San Francisco Vegan Drinks (Video)

Last night I attended my first SF Vegan Drinks hosted by VegNews and VeganSaurus and had a blast. Not only way the company great (Robert Cheeke was in town!) but I got to use my new camera. And when I say new, I mean it was gifted to me less than 2 hours before the event (thanks to my incredible boyfriend Owen). What perfect timing - I got to test out my camera on some internally and externally beautiful people! Anywho, check out the video to see how much fun SF Vegan Drinks is - if you're not in the Bay Area then you should seek out a vegan drinks in your area. And if there isn't one nearby then start one yourself, even if it begins with just you and your cat/dog/goldfish and a bottle of organic beer or virgin mojito!

Videos: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau Speaks At 2011 San Francisco Veg Fest

On World Vegetarian Day 2011 (October 1st) I attended the San Francisco Veg Festival, which was a really lovely event despite its small size. The highlight was easily a talk by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, a well known vegan author, speaker and all around advocate. After all the buzz around her talk at the Vida Vegan Bloggers Conference in Portland, I knew I had to record her SF lecture so I could share it with you. It was about 50 minutes in length, but I went through and edited it down to 3 segments totaling 24 minutes so that it'd be easier to watch. 

Video: Spork-Fed Vegan Cookbook Launch at VegNews in San Francisco

Last night I attended the Spork-Fed vegan cookbook launch at VegNews in San Francisco and had a blast. I know the Spork Foods sisters (Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg) from Los Angeles and it was great to see them, especially after everyone has been raving about their new book. I can see why - the book embodies their sweet, knowledgable spirits, it's fun to look through, the photos are gorgeous and it's full of important information about cooking vegan.

Video: Organic Delivery, Best Indian Food Ever, Funny YouTube Videos, Vegan Advice, VegFest and More!

The title kinda speaks for itself - aren't you curious where I had the best Indian food EVER?!

Veg Speed Dating at San Francisco's Millenium Restaurant

I got a lot of great feedback from my coverage of Karine Brighton's Veg Speed Dating event in Berkeley last month - even though I didn't participate I had a blast being there and meeting all the interesting people. Well, it's about to get even better because the next event is happening at one of the best vegan restaurants in the country (so I've heard): Millenium! If you are single get your hot butt to this event, no matter how shy or skeptical you are. You will feel so comfortable and meet great people, if not love interests than new friends or business partners. Don't believe me? Check out my video from the Berkeley event:

The Best of Vida Vegan Con: Sunday Roundup

image via @monkandmao

Reporting from San Francisco, it's another summary of the best things I'm hearing about Vida Vegan Con from Twitter and blogs! Before you read this, make sure to check out yesterday's Ultimate Guide and other posts from VVC - very exciting stuff! I'll be updating this throughout the day, so check back often for updates.

First of all, you must check out these live interviews  (but don't worry, they're all being recorded):

Communication as Activism: Vegan Advice from Author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

image by @JLgoesVegan

On my Vida Vegan Con roundup I started collecting all the great advice from well-known vegan author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau that attendees shared on Twitter, but there was so much great advice I figured I'd make a separate post! Thanks to all the amazing "tweeple" who shared all these inspirational words! This was the most tweeted about panel of VVC thus far, and for good reason!

How to Blog: Tips for Vegan Bloggers from Vida Vegan Con

image from The Nail That Sticks Up

On my Vida Vegan Con roundup I started collecting all the vegan blogging tips from attendees who are at the panels, but there was so much great advice I figured I'd make a separate post! Thanks to all the amazing "tweeple" who shared all this great info! This will be updated until the end of the conference (Sunday night)

Ultimate Vida Vegan Conference Roundup: Saturday

image from It's A Cookbook!

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it out to Vida Vegan Con (click here to find out why) so I'm living vicariously through all the tweets and blogs posts, which are actually making me feel like I'm there (check out these 9 ways to enjoy it without being there). Twitter is such a fantastic way to connect with people and have conversations, and all the vegan bloggers and tweeters there are doing a great job at posting every detail! First of all, you must check out these live interviews NOW (but don't worry, they're all being recorded):

9 Ways to Enjoy Vida Vegan Con Even If You're Not There

image by @lechousauvage

It's funny that I couldn't afford to go to Vida Vegan Con, the 1st vegan blogger conference, because I quit my job to focus on this blog and have been living paycheck to paycheck for about a year and a half. Certainly not complaining - I love my flexible freelance life, but it's really a bummer when I have to miss out on things outside my budget. However, I'm looking on the bright side as always and figure I'm not alone - there are plenty of people who aren't going because of the cost, location (Portland, OR), or because it sold out really fast. So here are some ways to enjoy the conference without being there.

Video: Forget the Dating Sites - Go to Veg Speed Dating!

If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you likely want to date someone else with the same lifestyle, but that can be challenging - only about 3% of the population is vegetarian and approximately 1% are vegan. And even if you can find people with the same way of living, it then comes down to connection and attraction. Personally, I've only clicked with a few vegan men - my wonderful boyfriend falls into the "veg curious" category. So what's a single plant eater to do? How about try veg speed dating?

Video Interview with Dr. Dennis Godby, Naturopathic Practitioner & Founder of The Run

While at the Natural Products Expo West 2011 I sat down with Dennis Godby, MA, ND to talk to him about his naturopathic medical practice, his upcoming event (The Run), and hear what he had to say about health in general. He's incredibly down to Earth and provided some great tips on how the food that we eat and they way that we live effects how we feel, which is very much inline with my opinions. 

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: New Frozen Vegan Food, Eco Marketplace, and The Coconut Shortage

Highlighted Greenwala Article

A Cruel Delicacy: Eating Animals While They're Still Alive

Business Opportunity

Greenwala is launching an eco marketplace on which they're looking for companies to sell their products and services. It's free to have your own store, and there's just a minimal commission percentage taken out of each sale. Since I'm one of the editors for the site, you can contact me if you're interested in more details and I'll put you in touch with the right people.

Vegan Food News

If you're not in New York City you can now enjoy Candle 79 & Candle Cafe's foods by visiting a Whole Foods near you! The famous vegan restaurants now offer 4 of their delicious meals in frozen form for just $5.99! The mouthwatering options are: Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce, Ginger Miso Stir-Fry, and Mac & Vegan Cheese (made with Daiya of course). If you prefer to have freshly made food, check out Candle 79's new cookbook, which is available by pre-order (looks amazing!)

There's a new pizza spot in town and it's called Stella Rossa Pizza Bar. Located in Santa Monica, their food is created by a hip, young chef who's happy to cater to vegans and gets his ingredients from the farmers market. Though I haven't tried it myself yet, I've been told that the pizza dough is vegan, so they’re able to make a variety of vegan pizzas. Each of the salads can be made vegan, and the vegetable anti pasta can be made vegan too.

Events

Dallas, TX - October 23rd: Texas State Veggie Fair. Vegan events with speakers, cooking demos, and more!

Worth a Read

Can't find your favorite flavor of Coconut Bliss? It's probably because there's a coconut shortage! I'm bummed that the new Maca flavor is so hard to find. : (

Cool Eco Stuff

Children's book swap through ThreadUp

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Radio Interview, Raw Food Recipes, Festivals, & Books

Eco-Vegan Gal News

I'm being interviewed on a live radio station this Tuesday the 14th at 10:15am Eastern (7:15 PST) on The Mary Jones Show. If you can't tune in I'll try to post a recording of it afterwards.

Mini Review

Sunshine "Hemp-Fast" Breakfast Patties ~ For the longest time I didn't like Sunshine's burgers - they tasted really bland and...well, too earthy. But since going gluten and soy free I forced myself to try them again and realized they're actually really good. I'm assuming this is because my palate has changed, but they're actually a really popular brand and are available in most natural markets, probably because they are virtually allergy free. This morning I tried their Hemp-Fest Breakfast Patty and loved it. It has that breakfast patty flavor and hearty whole grain taste. The only problem is that they're quite dry, especially when you don't cook them in oil (healthier) and they fall apart really easily. But I enjoyed it completely on it's on and was very satisfied.

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Vegan Dating, Drive Through, and Organic Wine

Vegan News

Image from QuarryGirl

You won't believe this, but a vegan drive through is opening outside of Los Angeles! Best of al, they'll have jackfruit! It's called Plant Food for People and will be located in Highland Park. Check out QuarryGirl for the rest of the scoop.

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Virgins, CSA, and New Vegan Food!

Food News

Sol Cuisine's products are finally available in Whole Foods stores in Northern California, Southern California, North Atlantic, North East, Midwest and Southwest regions. I love their falafel.

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: tortillas, beer, and free desserts!

Mini Review

I just tried Food For Life's Brown Rice Tortillas for the first time and they are so yummy! What a great gluten-free option for making wraps, burritos, and quesadillas! You can have them uncooked, warm and soft, or baked/broiled and crispy (my favorite). Put them in the freezer and they can last a while, but with only 6 in a package they'll probably be gone before long!

WorldFest This Sunday!

Congrats to the Winners!

Amy, Diane, & Steffany

If you're into health and/or the environment, like food and music, want to learn how you can make a difference, and enjoy meeting new people there's an incredible event coming up this Sunday. WorldFest is a solar-powered celebration of music, the environment, animals and humanity - and it's one of my favorite annual events in Los Angeles because it's so eco-vegan!



This year I'm extra excited because I'm speaking on a panel about sustainable food! I would love to see you there and meet you in person (if we haven't met already).

Where Have All the New Eco-Vegan Posts Gone?

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Eco-Vegan Gal is really taking off! The bad news is that due to all the success I am too busy to update this site very often. : ( So how is it possible for one to happen without the other? I happen to be a very busy gal! Here are some of my recent accomplishments and projects:

EVG Q&A: Vegan Bakeries & Wedding Cakes in San Francisco/Bay Area

Mocha Brownie from Sugar Plum

Question:
 Do you happen to know a good vegan bakery in the SF bay area that would be willing to do a vegan wedding cake?  A girlfriend of mine is getting married and is having trouble finding a reputable bakery.  It doesn’t have to be a vegan-only bakery, just one that’s willing to do a vegan cake.

Answer: