(Seriously, the husband and I are opting/lazing out of the traditional Tofurky and mashed potato feast this year. But feel free to visit ghosts of meals past, mkay? See, e.g., 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.)

Whether you choose to observe the holiday or not, may your Thanksgiving day be a gentle one, friends.

Feed the Turkeys ceremony at Animal Acres Thanksgiving!
They got pies, salad, and stuffed squash!
CC image via Flickr user prideandvegudice.
——————————

Food, delicious food!

Caramel Apple Pie from Apryl Knight @ Vegan Etsy

Vegan Lemon Bars from I Eat Trees

Chocolate Chestnut Tart from The New Vegan Table

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips from Manifest Vegan

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers from Cooking at the Pacific Outpost

Cornbread Casserole, Dirty Dumpling Soup and Coconut Fudge from bite me, I’m vegan.

Smokey Maple BBQ Beans from Vegan Guinea Pig

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes from Sweet Treats and Vegan Eats

Hindbærsnitter from Seglare in Copenhagen

Lentil Walnut Pate Lettuce Wraps from thefrenchvegan

Garlic-Glazed Green Beans and Candied Sweet Potatoes from the vegan crew

Thousand Island Dressing from Our Veggie Kitchen

Sweet Potato Power Cookies from vegan cookbook critic

Garlic Mushrooms and Lentils from Vegging out in T-Town

Thyme Bread and Pizza Pretzels from tahinitoo

Green Risotto with Fresh Herbs from How Not To Be A Skinny Vegan

Vegan Coconut Macaroons from seitan is my motor

Caramel Pecan Cookies from Musings From The Fishbowl

Peanut Butter Kisses from megatarian

no-bake chocolate pumpkin pie from sweet beat and green bean (photo below)

Raw Pizza Crackers from christine cooks vegetarian

White Chocolate Matcha Truffles from veganbaking.net

Pierogies from Meg’s Cooking Addiction

Caramelised Pineapple Turnovers with Chamomile Soy Cream from vegalicious

… and, for the dog-kids …

Pumpkin Pie Muffins from It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life

Thanksgiving at Animal Acres! Stuffed “turkey” roast, mashed potatoes and gravy,
and sautéed veggies from One World Vegetarian.
CC image via Flickr user prideandvegudice.
——————————

Bonus food!: Thanksgiving / Thanksliving / Tofurky Day / Save-a-Turkey Day ed.

Frugal Thanksgiving Recipes Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 from MELOMEALS: VEGAN FOR $3.33 A DAY

Thanksgiving Recipes from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu Ideas: Cornucopia of Recipes from Happy. Healthy. Life

Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas from C’est La Vegan

The Tofurkey Day Countdown from Get Sconed!

Vegan Mofo Comfort Food: Vegan Thanksgiving Suggestions for Americans from It Ain’t Meat, Babe

A Vegan Thanksgiving: The 2010 Version from The Veg Blog

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu Suggestions from I Eat Trees

What Vegans Eat, The US Holiday Way from Mylène @ My Face Is On Fire

Token Thanksgiving Post from The Token Vegan

Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas from the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG)

Holiday Recipes for Your Vegan Kitchen from WholeSoy

yummy yams, and tofu cashew loaf, and bbq tofu
CC image via Flickr user massdistraction.

——————————

Contests

Voting for the L4 GAY CAKE CONTEST is now open – from MONDAY 11/22 through SUNDAY 11/28, stop by Loony Louzilla Lovegood Letters and show some love for your favorite, kay?

The Raidoactive Vegan is giving away one copy of Vegan on the Cheap. The deadline to enter is Thursday, November 25 at 8 PM.

Vegging Out in T-Town is giving away a copy of Veganomicon. The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 28th @ 11:59 PM CST.

Manifest Vegan is giving away a rhino-print messenger bag by Saraparelle. The deadline to enter is Friday, November 26th @ midnight EST.

I Eat Trees is giving away a copy of Vegan Vittles. The deadline to enter is Saturday, November 27th @ 11 PM EST.

Molly @ It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life is giving away a copy of her book, also titled It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life. The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 28th.

Vegan Planet is giving away a copy of Party Vegan. The deadline to enter is Monday, November 29th at midnight.

Vegan Appetite of giving away a copy of 500 Vegan Recipes. The deadline to enter is early next week, when veganmofo wraps up.

A complete list of veganmofo giveaways is available @ the PPK forums.

no-bake chocolate pumpkin pie (recipe here)
CC image via Flickr user sweetbeatandgreenbean.
——————————

Frugal Vegans

In Part II of the Barebones Vegan, chooseyourownfoodchain shows you what a barebones vegan pantry, fridge and freezer might look like – and also shares a few sources of free or cheap vegan food!

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving Table
CC image via Flickr user QuintanaRoo.
——————————

Miscellaneous

First up, some festive holiday reading! (“Festive” from a grumpy vegan’s perspective, that is.)

* Thanksgiving without blinders… from Marla @ Vegan Feminist Agitator

* Thanksgiving Boycott from Laura @ Peace Chicken

* Walle’s Shadow from Marji @ Animal Rights & AntiOppression

* To My Friends at Thanksgiving from Mary @ Animal Person

* Thanksgiving and Tradition from Ryan @ The Veg Blog

* Rethinking Tradition from jenna @ LOVE

* “We Should All Be So Lucky” from Stephanie @ Animal Rights & AntiOppression

* A Tribute to Turkeys by Karen Davis of United Poultry Concerns (UPC)

* Our Turkey Celebration at Catskill Animal Sanctuary by Kathy Stevens @ The Huffpo

* Why turkeys RULE! from Megan @ vegansaurus!

* Thanksgiving and Turkeys by Doris @ AnimalRights.About.com

And, should you find yourself needing an avenue of escape from your deer-slaughtering uncle or a break from that bacon-loving hipster doofus cousin-in-law of yours, take a copy of this awesome veganmofo crossword puzzle to your family holiday dinner. Five minutes of vegan trivia should scare even the most tenacious of meat-eaters away, no?

Finally, I know that August feels a long way off (’cause it is!), but if you plan on attending Vida Vegan Con, don’t delay – book your ticks by March 11 for Early Bird registration rates!

What’s Vida Vegan Con, you ask? Lucky mofo, have I got the press release for you!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2010

VIDA VEGAN CON: THE FIRST EVER VEGAN BLOGGER CONFERENCE

PORTLAND, OR — August 26-28, 2011. Vida Vegan Con will bring together vegan lifestyle bloggers from around the globe for a weekend of learning, mingling, and exploring led by the vegan community’s top talent.

University Place Hotel & Convention Center, of Portland State University, will act as base of operations as an estimated 200 vegan bloggers and professionals participate in workshops, panel discussions, and classes covering topics from food photography to activism, social networking to overcoming writer’s block. Speakers include The Post Punk Kitchen’s Isa Chandra Moskowitz, FatFree Vegan’s Susan Voisin, and Urban Vegan’s Dynise Balcavage.

Registration is open at VidaVeganCon.com/registration.

Vida Vegan LLC is an independent body formed by bloggers Janessa Philemon-Kerp of Epicurious Vegan, Jess Scone of Get Sconed!, and Michele Truty of Vegtastic Voyage.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Vida Vegan LLC
VidaVeganConference@gmail.com
503.395.8432
vidavegancon.com
@VidaVeganCon
VVC on Facebook

Love turkeys, don’t eat them!

For those of you who, like me, are not lucky enough to live near a vegan farmed animal sanctuary, here’s some shiny happy turkey-friendly Thanksgiving goodness, in bite-sized video form. Enjoy! (Preferably with your omnivorous family members.)

In this black and white double exposure, we see a photo of some sidewalk graffiti juxtaposed with the image of two people walking together, arm in arm, along a city street. The graffiti is a stencil of the bespectacled, top-hatted Monopoly millionaire – now bearing wings as well – flying out of an opened bird cage; freedom! Underneath this image is the slogan “Invest in Sharing.” A lovely pairing of words, I think. CC image via Flickr user beeteeoh.
——————————

I admit it; I so did not come up with the title of this week’s “frugal vegans” post by my lonesome. Prior to finding multiple examples of the totally awesome “Invest in Sharing” stencil (pictured above) on Flickr, this tip was to be called “frugal vegans share with others.” Meh, how boring. I don’t even think such a title is fit to grace a Sesame Street skit.

So what, pray tell, do I mean by “invest in sharing” in the context of frugality? Well, it’s simple, really. If you’re anything like me, you own multiple kitchen appliances, utensils and assorted gadgets that rarely, if ever, see the light of day. Possibly you purchased them new – or even second-hand – and with every intention of getting your money’s worth. Perhaps you do use some of these items as often as is reasonable – but reason only requires occasional or seasonal use. Whatever the case, your kitchen – indeed, your entire house – is most likely packed with consumer goods that are not in use 99% of the time.

Why not save money – and the environment – by splitting the cost and custody of these items with like-minded friends?

By way of illustration, let’s say that both you and your BFF are jonesing for a shiny new ice cream maker. Neither of you can afford to buy a nice electric model on your own. But if you pool your resources, what was an out-of-reach luxury purchase suddenly becomes do-able (albeit possibly still a luxury). At most, you might churn a batch or two of ice cream a month; the rest of the time, the machine would sit on a shelf in your pantry, unused and totally bored. Rotating the ice cream maker between two households on a weekly basis, then, won’t really affect the amount of use and enjoyment that each party can get out of it. Just plan ahead and make a little extra ice cream for your “off” week when it is your turn to use the ice cream maker.

This “shared cost, shared custody” arrangement could work with a number of kitchen items – depending, of course, on personal use and preferences:

- Cup/cake decorating tips and accessories
- Cup/cake display stands
- Bread makers
- Juicers
- Espresso machines
- Margarita machines
- Deep fryers
- Food grinders*
- Waffle makers
- Pressure cookers
- Rice cookers
- Buffet servers
- Fondue pots
- Food dehydrators
- Vacuum sealers
- Rotisserie ovens/kits (for Tofurky, duh!)
- Barbecue grills (for vegetables, yo!)
- Popcorn machines
- Cotton candy machines (yes, they exist!)
- Extra/fold-able table and chairs (i.e., for entertaining)

…to name but a few.

Of course, sharing need not be confined to the kitchen! Here are some other household items that one could conceivably share with only minor inconvenience:

- Animal traps (humane, of course!)
- Animal cages (e.g., for rescued and yet-to-be-rehabilitated free-living animals)
- “Pet” grooming/nail clipping kits
- Laminators
- Sewing machines
- Ladders
- Plumber’s snakes (bathroom supplies in a food post? ew!)
- Pressure washers
- Chainsaws
- Electric drills
- Garden tillers
- Wet/dry vacs
- Work lights
- Hand trucks
- Lawn mowers
- Snow blowers
- Wood chippers
- Log splitters
- Welding supplies

I’m sure that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of items that I’m overlooking; most likely, I even own a few of them and have plum forgotten, since I use them so infrequently!

Now, before you protest – Cake stands! How dare you!?! I need those for my thrice-daily food porn photo shoots! – let me repeat that this list will differ from person to person. My idea of a rarely used, nearly-dispensable widget is not necessarily your idea of a rarely used, nearly-dispensable widget – and that’s fine. All that matters is that the two (or more!) parties purchasing and sharing these items are in agreement.

Naturally, this tip comes with a laundry list of caveats and obstacles:

“mashed cauliflower: This Mashed Cauliflower recipe (which I make in place of mashed potatoes) is perfect for a gluten free, Paleo Thanksgiving.”
CC image via Flickr user elena’s pantry.
——————————

Food, delicious food!

Mashed Cauliflower, Carrot French Fries and Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream from Elena’s Pantry (pictured above and below)

Vegan Butterflake Rolls from Inspired Eats

Best Vegan Pecan Pie from My Vegan Cookbook

Twice-Baked Colcannon from Miso for Breakfast

Thanksgiving “Pie” with Variations and Spiced Two-Apple Tart with Cider Crème from Vegan Planet

Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Vegan Etsy

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache from Isa @ the PPK

Tasty cream horns from vegalicious

Graham Crackers from VeganYumYum

VEGAN Battleship Chocolate Bundt Cake with Sour Cherry Compote! from Terry Hope Romero @ vegansaurus!

Quick(er) Pierogies from Vegan Nom Noms

Vegan Peppermint Stick Ice Cream from I Eat Trees

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread from Musings From The Fishbowl

Buckeye Candy (with a Hint of Cardamom) from Manifest Vegan

Beer Breaded Garlic Mushrooms from Lustrous Musings

“carrot fries: My boys love these gluten free carrot fries hot out of the oven. I like baking them as it eliminates the messy splattering that results from the typical preparation.”
CC image via Flickr user elena’s pantry.
——————————

Contests

Bitt of Raw is giving away a copy of Becoming Vegan or Becoming Raw (winner’s choice). The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 21st at 11:59 PM.

C’est La Vegan is giving away two bags of Pistachio Aniseed Biscotti and two bags of Pumpkin Pecan Biscotti with Chocolate Chips to one lucky mofo. The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 21st, at 6:00 PST.

Robin Robertson is giving away a copy of her cookbook Vegan Fire and Spice @ Vegan Planet. The deadline to enter is Monday, November 22nd at 12 midnight EST.

An Opera Singer in the Kitchen is giving away four coupons for free Turtle Mountain products to ten lucky mofos! The deadline to enter is Monday, November 22nd at 12 midnight EST.

And, as always, do be sure to check out the dedicated contest thread over on the PPK forums.

“pumpkin pie ice cream: This vegan and gluten free pumpkin pie ice cream is a delicious fall frozen treat whether served at Halloween or Thanksgiving.”
CC image via Flickr user elena’s pantry.
——————————

Miscellany

‘Twas the week in which the MEAT CAKE! dominated veganmofo. To wit: check out these beautiful monstrosities from Mo @ Mo Betta Vegan and Janet @ vegansaurus! Laugh or cry? You tell me, folks. You tell me.

(Yes, that was a link to a “meat” pie that I posted earlier; and no, I’m not losing my mind. Maybe I just find the idea of a vertically-challenged “meat” dessert easier to wrap my head around? Fewer layers, at least. Less food mixage. Food mixage, no like.)

Also – and I know it’s still a little early to be thinking about x-mas, but – gift ideas from I Eat Trees!

Marla at Vegan Feminist Agitator has been blogging tips for World Vegan Month all November. You should totes check it out!

Last but not least, Isa is reminiscing about the five cookbooks that changed her life. If, like me, you’re old enough to remember the ’90s with some fondness, you’ll get a real kick out of this!: Cookbooks That Changed My Life: Soy Not Oi! (Part 2) and Cookbooks That Changed My Life: Tofu Cookery (Part 1)

Share those links if you got ‘em, mofos!

Families gather in the Oneida Square Community Garden –
complete with a popcorn machine! Story here.
CC image via Flickr user The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Cos.
——————————

The seeds of this week’s frugal vegan tip were planted several years ago, when I read a piece written by Lauren of the (seemingly) now-defunct blog Faux Real Tho. If memory serves correctly, Lauren described a sort of “work party,” wherein a group of friends and family members descended upon her backyard in order to help her and her husband create a garden space in their new home. In return for food and alcohol – naturally. The ultimate garden party, if you will.

Work + wine = a work party
Work + wine + dirt + produce = a garden party

Of course, bribing and plying your friends with alcohol and shiny happy vegan cupcakes is a great way to procure a little extra help when needed. But let’s take this concept a step further, shall we? Why split only the work when you can share it all: monetary expenses, land, labor, knowledge, materials and yield?

Let’s say, for example, that you want to start growing some of your own (VEGAN!) food in order to save money and become more self-sufficient (the apocalypse, it’s coming!). You have the space to establish a good-sized garden and the funds to cover any start-up costs – but are lacking the know-how and expertise to make it a rousing success. Or perhaps you’re an experienced gardener but are currently living in an apartment space which only affords room for a small window garden. Maybe you have the time to devote to weeding, watering, harvesting and preserving, but no money with which to buy the supplies. By pooling your resources with friends, family members and/or acquaintances, all of these potential pitfalls can be overcome.

WWII – Women’s Land Army of the U.S. Crop Corps (1944);
via Northwestern University’s World War II poster collection.
In this vintage, government-issued WWII propaganda poster, women are shows harvesting veggies, milking cows and feeding chickens. The copy reads, “Pitch in and help! Join the women’s land army of the U.S. crop corps.” Clearly, in my vegan utopia, the nonhuman animals live on a sanctuary, not a farm, and the ladies pictured in this pastoral scene are vegans caring for their nonhuman friends. Also: the men-folk are working the garden as well, but off to the side and just out of frame.
——————————

A shared garden can take a variety of forms. Perhaps one family provides the necessary land, water and supplies while their neighbors down the street assume responsibility for the daily chores required to keep it thriving – and all the produce grown is split 50/50 (or whatever seems fair to those involved).

Or let’s say that you and your friends want to try gardening, but only one of you owns a home, complete with a suitable backyard space. Why not have everyone chip in the funds required to establish and maintain the garden, and get together several times a week for a little dinner, drinks and gardening? Chores seem less tedious when performed in the company of (fed and inebriated) friends, no?

On the more extreme end of the spectrum, perhaps you’re able to rally your entire neighborhood around this cause, such that you collectively decide to allocate a public space for the garden, and divvy up all expenses, labor and crops equally. (No animals though, mkay? They’re friends, not food!)

(This sort of large-scale project begins to resemble a community garden, which is beyond awesome, particularly from a food justice standpoint. Every community should have access to fresh fruit and veggies – as well as the ability to grow them locally and sustainably – in this vegan mofo’s opinion. To find out how you can help community gardens survive and thrive in the United States, visit the American Community Gardening Association’s website and take action.)

However it’s organized, a shared garden can save you both time and money – while also fostering a sense of community and bringing you closer to the ones you love. If you’re lucky enough to have a veteran green thumb or amateur botanist join the party, laboring in a group has the added benefit of shared expertise and wisdom passed from one generation and/or population to another. And you know what they say about knowledge. It’s power, yo.

How about you? Have any of the mofo’s in the audience ever participated in a shared or community garden? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments!

Boardwalk Community Garden, Coney Island, Brooklyn, 2010-09-06/
CC image via Flickr user Flatbush Gardener.
——————————

Miss Hash Brown – my parents’ beagle/terrier mix-breed dog-kid – tries to sweet-talk me into sharing a piece of my sun-dried tomato bagel with her. And by “talk” I mean “kiss.”
Needless to say, she had me at *sad eyes*.
——————————

It took me a good six hours, but I finally finished working through this year’s veganmofo blogroll earlier this week. Everything looks so nice and neat and sorted now! Of course, this means that I have even more Friday Food to share with y’all! Enjoy the links, and try not to drool on your keyboard or, worse yet, lick your monitor (it’s not real, it’s just an illusion!).

Before we get started, though, I have got to direct you to the following blogs – or, more to the point, blog titles, which tickled me every shade of pink whilst browsing through them. Most are rooted in pop culture, which is totally my thing.

bite me, I’m vegan | bitemevegan.blogspot.com
Duchess Of Kircaldy | duchessofkircaldy.wordpress.com
It Ain’t Meat, Babe | www.itaintmeatbabe.com
It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Cooking…) | imonlycooking.blogspot.com
meansoybean | meansoybean.com
Meatless in Seattle | meatlessinseattle85.blogspot.com
No Murders in the Rue Morgue | nomurders.wordpress.com
Thyme Bombe | thymebombe.com
Vegan Dance if you want to. | vegandance.blogspot.com

Also be sure to visit Seitan Said Dance, who’s cooking up comic book themed dishes all week. Totally awesome. Bonus smiles: Mozilla recommends that I change “Seitan” to “Satan.”

“Oat Pumpkin Pancakes” (recipe here). CC image via digiyesica on Flickr.
——————————

Food, delicious food!

Tempeh Roulade en Croute from VegSpinz

Sweet Potato and Apple Bake from megatarian

Mint Chocolate Shots from Lustrous Musings

The (vegan) Soup Post! and Molasses Ginger Cookies! from Healthy. Happy. Life.

Cappuccino Muffins and Vegan Apple Hand Pies from Vegan Nom Noms

Rooibos Chai from Vegan Junk Food

Dad’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons from In My Vegan Life

The Vegan Nacho from Unhealthy Vegan

Vegan Pizza Bites from Toast and Tofu

Braised Maple Tarragon Carrots from The Elizavegan Page

Easy Ganache from Musings From The Fishbowl

Vegan Fried Mac and Cheese from MidwestVeg

Lime Coconut Custard Pie from Wasabi Peas

Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon from The Ordinary Vegetarian

The Homemade Hummus Challenge: Are Dried Chickpeas Better Than Canned? from the paupered chef

Carrot Cake Pancakes from Isa @ the PPK

(Vegan) Garlic and Chive Mashed Potato-Stuffed Crust Pizza from …and it’s vegan.

Vegan Loaded Potato Soup from Down Home Vegan

Mashed Potato Pizza (Personal Size) from Pixie & Dusty Eat

Vegan Needham Recipe. (Maine Regional Potato Candy) from Killer Bunnies, Inc

Po’rn Puppies from Grow’n Boy

Chai Pumpkin Pie Ice Creem Sandwiches from vegan cookbook critic

Vegan Pizza Bites from Another Healthy Habit

Miss Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from The Daily Coop

Homemade Tofurkey with Brown Rice Stuffing Recipe from CHOW

…don’t forget the dog-kids!

Sweet Potato Muffins from It’s A Vegan Dog’s Life

“Canada’s next top Vegan competition blindfold taste test.” CC image via paulr_42 on Flickr.
——————————

Contests

I forgot to link to it last week, but the PPK forums have an entire thread dedicated to veganmofo giveaways. You should totally go there if you like free stuff, ’cause this is but a partial list.

Joni Marie Newman is giving away two copies of 500 Vegan Recipes at justthefood.com. The deadline to enter is tonight at 10PM PST.

I Eat Trees is giving away a copy of Lick It. The deadline to enter is Saturday, November 13th at 11 PM EST.

Robin Robertson is giving away a copy of Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Emergency Guide at Vegan Planet. The deadline to enter is Monday, November 15th at midnight.

An Opera Singer in the Kitchen is giving away one TofuXpress tofu press. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 16th at midnight EST.

The Health Sleuth is giving away a jar of Nacho Mom’s Vegan Queso. The deadline to enter is Wednesday, November 17th.

Bitt of Raw is giving away a sample pack of Emmy’s Organics macaroons. The deadline to enter is Wednesday, November 17th at 11:59 pm PST.

Finally, Our Veggie Kitchen is giving away one copy of American Vegan Kitchen. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 30th.

Normally, I’d ask y’all which contests you’re itching to win, but probably that’s top-secret, yes?

“Dumpstered: A dozen slightly-out-of-date Clif Bars rescued from the trash can.”
CC image via hoveringdog on Flickr.
——————————

Frugal Vegans

In a new-to-Friday Food feature, I’ve also decided to feature those veganmofo posts that focus on saving money. After all, this whole roundup is an outgrowth of my “Frugal Vegans…” series, so it only seems natural to include my fellow mofo’er’s forays into frugality, dontchathink?

Apropos yesterday’s conversation about how to be an awesome vegan through food reclamation, Joni @ justthefood.com gives us: The Garbage Pizza! Ain’t nothing trashy about that bad boy, I tell you what.

Katie @ Don’t Eat Off The Sidewalk! shares her tips for eating vegan while on a budget in the awesomely titled Let’s get this party started as cheaply as possible!

Mo @ Mo Betta Vegan (another shiny happy blog name!) shares her dollar and discount stores finds. If you’ve never shopped at a Dollar Store, friends, you haven’t lived. Dog’s mouth to your ears.

Nicole at Vegan Nom Noms goes dumpster diving and returns home with a CSA’s worth of produce. Her finds? Impressive!

Also impressive: her mad coupon blegging skillz. Mission: Vegan Coupons is a must-read. (I’ve tried this one before; several times, actually. It really works!)

Finally, in the first of what promises to be a series – The Barebones Vegan – chooseyourownfoodchain suggests a list of relatively inexpensive must-have vegan kitchen appliances and accessories. Stay tuned for more!

So, mofo’s. Which veganmofo posts have you been loving on this week? Remember: sharing is caring!

J. Howard Miller’s “We Can Do It!”, commonly mistaken to be Rosie the Riveter.
CC image via Wiki.
——————————

A recent study in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology estimated that Americans waste nearly 350 million barrels of oil per year in the form of food. These figures represent 2% of our annual energy consumption, and are based in part on an even more shocking 1995 estimate that 27% of our edible food is wasted – simply thrown away – at both the individual and institutional levels.

While much of this waste happens before food even reaches consumers – for example, produce that looks “irregular” or is marred by “blemishes” may be tossed by farmers or rejected by grocers – who among us can say that she’s never thrown out a half-finished bag of moldy rolls or composted the odd bruised apple? If just half of this waste occurs in our own kitchens and pantries, then the average American is tossing nearly 15% of the food she purchases straight into the garbage.* By cutting out this waste, then, we could potentially save 15% on our grocery bills.

Reporting on these findings over at Salon, Francis Lam offers seven tasty ways to stop wasting food – six of which are vegan or vegan-friendly. These include:

1. Be creative about stale bread;
2. Freeze in-danger-of-expiring (nondairy) milk;
3. Save trim and scraps for stock;
4. Sauté leftover pasta, rice, and cooked grains (or, you know, just reheat and it, if you’re not a food snob like Lam);
5. Repurpose leftover sauces, soups, and (vegetable) meat juices to add flavor to other dishes; and
6. Don’t toss an item just because it’s expired – many foodstuffs are edible past date. Trust your senses and use good judgment.

Building on Lam’s list, Jordan @ vegansaurus! recommends that you be a more awesome vegan by:

1. Making impromptu soups, stews, and curries with neglected veggies;
2. Baking fruit crisps and crumbles with overripe apples and such;
3. Liquefying extra produce into smoothies;
4. Investing in high quality food storage containers; and
5. Buying a spiffy new lunch set that will hopefully inspire you to take leftovers to work.

Of course, because I am a totally awesome – and usually-frugal – vegan, I have a few additional suggestions to add to the mix!