I’ve been asked why, even though I promote this thing called the Global Vegan Waffle Party, I’m sometimes hesitant to use the word “vegan” to describe myself. Why do I often say “aspiring vegan,” “total vegetarian,” or sometimes even “conscious consumer?” Even though I’m not advocating using me as a role model (in fact, I’m begging you not to—please do your own homework!), I feel like I owe a bit of an explanation to those who are curious. For those who are not, it may seem like a long philosophical rambling.

Behaviorally, I’ve been probably at least 98% plant-based for the last several years. While home cooking is 100% plant-based, I don’t always worry about trace amounts of things (for reasons that will become clearer below), and I probably eat a veggie burger that has some egg or dairy once a month or so. I’ve eliminated animal-unfriendly products in many areas outside of diet. And, of course, I’ve put countless hours into a vegan website, event resources, and cookbook. But behavior is only a part of full-fledged veganism, as I understand it.

I hope to illustrate that you don’t need to have all the questions answered in order to do kind things for the world. You can throw an event celebrating completely animal product-free food, or do other things to increase awareness in this area, even if you’re not comfortable saying, “I’m a total, committed, lifelong vegan.” Because the truth is, I wasn’t totally there for very long myself. I’m very far from having all the answers.

Following an overview of where I presently stand, I outline a few things about which I’m pretty certain, and a few examples of where I still personally wrestle with things. The latter is longer because, well, I’m wrestling with them. However, most will be familiar territory to longer-term vegans.

I have great respect for people who advocate for maintaining the integrity of the word “vegan” in its purest form. The growing community of people who actually call themselves vegan has become pretty diverse in terms of behavior, values, and motivations. I’m not entirely aligned with many of the most consistent and committed vegans, so I do my best to avoid misusing or misrepresenting the word—especially as I’ve become involved with this community only within the last five years.

Related to the above, there is a range of expectations and emotions surrounding the label “vegan,” depending upon whom you encounter. Labels may or may not accurately reflect one’s own values, visions for a better world, preferred strategies for achieving that, and so on. I tend to resist having my individual identity defined largely by where the handful of most influential and visible people in any given community decide to take things—even if we have a lot in common, and even if the community is diverse anyway. As a matter of personal preference, I tend to resist things like political party labels as well. They just don’t work for me. But calling an event vegan, or asking for a vegan dish, carries a pretty clear meaning–no animal products here.

The best way to summarize my current thinking is that I often take a utilitarian as opposed to an absolute individual rights perspective. In other words, it’s our ethical duty to reduce confinement, killing, and suffering for as many animals as possible; but in the cycle of life some animals must die (either directly or indirectly) in order for others to live. This includes weighing environmental factors into the equation, as environmental degradation ultimately results in death or suffering for certain animals. It also involves accepting the sometimes unfortunate reality of what we’ve already done to the ecological balance, and accepting that our past errors may require less-than-ideal approaches to get things back in order.

I believe it’s important to be as kind to other animals as possible, and this includes eliminating any unnecessary killing, confinement, or interference with their natural way of being. As sentient, intelligent beings, other animals can also experience pain and suffering. The inclusion of “unnecessary” is where I differ from the most consistent vegans. In my current view, if a particular use of non-human animals appears to be necessary to the well-being or survival of some or all humans, then steps should be taken to minimize suffering for the non-human animals as much as possible while searches for an animal-free approach are actively continued. In other words, for me, abolitionist versus welfarist leaning is determined by human need, which is somewhat speciesist. But for someone who believes that it’s not possible for any animal to live without some other animals dying (even with a fully plant-based lifestyle), it’s hard to avoid some degree of speciesism.

A few things I’m pretty certain of at this point

–We need to reduce our consumption of animal products significantly, for a broad range of reasons. Not just because we’re being very mean to other sentient creatures, but because we’re harming ourselves and our environment. One of the largest areas where this needs to be done is CAFOs (concentrated animal farming operations), where animals are often kept in highly confining conditions, and where humans are also often subjected to highly stressful and dangerous conditions. This is cruel and unnecessary. Vastly reducing the human race’s total flesh, dairy, and egg consumption can reduce the perceived need for CAFOs.

–Most humans can thrive over long periods on a totally (if done properly) or almost-totally plant-based diet, and switching to a fully plant-based diet can improve or totally reverse certain common health conditions over a relatively short period. (I’m hesitant to say all and lifetime in the first clause for reasons outlined later.) The protein myth is indeed just a myth, and plants can also provide plenty of energy. I trained for and completed two half marathons and a marathon on a plant-based diet, which was plenty to prove things to myself. And I know that others have performed much more strenuous feats on plant-based diets.

–Violence toward non-human animals does have linkages to other forms of violence and oppression, so by reducing violence toward non-human animals, we may also help to reduce other violence as well.

–A broad range of delicious vegan foods is available, and plants are responsible for most of the flavors we experience; people just need to be more aware of them. In fact, exploring vegan foods can make one’s eating life much more interesting.

A few things I still wrestle with

Foster parenting and veganism

We currently have an infant foster daughter, which means she is under our care, but is officially a “ward of the state”—i.e., under the state’s custody. One of the reasons we chose to foster parent is so we could be parents without increasing the population, an issue which meshes with vegan-related concerns. (High population means higher stresses on the food production system, which increases likelihood of unkind practices.) However, it introduces a few other not-so-clean-cut areas.

Removing an infant from its biological mother means she can no longer breastfeed naturally. So, one of the next closest things is commercial baby formula, which is most often made from cow’s milk. (Or, more specifically, “whey protein concentrate, enzymatically hydrolized, reduced in minerals.”) And that’s pretty much all a baby drinks for the first few months, and they drink a whole lot of it. It’s particularly ironic to have cans of this sitting on our kitchen counter, given the theme of this year’s vegan waffle party. We’re looking to raise awareness of not-so-nice practices in the dairy industry, e.g., that baby cows are often removed from their mothers after just a few days and fed commercial milk replacer so their moms can produce milk for humans.

Soy-based options are available, but what do you do when common advice is to continue a baby on what she’s already accustomed to, and she’s on a brand of milk-based formula? And how do you answer questions like, “But isn’t cow’s milk still closer to human milk than soybeans, even if some chemical tinkering is done with either?” You can switch things around if you really want to, but then you run the risk of any health-related issues being blamed upon making that switch. Also, it’s still important to respect the wishes of a child’s birth family, who may have a few visits per week, and may become concerned if they suspect their child is at risk of being “veganized.” Not easy issues, and not anything that we wanted to put a small child in the middle of. We had previously planned on taking in an older (2 years or older) child, and had spent hours discussing how we might manage that. In this case, we decided it best just to follow the societal norm.

Some health and nutrition gray areas

If I need to take a couple of supplements to save lives and spread kindness in the world, I’m for the most  part fine with that. I’ve taken multivitamins most of my life anyway. This is particularly the case with vitamins such as B12, which we no longer obtain directly from plants as we once did simply because we wash them. I openly admit that I am selfish when it comes to personal health, so if I got the sense that eating certain animals were necessary, then I would just accept that as part of my human nature and it would outweigh other ethical considerations. So far, however, that hasn’t been the case.

Anecdotal evidence has its limitations because it’s impossible to control for a range of other potentially pertinent variables. However, when the anecdotal evidence is one’s own life experience, it’s hard not to weigh it more heavily. In my particular case, I suffered my first-ever fractured bone about a year and a half after shifting to a plant-based diet; and shortly after that, the first chipped tooth in at least a decade. I got a lot of questions about this, with others wondering if it had something to do with my giving up dairy; and I began to doubt things myself. I had previously endured a number of other falls and impacts with no such issues, so this did seem somewhat odd. Especially since kale, broccoli, calcium-fortified soymilk, and tofu made regular appearances in my diet.

Ultimately, I didn’t go back to consuming dairy, and concluded that the occurrences were most likely not a direct result of shifting to a plant-based diet. The fractured lower leg did result from my body torquing in a bizarre way when I fell (I was jogging and slipped on ice on a slight hill), and it could have been a lot worse. Also, I had previously been ovo-lacto vegetarian for a year or so, during which time I had ramped up my dairy intake to ensure I was getting enough protein (I didn’t yet know about the “protein myth”). Perhaps that phase had done more harm than good, and my body hadn’t yet fully recovered alongside the exceptional physical stress of training for a first marathon. That would be in line with much of what I had recently read regarding the calcium-leaching impact of animal protein consumption, including what seems to be decent research to support it. Impossible to say; it may have just been the unique circumstances of my accident, and nothing more.

However, being a “keep an open mind until lots of data are available” type of person, I started taking a vegan calcium/magnesium supplement a few times per week, and still do once or twice per week. This may or may not be necessary. Whatever the case, it still seems preferable to the various ethical and health issues linked to dairy. But I am more careful about including certain caveats if someone’s asking me about a plant-based diet in any depth.

One thing I’ve started to consider is the net environmental impact (since environment affects all life) of getting adequate levels of certain nutrients from non-animal vs. animal sources. This is something I’d like to see more data on. In other words, how much additional energy, natural resources, or mining is required to create supplements for nutrients that might not always be adequate in a fully plant-based diet? Is getting them from plants always the most sustainable (meaning friendliest to other life, even if less directly) way to go?

I’d also like to see more longitudinal data on people who are fully (realistically speaking, 98-100%) plant-based over a few decades, and comparisons between them and people who are mostly but not entirely plant-based (i.e., maybe they eat fish once or twice per week). There’s some good public health data showing that as animal product intake decreases, a variety of health-related factors improve, but as far as I know studies haven’t often included long-term totally plant-based individuals. Perhaps the optimal point for human health will turn out to be an entirely plant-based diet, but I’m open to the possibility that it could be a mostly plant-based diet. Or maybe a totally plant-based diet works for most but not all people over the long term, for whatever reason. Whatever the case, it’s still a big win on all fronts, because it’s a lot better than where we’re at now. And works like The China Study, the related Forks Over Knives, and much of PCRM’s work are great starts.

I don’t think that gray areas like the above are any reason to consider jumping off the vegan or plant-based bandwagon altogether, but they leave me hesitant to shout from the hilltops that a fully plant-based diet is the way to go for everyone. I’m pretty content telling people that a mostly plant-based lifestyle is a great direction to head in. I’ve already seen people try many strategies to begin with, ranging from “vegan until dinner” to “vegan on weekdays.” Of course, some might argue that this starts to water down the term “vegan,” reducing it from a matter of conscience or overall way of being to more of a strategy. On the other hand, maybe it doesn’t matter if it’s different things to different people, if they’re trying to address some of the same issues.

Agricultural realities

While at this time I continue to believe that leading a totally or mostly plant-based lifestyle can help to improve the world, I believe things start to break down if we try to get too perfectionistic in eliminating animal products from our intake. Here’s why:

Many of the plants we eat still utilize animal-derived inputs (e.g., manure from animals in the meat and dairy industries), and come from agricultural practices that displace and kill thousands of animals as large tracts of land are cleared, plowed, and irrigated. Unless all of our food is organic, chemical fertilizers and herbicides add to the mix. A veggie burger, large colorful salad, or vegan bean chili is still always going to be kinder than a hamburger. But a salad from a farm that doesn’t fully embrace veganic, organic, and permaculture practices may not be any kinder than a loaf of bread that has a small amount of whey, a veggie burger that absorbed some grease from the hamburger on the grill next to it, or sugar that was filtered through bone char.

I still think that practices such as requesting vegan dishes in the presence of others are a useful way to provoke thinking about how our food can be kinder. That’s one of the reasons for the Global Vegan Waffle Party. I also agree that once we start saying things like, “Oh, a little bit of butter or cheese here and there is fine,” it can create confusion and open a door to a very wide possible range of interpretation. A fully plant-based dish is not at all an unreasonable request. However, I think we need to be honest about how things are really connected, and fully understand the logic behind our requests–especially as we move beyond that 90-95% plant-based point where many inconsistencies develop. Otherwise, we may appear to be hypocritical or ignorant, and that doesn’t help anyone.

I’ve done some reading on veganic permaculture, but the jury still seems to be out on whether it could produce adequate yields if implemented on a large scale, given current human population levels. For this reason, I presently have difficulty supporting absolute exclusion of animals from any type of farming operation. However, if we find ways to address other issues such as rapid population growth, maybe it would prove to be adequate over time.

I also recognize there are many tradeoffs with living in a climate where a nutritionally diverse supply of plants is not naturally available year-round. Given that long-distance shipping impacts the environment, and environmental degradation ultimately harms animals, I can’t fault someone who believes that being a locavore has just as much merit as being vegan. Is someone who is 80% locavore and 80% plant-based saving the world any less than someone who is 50% locavore and 98-100% plant-based? Hard to say, at least from my perspective. In some ways, the ethical frameworks have many overlapping values, but in slightly different hierarchies and employing different strategies.

I’m sure there are people out there who are attempting to address it all—vegan, locavore, organic, non-GMO, etc.—but at some point eating starts to become too costly for someone with average economic means. So most of us make tradeoffs so that we can continue to lead a joyful life while making a reasonable difference, even if it’s not perfect.

Hunting

Obviously this word has strong connotations for anyone who has given serious thought to the rights and/or welfare of non-human animals. The topic comes up frequently for me because my partner and I were both raised in communities where it’s very popular. I don’t admire killing animals for “sport” and I don’t see killing in any context as a valid source of pride. And as a recent vice president reminded us, humans are sometimes shot alongside other innocent animals. It’s hard to imagine the pain and horror of being shot or otherwise killed to be eaten by a predator, as was probably more common for humans before modern civilization. That pain and horror is probably not that much different for other animals. Despite that, for a few reasons, I don’t entirely condemn hunting either. This probably sets me apart from fully-committed vegans.

I believe we humans have gotten ourselves into a bit of a pickle by forcing other animals into smaller and smaller areas, directly or indirectly killing off many of their natural predators. So that leaves hunters to play that role, keeping populations of certain species in check in some areas. (I don’t say all areas because I recognize that the overpopulation argument is sometimes a smokescreen. But when it’s valid, it may be helping to preserve other species in the long run.) I also understand that in rural areas, humans are often in a bit more competition with other animals for the same food sources (just talk to a few rural dwellers with gardens), and that in remote areas hunting some of one’s food may make sense.

There are some interesting strategies being employed where overpopulation truly is an issue, such as immunocontraception—this is where the animal’s immune response is used to prevent pregnancy. The thought is that this is more humane, because it eliminates the need for killing, hunting or otherwise. However, how can we know that a particular animal prefers a longer life without the ability to give birth over a shorter life where perhaps they are killed by a predator (e.g., a hunter) but had the ability to experience giving birth and raising young? Does that animal live a longer but less happy life? Many humans value longevity of life even more than quality of life–the growing quantity of nursing homes, alongside being a partial result of poor diet, may also be a reflection of this–but is this perception and value system the same for other animals? I have no idea. We’re assuming that the rest of nature follows our own preferences and hierarchy of values, which may or may not be the case.

Another thing that comes up in hunting conversations: Is hunting an animal in the wild less cruel than raising an animal for slaughter, particularly in a CAFO? Hunting can result in a slower and more painful death if the hunter is not skilled, but the animal is entirely free until that point. This seems to approximate how it would live and die in the natural presence of other predators, so in that sense I have fewer ethical issues with hunting than with animals confined on farms. However, it really gets down to how we choose to define suffering, which may or may not match other animals’ desires. We tend to impose our own values systems upon other animals, and they may or may not fit.

Having a cat

I know a lot of people who call themselves vegan—longer-term and seemingly more committed than I—and who have cats. Cats seem to be wildly popular in the vegan community, which makes sense for people who love and respect other animals.

However, following veganism from a pure abolitionist vegan perspective would mean refraining from confining any animal in a human environment as a companion animal or pet. After all, the animal doesn’t have any say in the matter. But like many vegans do, we adopted LeMew from a shelter. This seems kinder because for a cat already in the world, adoption eliminates the shelter’s need to kill it. We actually got LeMew even before we gave veganism any serious thought, so some of the dilemmas described here actually arose later.

We enjoy LeMew’s companionship and he also seems to enjoy ours, as suggested by the frequency with which he seeks our attention. We spoil him and do our best to make our rowhouse comfortable for him; I’ve now built him two relatively large-scale cat trees. However, I often sense he’s not getting to exercise his natural hunting instincts as much as he’d like. He goes crazy when a bird or squirrel is sitting right outside the window. Also, I’m not comfortable feeding him vegan food even though it’s available, because I question the ethics of forcing a natural carnivore to eat all plants. (Per one vegan cat food site, a lot of careful dietary adjustments must be followed, esp. if a cat is already prone to urinary “crystals” as ours is. Dogs, from what I understand, are truly more omnivorous.) Since we’re already denying LeMew elements of his natural environment, I feel the least I can do is offer him some of what nature intended him to eat–even if it still has its share of non-natural ingredients.

This, of course, supports the same meat industry I’m seeking to avoid through my own habits. The food we give him probably has the same impact as would Jen and I eating fish once or twice a week. Additionally, both the earth-based (often requires mining) and plant-based (requires agricultural or recycling energy inputs) litters we’ve used require resources to produce, ship, and dispose of. These environmental effects undoubtedly have some impacts on other life. And having one of those fancy toilet-connected litter boxes isn’t feasible where we currently live.

So overall, I guess our having a cat has been a complex weighing of pros and cons where human needs and preferences play a significant role in who lives and who dies, either directly or indirectly. We gave LeMew the opportunity to live, but other animals have been displaced or killed for both his litter and food. And over the course of his life, it probably adds up to quite a few. Have our decisions been “vegan,” or have they merely been decisions of where to channel life and death, which ultimately balance themselves out regardless? That could be debated for some time, and I’d question whether attempts to label it really matter.

I hope the above clarifies where I currently stand on a few controversial areas, for those who have asked. Whether you decide to throw or attend a vegan waffle party, your thoughts and values are probably different from mine in at least some of these areas, but you may be able to relate to some of the dilemmas. And my own ideas will undoubtedly continue to evolve over time as well. At Vegetarian Summerfest a few years ago, Howard Lyman said something along the lines of, “We’re all bumbling along,” i.e., we’re doing our best to live in the most sensible way amidst a sea of varied opinions and complexities. Whatever you currently call yourself—vegan, aspiring vegan, conscious consumer, etc.—best  wishes on your own journey!

By the way, you’re welcome to leave comments if the above stirs any thoughts or you’d like to express your own point of view, but please don’t take it personally if I don’t reply. I don’t have much time to engage in deep debate or discussion, but your own statements might influence how I or another reader resolves some of the above questions.

Few things excite me as much as vegan waffle parties. One of them is creating music. I’ve been composing, in some form or another, since around age 5 or 6. However, this is the first album I’ve released in years, and the first “for sale” album I’ve ever done. While I knew I wouldn’t have time to complete a traditional-length album by March, I didn’t want that to stand in the way. So, I did a 3-song mini album. It includes the second piece heard on the Global Vegan Waffle Party Phenomenon video.

Check it out (the most detailed album description is on CDBaby):
CDBaby | eMusic | iTunes | Amazon: US , UK, Japan, Germany, France

While the album is mostly instrumental, vocal samples emphasize a few key points: the importance of listening to our innermost spiritual and ethical compass, and the emergence of some profound energy shifts in awareness about our interconnectedness.

The first track was named because the Global Vegan Waffle Party video, featuring one of the tracks, was completed the evening before winter solstice—this serves as an analogy for moving into an era of increased enlightenment, following a more challenging period.

This initial album represents somewhat of a leap of faith for Jen and me. Completing some unfinished music has been one of my highest priorities for several years, and parenting was sooner on Jen’s time line. Ultimately, we realized that we both wouldn’t be happy until we were parenting and I was finally working on music again, so we’ve decided to be crazy and jump into both at once. This is even though a few areas like finances seemed less than ideal. On the same day I was uploading music to the internet for distribution, we got the call for our current (and very cool) foster daughter. So we took a few major steps toward dreams on the same day. Wish us luck, and if you enjoy what I’ve done so far, please spread the word. My present goal is to put out at least 20 songs over the next 3 years.

This album is dedicated to the very musical spirit of my Grandma W., who shared much inspiration with me and others before passing on 3/4/09. She didn’t play much techno/dance/trance, but she helped me to learn a few things I still use today.

Makes 5 servings (1 serving = 1 1/2 cups waffle cubes with 1/2 cup sauce, shown in photo)

Vegan Waffle Stuffing with cranberry sauce

Whether you’re looking for a creative way to serve vegan waffles, or simply need to use up some leftover waffles stored in the freezer, this recipe will do the trick. Because the sauce is added right before serving, it has extra sauciness without sogginess. Also, it’s a little unusual in that it has a hint of ginger and sweetness. Yummmah!

It works best with waffles that have a relatively neutral flavor. Two possibilities: Molasses Yeast Feast Waffles (tested with this recipe, and blended very well), and Naked Vegan Waffles. The texture and flavor of yeast-raised waffles will be closer to that of traditional bread-based stuffings.

To be baked or reheated and then chopped right after the vegan waffle stuffing sauce is made:

7 to 8 cups of bite-sized waffle pieces (roughly four 7-inch round Belgian waffles, or around 1 batch), using your favorite recipe

Vegan waffle stuffing sauce:

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine, divided
• 1 cup peeled and finely chopped apple
• 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• salt to taste (see note)

If using freshly baked waffles that need time to rise, such as yeast-raised waffles, start the batter in advance of making the sauce.

For the sauce, combine the onion and 2 tablespoons of the margarine in a large saucepan. Sauté covered over medium heat for 5 minutes or until slightly browned, stirring once per minute to avoid burning. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of margarine, apple, celery, and ground ginger. Sauté covered for 3-5 more minutes, continuing to stir at least once per minute. Stir in the vegetable stock and brown sugar.

In a cup or very small bowl, whisk the corn starch with the hot water until the corn starch is completely dissolved. Pour the corn starch mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients, and stir rapidly to incorporate and break up any clumps. Stir constantly while heating for another 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is hot and has thickened slightly. Taste and add salt if necessary. Cover the sauce, and turn off the heat or reduce it to simmer/keep warm.

Bake or reheat your waffles (see note), and chop them into bite-size pieces.

Spoon waffle pieces onto serving plates, and spoon warm sauce onto each pile of waffle pieces just before serving.

Note: If you’re making fresh waffles, you can leave them in the waffle iron 1 minute longer than normal if you’d like to make them a bit toastier. However, if you’re putting the sauce on right before serving this is optional. If the waffles have been frozen, and you don’t wish to use the toaster, you can also reheat them by placing them back in the hot waffle iron for 1-2 minutes.

Note: Start with 1/8 teaspoon salt if margarine and vegetable stock don’t provide enough saltiness.

Looking for a reason for a party? Today, October 1, marks the kickoff of Vegetarian Awareness Month, according to the North American Vegetarian Society. (By the way, if you haven’t been to a NAVS conference yet, you should know that the food there is all vegan – definitely worth checking out!) So if you’ve got a cool vegan or vegetarian event planned, let them know, as it may inspire others. And if it involves vegan waffles, you know who wants to hear about that.

Yes, at this point it seems like I could come up with a reason for a waffle party any time of day, any day of the year. Well, you’re probably right! However, those of us in the U.S. celebrate Independence Day today, and one element of it has a particular irony: hamburgers and hot dogs. Many Americans could not imagine a July 4th without these items on their grill. Yes, many of us celebrate our own Independence Day by consuming products linked directly to the unnecessary enslavement and suffering of other living creatures. This is already obvious to many of you, but I’ll admit that the thought never would have crossed my mind four or five years ago.

In some cases, our ceremonies take on an even more sinister tone, e.g., in the case of “animal roasts” where an entire animal will we brought out before a celebrating crowd. Is the violence-driven bonding and silent proclamation of power over another formerly living being really so different than that of say, a mob of racist people watching in delight as another human being of a different color hangs to their death, or a group of homophobic men tying another person to a fence and beating them due to their sexual orientation? Or is it simply that the recipient of violence is different? These are certainly not comfortable things for any of us to think about, let alone admit to ourselves. It may not be a coincidence that many of these celebrations also involve heavy drinking; perhaps it helps us to detach ourselves from the face that is suddenly clearer to us.  And such detachment and denial leaves us at risk of the same violence through which people may turn on one another. If such concepts are entirely new to you, resources such as this clip from the documentary “Earthlings” may help to make such connections.

Fourth of July picnics are a huge economic driver, and it is one of the busiest days of the year for many food retailers. Unfortunately, many of the products picnickers and grillers purchase are far from vegan or vegetarian.

If the weather’s nice, you’ll probably want to be outside grilling some kabobs with tofu, onion and other veggies, or perhaps some seasoned portabellas or homemade bean burgers. However, should rain be expected where you live (it is here in the ‘Burgh!), break out the waffle iron, pull out a few good vegan waffle recipes, and invite a few friends over. You can even throw one the morning after the big barbecue. Just keep the firecrackers away from the hot waffle iron…

We’ve been to this before, and it’s very exciting! I realize this is very late notice if you don’t live near Johnstown, PA, but if you’ve never been to one, check out the Vegetarian Summerfest site. One of the nice things about it is that most (if not all) of the food they serve at the conference is vegan. They’ve even had a raw vegan bar the last few years–haven’t figured out a way to make raw vegan waffles, though! The speakers include animal rights activists, public health professionals, nutrition experts, etc., so you’re really able to pack in a lot of learning (and a lot of food!) over just a few days. We found it particularly useful when we were transitioning to our new lifestyles. Last year, for example, vegan Chef Ben’s informative session on the behavior of different flours, binders, etc., added to my knowledge base regarding baking ingredients for vegan waffles and similar vegan foods.

I’m very excited and honored to be speaking at Veggie Summerfest this year on a few topics connecting psychology to vegetarianism and veganism. If you plan to be around for the weekend portion, feel free to say hello! I’m likely to be wearing a bright yellow “expose your Authentic Side” t-shirt.

Vegan waffle parties are off the grid! It is time to get the word out to the world. This will happen only with your action and creativity–and your willingness to join us in having a great time.

We’re hosting Waffle Party 10 here in Pittsburgh on the afternoon/evening of Saturday, May 24, 2008. We think it would be ultra-ultra-cool if adventurous people in several other cities around the globe also threw vegan waffle parties on 5/24. This would promote more sustainable, healthier, compassionate eating in a fun way! Please comment on this post if you’re interested in hosting one, so we have an idea of how many others will be waffle-partying that day. Whether you’re hosting 50 people for a big evening party or five people for a small brunch, we’d love to know.

This also happens to fall right at the end of the UK’s National Vegetarian Week, and according to some organizations/sites, World Vegetarian Week.

I’ve set up a blogroll category for sites of those who are also planning to host waffle parties on 5/24, and may look into something like having info/pics from the parties posted afterwards–I don’t know if this latter piece will happen, but I’ll let you know if it looks like a possibility. (Privacy of guests is always a consideration for us.) If it’s not okay to contact you with any relevant updates using the email you submit with your comment, just let me know. I anticipate only a few, with most major ones being through site postings.

I recently asked fellow Pittsburgher and vegan cookbook author Jo Stepaniak if she had any quick thoughts for possible pairings between Saucy Vegetarian topping recipes and Waffle Party waffle recipes. Even though several of the vegan cookbooks on our shelf offer excellent possibilities, I haven’t had the time to try many of them yet!

While she hasn’t had time to do a “taste bud confirmation” of any of the pairings either, Jo kindly suggested a number of possibilities. If you also own (or buy) a copy of Saucy and try any of these out before I do, please leave your comments and let me know how they worked for you.

Vegan Orange Basil Cornmeal Waffles: Orange-Tahini Dressing, Creamy Orange-Sesame Dressing, Miso-Citrus Sauce, Basil Red Pepper Sauce, Fennel, Orange & Walnut Sauce, Orange Aioli

Cheddar Cheesy Vegan Waffles Recipe: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Cheese Sauce, Simple Cilantro Sauce, Red Pepper & Pignolia Sauce, Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pesto, Cucumber-Dill Dressing

Mexican Refried Bean & Cornmeal Vegan Waffles: Simple Cilantro Sauce, Yellow Ocher Vinaigrette, Del Sol Dressing, Chili Bean Sauce, Spicy Red Bean Sauce, Peppercorn Ranch Dressing

Yeast-Powered Vegan Waffles: Creamy Tarragon Dressing, Tahini Tarragon Dressing, Hummus Sauce, Gee Whiz Sauce, Green Olive & Nori Dressing, Creamy Pesto Sauce