What’s cuter than pigs at Christmastime?
Help promote peace for animals by sharing this adorable and impactful video!
Produced by LivelyDays.
Winter Jam Leafleters Needed!
You can both liberate animals and earn $25 per hour for your favorite animal charity by helping the Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA) leaflet a Winter Jam concert in your area.
Winter Jam is a traveling Christian concert festival that attracts thousands of young people to each event. It runs from January 5–March 31.
Peak leafleting time is from 5–7 pm.
The CVA will provide you with their Christian-oriented booklet, Joyful, Compassionate Eating and guidance. In exchange for leafleting, they’ll donate to the animal charity of your choice!
The audience is mostly young, very polite, and receptive to our message—and you don’t need to be Christian yourself!
Please check out the list of the Midwest and East dates (also listed below)—with the West Coast dates coming soon!—on the Winter Jam website.
To get involved, contact Lorena at [email protected].
Thank you!
Winter Jam Dates — Midwest and East
JAN 5, 2018 — Charleston, WV — Charleston Civic Center
JAN 6, 2018 — Louisville, KY — Freedom Hall
JAN 7, 2018 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena
JAN 12, 2018 — Jacksonville, FL — Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
JAN 13, 2018 — Tampa, FL — Amalie Arena
JAN 14, 2018 — Sunrise, FL — BB&T Center
JAN 18, 2018 — Reading, PA — Santander Arena
JAN 19, 2018 — State College, PA — Bryce Jordan Center
JAN 20, 2018 — Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Center
JAN 21, 2018 — Charlotte, NC — Spectrum Center
JAN 25, 2018 — Springfield, MO — JQH Arena
JAN 26, 2018 — Des Moines, IA — Wells Fargo Arena
JAN 27, 2018 — St. Louis, MO — Scottrade Center
JAN 28, 2018 — Tulsa, OK — BOK Center
FEB 1, 2018 — Mobile, AL — Mitchell Center
FEB 2, 2018 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena
FEB 3, 2018 — Atlanta, GA — Philips Arena
FEB 8, 2018 — Ft. Wayne, IN — Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
FEB 9, 2018 — Cleveland, OH — Wolstein Center
FEB 10, 2018 — Indianapolis, IN — Bankers Life Fieldhouse
FEB 11, 2018 — Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena
FEB 15, 2018 — Evansville, IN — The Ford Center
FEB 16, 2018 — Pittsburgh, PA — PPG Paints Arena
FEB 17, 2018 — Cincinnati, OH — U.S. Bank Arena
FEB 18, 2018 — Birmingham, AL — Legacy Arena at the BJCC
FEB 22, 2018 — Tupelo, MS — BancorpSouth Arena
FEB 23, 2018 — Knoxville, TN — Thompson-Boling Arena
FEB 24, 2018 — Greensboro, NC — Greensboro Coliseum
FEB 25, 2018 — Chattanooga, TN — McKenzie Arena
MAR 2, 2018 — New Orleans, LA — Lakefront Arena
MAR 3, 2018 — Memphis, TN — FedExForum
MAR 4, 2018 — Houston, TX — Toyota Center
MAR 9, 2018 — Wichita, KS — INTRUST Bank Arena
MAR 10, 2018 — Bossier City, LA — CenturyLink Center
MAR 11, 2018 — N. Little Rock, AR — Verizon Arena
MAR 15, 2018 — Council Bluffs, IA — Mid-America Center
MAR 16, 2018 — Kansas City, MO — Sprint Center
MAR 17, 2018 — Oklahoma City, OK — Chesapeake Energy Arena
MAR 18, 2018 — Ft. Worth, TX — Ft. Worth Convention Center
MAR 22, 2018 — Augusta, GA — James Brown Arena
MAR 23, 2018 — Columbia, SC — Colonial Life Arena
MAR 24, 2018 — Raleigh, NC — PNC Arena
MAR 25, 2018 — Greenville, SC — Bon Secours Wellness Arena
MAR 29, 2018 — Peoria, IL — Peoria Civic Center
MAR 30, 2018 — Chicago, IL — Allstate Arena
MAR 31, 2018 — Lexington, KY — Rupp Arena
What is Speciesism
This fall, Vegan Outreach released it’s newest booklet, What is Speciesism. We’ve received positive feedback from our Outreach Coordinators about the impact this particular leaflet is making on college campuses across the country.
Are you familiar with the term? Check out this 60-second video produced by VO supporter, Eric Day, to get a brief overview.
Will you help us make speciesism a well-known concept? Share Eric’s video on social media and order VO’s What is Speciesism booklet online—grab a few friends and leaflet in a public place where open-minded people roam.
Vegan Kids Gift Guide For The Holidays
By Janet Kearney, Guest Contributor
Janet is the founder of Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting, the largest vegan parenting group in the world. She also owns Raise Vegan, an online resource for parents who are raising or considering raising their families plant-based. Find her on Instagram if you have any questions.
Stumped on what to buy your little vegan this holiday season? Here are some recommendations on what to wrap up and stick in their stocking or under the tree. These gifts are unique, human and animal-friendly, and will have them grinning from ear to ear.
If there’s one thing kids love, it’s making a mess and seeing their devoted parents cleaning up after them. Why not make your life that wee bit more entertaining—what were you planning on doing on a Saturday night anyway?
Bath bombs fizz, bubble, and will generally make your kids really happy until their little fingers have gone the great old wrinkly way.
Despite what it feels like now, your kids will fly the coop one day. And when they do, they’ll need to know more than how to burn water and order fries. Getting kids involved in cooking also provides opportunities for parents to explain why they choose not to eat animals.
And you never know—if the kids cook their own broccoli, they might even eat it!
We know that vegan festival season is right around the corner, and your cool little vegan needs the latest trends. Have them prepared with their not-too-aggressive, but eye-catching shirt that lets others know there’s a mini vegan activist in the works.
A quick google search will give you plenty of vegan clothing options, or you can check out Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting for some ideas. For example, the Herbivore is an awesome shirt with all the fun and animal-loving messaging.
Happy Kitchen Vegetable Stickers
Simple Happy Kitchen has a range of plant food stickers on their site, but my favorite is the cutout vegetable characters, such as Tomato Face and Mr. Pedro Almondvar. They’re a riot!
I’ll be scraping these off the walls for all of 2018—join me!
This little Pet Tofu is a step-up from the pet rock days and is a sure way to please your little ones. All Pet Tofus are made to order, come with their own little home, and are ready to be named and taken for daily walks.
Depending on where you live, these might be a gift that gets stored away for the warmer months. These water balloons are reusable, animal-friendly, and would be a welcome addition to bath time or the summer-time picnic.
Have more ideas on what to buy vegan kids? Leave a comment below and tell us!
Video: Meet Vic!
Victor Sjodin, Vegan Outreach’s Director of Outreach, has been leafleting college campuses throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico since 2008. In this time, he’s reached over 875,000 individuals with a Vegan Outreach booklet.
Aside from his personal leafleting accomplishments, Vic paved the way for Vegan Outreach’s successful outreach programs in Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Most recently, he’s spearheaded our expanding outreach in India.
Check out the video below to get a glimpse into the life of this truly one-of-a-kind activist—one we’re very happy to have as a part of the Vegan Outreach team.
A huge thank you to Eric Day, with Lively Days, for the production of this video.
“I don’t think it’s a radical notion that we can have better ways of living and thinking.” -Vic Sjodin
Easy Peasy Pepper Squash
By Janet Kearney, Guest Contributor
Janet is the founder of Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting, the largest online vegan parenting group in the world. She also owns Raise Vegan, an online resource for parents who are raising or considering raising their families plant-based. Find her on Instagram—link in the picture caption—if you have any questions.
This delicious and creative squash recipe calls for spaghetti squash, but it would taste just as delicious with your favorite seasonal winter squash!
Easy Peasy Pepper Squash
Yields 2 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash—or your favorite winter squash
- 1 14-oz can of green peas—do not drain
- 1-2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 red peppers, cut into large, rough chunks
- 1 14-oz can beans—black, kidney, etc.
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut the squash in half lengthways. Remove any seeds and drizzle oil around the inside.
- Place the squash open face on a cooking sheet and roast for approximately 45 minutes.
- In a skillet, add oil and onion. Sauté on medium heat until translucent, about five minutes.
- Add peas, garlic, red peppers, beans, parsley, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook on low heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When roasted thoroughly, remove the squash and scrape out the cooked contents. Combine with bean mixture in a separate bowl and spoon back into the squash shells.
- Return to oven and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy!
Cooking Up a Storm at Tecnológico de Monterrey
By Katia Rodríguez, Mexico Campaigns and Spanish Media Coordinator
A few weeks ago, Vegan Outreach’s Mexico outreach team—staff and volunteer—visited one of the most important private institutions in Mexico, the Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. Together with the university’s student animal rights group, Comprometidos por el Cuidado Animal (CCAN), we organized a vegan cooking class for approximately two dozen students. The turnout for the class was amazing! In fact, CCAN had to limit the number of people that could be in the lab because of the high demand and the lack of space!
To help teach the class, we invited Sergio Carreón. Sergio is one of our wonderful volunteers who also happens to be a cook. At the beginning of the class, we all shared our personal vegan stories, discussed the benefits of a plant-based diet, and described how delicious vegan food can be. This got the students inspired and anxious to start cooking! And we were surprised to find out that there were already three vegetarians and one vegan in the class.
The students made lentil chili, black bean burgers, and vegan nacho cheese. We chose these recipes because the ingredients are easy to find, reasonably priced, and super delicious. Most of the students had little to no experience cooking, but that didn’t prevent them from making delicious vegan food!
We had a chance to talk to the students about what inspired them to sign up for the class. One of the most interested students, Samantha, told us she’s been vegetarian for years and had tried going vegan without success. After the cooking class, she said she’s never been more inspired to go vegan. She sent me a long email later on to thank the VO team for being so positive, patient, and inspiring.
Thank you CCAN for helping us host such a successful event and for all the great work you do on campus!
Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Here’s a little motivation to wake up and conquer the morning—Cranberry Almond Biscotti. Thanks to Gena Hamshaw at The Full Helping for providing this sweet, seasonal breakfast idea.
Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Yields 2-3 Dozen Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour—or a half and half combination of all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- ⅔-¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup—8 tablespoons—vegan buttery spread
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba or 1 flax egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped—or a chopped, dried fruit of choice
- ½ cup chopped, slivered, or sliced almonds—or a chopped nut of choice
Directions
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- If using a flax egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon ground flax meal and 3 tablespoons warm water and allow the mixture to thicken before using.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the orange zest, sugar, and buttery spread on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the aquafaba or flax egg and the two extracts. Beat for one more minute.
- Turn the speed of the mixer to low, then add half of the flour mixture. When the flour is fully incorporated, add the orange juice to the mixer and beat until it’s incorporated. Add the rest of the flour mixture, the cranberries, and the almonds. Beat until the dough is evenly mixed and forming large clumps. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 hours).
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Divide the dough into two evenly sized pieces and shape each of them into a log that’s about 8 inches long, 1 inch high, and 3 inches wide—space the logs a few inches apart on your baking sheet.
- Bake the logs for 30-35 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. Raise the oven heat to 350°F. Remove the logs from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut the logs into slices that are about ½-¾ inch thick. Arrange the slices on your cookie sheet cut side up and transfer them back to the oven. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the biscotti are golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.
Click here for Gena’s original recipe.
Brian Chavez
As part of our activist profile series, today we meet Brian Chavez. Brian has been involved in the animal rights movement for several years, and this semester he’s been helping Vegan Outreach leaflet college campuses in Southern California. To date, he’s traveled to 18 schools and handed out 17,743 leaflets. Let’s get to know Brian!
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I’m from San Diego, and that’s where I currently live.
What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?
It was an accumulation of many thoughts—I wanted to help create a more peaceful and joyful society, and I realized that respecting animals is an important step in doing that.
How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?
I signed up in 2007 as a volunteer to help pass the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. The San Diego campaign was coordinated by Kath Rogers, who co-founded the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL). After the proposition passed, I handed out Vegan Outreach leaflets as a volunteer at many events hosted by APRL. I liked leafleting so much, I started ordering them from the Vegan Outreach website.
Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?
One time, a student told me she’d decided to go vegan after reading the leaflet I’d given to her. When I asked to take her picture for the Vegan Outreach e-newsletter, she agreed and then proceeded to ask her friend—who was walking alongside—to go vegetarian. Her friend said yes, and I ended up taking a picture of both of them!
What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?
I like to hike, bike, go out to eat, and listen to music. I also love to play board games, soccer, and the guitar.
Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?
When it’s slow and a student stops to tell me they’ve read the leaflet, I like to ask what their thoughts are on the subject and briefly respond if they have concerns. I’ve also found that many people are very close to going veg. Overall, leafleting is a great way for vegans to volunteer together, prevent burnout, and get new people interested in volunteering!
Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?
I like the Black Bean Tamale Verde frozen meal by Amy’s Kitchen.
Free Samples—New Vegan Personal Hygiene and Cosmetic Company
By Lori Stultz, Communications Manager
One of the most rewarding parts of working for Vegan Outreach is hearing from people who’ve received one of our leaflets and changed their eating habits in efforts to reduce the harm done to animals who are killed for food.
Less frequently, we hear from people who’ve received one of our leaflets and were inspired to sell their business, buy farmland, and start their own all-natural, vegan cosmetic and hygiene product line. However, that’s exactly what founder of the Natural Vegan, Jaymie Friesen, did! And now we get to help him and his business partner, Hannah Christian, share their success story. Watch the videos below to get all the details!
I’ve had the opportunity to try various Natural Vegan products, and I can honestly say that I love everything about them! They’re light and fresh, and I love knowing that the mission and values of the company are right in line with my own.
The coolest part? Jaymie and Hannah want you to try their products, too! Visit their website and sign up to receive free samples to let them know what you think!
