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| eLifelines February 2010 - You're Invited to Celebrate with TVA |
| Monday, 01 February 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bring on the events! With our calendars reminding us of two holidays this month - Valentine's Day and Family Day, many people are brainstorming ideas for getting together with their loved ones and celebrating. And we've got more than a few suggestions for combining your desire to spend quality time with friends and family with your passion for a vegetarian lifestyle. The 2nd Annual Vegan Rock concert is happening February 4th, Rancho Relaxo is holding a special buffet dinner, and we're inviting everyone to join us in starting a new tradition for Family Day by hosting a vegetarian potluck. If that's not enough to keep you busy, Nimisha Raja's hosting another round of her Cancer Project Cooking Series, this time with four new classes! But February is cause for celebration not only because of the designated holidays, but also because of fantastic news for farm animals, as Toronto's Walk for Farm Animals announces record breaking fundraising, and the stats start to show fewer animals are actually being killed for food. This month, learn about chickens in Bonnie Shulman's Animal Profile of the Month, and kale in Karen Soper's Nutritious Food of the Month. Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!Vegan Rock will happen on Thursday, February 4th and we're starting a new holiday tradition by designating Family Day, February 15th, as Vegetarian Potluck Day. Find out more in the TVA in Action section.
This Month... TVA in Action - We've got three great events to tell you about in February: Vegan Rock, a benefit concert for TVA on February 4th, Vegetarian Potluck Day on February 15th, and a series of Cancer Project Cooking Classes beginning February 21st. Plus, a number of TVA groups are hosting upcoming social dinners and lectures as well. In the News - Hear about the Toronto Walk for Farm Animals' record breaking success, and get some fantastic statistics about a decline in the number of animals killed for food in the U.S. Animal Profile of the Month - Some Brief Chicken Chat Nutritious Food of the Month - Kale: Real Fast, Real Food Recipes - Kale Chips and Cheesy Kale Chips Discount Profile - Vegetarian Haven: 10 % off with the TVA Discount Card Reader's Classifieds - Chocolate Valentine's Party and Rancho Relaxo Vegan Anniversary Buffet This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
TVA In ActionUpcoming EventsVegan Rock! If winter tends to get you down, come liven up at Vegan Rock, a beneft concert for the Toronto Vegetarian Association. The concert will feature local veg artists Dream Awake, More Than Breathing, Robert Hedge and Dyniss, plus there will be a pay-what-you-can bake sale of tasty vegan treats. When? Thursday, February 4th at 9 pm Where? The Boat (158 Augusta Avenue, in Kensington Market)
NEW Round of Cancer Project Cooking Series
Nimisha Raja of Evolving Appetites is back with a new, extended round of eight cooking classes based on The Cancer Project's popular Food for Life Nutrition and Cooking Classes for Cancer Prevention and Survival program. Each class will feature a video nutrition lecture from The Cancer Project's Eating Right for Cancer Survival DVD, followed by a cooking demonstration of simple and healthy recipes from The Survivor's Handbook: Eating Right for Cancer Survival. Participants will be able to sample the recipes demonstrated. The eight classes are: Fueling up on low-fat foods, favouring fibre, discovering dairy alternatives, replacing meat, planning healthy meals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, immune boosting foods, and maintaining a healthy weight. Sign up for one or two classes, the whole series, or anything in between! When? Every Sunday from 2 to 3:30 pm, beginning February 21st and ending April 11th Where? Whole Foods teaching kitchen, located at 87 Avenue Rd. How much? $30 each, $100 for any four or all 8 for $180 - includes sample tastes of all recipes prepared More Information and Registration: A full description of each class and their dates can be found at veg.ca/healthyeating. Call Whole Foods at 416-944-0500 to register for any of these unique classes. Unless otherwise stated, please register in person at the customer service desk or by phone. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. TVA Group EventsThe Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Magic Oven (798 Danforth Avenue, east of Pape) on Thursday, February 18th at 7 pm. Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The York Region/North York Vegetarian Group will hold their next meeting at Joe Yee Vegetarian Cuisine (9688 Leslie Street, Units 17-18) on Sunday, March 28th at 1 pm. Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 416-636-5757. The York Region/North York Veg Group welcomes new and experienced vegetarians, and anyone wishing to make a transition to a vegetarian lifestyle, all ages welcome. The Durham Lakeside Vegetarian Group will have a guest speaker at their next social dinner on February 10th. Erika Sullivan will speak on elephant rescue in Thailand. The dinner will be held at Jasmine Garden in Whitby at 7:00 pm. On March 10th, they will hold a dinner at Chef Tommy's Restaurant in Ajax (325 Westney Road South). Please RSVP to both events to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . For details on all upcoming Durham events visit veg.ca/durham. NOTE: DLVG encourages supporters to attend the Durham Humane Society's Valentine's Gala. Details posted at the website above. The Vegetarian Networker's Group is looking for new members to help get things rolling. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you'd like to help him launch this new TVA social group. Vegetarians In Their Twenties is looking for 2 or more assistant organizers to help plan events. You must be: veg*n, in your twenties, friendly, organized, and willing to plan and run an event once every month. For more details, contact Caroline at
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. VITT is a fun group for twenty-somethings that hosts social gatherings every other week. Events in the past have included visits to restaurants, the symphony, a farm sanctuary, as well as picnics, sports days, bowling, laser tag, parkour, board games, and much more! Be the Hostess with the Mostess: Invite Friends and Family to a Vegetarian Potluck
Indulge and Inspire Unlike other holidays, there are currently no traditions that exist for celebrating family day - so we're starting a new one - Vegetarian Potluck Day! Now YOU have the opportunity to demonstrate that choosing a vegetarian diet is healthy, easy and delicious. Celebrate Family Day with your loved ones and raise funds to support our programs by inviting friends and family to a vegetarian potluck fundraiser. Your potluck has the potential to outreach to non-vegetarians, to raise funds for the Toronto Vegetarian Association, and to make others aware of the resources we offer, encouraging them to join TVA. 50 Reasons to Host a Potluck The average vegetarian saves the lives of 50 animals every year. Hosting a vegetarian potluck means you can: • Help TVA raise funds for our new programs such as Compassion Week and a Meatless Monday campaign It's as Easy as Vegan Sweet Potato Pie! So how can you get started planning your potluck? Just click the link below to register your potluck using our downloadable form and send it in to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it today! We'll send you a package with materials and suggestions to bring your potluck to life! CLICK HERE to download our registration form and register your vegetarian potluck today! Directory UpdatesWhile we haven't heard of any new vegetarian restaurants opening up this month, there are some updates to existing locales. Pulp Kitchen now offers delivery through orderit.ca. One of our directory distributors reports that Optimum Natural Foods has moved from it's Beach location to the Junction. They're now located at 2865 Dundas Street West, just west of Keele. And for those that work in the downtown core, you may be happy to know that a coffee shop specializing in fair trade and organic coffee apparently has a vegan sandwhich. Check out Cafe 260 at 260 Richmond Street East. Stay in-the-know as more updates are announced on our directory updates page. In the NewsToronto Walk for Farm Animals Raises Record Amount of DonationsCongratulations is extended to the Toronto Walk for Farm Animals team. Holly Larson and Kelly Gredner, together with the support of a team of volunteers, as well as local business sponsors, raised an astonuding $16,724 for Farm Sanctuary. This total breaks the Toronto team's record, and places Toronto in 2nd place for raising the most funds. We can all be proud of the generosity and support of compassionate people in the Toronto area. Number of Animals Killed for Food Drops!According to Farm USA, the total number of land animals killed for food in the US dropped slightly in 2008, by 0.6%. This is despite an increase in the overall US population by 1%. You can find more details and exciting statistics prediciting an even greater drop in 2009 by reading the full report here. Want more news updates? Sign up for TVA VegE-News here. Animal Profile of the MonthCare of Bonnie Shulman
Some Brief Chicken ChatThe world treats chickens as commodities, their wings to be nibbled with beer, but watch these flightless birds living freely on a farm sanctuary, and you might never want to eat one again.Chickens enjoy living together in small flocks, sunning, dustbathing, and scratching in the soil for food. A mother hen will fiercely protect her young brood, while the rooster proudly keeps watch over the flock. He alerts the hens if he senses danger, and when he finds a tasty morsel for his family to share, he calls them excitedly. Most surprising, perhaps, to the person who has never seen a live chicken, is their intense beauty, their feisty personality and their clear love of life. They are charming and endearing. Once you’ve watched chickens living joyfully and in peace, you will never be able to watch those Swiss Chalet commercials on TV again. You know — where a happy family eagerly anticipates dinner while behind them, bodies of broiler chickens turn on a flaming spit. According to the United Poultry Concerns, www.upc-online.org, a non-profit group promoting the humane treatment of domestic fowl, “every year, 9 billion baby chickens are raised and killed for food in the U.S. During their 45 days of life, these “broiler” chickens live in semi-darkness on manure-soaked wood shavings, unchanged through several flocks of 30,000 or more birds in a single shed. Excretory ammonia fumes often become so strong that the birds develop a blinding disease so painful they rub their hurting eyes with their wings and cry in pain.” There are many plant-based alternatives to chicken. Read the Veggie challenge stories on Veg.ca and find out how others came to spare the fowl and feast on the faux!
Nutritious Food of the MonthKale: Real fast, real foodCare of Karen Soper and Lisa Pitman In the realm of fast food there is a plethora of options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. We can literally go to every street corner and find something to eat. Books have been written about our “Fast Food Nation”, scrapping and devouring our land resources, contributing to epidemic proportions of disease and illness, putting an entire food system into an inequitable state, and yet food to us must be fast. Must it be real? It is clear that the foods I am talking about are not really food. They are derived, manufactured, concocted, packaged and then digested. Calories, well we know the sad story there. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we can choose it - plant based foods that are easy to cook. Kale, as so many healthy, life-giving plant based foods are, is an example of a real fast food. This amazing curly-leafed, dark green vegetable is a member of the same family as cabbage, collards and brussel sprouts. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, B6, riboflavin, and manganese (an important part of superoxide dismutase – the powerful antioxidant enzyme). Kale provides more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food. It is also a good source of fibre helping to reduce cholesterol levels and keep blood-sugar levels under control. In a matter of minutes, kale can be steamed (turning it a beautiful bright green), tossed with olive oil, sea salt and a squeeze of lemon, and added to your plate. There are many ways to enjoy kale and I hope that you count this green vegetable as your number one fast food! Click here to join TVA and receive the print Lifelines, which offers more nutritional info, recipes and cookbook reviews, and find more nutritional information at veg.ca/nutrition. RecipesKale Chips
Kale chips are a fantastic snack and a great way to get everyone eating more greens. Kale chips can be baked in your oven or dehydrated. You can easily vary the flavour by following these simple directions: 1. If you're using an oven preheat to 350 degrees. 2. Wash and dry your kale. Tear each leaf into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. 3. Toss in a dressing to lightly coat. Lay the kale pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet or dehydrator tray. 4. In your oven, bake for 7 minutes and then flip the chips and back for another 6 minutes. Let the kale chips cool for about 15 minutes. They should be crisp and crunchy. In a dehydrator bake at 115 degrees for 3-4 hours untl a crisp texture is acheived. You can make a simple version by tossing the chips in your favourite salad dressing or a simple combination of sea salt, apple cider vinegar and a touch of olive oil. Cheesy Kale Chips
Place kale pieces into a very large bowl. Throw the rest of the ingredients into a blender. Bake as directed in the basic kale chips recipe. The more dressing you add the more you'll have to bake the chips to get the desired texture. But keep your eye on them. Kale dust is not as tasty! Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes. Discount Profile Vegetarian Haven: 10% off with TVA Discount Card
Looking for somewhere nice for a dinner out this Valentine's Day? Vegetarian Haven offers a calming, romantic atmosphere as well as delicious and healthy plant-based food. Their Asian fusion menu offers fresh salads, warming soups, sizzling mock meats and rice bowls speckled with seitan to name just a few. But make sure to check out their daily special - which is always sure to please whether it be a tofu and veggie stuffed pepper or a warm, avocado soup. Not to mention their wide array of dessert options, including vegan sundaes and cheesecake. You'll have room to splurge on dessert if you've got the TVA discount card, which gives you 10% off. And, make sure to pop upstairs when you're done your meal to the TVA Resource Centre - located right above the restaurant and open Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons (discount card holders also receive 10% off all books in the TVA resource centre). Where? 17 Baldwin Street Veg Status? Vegan Savings with TVA Discount Card: 10% The TVA Discount Card is available to members of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Find a full listing of participating locations here. To join TVA and/or purchase a discount card, make a tax-deductible, online donation or phone the TVA office at 416-544-9800. Reader's Classifieds Chocolate Valentine's PartyBoardwalk Chocolates, maker of vegan, fairtrade and handmade chocolate, invites you to their 2nd Chocolate Party! They write: "It's free and there's free samples. Also boxes to purchase for yourself or your sweetie. We will have a wonderful new "Go Vegan" chocolate heart for sale too. Invite your friends and bring the non-vegans." Wednesday, February 10 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Panacea (588 Bloor Street West). More info on the Facebook event page. Rancho Relaxo Celebrates One Year Anniversary of Vegan Menu Options
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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