On August 21, we held a celebration to thank our donors for supporting our efforts to advocate for animals. Volunteers provided delicious food including vegan lasagna, BBQ tofu, carrot cake, and cupcakes. Here's the recipe for the Peanut Butter BBQ Tofu that we enjoyed!

This is a simple but very tasty recipe. It's heavy, so eat it in moderation. It goes great with a rice pilaf and greens.

Weapons of Mass Distraction

Ingredients

• 2 lbs firm tofu, frozen overnight then thawed
• 1 cup peanut butter, preferably crunchy
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 12 oz. of BBQ sauce

You can substitute some real minced garlic for the garlic powder. A low-sodium soy sauce works well with this recipe, since the goal is flavor, not more saltiness. For BBQ sauce, Annie's brand works great, and the bottles are the right size, but pick your favorite. Don't dump in all of a bigger bottle or it'll be overpowering!

Instructions

Mix all of ingredients except the tofu and BBQ sauce. Squeeze the water out of the tofu, either by hand or by pressing it in a bowl.

Chop the tofu into small cubes, maybe 1 inch square and then cover it with the sauce. Let this sit for an hour or two.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking pan or casserole dish. Put the tofu (and all the sauce) into the dish, spreading it as evenly as possible.

Bake this for 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and flip it over, then bake for another 20 minutes.

Take it out again and pour the bottle of BBQ sauce over the tofu and mix it together. Bake for another 10-15 minutes and you're all set.

For more recipes, please check out http://exploreveg.org/recipes.

by Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach

When I first got involved in animal rights around 1990, "How vegan?" had a simple answer – either something is vegan or it isn't. The way to tell was to compare all of the ingredients on every product against lists of all animal products. This list eventually became a book, Animal Ingredients A to Z, which for years was the best-selling book at Vegan.com.

This simple means of defining "good" and "bad" attracted many of us because it was so straightforward. But even before the list began to grow into an encyclopedia, it was inconsistent. The production of honey kills some insects, but so does driving (and sometimes even walking). Many soaps contain stearates, but the tires on cars and bicycles contain similar animal products. Some sugar is processed with bone char, but so is much municipal water. And adding "not tested on animals" to the definition of vegan added a whole new level of complexity.

Continue reading the essay…

Nutritionfacts.org scours the world of nutrition research to give you information that is easy to understand.

The brainchild of vegan physician Michael Greger, M.D., NutritionFacts.org is the first non-commercial, science-based website to provide free daily updates on the latest in nutrition research via short, easy to understand video segments. It has hundreds of videos on more than a thousand topics, and Dr. Greger uploads a new video every day.

Dr. Greger has spoken for Compassionate Action for Animals before, and we know him to be a knowledgeable source about nutrition.

You can also follow NutritionFacts.org on Facebook or Twitter.

Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach shares his story on how he became an animal advocate.

Wondering about his commitment to justice in his youth, Matt says:

…if all these millions could fully believe things that, today, are so obviously absurd and repulsive, well, how could I assume everything I currently believed was absolutely right? If so many would willingly support gruesome atrocities, how can I possibly think everything today is morally pure? Even if I'm not chaining up a slave, or leading my fellow citizens to the gas chambers, isn't it possible – even probable – that I am at least tacitly supporting another horror – one that future generations will also look upon with bewilderment?

Later in the essay, he reflects:

We each have to ask the question: what kind of person are we? Will we accept what our society dictates today, or will we write our own story? Will we rationalize the status quo or thoughtfully make our own decisions? Will we oppose cruelty or support slaughter?

Read the whole essay.

We'd like to thank our Twin Cities Veg Fest sponsors once again for their support of the festival. This event wouldn't have been possible without their generous support.

Official Media Sponsor

City Pages is the largest, most-read weekly in the Twin Cities. It is available free to readers in over 1,700 locations throughout the metro area. 80,000 copies of the paper are distributed in stores, office buildings, clubs, restaurants, outdoor boxes, campuses and other high traffic locations.

Gold Sponsor

VegFund

VegFund empowers vegan activists worldwide by funding outreach activities that inspire people to choose and maintain a vegan lifestyle. Since its inception in 2009, VegFund has supported more than 1,700 vegan outreach projects. Filling a much-needed niche in the vegan movement, VegFund embraces new ideas and continues to evolve in an effort to support effective outreach. Please be sure to visit www.vegfund.org to learn more about how you can get involved.

Silver Sponsors

AM950

AM950 is a locally-owned radio station airing progressive talk including national talkers Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz and Thom Hartmann. Local programming includes The Morning Grind with Matt McNeil; the Nancy Nelson Show and the Jack Rice Show. Weekend programming includes Food Freedom Radio; Wake Up Call; Make a Difference; Reflections of New Minnesotans and the Twin Cities Real Estate Show.

Compassion Over Killing

Working to end animal abuse since 1995, Compassion Over Killing (COK) exposes cruelty to animals in agriculture and promotes vegetarian eating as a way to build a kinder world for us all.

A Frame Forward Photography

Jackson Tyler Eddy, owner of A Frame Forward Photography is a Photographic Artist based here in the Twin Cities. Jackson is the highest rated "green" photographer in Minnesota, creating and delivering ultra-premium, eco-friendly, pieces of art. Jackson and A Frame Forward specialize in Wedding & Lifestyle Portrait work, and love to travel. Jackson blends fine art & photojournalism, with a little bit of fun. Like a hand-picked organic apple, his images are crisp, clean, and fresh. Jackson gravitates towards bold colors, unique style, creativity, and offers a fresh perspective. On a personal level, Jackson is also a long time vegetarian and is honored to be a part of the first annual TC Veg Fest.

Mercy for Animals

Mercy For Animals is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals, and promoting compassionate food choices and policies.

Bronze Sponsors

Action for Animals

Action for Animals is an educational organization that works to promote positive change in the ways people view and treat animals. Because every animal has the right to live his or her life free from oppression and exploitation, AFA promotes a vegan diet and lifestyle – not using animals for food, clothing, entertainment, research, trade, or any other objectifying purpose – and vegan activism as the best way to take action for animals.

Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange is the 100% employee owned company that pioneered working with small farmer coffee co-ops way back in 1986. We partner with farmer co-ops as we believe that growers who own their own land and work together can gain real leverage in the marketplace and have the best chance at creating sustainable communities. We model our own business as a co-op as well. Every worker-owner has 1 vote in electing our Board, we have a 4 to 1 pay ratio and if there are profits at the end of the year, we share them equally. We started with coffee and we continue to find new powerful ways to partner with small farmers in chocolate, tea, bananas and more.

Mary's Gone Crackers

Mary's Cookies are straight from the heart of a mother to a son who could not eat gluten. All Mary's Gone Crackers products – Cookies, Pretzels and Crackers began as healthy opportunities for gluten free food to be full of nutrition and flavor. All ingredients are Organic and Mary's products have always been Vegan. Feel good serving them to your entire family, with love from Mary. Conscious Eating: Mary's Gone Crackers.

Move2Veg

Move2Veg provides nutrition counseling with a focus on plant-based eating and can help you to get started or fine tune your eating habits to optimize nutritional health!

Vegan Pockets

A new 100% Vegan Product line has been created to tantalize your taste buds. As Vegans, Vegetarians and health conscience consumers, you have a choice of four unique flavors; Back to Our Roots, Chipotle Fiesta, Orient Express and Taste of Italy. Each 100% recyclable package contains two 5-ounce pockets that are stuffed with flavorful vegetables and robust spices; providing a good source of fiber, Vitamin A, protein, iron and other key nutrients. We pre-baked and flash froze them to lock in each individual and distinctive flavor; which makes them a healthy, portable meal or snack for you and your family's busy lives.

Friends of Veg Fest

• Susan Gretz and Michael Chutich
• Pat Tullo