Ramped up slowly today, starting with a Banana and PB for breakfast...
We arrived at noon for the Life Affirming Thanksgiving Celebration put on by the Vegetarian Society of D.C.. Below is one of the appetizer stations where there was Cudites, Crackers, Olive Tapenade, Artichoke Hummus & Muhummara.
I liked the Artichoke Hummus the best, Mr. SV preferred the Muhumarra. Seconds were had of both.
We snagged two of the three open seats at Karen Davis' table. Terry Cummings, cofounder of Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary was at the table as well so there was lots of interesting conversation. The five other people at the table were super nice, I just don't know if they have their own websites.
We snagged two of the three open seats at Karen Davis' table. Terry Cummings, cofounder of Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary was at the table as well so there was lots of interesting conversation. The five other people at the table were super nice, I just don't know if they have their own websites.
The entire menu was vegan. Everyone was served Butternut Squash Soup (I didn't like this and only had a couple spoonfuls)....
...and a basket of Warm Fresh Baked Rolls was placed on all tables...
When the buffet opened, I loaded up on Wild Striped Mushroom Ravioli with Tomato & Fennel Broth, Vegan Stuffing and Gravy, Savory Tofu Tempeh Patties, Spicy Collard Greens with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Green Bean Casserole. The Ravioli and Stuffing were the two best items, IMO.
Pumpkin Pie for dessert. I prefer WF's brand. So all this was $58/pp (no alcohol, although some tables appeared to have pre-arranged to have bottles of wine). All attendees received a little box of Chocolates and there were door prizes where the best prizes were a Vitamix and an overnight at the Hyatt.
At the end of Will Tuttle's speech, a black man stood up and loudly demanded that Tuttle apologize for making a racist statement. Tuttle had earlier related an amusing story that when he was a young boy his mother told him that the the only vegetarians were in India. Everyone was distressed and upset after that outburst, even though Tuttle expertly shrugged the guy off. We left soon afterward and I forgot some of the pamphlets I'd picked up which was a bummer. It was all very draining, in a different way than a family Thanksgiving is draining. The best part was meeting Karen Davis & Terry Cummings (two women I admire greatly). Can't wait to check out Poplar Springs Sanctuary and am inspired to start my own sanctuary.
Tostadas when we got home. Gonna take a long time to unwind.
13 comments:
Well, hey, no holidays are without incident, it's just too bad there was no alcohol at the table to calm down with. At least you don't have to face the heckler on a semi-regular basis.
Otherwise, it sounds like a very interesting time and honestly, I admire that you got out and spent some time with strangers. I hope that doesn't sound weird.
Food sounds great too. Would you do it again next year?
Geez, it kinda sounds like it wasn't worth it?!? Either way, I agree w/Maud that your sociability is admirable. Anyhoo, happy holidays!
We considered going to something similar in Milwaukee, but decided against it. Although we're not shy, we're also not that social...
I started salivating when I read about your meal, especially the ravioli. Yum!
Too bad their was that commotion, but it sounds like it was handled well.
Yeah, it does sound kind of like a family holiday. At least, my brother usually says something smart alec to me about our diet - or once it was Ryan's aunt who was completely rude to me. I try to picture myself standing up and declaring something in front of everyone...yeah, I can't picture it. I'm glad you had a good day! I'd have trouble getting any further than the appetizer station. We've been to a couple of Thanksgiving events, and it's always SO nice to have so much food to choose from without having to prepare it. Do you tell people you have a blog when you meet them? Having a sanctuary would be incredible.
Wow, what a day! Even though everything wasn't stellar awesome, at least you got some food that you liked a lot, it seems. Great that you had good table company, too. I like how you rounded out the evening with your own good ol' comfort food.
Artichoke hummus wins me over on a regular basis. What went wrong with the soup? Usually butternut is a safe bet. Double envy on the ravioli! I haven't had any in a really long time.
I LOVE the idea of having an animal sanctuary! I hope you share more of your research and thoughts on the topic. :)
Great spread!
Happy Thanksgiving
A.
http://alessandra-veganblog.blogspot.com/
At least you had some great food! Seems like there's always some kind of excitement over the holidays. I got very upset yesterday after I had eaten. Found out that some of the veggies that I ate were cooked in beef broth after being told they were vegan. Talk about pissed.... I was. My family just doesn't get what vegan means. From now on I will be taking my own personal plate.
I agree with the above sentiments, it definitely isn't the holidays without some sort of incident. It sounds like other than the outburst you seem to have met some really great people. Funny that your favs were the stuffing and ravioli because those two dishes are the ones that sounded best to me :) I also agree that your sociability is an admirable quality. And I love love love the idea of having a sanctuary.
Although draining, I hope that you enjoyed your day and had a very happy thanksgiving!
Your Thanksgiving sounds a lot less stressful to me. But I guess it could be a different sort of stress, being around a bunch of new people and not knowing what to expect from the food.
I'm really glad I don't celebrate Thanksgiving. I made myself a meal and actually sat at a table though, so I did kind of celebrate it in a way. I just celebrated by myself. With my food. I think that's probably the best way. It's rather chill :)
Hey Now!!!!
FF, I'm all for a great heckler, believe me, but this guy turned the room on its head after such a sincere talk from Tuttle. We'd all just finished hearing heart-wrenching tales of how animals are slaughtered and all the one guy got out of it was that he was a racist. Ugh! And no one in the room stood up to him. I wont go back again. Just too much stimulus for little dainty me.
Stacy, there was so much more socializing than I anticipated. Which is my fault since I saw the open seats at Karen Davis' table and wanted to meet her, but at the same time, felt out of place since I'm not on the front lines battling animal cruelty.
Molly, I had just envisioned getting to graze openly at a vegan buffet. You were smart to realize that a gathering like this is more than that.
Jenny, you know Thanksgiving is officially out of control when people aren't being nice to YOU of all people! ( I tell no one about the blog. The first rule of The Shenandoah Vegan Blog is that no one talks about The Shenandoah Vegan Blog).
Blessed Mama, yep, the Tostadas were for medicinal purposes. To help me try to regain my equilibrium;-)
Ingrid, this was my first time trying Artichoke Hummus and it was incredible. Can't wait to try it again. The Butternut Squash Soup wasn't sweet and had a bitterness that Mr. SV attributed to possibly Orange Rind. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their's though, so it might have been just an individual taste thing. Terry Cummings, from Poplar Springs, made having a sanctuary sound like a possibility. She really had some intense tales, but her life is so full of meaning.
Alessandra, thanks! Let me know sometime how to leave a comment on your blog. I still haven't figured it out!
Michelle2, I'm hoping you'll relate the details of that story on your blog. It's just too horrible to fathom. Someone in your family is not right in the head. Sorry, but it's true.
VaVa, of course, the two starchy brown items were my favorite. The Ravioli was soooo great. Unfortunately, there wasn't a recipe link for it, like some of the other items on the buffet. (Hey, weren't you looking to veganize some items?)
Isotope, it's time for Thanksgiving to be just that:
Sitting alone with one's own thoughts and if food is necessary, then it should be fresh fruit or steamed vegetables. That's it! A day of quiet introspection dammit!
Wow, sounds like quite a day! I hope you do start a sanctuary. That's one of my dreams/goals too.
I really like the sound of those ravioli, and of course the stuffing is always the most delicious part of TG in my experience.
I don't get what the insult was, but hey, what's a holiday without a good argument or two?
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