Early-arriving guests begin to sample waffle toppings.

We again had great fun with our vegan waffle party, with around 40 neighbors, friends, and Vegan Meetup Members bringing creative waffle toppings. The conversation was great, and individuals with a range of dietary preferences shared an abundance of vegan treats that all could enjoy.

The array of vegan waffle toppings included the following: Agave-Coconut-Cinnamon-Date Topping, Apple Butter, Apple Cinnamon Raisin Topping, Beans ‘n’ Front-Yard-Garden Greens, Blueberry Sauce,

At points it was difficult to choose what to try next.

Bruschetta, Carob Halvah Spread, Chocolate Cranberry Relish, Coconut Almond Granola, Dark Chocolate Waffle Syrup, Fitr Harr (spicy hot mushrooms), Fresh Strawberries and Pineapple, Fresh Walnuts, Hummus, Maple Nut Sludge, Mint Chocolate Chip “To Die For” Homemade Ice Cream, Mushroom Medley, Mushrooms with Squash, Papaya Cranberry Topping, Papaya Strawberry Fruit Salad, Raw Chocolate Agave Spread, Raw Strawberry Sauce, Savory Kalamata Sauce, Sesame Lime Yogurt Dip, Vegan Caramel Sauce, and several I’m probably forgetting because the topping labels went home with them.

Some crazy waffle topping combos resulted!

This year’s waffles included Molasses Yeast Feast Waffles, Buckwheat Barley Malt Waffles, and  gluten-free Zero Excuse Rice Coconut Waffles, served hot at two arrival times: 6 PM and 8 PM.

Some wafflers relaxed in the living room...

We continued some of last year’s practices to make the party more environmentally friendly, especially as it was connected to World Environment Day. This included utilizing recycled Preserve plates and cups, and setting up several labeled bins to simplify collection of used items.

And some enjoyed the fresh evening air.

I love waffle parties, and I’m always honored that some of the coolest people in town choose to spend a few of their weekend hours with us. (Is it conceited to brag about your guests? Our guests are so great…)

What excited me even more was that 60+ hosts around the world signed up to spread positive energy and awareness further. They not only did that, but they opened up whole new possibilities. And I’m not exaggerating.

A guest observes the art of waffle batter preparation.

Those who followed the original house party format generated some extremely creative and densely-topped waffles, a few of which have already appeared on the Facebook Vegan Waffles page.  Some incorporated specific topping themes. Several hosts aimed to draw larger crowds via outdoor or business-based venues, sometimes incorporating additional activities and attractions.

The educational literature table

A few events attracted local media attention, and some raised money for important causes. In other words, parties generated fun and awareness in several different ways. After receiving a few more highlights and photos, I’ll post more info on what other cities did, and links to blog posts on some of them. A few parties are still coming up!

Jen later took over the waffle irons to bake leftover batter.

Even though the largest weekend of 2010 vegan waffle parties has passed, it’s certainly not too late to host one this year! If you’re hosting something later this June, please let us know. Alternately, join the occasional updates list and Facebook Vegan Waffles page to stay in the loop about future events.

My picture is okay, but you can do far better...

A picture is worth a thousand waffles! If you’re taking a few pictures at your upcoming party, or took some at your recent party, and believe it may be the best in one of the below categories, please post it or link to it at the Vegan Waffles Facebook page by June 14. Full-size image should be at least 400 x 400 pixels. If you’re not on Facebook, upload them to a publicly accessible album and send me the link through the contact form. Also include your city in the message body.

Note which category you believe it fits, and feel free to submit for up to three categories:

• most toppings on one waffle (must still be edible—no wasting of food!)
• most stylishly decorated waffle (color, texture, and physical arrangement will all be considered)
• most people actively eating waffles in one picture
• most enthusiastic-looking waffle baker (we’re looking for some action shots here!)
• best expression that seems to say “Yum!” on the face of one or more people eating a waffle
• best photo of an adorable kid eating a waffle
• best illustration of teamwork/coordinated effort
• most artfully decorated party atmosphere
• most mind-blowing single topping brought by a guest (include a label describing it in the photo)
• best illustration of environmental sustainability at a party
• guest wearing the shirt with the coolest social consciousness statement
• any made-up category not included here, that you’re pretty sure your picture would win

This is pretty informal with one or two of us doing the judging and no tangible prizes. (If someone donates a trip to the Bahamas, that will of course change things.) The huge award is that I’ll feature the winners in a post here, with credits to you  included in the text alongside your photo. I’ll interpret your photo submission as your indication that this is okay.  If there are any “ties” in a given category, I may post more than one.

A few suggestions and guidelines:

• Consider limiting picture-taking to a few segments of the party, so your guests can relax most of the time.
• Blur faces if you think any of your guests may object.
• Please do not reproduce/submit anything that would constitute copyright infringement (e.g., images captured by your local media), but feel free to post links to any news stories about your event on the Facebook page.
• This is common sense for most of us, but I’ll include it anyway: Photos with non-vegan items, inebriated-looking individuals, or anything you wouldn’t show your grandmother, boss, or a 5-year-old are best left in the personal photo collection.

Have fun!