VegWeek Meet Up: April 24th

I'm so excited to announce that we are having our very first meet up! This has been something many of us have wanted to do for a while, and what better time than VegWeek?

Join us on April 24th at 7 pm at Mellow Mushroom in Macon for the Heart of Georgia Veggies VegWeek meet up. It is our first ever meet up event, and I am excited to finally meet some of your in person!

We will get together for introductions, good food, share literature/recipes/books, and discuss future events. We are meeting at Mellow Mushroom, who is a sponsor for VegWeek and has tons of veggie options. Learn more about US Vegweek online. 

Let us know in the comments or on Facebook if you plan on attending so we can grab a big enough table.   I mean good food and good conversation... what could be better?

Review: Pho Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant

Pho Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant in Macon, Ga

I really enjoy trying different food, and going to new places; however, I'm always leery of new places since it is difficult to confirm the ingredients in dishes. Pho Saigon is a small locally owned family restaurant in Macon, Ga. It offers Vietnamese food and does veganize some of the foods. Just make sure to let the server know you are vegetarian or vegan.

A couple of quick notes: the Pho is a meat based broth. For the veggie fried rice ask for no egg. For the Bun, ask for no fish sauce. My husband likes to get the peanut sauce with the Bun and the spring rolls (ask for tofu in spring rolls instead of shrimp).

So we typically order spring rolls with tofu and lemongrass tofu Bun.

Once I tried the vegetable fried rice, which was good, but I prefer the Bun. So I typically order it when I go to Pho Saigon.

The owners are very nice and have actually learned who we are and our typical order. If you enjoy Vietnamese food or just want to try something new, then I suggest stopping by Pho Saigon. Support local restaurants and enjoy a great meal.

Peaceful demonstration for circus animals

Today, I participated in my first peaceful demonstration. A peaceful gathering of a few dedicated animal rights activist to speak up for the animals in the Ringling Brothers Circus. It was a liberating event. The first time I had ever done anything like this, in fact it was the first time any of us had participated in a demonstration. 

First, I want to thank Jessica for putting this together so quickly. She found out just a few days ago about the circus being in town, gathered together a group of people, made signs, and arranged everything. It was great to meet and stand along fellow supporters in support of the animals. 

Some might say, why would I want to hold a sign, and others might ask why I've never done this before? Well first, I have to say it took a while to gather the courage to even stand on the side of the road holding a sign. It is way outside my comfort zone. 

I did it not to make others feel uncomfortable, but to put the information out in the open that wild animals are not meant to be confined and forced to perform. We were speaking up for those who have no voice and are born into a sad life or torn from their home. Wild animals belong in the wild. 

I share this not to judge others, but to make people stop and think about the animals. The animals are not in the circus at their choosing. "They “perform” out of fear of retaliation, of further torture, out of necessity. They travel for thousands of miles in discomfort, enduring endless trauma in their confinement, putting everyone who could come into contact with them at risk. These animals are mere commodities to the multimillion-dollar circus industry; their “caregivers” are their jailers."

Do I think we made a difference? I don't know, but I hope so. I hope those who saw us went home and researched the topic for themselves. I hope they stopped to think about the animals in the show. We all have an impact on this world, and I try, to the best of my ability, to make a compassionate impact on the lives of my fellow earthlings.

For more information please see this video below and also review the circusprotest.com. I share this information to help others understand the life of circus animals. 

Post by Circus Protest.

Review: Lemongrass Thai Bistro

Review of Lemongrass Thai Bistro in Macon, Ga

A nice little restaurant in downtown Macon. The nice thing about the restaurant is they label their food and also state at the top of the Thai list that items can be made vegan. 

Blurry menu but top is "V" description for veganizing items

On Thursdays the restaurant offers happy hour deals until 6pm. This includes discounted appetizers including these delicious veggie double tempura rolls. 

Veggie Double Tempura Rolls

Sorry for the poor picture quality. Thursday night is date night, and the lights are lowered in the restaurant.

Please note for vegans that the orange drizzle on the side is actually a mayo style sauce that does contain dairy. Ask your serve to leave this off the plate. The good thing is it was not touching the tempura rolls. 

The tempura rolls are the best appetizer on the menu. Actually they can serve as dinner, and right now on Thursday night before 6pm they cost just $5! 

Now, I highly recommend if you like spicy food asking for the TomTom (s/p) sauce. It is made in-house and is spicy goodness. 

Pad Ki Mow Nua with tofu (#N3)

For the main course, which I ended up taking most of it home, is what I would call drunken noodles. Be careful. Thai hot was too hot for me. I typically ask for two chili peppers and then add TomTom sauce to it if needed. 

It can be hard to find parking, and the restaurant is small. So be prepared for limited tight seating. They also have seating outside. Again, Thursday night before 6pm is currently Happy Hour with discounted drinks, appetizers, and other items.  

Overall the restaurant offers great food, and during Happy Hour at a great price. 

Vegan biscuits at last!

I've hunted far and wide for vegan biscuits, and come up empty. I'm sure there are probably some available at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's but sadly there isn't a store near Macon or Columbus. We typically take side trips to Atlanta just to grocery shop about every other month. I really wanted to find a place locally that had good biscuits or find a good recipe.

So I went online, and then my sweet husband offered to make biscuits from scratch. And O.M.G. they were so delicious. I mean look...

Homemade vegan biscuit with Upton's Naturals bacon seitan and Daiya provolone style cheese slices

If you are more of a fan of sweet than savory then this is your jam:

Homemade vegan biscuit with strawberry jam from the Mulberry Farmer's Market

The great thing about these biscuits is they only take 1 bowl and about 30 minutes. The recipe is online at Minimalist Baker (original recipe adopted from Alton Brown).

If you don't have a biscuit cutter, then use a glass or the top from a mason jar. Just make sure to dust with flour and don't overwork the dough. Overworking the dough will make for dense non-fluffy biscuits. 

Upton's Naturals bacon seitan

Make sure to add seasoning to the seitan bacon. We found it a little plain without adding seasoning. 

Vegan Biscuits Ingredients:

1. 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2. 1 Tbsp baking powder
3. 1/2 tsp baking soda
4. 3/4 tsp sea salt
5. 4 Tbsp non-dairy, unsalted butter (I use Earth Balance)
6. 1 cup unsweetened PLAIN almond (I used Soy milk as we don't keep almond milk on hand) milk + 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

So 7 ingredients, 1 bowl, and 30 minutes. Sounds too good to be true, and the taste. Yum! But wait it gets better... 

That's right... homemade vegan sausage gravy!!! We My husband made the gravy this weekend to go with our biscuits. 

Vegan Sausage Gravy Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 cups soy or almond milk
• 4 sausage substitute patties or ground sausage links (ex. Boca or Morningstar Breakfast Patties. Make sure to read the packages ingredients. I don't like Morningstar, or really Boca. We typically use Kroger Simple Truth. I prefer the taste over Morningstar or Boca, but that's just me. When cooking the sausage add liquid smoke. It will turn the gravy brown but will also be so good)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon salt -- we added more
• 1 teaspoon black pepper -- we added more
• Mrs. Dash... we wanted more spice
• My note: Add sriracha sauce as it's cooking to kick it up a notch. Just a little!
• Recipe from the Southern Vegan

As you can see we made these biscuits several times and tried various versions. These biscuits have become a regular item in our house most weekends now because they are awesome. 

Photo essay: What's growing in West Virginia's urban ruins?

This is a great story of how a small group of individuals is trying to improve a community while offering healthier food. Giving hope to an area that is suffering. I wonder if something like this could be done in Macon? Or in other towns in Georgia that are struggling? Could this be a way to fight blight in the area? I've heard stories of how community gardens that were started had to be closed due to vandalism and people arguing over ownership of the vegetables. What do you think? Could this type of urban farming be done in Georgia? In Macon? Is it already being done? Either way, the eco/green hippie in me would love to dive in and play in the dirt all day! :)

from Diigo http://ift.tt/10oMRnY

via IFTTT

Grocery Shopping in the Heart of Georgia

Calling all shoppers, this post is for you!

Ok, so I don't really like to shop. I often try to avoid it, but what I do like is finding unique stores. Whether it is grocery stores, or thrift stores or antiques I prefer to shop at local unique places (Oh, I need to post about recent trip with many antique stops!)... when my bank account allows. I also like learning about the owners and farmers in local areas. The issue is sometimes shopping for specialty vegan items outside of large urban areas can be a challenge. For instance, I often struggle to find hazelnut milk at a decent price. I can find chocolate milk but not plain hazelnut milk. So what can you do in Macon? What about Columbus? 

Columbus:

Country Life Vegetarian Restaurant and Store 

For Columbus, I've mentioned it before... Country Life Vegetarian Restaurant and Store has some of the best prices on items in the bulk bins. I checked the nutritional yeast price per pound to the Amazon price, and Country Life had the best price. Now, their pre-packaged items are higher than Publix or Winn-Dixie. 

Market Days on Broadway:

This market has really grown in the last few years. It now stretches several blocks and it is fun to see all the local vendors. Plus you stumble across great finds like these:

A family member who was at the market said, "Figures Alisha would buy a painting of a pig." Yes... Yes I did! In fact, I bought the big pig, chicks, and cow. They are now proudly displayed in my kitchen. I almost bought more since the artist is local to Columbus and has very reasonable prices. I really just liked the happy faces on the animals and the bright colors.

Prices can be high for the fresh produce but you are supporting local farmers. Always ask the bread artisans if the bread contains egg, dairy, or honey. I have yet to find a bakery at the market that is vegan. If you have found one, please let me know!

I could list all the grocery stores in Columbus, but I really just wanted to hit the highlights. Check out Marvin's Market for great prices on local produce. The frozen vegetables are some of the best prices in town. Of course there is Publix, which does have Diaya, Tofurky, and other items. 

Macon:

Farmer's Market on Eisenhower

I've been to this market a few times. I really like that it is outside but is covered; however, not all of the produce is local. So keep this in mind when shopping. The prices vary at each vendor. I typically go here to find peas... oh wonderful deliscious locally grown peas like blackeyes, pinkeyes, and more.

Mulberry Street Market on Wednesday Afternoons

I've been to this market a few times and purchased some great local vegetables. The market has outgrown its current location and is moving to Tattnell Square Park. The first day in the new location is October 15th at 3:30 pm. I am glad to hear it is moving. Parking was always an issue in its previous location, and it was kind of small. I hope it continues to grow. 

Post by Mulberry Street Market.

Wesleyan Farmers Market on Saturday 

I tend to forget about this market. It may be due to the schedule changing. I would check their Facebook page for the latest schedule. 

Yvonne's Natural Market

Yvonne's Natural Market, while it does carry lots of meat and supplements (not really my thing), it does carry some veggie items I cannot find elsewhere. For instance, Snapeas are sold here at a good price. Review on Snapeas soon!

Forsyth Farmer's Market

Yes, I have traveled to Forsyth to visit their Farmer's Market. Ok, maybe I just happened to be in the area and noticed a great little market set up so I stopped. And I am so glad we did stop! 

They had great local produce in a cute small town. Check the website for times and dates, but it usually is opened on Friday mornings.

Town square in Forsyth

Really big cabbage at the market that was delicious!

I may have also made a side trip or two just to buy an insane amount of peaches at Dickey Farms; although, I seem to have hidden the photographic evidence. So I highly recommend checking out local farms. If you have any good ones, let me know in the comments.

Kroger in Macon

Kroger has many vegan items, and although it is a chain I had to post a couple of pictures from recent trips :)

Keep an eye out for coupons from fellow shoppers left on the shelf. I happened to find this coupon on the shelf and combined it with the sale on Earth Balance. :)

The sign I've been in the grocery store... vegan book prominently displayed!

While I buy local items often, I also like to support the stocking of vegan items at larger stores so they don't discontinue items like this:

It was a great buy, but a sad day to see the earth balance popcorn was only in the stores for a month before they stopped carrying the product in Macon.

Atlanta side trips:

All of this being said, I still make a trip to Atlanta at least once every other month to visit Dekalb International Farmer's Market, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

Why? Dekalb International Farmer's Market has the best prices on spices, bulk nuts, coconut oil, and a few other items.

Tips:

1. Grab a buggy in the parking lot before going inside (there are no buggies inside). 
2. Check out the spices, veggies, fruits, and alcohol section. The pre-packaged foods are not a great buy.
3. The meat section is all the way on the back left hand side of the store and it can be difficult to walk past for some. 
4. For all us greenie/crunchy/hippie/environmentalist put your reusable bags on the bottom. 
5. Never go on Saturday morning... it is crazy busy and jammed pack like a pickle jar.

Ok so what did I miss? Any farmers markets, local farms, or unique grocery stores you enjoy in the area? Maybe somewhere else in Middle Georgia you like to visit? Please share with the group! Look for a post soon about some unique antique/thrift stores.