Vegan Shavuot Recipes

Shavuot, to celebrate on May 15, was originally an ancient harvest festival celebrating the grain crop. In Hebrew, Shavuot means "weeks" and the holiday is celebrated seven weeks after Passover begins. But Shavuot is also recognized as the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai and most Shavuot celebrations are centered on Torah study and other Jewish learning. On the first night of the holiday many people stay up all night studying Jewish texts.

There is a custom of eating dairy foods--especially cheesecakes and blintzes--on Shavuot. The reason for this tradition is not entirely clear, but one popular explanation is that immediately after the Israelites received the Torah and learned about the laws of keeping kosher, it was too complicated for them to begin butchering and preparing fresh kosher meat. So they stuck with eating dairy.

But upset by the suffering of cows, angry with milk producers who celebrate on their behalf, more and more Israelis do not join the so-called "white products" celebration over the Shavuot (Festival of Weeks) holiday. So instead, you can celebrate Shavuot vegan style:

Basic Vegan Blintzes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
mix well.
add 4 tbsp canola oil
2 cups soy milk
1 cup water

Mix well. It should be pourable, but medium thick. Don't worry about over mixing this as there is no baking soda or powder to deflate.

You can a ladle to pour into a cast iron frying pan on medium heat and then the bottom of the ladle to help spread the mix a little thinner. No oil is needed if the pan is well seasoned. A few minutes on the first side until the gloss on top turns dull and bubbles don't pop. A minute on the other side.

Fill with fresh fruit and soy yogurt for sweet. Soy cream cheese or tofu and veggies for savory.

Here is another recipe:
 
Vegan Cheese Blinzes with Blueberry Sauce




 


Vegan Lemon Cheesecake

Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
zest of one lemon
6 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted

Filling

1 14-oz package silken tofu
1 8-oz package vegan cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Combine graham cracker crumbs, lemon zest, and margarine and stir to evenly coat the crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan and refrigerate while making the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place silken tofu and vegan cream cheese in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add sugar and process until well combined, approximately 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, vanilla, and ginger. Whisk in cornstarch, then pour mixture into food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into crust and bake for 45 minutes until set (the center will still be slightly wobbly). Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally over night.

JazzKats Coffee Bar Reopens--YESSSS!!

One of my favorite coffee bars in Portland Oregon, JazzKats, has now reopened for business and it looks to be better than ever!

I stopped by on Thursday and met the new owners Natasha (who is also the owner of the food cart Da-Pressed) and her partner Adam. They are vegans and plan on having only veg*n food, plus their own coffee roast, in the coffee bar.

For all you Portland locals and visitors to the vegan capital of world, JazzKats is located in the Hollywood District of Portland at 1925 N.E. 42nd Ave.

Go check them out.

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican heritage with a wealth of color, flavor and flair, and there are lots of ways to celebrate May 5 vegan-style! 


 Cinco de Mayo Vegan Recipes

 Vegan Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Sizzling Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Violence, Nudity, Profanity, ANIMALS..that is BOLD NATIVE

Here's a bold, thought-provoking animal film to watch over the weekend--or any day.

Synopsis

"Charlie Cranehill, an animal liberator wanted by the United States government for domestic terrorism, emerges from the underground to coordinate a nationwide action as his estranged CEO father tries to find him before the FBI does. The film simultaneously follows a young woman who works for an animal welfare organization fighting within the system to establish more humane treatment of farmed animals. Bringing their critically-acclaimed documentary style to a fiction narrative, Gather Films weaves a timely story about those who risk their freedom for the lives of others."

WARNING: This film contains graphic violence, nudity and profanity.

This "movie film" about animal rights is the most thorough, thought-provoking animal film I have ever seen and I've seen them all in my years of being an animal rights person since 1982. Bold Native covers all different types of activists in all lines of work, interests, with different ways of showing their passion for animals. Character Sonja is my favorite.



The acting is well done, and the cinematography is terrific. You'll laugh, cry, get angry, raise your fists...show all kinds of emotion as you watch Bold Native. Even though it's a "movie" it tells the facts. It's a very moving, thought-provoking film, that needs to be shown in theatres again. I'd love to watch this in a theatre and take in people's reactions.

Bold Native needs to be redistributed to theatres again because the message is still fresh today and needs to be told over again to the general public. 

I loved the film from beginning to end.

See Bold Native (2010) in its entirety (1 hour, 45 minutes) at the link below:

BOLD NATIVE

Muslims: Turning Away From a Meat Diet

Muslims can be vegans according to their faith. Islamic scholars such as the late Egyptian scholar Gamal al-Banna agree that Muslims who choose vegetarianism/veganism can do so for a number of reasons including a personal expression of faith or spirituality.

Read more about Muslims being veg*n at the article heading:

Vegetarian Muslim: Turning Away From a Meat-Based Diet

Animal Chaplain Program

More than 60 percent of households in the U.S. have a companion animal, and many of the people living with those animals attend church services regularly, but only a small percentage of churches serve animals and their caretakers. Ahwatukee Foothills residents Kris and Craig Haley had an idea.

Kris and Craig had spent years working with animal advocate groups. Over the years they both had an awakening to the thought that their animals and all animals they were meeting had a spirit. They became aware that people often have a very spiritual connection with their companion animals but that connection isn’t often officially recognized by churches. So they made a call to Emerson Theological Institute. The director of the school listened to their idea for a course about animals. In the course of studying for their own doctorate, the Haleys developed a Department of Humane Religious Studies for the school. The main department is the Animal Chaplain Program. Kris and Craig are both ordained animal chaplains and since the formation of the program more than 25 students have graduated.

The ministry is more geared toward supporting the people who take care of the animals than the animals. The animals are the teachers but the humans sometimes need support.

The program is a three-module program. The second module is the one Craig focuses on in his own ministry, bereavement. In addition to bereavement the Haleys take prayer requests, offer veterinary hospital and hospice support, conduct memorial, remembrance or life celebration ceremonies, conduct naming and adopting ceremonies, and do animal blessings. As chaplains, the Haleys serve various religious communities and churches and animal adoption events to provide prayer, grief circles, classes and workshops online.

The Haleys oversee the Department of Humane Religious Studies at Emerson Theological Institute. The Animal Chaplain program is completely online. For more information on the church, visit www.onevoiceministry.com.

Creative Living Fellowship Church in Phoenix decided to recognize two animal chaplains as members of the church’s ecclesiastical team. There chaplains are available for members of the church looking for help with issues dealing with their companion animals. For more information on the church, visit creativelivingfellowship.com.

Two Cats Just Hangin' Out

I took a photo inside our family mini-van of these two cats (so sorry about the window glare). Rarely do you see cats outside like this in Portland, as most are strictly indoor cats.

Here kitties-kitties....