Last Minute Vegan Christmas Gift Guide

Last Minute Vegan Christmas Gift Guide

With only 3 days left to get it all done?

No problem! Let me show you a few simple DIY gifts you still have time to make, and a few you can buy and still have available to put under the tree on Christmas Eve.  

This list is a little different than most you will see out there this time of year. I have chosen each and every one of these items because they have meaning, both to the gifter and giftee. I know that the last thing I need is another candle or bottle of body wash because my friends and family have no idea what to get the weird vegan in the group (Newsflash! I love anything you think I will love and if it's a hug and a hand drawn card or photo of your kiddo, I love that even more!) And I am sure if you are the lone vegan, you feel the same way. Or if you are the family member looking to get something for the lone vegan, you might be a little confused, too.

Vegan Thanksgiving Survival Guide!

Maybe this is your first Thanksgiving as a vegan. Or maybe this year, the rest of your family has decided to come to your house for a cruelty free holiday and you are freaking out about how to make a meal to make converts out of all of them. Or maybe you just want an easy Thanksgiving dinner you can have on the table in about an hour. In any case, I'm here to help. I'll share some of my own recipes, and point you to a few of my favorite vegan bloggers out there who have done a damn fine job of making incredibly tasty Thanksgiving treats.

Hot, Sweet, and Sour Seitan Ribs with Lemongrass Bones

It's #ThrowbackThursday so I thought I'd throw it back to these amazing ribs from Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen. This was one of those recipes that gave me goosebumps. It's one of those things that my dad would eat. And he never likes to eat "weird vegan food." So, that, my folks, is a vote of approval if I've ever seen one.

This Burger is NUTS!

This Burger is Nuts! (page 82 of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet) Photo by Kate Lewis

Nuts are pretty awesome, aren't they? I mean, sure, you can snack on them, or even throw them on top of a salad. But, I wanted to share how nuts could be used as the star of the meal...not as an afterthought.

An Open Letter to Arby's from the @UnhealthyVegan

My vegan version of Arby's Roast Beef and Cheddar as part of @UnhealthyVegan's Open Picture Book to Arby's

Maybe you've seen the Open Letter to Vegetarians that Arby's wrote last month. Then maybe you, like me, were like, "That's pretty f'd up!" Not to mention just plain stupid. (I mean, I'm up for a good joke, but this was just a dumb marketing idea.) A couple of vegan folks have written responses on their Facebook pages, blogs, and took over the comments...but the @UnhealthyVegan took it next level and started an entire book. A picture book, to be exact. Instagrammers united to post a vegan version of an Arby's menu item, but BETTER. Better for the animals. Better for the planet. Better for our health. Andre's there to make sure Arby's knows that #WeMadeArbysBetter and #WeMadeBaconBetter.

JJ's Snack Shack hits the California Hot Sauce Expo for it's Debut Pop-Up: Hush Puppies

This past weekend marked the inaugural pop-up event by vegan food recipe developer, photographer, blogger, and social media maven Jackie Sobon of VeganYackAttack and little ol' me as we put our heads (and cooking skills!) together to create JJ's Snack Shack (Get it? JJ's? As in Jackie and Joni? Get it? Get it?)

Our inaugural event was held at the California Hot Sauce Expo in Long Beach at Rainbow Lagoon Park down by the ocean. We put our thinking caps on to come up with a menu that was cohesive, delicious, and made sense for an event that was all about hot sauce. And being the only vegan option at the festival, we wanted to make sure our food was inviting to not only the veg-heads, but anyone looking for a delicious snack at the festival.

The Complete Guide to EVEN MORE Vegan Food Substitutions--A sneak preview recipe, and a giveaway!

Sweet Potato and Avocado Sushi, page 196, photo Celine Steen Photography

With an official book release date of July 1, it has been confirmed that Celine Steen and my newest book is now available! That's early, kids, and that almost never happens.

Just real quick...we feel it is very important to note that this book completely stands on its own two feet. It is not a reissue of the original. And it is not full of the same recipes and tips. It plays nicely with its predecessor, but you do not need to own the first one in order to reap the benefits of this handy little guide.

Vida Vegan Con Takes Texas

I returned home over a week ago, but it seems like a whirlwind. Like it was only a few days ago. I returned home from an epic journey that included bonding, eating a ton of amazing vegan food, the Texas Two-Step, eating a ton of amazing vegan food, learning, eating a ton of amazing vegan food, community, eating a ton of amazing vegan food, inspiration, and, did I mention, eating a ton of amazing vegan food?

Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale! This Saturday!

This Saturday, May 2, 2015 I will be hosting the Long Beach edition of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale at Ahimsa Vegan Cafe in the East Village Arts District.

Special thanks to Ahimsa for allowing me to post up in front of their ALL VEGAN CAFE from 11 am to 3 pm.  It's very appreciated.  Make sure that if you decide to stop by, that you step inside for lunch, a sandwich or bowl to go, or a fresh pressed juice. YUM!

This year is my first back in Long Beach.  The last few years I have held my bake sale out in the rural community of Trabuco Canyon where I raised money for local charities like Hanaeleh Horse Rescue and Barks of Love.

So I searched for a local charity near Long Beach that needed my funds and I came across the Downtown Dog Rescue by word of mouth from a coworker of my husband who does some volunteer work for them.

Taco Tuesday! Recipes from the Vegan Street Fair

On Sunday, March 1, the first ever Vegan Street Fair was held on the streets of North Hollywood.  Rain, even hail, couldn't keep the almost 10,000 hungry fair goers from hitting the streets to get tastes of vegan foods from over 40 different food vendors.

Crowd shot at Vegan Street Fair courtesy of Blake Gardner via the Vegan Street Fair Facebook event page.

What an amazing day at the first ever Vegan Street Fair! Thank goodness Dan was there to help, and even my mom got behind the scenes ad helped out for a few hours. My sincere apologies to those who waited in line and didn't get any ‪‎tacos‬. Lesson learned: I should have made twice as much food. I sold out just after 4pm with a line at least 40 deep. I had no idea so many folks would be so into my food.

"Happy Clam" Chowder Day!

New England Can Kiss My Clam Chowder from Going Vegan, photo by Celine Steen

In honor of National Clam Chowder Day I thought I would share my recipe for a truly "Happy Clam" Chowder which is featured in Going Vegan, which I co-wrote with Gerrie Lynn Adams.  No clams were harmed in the making of this chowder, yet this hearty soup is full of all of the seafood-y flavor one would expect from this classic soup.  If you want to get extra fancy, make up a batch of my virtually indestructable bread bowls to serve it up.

And in honor of the clams, I am giving away a copy of Going Vegan to one reader anywhere in the world.  Simply follow the prompts in the widget at the end of this post.

The Engine 2 Challenge Week 4: It's Over and I am a Little Afraid

Last night marked the end of the 28 day Engine 2 Challenge. I was the only participant still standing after the first week, but I powered on, with the support and encouragement of people who were following along with me here on the blog, on Instagram, and on Facebook.  So now what?  Do I start another 28 day challenge?  Do I go back to the way things were before I took the challenge?  I'm not quite sure yet.

I become obsessed when it comes to stuff like this.  If I decided I wanted to eat this way for the rest of my life, I could.  But do I?  Not really.  The thought of never having deep fried Toffalo Wings drenched in melted buttery buffalo sauce dipped in creamy ranch really freaks me out.  Much in the same way an alcoholic must feel when they decide to give up alcohol, I have an obsessive and unhealthy relationship with food.  (Which makes my career choice as a food blogger and cookbook author a pretty difficult one.)

The Engine 2 Challenge Week 3: Making Lasting Lifestyle Changes

Let's just start this post off with a huge thanks to Rip Esselstyn himself.  He is touring the country and making lots of stops.  I was lucky enough to catch his appearance at the Whole Foods Market in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, earlier this week.

I have to admit, the crowd that was there, was pretty difficult.  I mean, like hecklers at a comedy show, there were people arguing every point he made.  "But what about raw milk?" "What's wrong with lean meat?" "What about the specific vitamins you can get from bison and not anywhere else?"  I mean, seriously?  Why would anyone come to a lecture and appearance by a VEGAN, PLANT STRONG, lifestyle promoter and ruin it for the rest of us trying to get and stay inspired on what is a very difficult journey for many.

Week 2 of Engine 2: I think I'm getting the hang of this

Time to get real. I honestly thought I would have given up on this challenge by now.  I mean, seriously, it just about goes against everything I ever talk about, and the new followers I have on instagram are all of the "healthy" variety.  Ha!  It's definitely not like I am anti-healthy or anything.  I mean not really.

Maybe it's that I never was able to put that much focus on healthy eating because I was always focused on "yummy" vegan eats.  Vegan eats are my main form of activism.  I feed people delicious vegan food. And people see that vegan food is "normal" food with flavors they are familiar with. And then people say things like, "Oh my god, you can still eat this? Maybe I will go vegan!"  (Well that's how I hope they respond, anyway.)  So, cooking for health, and eating my medicine were never very high on my priority list. 

Surviving (and Thriving!) on the Engine 2 Challenge

Yes, you read that title right. Me, Joni Marie Newman, am on the Engine 2 Diet...for 28 days, at least. You see, when you are a cookbook author, you cook a lot of food.  Way more food than should ever be cooked in a household of two. Especially when one of those two has the dietary habits of a six year old and won't touch anything with onions or mushrooms in it, and God forbid if it's spicy.  So yeah, I cook way too much food, and therefore eat way too much food.  And while I like to think I cook somewhat healthfully, the truth is, I cook to make it taste good first and foremost.  

The Vegetarian Flavor Bible

I remember my first year of college.  Going into the bookstore to buy my textbooks, and bringing them home thinking, "Oh my god. These books are huge. There is so much information here. There is no way I am ever going to get through it all."  But I did.  I still have all of my college textbooks.  And every now and again, I find myself returning to those texts as a reference.

The Vegetarian Flavor Bible by Karen Page is the textbook I'd imagine would be passed out on the first day of class in a plant based cooking school.  I mean it's huge! 554 pages of hardcovered glory, complete with a ribbon page marker.  This book is definitely a reference text.

When it arrived in the mail from the publishers for review, I was flipping through the pages, thinking, "Whoa. She ain't messing atound!" And she isn't.  Karen Page has an entry for everything in this encyclopedic style text.  It's quite an undertaking.  Almost unbelievable how much work must have went into creating such a tome.