Hey Vegans! And Friends of Vegans! And People Who Love Candy! Here are a few comprehensive guides to vegan candy to eat (and give away, I GUESS) this Halloween! So delicious! CANDY CANDY CANDY. 

What are you gorging on this October 31st, you little vegan beast?

(p.s. don’t forget the ones that are vegan AND palm oil-free! Double whammy!)

IT’S NOG SEASON, YALL!!!

And we’re on Instagram! Follow us for all the delicious vegan food in the world: http://instagram.com/vegansaurus

When I first went vegan, I wasn’t worried about a lot of things. I wasn’t concerned about where I would get my protein, and I didn’t stay up at night wondering if I’d die from lack of B12. I did my research and was fully prepared to eschew meat and cheese and knew I wouldn’t get scurvy from a lack of Vitamin Steak. (A real thing.) (Not.) No, what I worried about was how my family would take it. Would my mom be bummed that I didn’t want to eat her spaghetti and meatballs? Would I have to turn away from my grandmother’s beloved roasts? Would the fact that I didn’t eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day drive my dad crazy?

Well, as it turns out, yes and no. At first, my family didn’t love that I couldn’t eat the same foods they held so dear, but after a while, they saw I was serious about this transition, and they got on board. Together, we adapted and developed old family favorites. In fact, it turned into a fun (and delicious!) challenge; each of us trying to figure out whether cashews or coconut milk made the best creamy soup base. Food once again became a bonding experience and I no longer felt left out—and they no longer felt like they were losing their daughter/granddaughter to the dark (read: tofu) side! Even better, we found some new and exciting dishes that we’ve integrated into our rotation as part of our new family traditions. Here are some of the best ones:

Mac and Cheese. Everyone is obsessed with a good mac and cheese. Rich, creamy, and decadent, it’s the perfect food. You know what’s better than traditional Mac and Cheese? This light and delicious version made with silken tofu. So. Freaking. Good.

When it comes to lasagna, I am basically Garfield. Give me a giant pan of the good stuff, and leave me alone for a few days. This version is so tasty that my cheese-loving dad begs me to bring it on holidays. Dig in.

Comfort food to me means something I turn to when I want a hug. Something familiar and guaranteed tasty. My go to dish before I went vegan was Chinese Chicken Salad. Man! I loved it so much! Well, it turns out when you sub in tofu, it’s just as scrumptious! This recipe is the bomb dot com (sorry, not sorry).

This recipe was brought to you by Nasoya!

First-Ever “Sonoma County Chicken Save” Event to Be Held Today!

Food Empowerment Project announces the first-ever Sonoma County Chicken Save event on Thursday, October 2, from 11:30am to 6:30pm. Sonoma County Chicken Save will have a peaceful vigil to remind the public of the suffering that takes hidden from view.

It will be held outside of Petaluma Poultry Processors at 2700 Lakeville Highway in Petaluma, California. Animal advocates from throughout the Bay Area will be gathered in front of the plant, using signs and literature to interact with passersby and educate them about the plight of chickens raised for “meat.”

“Today is World Day for Farmed Animals, and it seems like the perfect day to start our awareness effort to remind people that animals are being killed behind these walls every day,” said Lauren Ornelas, executive director of Food Empowerment Project. “No matter how the chickens are raised, they all suffer an inhumane death at slaughterhouses.”

“Save” movements are spreading around the world to help remind the public of the suffering that farmed animals endure inside slaughterhouses. Individual Save events may focus on an individual species, such as pigs or chickens, or on all farmed animals. The first of its kind in Sonoma County, the Sonoma County Chicken Save seeks to remind the public of the horrific abuses and suffering that chickens raised and killed for “meat” endure.

“The slaughter of animals for food occurs behind closed doors, so almost no one sees it,” Ornelas said. “It is important for us all to recognize what is happening here, and we’re proud to be speaking out on the chickens’ behalf.”

Begun in 1983, World Day for Farmed Animals is a day of global demonstrations and observations on behalf of animals raised for their flesh. Activists around the world gather on or about October 2 (the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi) in solidarity and remembrance of their suffering.

For more information on Sonoma County Chicken Save, please visit: http://www.foodispower.org/sonoma-county-chicken-save/

Guest post by Rick Kelley! Thanks, Rick!

The SF Vegan Beer & Food Festival is coming! And you’d be a food (a damn fool!) to miss it!

Here’s the skinny from the wonderful folks at Hella Vegan Eats (WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH):

We are SO EXCITED to announce the first ever SF Vegan Beer & Food Festival happening on Saturday, October 18th (hope you can make it) at SoMa StrEat Food Park!!

In addition to local craft beers, 20+ vegan vendors, sweet tunes, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Muttville Senior Dog Rescue and the SF SPCA! Oh, glorious day! 

We would love any and all help getting the word out there!

So be there or be square! And being square is NOT HIP, no matter how many times Huey Lewis insists that it is.