Are you ready for the Twin Cities first ever all-day celebration of compassionate living, delicious plant-based food, and thought-provoking speakers?

Twin Cities Veg Fest is happening July 14, 2012, 10am-5pm at Coffman Memorial Union, Minneapolis, MN. Here is some exciting news about the event:

• Mark Berkson, Professor of Religion, Hamline University, will be speaking on the topic of animals in religion.
• Scott Heiser, Director of the Criminal Justice Program, Animal Legal Defense Fund, will be speaking about animal law.
• Shannon Kimball, Humane Educator, Bridges of Respect, will be speaking on the topic of teaching compassion.
• Erica Meier, Executive Director, Compassion Over Killing, will be speaking about animal rights.
• Dave Rolsky, Board Member and Co-Founder, Compassionate Action for Animals, will be speaking about how to be an activist.
• Suzy Sorensen, RD, LD, CDE, Move2Veg, will be speaking about vegan nutrition.

Join Compassionate Action for Animals at our Annual Banquet on April 5, 2012, celebrating fourteen years of advocating for animals.

Please buy your tickets today!

Focusing on action, education, and outreach to inspire respect for animals, CAA touches hundreds of human lives and saves thousands of animal lives. Through the dedicated efforts of CAA volunteers, thousands of leaflets are distributed to increase awareness of the plight of factory farm animals, hundreds of individuals pledge to try vegetarianism, social gatherings are held to bring like-minded people together, and inspirational speakers from across the country educate the public about those who cannot speak for themselves.

The event begins with a reception featuring a selection of delicious hors d’ouevres. During the reception, bid at our silent auction featuring artwork, gift baskets, services from local vendors, and more.

The reception is followed by a gourmet vegan dinner. During dinner, CAA will give a short presentation on our work in 2011 and our plans for 2012. Please purchase your tickets to reserve your meal!

We're hosting our first book club meeting, where we will be discussing Farm Sanctuary by Gene Baur.

We've moved the book club meeting to the Van Cleve Recreational Center 901 15th Ave. SE Minneapolis, MN.

A brief overview and introduction of the selected book, Farm Sanctuary by Gene Bauer, will be discussed as well as a demonstration on how to obtain the book through interlibrary loan and other sources. You do not need to have read the book prior to this meeting. Refreshments will also be provided!

The Compassionate Living book club is a great way to get involved with animal rights issues, develop an intellectual understanding of these issues, and build community with like-minded people.

Do you have a secret family recipe for chili that can top them all? Can you make it vegan? Then make a big batch and put it to the test on February 25!

Registration is open to compete in Compassionate Action for Animals' 3rd Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be offered and include gift certificates to Galactic Pizza, Pizza Luce Seward, and Common Roots Cafe. Please enter today! Registration is only $20 (non-refundable).

Contestants must bring 15 cups of prepared vegan (no animal products) chili, a list of ingredients, and a crock pot (or something without an open flame to keep your chili warm). Please note that we can only accept 13 entries.

Hosted by Robin Garwood, the chili cook-off is once again a free event open to the public at the Seward Cafe. Enjoy free refreshments, cornbread, and of course, vegan chili. Share a cold evening with warm animal-friendly folks. We packed the cafe last year, and expect a full crowd again.

We're pleased to announce that Vegan Outreach will join us in running VegGuide.org, our online resource for veg-friendly restaurants and shopping.

Vegan Outreach is partnering with Compassionate Action for Animals and Mercy for Animals to run VegGuide.org. This partnership will greatly increase the exposure of VegGuide.org and will help people find veg-friendly dining and shopping options around the world!

Vegan Outreach is a twenty-year-old national animal advocacy organization that educates the public about factory farming and plant-based eating, primarily through the distribution of leaflets. Vegan Outreach has distributed more than 15 million booklets since its founding.

VegGuide.org was started in 2002 and is a leading source for vegetarian and vegan restaurant and shopping reviews, with more than 14,000 restaurant and business listings. VegGuide.org lets users create entries, write reviews, and rate restaurants and businesses. Additionally, it's free of advertising, focuses on helping people find useful resources to move towards veganism, and all of its content is available free of charge under a Creative Commons license.

We're excited to have Vegan Outreach's help in making VegGuide.org a success!

Please join us at our next Dine-Out on January 30, 2012 at the Jasmine Deli. The previous newsletter had an incorrect date.

Jasmine 26 is an excellent contemporary Vietnamese vegan-friendly restaurant. Vegan options include tofu and mock duck stuffed crepes, sea salt and pepper tofu cube and veggie pho. Hope to see you there!

Author Robin Asbell will conduct a book signing at the Seward Co-op on Thursday, January 26 from 4 to 6 pm.

Big Vegan includes 350 recipes covering every meal and focusing on natural foods. Cookbooks are available for purchase with a personalized autograph by author, Robin Asbell, with every book sold. Sample a recipe from the book at the event, too. Join Robin Asbell at the Seward Co-op, 2823 East Franklin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55406.