n sour fireball had a lovely, gooey sauce and the mushroom filling was quite tasty.
TVA Discount? 10% off Veg Status? Vegan Where? 140 Spadina Avenue (just south of Queen) or 953 Eglinton Avenue West (west of Bathurst) Reader's CornerReader's RecipesHave you got a craving for a tuna salad sandwhich? Check out blogger Shannon's recipe for Mock Tuna Salad for a simple, tasty lunch treat!Reader's ClassifiedsBrendan Brazier's coming to town to launch his new book,Whole Foods to Thrive. Join him for a talk at Octopus Garden Yoga Centre (967 College Street) on Wednesday, June 8th from 6 to 8 pm. Hors d'ouvres will be served from Urban Herbivore. Please RSVP to trish.bunnett@ca.penguingroup.com. Urban Edge Yoga holds weekly vegan cooking classes for only $7! Held on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30, the classes include a vegan dinner. The upcoming class on June 23rd will also include guest monk Devamrita Swami. Visit www.urbanedgeyoga.com for details on upcoming cooking classes. Going to Vegetarian Summerfest? Anyone in the Toronto area looking to share a ride to Vegetarian Summerfest in July, please contact Kera at kpesall@hotmail.com. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today!
Founded in 1945, the Toronto Vegetarian Association is a volunteer-driven charitable organization devoted to providing information and support to people who are interested in making healthier, greener, more peaceful food choices. By becoming a member of TVA, you'll support vital programs such as the largest annual vegetarian food fair in North America, the vegetarian directory, a volunteer-run vegetarian resource centre and the Veggie Challenge. You'll also receive our quarterly print newsletter Lifelines, and be entitled to a free, customized subscription to VegE-News. Plus, you'll have the option to purchase our Discount Card, offering savings at over 80 veg-friendly businesses in the GTA. All donations of $20 or more are tax-deductible. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today and help us inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle.
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When I walked into Loving Hut's Queen and Spadina location, I was pleasantly surprised with the decor. It's a larger restaurant than I was imagining and was brightly decorated with cozy, white booths and lots of sunlight.
We of course topped it all off with some cheesecake for dessert. Check out their website to see photos of their menu for yourself, and get ready to plan your visit! Don't forget your discount card to give you 10% off your bill.