Brownie Batter Not For Puppies Chow

By Lori Stultz, Communications Manager

D's Naturals

A few weeks ago, I received an email from D’s Naturals, makers of the delicious No Cow Bar and Fluffbutter. I didn’t even have to read the entire email asking if I’d like to review the products before a wave of nostalgia rushed over me.

In the fall of 2015 and spring of 2016, I toured a good portion of the country for Vegan Outreach as an Outreach Coordinator—leafleting dozens of college campuses. And during those wonderful eight or nine months, I frequently had a box of No Cow Bars in my car. They were the perfect pick-me-up snack as I was doing outreach or driving from one city to the next.

At the time, D’s Naturals only offered a few bar flavors—Mint Cacao Chip was my fav—so I was surprised to see that they now offer eight No Cow Bar flavors in addition to an entirely new product, Fluffbutter. D’s Naturals kindly offered to send me samples of their products, so I had the opportunity to try their new Dark Raspberry Chocolate and Chocolate Banana Bread bars. I also tried the Brownie Batter Almond Fluffbutter.

The bars were as good as I remembered, but the star of the show was definitely the Fluffbutter. I used my Brownie Batter Fluffbutter on toast topped with sliced bananas, and I also drizzled a few tablespoons over my morning smoothie bowl. The most unique way I used the Fluffbutter, though, was swapping out peanut butter for Brownie Batter Fluffbutter when I made a delicious batch of Puppy Chow (a.k.a Muddy Buddies)*.

Don’t wait to get yourself a jar—or two or three—of every flavor of Fluffbutter. I also highly recommend you get yourself a few different kinds of No Cow Bars! All bars and Fluffbutters are vegan, offer a great source of fiber, and are jam packed with protein—20g per bar and 11g per serving of Fluffbutter.

Visit D’s Naturals website to try their products! And after you received your jars of Fluffbutter, give the following recipe a try!

*Despite what the name suggests, Puppy Chow is a treat only to be enjoyed by humans—dogs should not eat chocolate. This is why I’ve re-named the recipe.

Brownie Batter Puppy Chow

Brownie Batter Not For Puppies Chow

Yields 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups Chex cereal—rice or corn
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • ½ cup D’s Naturals Brownie Batter Almond Butter
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • ⅔ cups mixed nuts, optional

Directions

  1. Add the cereal to a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Measure powdered sugar into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt almond butter and ½ cup chocolate chips over low heat.
  4. Pour melted chocolate mixture over cereal and stir with a large spoon until evenly coated.
  5. Place chocolate covered cereal in Ziploc bag, close tightly, and shake bag until cereal is evenly coated with powdered sugar.
  6. Spread cereal on wax paper and let cool for one hour.
  7. Place the cooled cereal back in the bag and add coconut, remaining chocolate chips, and nuts (if using). Close bag tightly and shake. Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Justin’s Almond Coco-Nutty Buddies.


Holiday Cookie Roundup

During the holiday season, there’s never a shortage of events where delicious holiday-themed cookies take front and center stage. Like that upcoming holiday cookie exchange, or annual office Christmas party.

Or maybe there’s no occasion and you just want a few—ahem, or a couple dozen—delicious holiday cookies at home to enjoy all by yourself! Whatever your holiday cookie needs may be, we’ve got some tasty recommendations for you!

Vegan Eggnog Cookies

Vegan Eggnog Cookies

Yes, vegan frosted Eggnog Cookies are a thing. Thank you, Rabbit and Wolves.

Soft Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

Soft Pumpkin Ginger Cookies

Move over commercially-made, bagged Ginger Snaps. Here’s a pumpkiny, soft version that’s sure to win out any ginger snap-lover’s taste buds! Try Vegan Richa’s Soft Pumpkin Ginger Snaps.

Salty Sweet Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze and Candied Pecans

salty sweet toffee cookies with dark chocolate and candied pecans

If the name of this blog—How to Philosophize with Cake—doesn’t peak your curiosity, I think this Salty Sweet Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze and Candied Pecans recipe will!

Gingerbread Man Cookies

Gingerbread Man Cookies

What’s a holiday gathering without eating a traditional gingerbread cookie? Here’s a great go-to Gingerbread Man Cookies recipe by Sweet Potato Soul.

Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies

Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies

We’ll wrap things up with another traditional cookie—It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken’s Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookies. And everyone knows that the real fun starts when the frosting and decorations come out!

Is your favorite vegan holiday cookie not mentioned here? Leave us a comment and tell us what cookie suits your holiday fancy!

Happy cookie-making!


Free Bilingual Vegan Parenting Magazine

Raise_Vegan_Magazine

Attention vegan parents! In just a few short days, you’ll have access to a great new resource on vegan parenting—a free digital magazine!

This project was initiated by our friends behind the website Raise Vegan and will cover everything from planning for children, conception, how to handle skeptical family members, delicious recipes, and printable charts with nutritional information.

The first issue of the Raise Vegan magazine is set to release on December 15 and will be published in Spanish and English. By the end of 2018, the magazine will be in multiple languages.

Sign-up to receive the magazine by subscribing here.

If you’re a vegan parent raising vegan children and you’re interested in contributing to the magazine, email Tianna to see how you can get involved!



Winter Jam Leafleters Needed!

Group-Waterloo-Mar17

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.

Speciesism Screen Shot

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.

Bath Bombs

Bath Bombs

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.

Kids’ Cookbooks

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!

Clothing

Herbivore Kids Tee

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

Happy Kitchen 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!

The Pet Tofu

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.

Eco-Friendly Water Balloons

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

Vic


Easy Peasy Pepper Squash

By Janet Kearney, Guest Contributor

Easy Peasy Pepper Squash
Janet Kearney / @VeganPregnancyandParenting

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

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Cut the squash in half lengthways. Remove any seeds and drizzle oil around the inside.
  3. Place the squash open face on a cooking sheet and roast for approximately 45 minutes.
  4. In a skillet, add oil and onion. Sauté on medium heat until translucent, about five minutes.
  5. Add peas, garlic, red peppers, beans, parsley, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook on low heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. 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.
  7. Return to oven and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy!

Cooking Up a Storm at Tecnológico de Monterrey

By Katia Rodríguez, Mexico Campaigns and Spanish Media Coordinator

Cooking class 2

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.

Sergio Carreón

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.

Cooking class

IMG_3695

Thank you CCAN for helping us host such a successful event and for all the great work you do on campus!