Viva la Vegan! Recipe Calendars were created in 2005 by Leigh-Chantelle ND before her focus on this online format to educate people on alternative and compassionate lifestyle choices.
Make sure you check out the easy to prepare vegan meals on this site. There are many vegan recipes including main dishes, desserts, detox meals and so much more!
Plus check out the NEW Viva la Vegan! plant-based Detox Diet e-book!
Have you joined the online vegan revolution?
As a member you can contribute your own tried and tested recipes. Add a profile photo, invite all your friends and make connections to others in your town or overseas here and on the forum. There will be many more features added to the website, so make sure you check back here often.
In the meantime, there’s plenty to do on the vivalvegan.net website! Make sure you read the articles and view the videos relating to vegan transition, the benefits of the vegan lifestyle, dietary guidelines, poetry/songs and more.
vivalavegan.net is still in the growth stages as we encourage as many people as possible to get involved to help change lives, not just for our animal friends, but for all the beings on our earth.
Welcome to the online vegan revolution – thank you for playing your part!
Ingredients: 1 pack of Orgran Buckwheat Pancake mix 450 mL filtered water 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 carrot, grated 1 zucchini, grated 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Method: This is a very easy snack to prepare. Combine the pancake mix, water and oil together and mix well. Add the other ingredients and combine. Spoon the mixture onto a heated, oiled frying pan Allow to cook for awhile until bubbles form, flip over and cook the other side.
Serves 4-6 people Serve warm with hummus and avocado Decadent treat: serve warm with soy cream cheese
Recipe Copyright Leigh-Chantelle & Viva la Vegan!
If you would like to share this recipe please include a link to vivalavegan.net
My friend Rico, who used to be a committee member of the Vegetarian and Vegan Society of Queensland, has put in a HUGE amount of effort if a new survey just released today.
Newspoll Sydney radomly selected 1202 people to find out how many Australians are vegan or vegetarian along with what these people's attitudes to animals are. Voiceless helped fund the survey and it's been a labour of love for Rico. I am one of the media spokespeople for this press release.
86% believe keeping laying hens in cages for their entire lives is unacceptable
74% think castrating animals without anaesthetic is unacceptable
72% say killing male chicks in egg production is unacceptable
80% think it's unacceptable to test cosmetics on animals
56% of Australians would consider becoming vegan due to reasons including:
evidence that farming practices cause stress and pain for milions of animals every year
evidence they can be healthy on a vegan diet
evidence that being vegan is better for the environment
if there were more vegan menu items in cafes or restaurants
The negative aspects are:
Of the 1202 people surveyed across Australia, only 5% said they were vegetarian and 1% said they were vegan
While 5% of people claimed to be vegetarian, only 2% actually ate a vegetarian diet
And of the 1% who claimed they were vegan, only 1 person actually ate a vegan diet
This brings up quite a few issues to me:
WHY if there are so many people (99%) against cruelty to animals do people still participate in cruelty towards animals?
Do people actually know about the MANY aspects of cruelty involved with animal production?
Do people care or are people blissfully ignorant?
WHAT do people think the meaning of being a vegetarian is?
WHAT do people think the meaning of being a vegan is?
Something is obviously being lost in the translation...
So just to clarify:
A VEGAN is someone who does not consume ANY animal products or by-products (this includes honey), for food, clothing or other purposes
A VEGETARIAN is someone who does not consume ANY animal flesh of any kind (this includes fish and other water animals) but may eat milk/dairy products and eggs.
If 99% of the people surveyed are AGAINST animal cruelty, then WHY do:
98% of Australians eat animals (including water animals?)
98% eat milk/dairy products and eggs?
94% eat chickens and other birds?
88% eat fish, prawns and other water animals?
74% eat honey, royal jelley or other bee products?
In my humble opinion the biggest things I believe we need to address are EDUCATION as to how the animal industries are cruel, and we all know that animals don't just magically appear dead, cut and heated in front of us to consume... don't we?
We also need to be educating others to what exaclty is a vegan and what exactly is a vegetarian, as people just seem to think that it's some sort of accessory that you pick to go with whatever outfit you are wearing or whatever event you are attending.
A LOT of work, education, tolerance and leading by example is needed to address these issues above.
Who is willing to be part of the next phase of the vegan lifestlye with me?!
In case you are not aware, I?m organising the Green Earth Festival.
Green Earth Festival is a free, family orientated, community event which aims to stimulate awareness by bringing environmental, green, health and lifestyle, cruelty-free, recycling and sustainable issues into the public eye; encouraging people to make simple changes in their everyday lives to help our environment and the world we leave for generations to come.
Music 10am-8pm, Stalls 10am-6pm, Kids? Zone 10am-4pm
The festival will comprise live bands/performers, a second stage for demonstrations and speakers, a food zone, children?s zone, video zone, art and fashion displays, roving entertainment and many stalls to create a full-filled festival atmosphere strongly supporting the promotion of local grassroots communities, multiculturalism and the Indigenous people and their culture.
I?ve been working on this festival for over a year now. Slow, small steps in the beginning, just a couple of chats with some friends on exactly what we wanted to achieve, as a group and as a festival. Now it?s into the gaining momentum quicker and quicker. It?s a huge learning experience for myself and everyone around me. I?ve learned that the people who I thought would give me the most support have not. I have made strong, lifelong, inspiring friendships with people I hadn?t even met this time last year. I trust my instincts more and don?t listen to the nay-sayers.
I have always been a positive person and continue to be. I believe in what I am doing. I walk my talk. I believe that the world is changing and will change more and I am thankful that I will be one of the instigators for this change. I am inspired by all the different types of people I meet who are wanting to embrace the change, who have been waiting in the shadows for a chance to show exactly what they are made of, and who give their best to what they know is right.
This festival has always been about uniting the grassroots communities together to promote change, as these are the people who make the longest-standing changes throughout history. I?ve been having a lot of interviews lately with magazines, newspapers and more. People sense the change and they sense that by combining all of the smaller sections into one big group true and inspirational change happens with just one spark of the already-lit flames. It is powerful and very humbling to be involved in instigating this change. There are many people who have helped me with the festival, the not-for-profit environmental awareness Green Earth Group Inc, our fundraisers last year and many more who will help out at the festival. To be at the forefront, guiding people who want to help but aren?t exactly sure how, to encouraging them to use their skills, passions and talents to help with these long-coming changes is amazing, true and humbling.
We have volunteers but can always use more. If you are interested in helping out, please contact me. There are many ways to help including online promotion through various social networking, event and press release sites, street teams to promote by handing out posters to shops to display, postcards and flyers to people who are interested in coming along to the festival. There?s also setting up on the day, the day before and helping packing up. Plus many areas where you can help on the day of the Green Earth Festival. For all you creative types, we have a creative day on the 6th March where you can come along to help us create signage etc.
Also, you can support us by proudly wearing your merchandise, and monetarily by joining as a paid member or donating to help us with our environmental education with the festival and beyond. We appreciate any help that you can give and look forward to you being a part of the Green Earth Festival!
But first, Thursday night Adele, Amanda, Chris, Techa, her friend Laya and Laya?s son all met at My Heart Garden, St Lucia for a wonderful meal. Amanda and I had the lasagne with salad, Chris had the award-winning burger. Adele and Techa had the ?meatloaf? and Laya had the mixed platter. I haven?t been to My Heart Garden for ages as every time I go it?s closed. This time Chris knew the hours of operation. We had been eyeing off the desserts and though Chris had managed to eat a few when we were talking, we got too caught up in catching up that when we remembered about ordering dessert the kitchen had closed. Had a great night with great people.
Friday Imber and I went down to the Gold Coast Convention Centre to a spiritual expo so that I could approach potential stall holders for the Green Earth Festival. We attended a great talk on the tarot and had a massage each, but other than that we weren?t that impressed by the pushy sales types that were jumping in front of us as we were trying to walk around. But then there was Magic Apple:
I am ever so impressed by this photo I took of my mixed salads at Magic Apple, Burleigh. I used to always have their hot meals, but I really enjoy their salads now. Thought if they could have a change in their surroundings, I could change what I eat there. Imber had scrambled tofu even though it was hours after their breakfast menu had ended. I?ve heard quite a few negative comments about Magic Apple but I have loved this place for years and it?s where I go every birthday for lunch, followed by a walk/sun on the beach. Mermaid and Burleigh have a great selection of vegan-friendly places. There?s the Asian flavour of Tian Ran and Three Worlds organic café where they have some great raw dishes.
We were meant to go home and start cooking for the next day?s Green Earth Festival meeting at mine, but by the time we got home and I answered emails and finished the minutes for the next day it was late and we were hungry. Decided the best idea was to go to Loving Hut, Mt Gravatt where we saw Claire, Luke, Emma and Nigel amongst others. Great minds think alike. Loving Hut only recently installed a freezer section where there are lots of different frozen mock meats to choose from. Imber and I decided that we would buy some ?chicken? burger patties for burgers the next day. I also got some ?chicken? drumsticks. I had the loving wrap which is my favourite, followed by a blueberry cupcake, which is amazing and the sweets chef will be sorely missed when she leaves.
The next day was the Green Earth Festival meeting from 12 midday. Other than Imber and myself, Renata, Cam, Carol, Fenn, Michael and Helen were also in attendance. Renata and I were the only two who had attended the last meeting so we had a bit of catching up to do. It was a great afternoon of food. Imber had grated up some carrot and beetroot that we added onto wholemeal buns spread with hummus and avocado, to join with the ?chicken? burger patties. I?d cooked the ?chicken? drumsticks in the oven and they were quite good, but just a bit weird to be eating, a bit too close to the real thing some thought. Carol and Fenn brought dips and snacks, Cam made (!) nori rolls, Michael brought some red grapes and Helen brought over some green grapes and some sweets.
Renata brought over some ice cream and chocolate biscuits that she was going to make dessert from for us all. As I?d just been given a video camera for my 30th birthday from my family, I suggested that we film Renata making her ice cream delight and put it on YouTube. She agreed and we made a great lil? video. Excuse the camera person, she?s not used to using a tripod!!
After a relaxing afternoon of watching Renata?s dog friend, Odie jump in and out of the pool and completely amuse himself we amused ourselves by talking many things including the Levels of Veganism, of which Cam had been told by a work colleague that he wasn?t a true vegan until he was out in the bush, self-sufficient and living off the grid!
Carol, Fenn, Cam, Imber and I met Rico at Pu Kwong, Underwood for dinner where we all chose an item from the menu and we all shared the food. There was a bit too much ?mock? meats involved, and my favourite chilli mushroom dish wasn?t available. Picture above is Fenn?s choice of chicken in black bean sauce with vegetables in a potato noodle basket. Everyone agreed that the lemon ?chicken? was the best meal:
We had a great day and night of great conversation and banter amongst friends. Imber and I thought we would get home before turning into pumpkins, but it was another late night.
THURSDAY: My best friend since year 9 at high school, Trent married Katie over the weekend. So myself and the family all went down to Melbourne for the wedding. I was in the bridal party and it was an action-packed weekend. We left on the Thursday morning at 9:55 and arrived in Melbourne airport at 13:15, the weather was fine, a bit of a breeze, but not too bad. Checked ourselves into an apartment on Toorak Rd, Hawthorn East and went for a wander. That night I caught up with some of my old JB work friends who were originally from Melbourne, Brooke and Maree. There were 8 of us: Maree, Brooke, my sister Lou and her fiance Ben, Mum and Dad as well as Ben?s friend, Hannah. We went to Vegie Bar, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy which is one of my favourite places to go when I?m in Melbourne. Now, it?s always busy at the Vegie Bar, but it was overly busy this night. We hung out at the bar for awhile and half of us were seated ? due to it being busy we had to split up. But not too long after the others were also seated not too far from us.
I always order the Mostly Greens with tahini. I?m one of those people who dreams about particular meals from places and hope that I?ll order something different from the menu, one day, but I always seem to get the same, so as I?m not disappointed... Therefore, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, couldn?t eat it all, but I did try. I also ordered their chocolate cake to takeaway, but seeing as I?m getting into raw cake at the moment, it didn?t really compare. Everyone that I bring to Vegie Bar loves the food, there?s always such a great atmosphere, the meals are well-priced, the service is great and the food is quick. They were extremely busy this night but helped us be seated together as much as they could. Mental note: book next time. Another thing that impresses me about the Vegie Bar is their environmentally friendly toilet:
Don?t worry, the rest of my party gave me the same look you are giving this screen, but it?s ever so exciting! See, when you flush the toilet the water to re-fill the cistern with is what you watch your hands with. I do believe that every 8 of us managed to see this toilet by the end of the night.
FRIDAY: I had to be in Melbourne city for a day spa treatment with the other gals as part of Katie?s hens get together. I went in the city early to find an internet café as I couldn?t use my laptop and had so many emails to catch up on. It was very relaxing after my massage and then I went to see my friend, Jamie. We met at Flinders Street Station and caught a tram to Fitzroy where we were going to go to Las Vegan Bakery but it was closed. Decided on Soul Food Café where Jamie?s partner, Noah caught up with us. I love these two, they are both very passionate and active vegans, so we obviously had a lot to talk about and a great deal of catching up to do.
I ordered the samosa with roasted vegetables which was divine. Noah and Jamie both had tempeh burgers and they were huge! Jamie couldn?t finish hers, but Noah made sure it didn?t go to waste! Noah went back to work after lunch but Jamie and I hung out for the rest of the day. I wanted to get some vegan muffins at The Organic Food & Wine Café on Degraves Lane/Street but they had sold out of the vegan versions. Fortunately Jamie suggested Habib whole foods on Flinders Street that fast became my new favourite place in Melbourne. It?s an organic and biodynamic store that has so many vegan options. I bought various fruit muffins and a chocolate one, just in case of an emergency. They were divine. Jamie and I hung out until 6pm when we decided that we should probably say good bye and hopefully catch up sooner rather than later. Was a great day. That night my FaceBook friend, Sasha and I went to a new place in Fitzroy, yes, again, I know. It?s like West End in Brisbane and Newtown in Sydney! A great place called Yong Green where Sasha and I committed the biggest sin of all: eating too big an entrée so we couldn?t fit in dessert! We ordered a pancake for entrée, curry and noodles for main and shared them. My friend Emily had advised that I should try the raw green tea cake when I was there, but we were seriously too full. Fortunately the very friendly ladies brought over a little piece of the chocolate raw cake to try, it too was divine! Oh how I love raw cake! Up until this time I had been really good with using my camera, a 30th birthday present from my family, so no pics of the meal, sorry.
SATURDAY: By this stage I?m getting tired, a lot of early mornings, a lot of walking around and late nights, and it?s not over yet... We went to see Trent on the day before the wedding in St Kilda, also a great vegan area! He was just near the Vegetarian Pizza place who were closed and Lentil as Anything who were way too busy. When Maree picked me up we went into the city to get me some food, at Habib, these great sort of Indian-style wraps that are sealed not open, lentils or beans with spices, yum! Maree had to buy a dress for that night so I went wandering around the city. By this stage the weather had changed and it was getting cold. We ended up quickly running out of time so we drove by Veg Out Time, St Kilda to get me some takeaway, then back to the unit where I got to do Maree?s makeup and hair! Early to bed this night.
SUNDAY:
The big day, the day we?d come to Melbourne for, Trent and Katie?s wedding. For bridesmaid duties I was to start at 10 in the morning and finish at 12 midnight. It was going to be a big day but it was a lot of fun. I was partnered up with another school friend, Michael and the rest of the grooms men I?d known for years or known of for years. The bridesmaids were such a lovely bunch and we all had a wonderful time. I was exhausted after the big day though. The weather was mostly good, though raining and cold so not really suitable for beach shots, but we managed. At the wedding there were a few vegetarians and myself catered for. I had noodle with vege entrée and a big vegetable-filled pastry for the main with sorbet and strawberries for dessert. By the time we left for the unit it was FREEZING.
MONDAY: I do not want to get out of bed, it?s been raining and miserable all night and I have no intention of being out in that sort of weather. But we have to be out by 10am ;( luckily I bought my scarf, jumper and jacket with me so I have a few warm-ish clothes, but if you?ve ever been to Melbourne, you know what the wind is like: icy and you just can?t get warm when it breathes icicles through you. Mum and Dad were staying in the city this night so we dropped our luggage off there. Dad and Ben went to the museum while Mum, Lou and I walked around the city. I ran into an old JB friend, Garran which was great, we went to visit Brooke at her store to say hi and then had more of a wander around the city. I bought some food for lunch, before the plane flight and some muffins for home, at Habib! Left at 17:05 and returned home at 18:15 to the humidity, heat and home: Brisbane. That night I slept ever so well.
