News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association

5th Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off Recap!

A Delicious Time Had By All On Saturday, February 2nd, 2013, 500 people came out to share in the tasting of 5000 samples of cupcakes, cookies, pies, tarts and more at the 5th Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off. Dozens of local vegetarian businesses donated an incredible array of fantastic prizes to award to our winners, which were chosen by attendees as well as two head judges: Ruth Tal of Fresh Restaurants and Lesia Kohut of LPK’s Culinary Groove. We would like to thank the amazing team of more than 50 volunteers who made this event possible, as well as all the bakers who put so much effort into making their fabulous treats. Congratulations to the winners! Best Pro in Show: Black Magic Squares by APieCalypse Now! Best Home Baker in Show: One Drop Macaroons by Reuben Jong Best Presentation: Tropical Coquito Pineapple Paradise by Drew Silverthorn Best Presentation Runner Up: Lemon Donuts by Lisa Le Best Baking Out of the Box: Barking Mad by PinkHart Diner Decadent Raw Desserts 1st Place: Tijana’s Tropical Treat by Tijana Cosovic Runner Up: Raw Banana Cream Pie by Natasha Fraynak Delicious Donuts and Pastries 1st Place: Marvelous Mini Cake Donuts by… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association

2012 Holiday Sale & Gingerbread House Contest

Don’t wait until the last minute to get your holiday gifts – score some sweet savings at TVA’s annual Holiday Sale and Open House. This is your chance to grab some great vegetarian cookbooks for yourself or the loved ones in your life. We’ll also be giving away FREE back issues of Vegetarian Times that are great for stocking stuffers! But wait – there’s more! This year, we’re holding the first ever Toronto Vegetarian Association Vegan Gingerbread House contest. You can enter with your most creative, elaborate and compassionate gingerbread scene, or come by to see the creations and vote for your favourite. The winner will receive a decadent jar of cookies and a gift certificate from the lovemuffin bakery. When? Saturday, December 15th. Sale and open house runs from 1 to 4 pm. Gingerbread viewing and voting from 1 to 2:30 pm. Where? Sale and open house at the TVA Resource Centre (17 Baldwin Street, 2nd floor). We regret that our resource centre is not accessible. Gingerbread viewing and voting inside Vegetarian Haven (17 Baldwin Street, first floor, and wheelchair accessible). Want to enter the contest? Please email Barbi at blazarus@veg.ca to register your… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association

Why I’m Veg Contest Winners 2013

We received an amazing collection of creative videos for the Why I’m Veg video contest. All the videos were inspirational and told their story about why they went vegetarian and what keeps them committed to a vegetarian diet. It was a difficult decision to select only three winners, but here they are! Grand Prize Winner Lisa Blonder-Ohlenkamp will win a Sweets from the Earth gift basket, a free workshop at Fresh City Farms, a week of meals from Green Zebra Kitchen, a dozen cupcakes from Kupcakes Bake Shop and a copy of Doug McNish’s Eat Raw, Eat Well. Runner Up Carlos Garcia will win gift certificates for Lick’s Nature Burgers, Sadie’s Diner, as well as a free workshop from Fresh City Farms and a copy of Tal Ronnen’s Conscious Cook. Second Runner Up Mark Young will win gift certificates for Gardein and Yoso products, as well as a free pair of vegan shoes from Nice Shoes! Watch all the wonderful videos here! You’re sure to be inspired. Make sure to “like” them, re-tweet them, and share them on Facebook! Thanks again to our fabulous sponsors.                       … Read More

Filed under: News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Uncategorised

Discount Profile: Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

With their prices already low in exchange for massive portions, it’s hard to imagine that vegetarian discount card holders now get an additional 10% off their meal! Even if you live downtown, it’s worth making the trip to Richmond Hill/Markham for a meal out at Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant. Our first dish, rice and mixed vegetables, may not sound like anything fancy, but the variety of mushrooms and leafy greens was excellent and the flavor was delicious. The “seafood” and bean curd on hot plate came to the table sizzling and was fantastic and unique! I always get a plate of mixed gluten when I dine here and this meal was no exception. It comes with a variety of flavours: sweet ‘n sour, curry, mock duck, BBQ and more. Some varieties are soft and gooey, while others are more chewy, but each one is mouthwatering and I can never get enough. But whatever you do, don’t miss out on the veggie lemon chicken dish! The gooey, sugary coating surrounding the soft gluten-based “chicken” will melt in your mouth and bring you back for more. Discount: 10% (not on holidays or on 1st and 13th of each month)… Read More

Filed under: News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association

January 2012: eLifelines

Happy new year! We can’t wait to get things rolling in 2012. There’s already so much to get excited about. The 4th Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off will be here in less than one month, closely followed by Vegan Rock, a fundraising concert and bake sale, so we hope you’ve got your sweet tooths polished! It may seem odd to be reporting on a delicious stop to Sadie’s Juice Bar and Ice Creem Parlour in January, but they’ve got some new items to keep you warm through winter, just like our recipe featuring garlic, a great immune booster if you’re prone to colds and flus. As usual, there is always some good news to report and we’re happy to see 2012 is off to a good start, with a local councillor in Markham pushing for a ban on shark fin and a law school in Oregon announcing a program specifically focused on animal law. Don’t Miss These Upcoming Events! The 4th Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off is happening Saturday, February 4th from 2:00 to 4:30 pm at 918 Bathurst. Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on Facebook. This Month…… Read More

Filed under: News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Uncategorised

TVA offers Mayor recipe for healthy weight-loss

The Toronto Vegetarian Association delivers plant-based care package to Mayor Ford and Councillor Doug Ford TORONTO:  In response to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s public resolution to lose weight in 2012, the Toronto Vegetarian Association has delivered a care package for achieving healthy weight-loss and invited the mayor to participate in Meatless Mondays. “Eating less meat is a great way to achieve healthy weight-loss and reduce the risk of common health problems like heart disease and type-2 diabetes,” according to David Alexander, Executive Director of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. “Meatless Mondays offers a healthy, easy and delicious opportunity for better health outcomes and a smaller eco-footprint.” The care package includes vegetarian recipes, cookbooks, a directory of local restaurants, as well as dinner for two at Vegetarian Haven restaurant, a healthy 15-minute walk from City Hall. Also included is the documentary Forks Over Knives, which inspired CBC television host George Stroumboulopoulos to rethink his diet and embrace plant-based eating in 2011. Dr. Neal Barnard, author of a dozen books including 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, says that plant-based foods help people to control their appetite, enhance their metabolism, and protect against heart disease, high cholesterol and type-2 diabetes. Dr. Barnard’s diet plan replaces… Read More

Filed under: Healthy Living Media Releases News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre