Here are a couple of brief class descriptions that I got from OregonLive.com:

Master Vegetarian: Modeled after the Master Recycler Program and the Metro Master Gardener Program, the nine-week Master Vegetarian Program was piloted by Northwest VEG in 2007 to teach interested members of the community about the environmental and epidemiological impact of food choices. Now in its fourth run, the program continues to attract both vegetarians and omnivores by offering thought-provoking lectures and discussion about the science and politics of food. Co-sponsored by People’s Food Co-op and the National College of Natural Medicine. Tuesdays, March 24 to May 19, Southeast & Southwest Portland.

Veg 101: The six-week Veg 101 program provides many of the same lectures along with weekly cooking classes covering grains, legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and more. Designed primarily for beginners, although even long-term vegetarians and vegans can benefit from this series. Sundays, March 1 to April 12, Beaverton.

For more information, click here.

Post from: Blisstree

Vegetarian Lecture Series Offered in Portland

• Brainstorming vegetarian meal ideas
• 6 tips for the traveling vegetarian
• Vegetarian sushi in Kyoto – I just love this photo
• Skinny Bitch: the review – one of my all-time most popular posts
• The Protein Myth – one of my first posts, addressing one of the most common concerns for vegetarians

Post from: Blisstree

My top 5 Veggie Chic posts

But will dropping meat really help you lose weight? Perhaps, but not necessarily. While there is some research out there which suggests that vegetarians weigh on average less than omnivores (there’s a great post on this topic over at Exceptionally Fat), the presence or absence of meat in one’s diet is just one of many factors which effect weight and weight loss. There’s plenty of highly-processed vegan junk food out there, and it’s not going to help you lose weight any more than its non-vegan counterparts are. Total calories consumed, activity level, and specific foods eaten will all have an influence on your body weight, as will genetics and probably a zillion other variables.

As for me personally, my average weight stayed about the same after becoming a vegetarian. My weight tends to drop a little when I get regular exercise, and when I watch my calorie consumption, but there definitely wasn’t any magical weight loss which occurred after I stopped consuming dead animals (nor was weight loss a goal when I went vegetarian, although it would have been a welcome side effect had it happened).

The point of this post is not to discourage those who have weight loss as a goal from giving vegetarianism a try. Quite the opposite – I think vegetarianism is fabulous (I am, after all, the author of a vegetarian blog). I just want to manage your expectations. Vegetarianism is not some weight-loss miracle cure. There are many benefits to eating vegetarian, and I encourage you to educate yourself and find out whether it’s right for you (and of course, talk with your doctor). A thoughtful vegetarian eating plan full of fresh, whole foods can be great for you in more ways than one, especially if health is a priority for you. Which, of course, I hope is the case no matter what your size.

If you are here because you’re curious about making the switch to vegetarianism, I encourage you to take a look at some of the other posts in my Vegetarianism for Beginners series. And if you have any questions for me, don’t be afraid to leave a comment or send me an email. Best of luck with all your new year’s resolutions!

Post from: Blisstree

Will going vegetarian help you drop weight in 2008?

1. Call ahead. If you’re going to a close friend or family member’s house for dinner or some other event at which you’d like to eat, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone in advance and talk to your host. Let her know about your (new) dietary requirements, and find out what’s on the menu. Offer to bring a veggie dish or arrive early to help ease the preparation burden. Ask Grandma if she’d be willing to help you make a veggie version of her award-winning stuffing. You might be surprised how accommodating people who love you can be.
2. Bring your own. Know that egg nog and Christmas cookies will be featured at tonight’s party, but you’ve recently sworn off eggs and butter? Bring along some vegan eggnog and cookies, or other treats that will make you smile.
3. Let them know. Heading to an office party? Call up the person organizing and let the know that a vegetarian (or more, if you’ve got some veggie coworkers) will be in attendance. It’s usually easy for caterers or restaurants to accommodate vegetarians if they know about it ahead of time.
4. Don’t stuff yourself silly on the first vegetarian food that you encounter. At a party, take time to survey the food on offer and decide what you really want to eat, rather than mindlessly chopping away on the nearest bowl of chips and dip. Personally I hate it when I fill up on a bunch of empty calories that I don’t even get much pleasure out of. I feel much better about myself if I do my mindless noshing on carrot and celery sticks from the crudite platter, and then splurge on the items that I really, really love (like almond rocha or something really really chocolaty).
5. Make sure you get plenty of treats. Don’t leave yourself feeling left out while everyone around you gorges themselves on holiday goodies. Are your old traditional favorites now off-limits? Start your own holiday traditions by ordering some heavenly vegan chocolates, trying a new restaurant, or whipping up a decadent new main dish that appeals to you.

What are your favorite vegetarian holiday treats?

Post from: Blisstree

5 tips for having a happy vegetarian holiday season

Personally I think this is a great attitude to have. While I’m all in favor of being aware of what goes into my body, sometimes it’s nice to take a more laid-back approach when other people are preparing the food. To me, what I eat in small amounts is unlikely to hurt me. I’m not trying to meet any particular purity standard; I just prefer to not eat meat. I tend to ask about and avoid obvious meat content (I can’t really stomach a soup with chunks of bacon in it, for example), but I’m not going to stress about whether or not a dessert served to me contains a wee bit of gelatin 0r the like. I actually wish I could be more flexible in certain situations, but the flavor of meat bothers me too much for me to enjoy it. On the other hand, I’m a pretty fastidious label-reader when I’m in the grocery store.

Obviously the line that works for me isn’t going to work for everyone, and that’s just fine. Some people need to avoid certain foods more strictly due to allergies or food intolerances. Some don’t mind a little chicken broth or a few bacon bits in their dinner from time to time. Some people are disgusted with the idea that even a tiny bit of animal product might make it onto their fork. Still others draw the line based on religious or moral principles.

What’s your personal policy on this? How strict are you when it comes to knowing exactly what’s in your food?

Post from: Blisstree

Do you participate in “don’t ask don’t tell” dining?

You are opening the door to a whole new culinary world when you stop centering your meals around meat – allow yourself to explore new things! This post will focus on meals you prepare yourself; we’ll cover dining out in another post. My suggestions sometimes include eggs or dairy products – if you are going vegan, just skip those options or use a replacement (such as vegan cheese).

As you consider the suggestions below, jot down all of the ideas that come to mind. You should have a multi-week meal plan together in no time.

1. What meals do you already make that are vegetarian or could be vegetarian?
Chances are that a lot of what you already eat could be adapted into vegetarian-friendly meals. Think about your favorite things to cook, and how they could be tweaked to be meat-free. Sometimes you can just leave the meat out of the recipe all together. You could also try substituting an imitation meat product, or any form of vegetarian protein. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find out what works for you.

Love spaghetti with meat balls? Leave out the balls all together, or try making a vegetarian version. Are you a big fan of a cheeseburger with all the fixings? Explore your local stores for a veggie burger you can love just as much. If you’re not sure which brand to try, why not get several and have a taste test? Instead of chicken fajitas, just have veggie fajitas.

2. What favorite vegetarian foods could you learn how to make?
When I’m looking for new cooking ideas, I often turn to my favorite foods that I don’t yet know how to prepare. Think of your favorite restaurant meals, or those specialties prepared with love by your friends or family members. Then google the recipe, or hit up your friend for hers (or even a personal cooking lesson). Love stir-fried veggies but don’t know what to use as a sauce? Now’s a great time to learn.

Saag paneer is my standard order at Indian restaurants, or was until I moved to a city where I couldn’t find a restaurant which did it well. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to find a recipe I liked and make it myself. Pad thai with tofu has long been one of my favorite restaurant dishes, but it only occurred to me to try to make it myself when I came across the recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance. And I was finally inspired to try stuffing zucchini flowers myself when I took a cooking class last week which showed me how easy it was to do.

3. What recipes catch your eye?
Thumbing through some cookbooks or browsing around online can expose you to more recipe ideas than you could possibly try in your lifetime. Don’t get overwhelmed – just look for one or two dishes that sound interesting to you. Try browsing the cookbook section of your local bookstore for vegetarian cookbooks. You could try this online, too, but I find it more fun when you can literally thumb through the books. See if your local library has any vegetarian cookbooks on offer – and if they don’t, put in a request that they get some.

The internet contains a wealth of recipe sources for vegetarians. Even most non-vegetarian recipe sites allow you to search for vegetarian recipes. Check out the Veggie Chic sidebar under the heading Vegetarian Resources, or this page for a list of some of my favorite veg sites.

4. What’s available at your grocery store or market?
It’s easy to get into a routine at the grocery store, always grabbing your same standby foods and not really looking at the other things on offer. Time to open your eyes! Start by focusing on the fresh produce aisle. Challenge yourself to purchase at least one new veggie each time you go shopping. If you’re not sure how to prepare it, try looking up some recipes online.

In addition to fresh foods, you may be interested in exploring some other vegetarian products. Check out the refrigerated or freezer sections for vegetarian products such as veggie burgers, Quorn, etc. Wander down aisles you usually skip and see what’s available. Better yet, visit a specialty shop, farmers market, or health food store where you don’t normally shop. Don’t go too crazy with the processed foods, but don’t be afraid to try new things, either.

There’s such a wealth of delicious, fresh, vegetarian food out there waiting to be discovered. What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods to prepare?

Post from: Blisstree

Brainstorming meal ideas