Fetuses Love Those Vegan Eats!
Since Vegucator Jr. refuses to imbibe anything but the very finest vegan amniotic fluid, he insisted on having his Grand Rapids shower at Restaurant Bloom and his cake catered by The Oven Mitt Bakery.

Doting Grandparents to the Rescue!
Though we were reluctant to spoil him thus at so tender an age, his generous Grandparents decided that it couldn't hurt to indulge him, so long as enough friends and family were there to teach him object lessons in the values of hospitality, fellowship, and community. (Thanks Mom and Dad McCausland!)

Almond Gazpacho With Peeled Grapes and Chives
"E.W.", as we affectionately refer to him, began with a refreshing chilled soup studded with toasted almonds, peeled grapes, and chives and drizzled with a fruity, light-bodied olive oil.

Baked Tofu with Roasted Vegetables and Soy Caramel
Preferring to keep his entree a bit more traditional, he chose a delicate baked tofu with roasted carrots and petite summer squash.

Supine Sextuplets in Baby Blue
And then it was on to a flamboyant finish, with a designer cake and cupcakes skillfully executed in Lavender Lemon by his honorary Aunties Noodles and Curly, a.k.a., The Oven Mitt Bakery (drop them a line and maybe they'll craft a custom vegan fantasy for your special event).

Pastel Teddy Platoon
E.W. requested that we express his heartfelt gratitude for all the lovely gifts, which he plans to put to very good use beginning sometime on or around August 30th. He also asked that we end this post with a sentiment beautifully expressed on his new animal themed baby dish set hand thrown and custom painted by local ceramist and friend Betsy Ratzsch.

God Bless the Animals! Amen.

That's a lot of Not Dogs!
Treehugger reports that a bunch of hungry vegans in Austin, TX are apparently blazing new trails in a movement previously thought to be reserved for omnivores. Should the G-RAP follow suit?

Your Chance to REP VEG at a Local Pie Baking Contest
Some people say that the proof is in the pudding. However, the true gourmand knows that the proof is in the pie crust, and the TRUTH is in the VEGAN pie crust. Truthseekers, get out your rolling pins, for the day of reckoning is well nigh upon us:

There is a $15.00 entry fee for bakers, and the lazy ones among us can just show up and sample the pies for $1.00 a taste. For information on how to enter, visit the promotional page on Facebook, or contact the organizers at 616-454-7900 or crestonvista@gmail.com. Proceeds go the AmeriCorps VISTA program of the Creston Neighborhood Association.

Operation Infiltration
Though this event is not officially a VEGAN Pie Bake-Off, that just makes it all the more important to get as many delectable vegan offerings on the table as possible. Curly's Deep Dish Country Apple and Karyn's Chocolate Silk with Soy Topping are pictured here to stoke your motivation. A coordinated effort from extraVEGANzers could make a real impression, as everyone would be wondering why the vegan pies were disappearing first! COMMENT NOW and share your favorite vegan pie recipe!

Nurses and Clayre Take Veganism To the Altar
Until June 13, 2008, it had been quite some time since I had enjoyed the pleasure of eating a big, fat, frostingy piece of wedding cake at a friend's nuptial celebration. After all, it isn't every day that brides and grooms put compassionate eating front and center in planning their special day. But our good friends Nurses and Clayre did just that, weaving their commitment to intentional living into every aspect of the celebration, from the homily (offered by Clayre's uncle) to the wedding feast (expertly catered by Marie Catrib's) to a three-layer vegan cake lovingly crafted by the father of the bride! Congratulations and best wishes to Nurses and Clayre, and thanks for showing us that a good old-fashioned Christian wedding and a public testimony to the moral and spiritual significance of our daily consumer habits are 100% compatible. Now, eat your cake you beautiful people!

Birthday at Bloom, Pizza Party, Craig's Cruisers
My birthday was almost two months ago, but the memories are still lucid enough to merit posting a few of the culinary highlights. The above cocktails we enjoyed on the outset of our birthday dinner at Restaurant Bloom greased the skids for a juggernaut of a three course meal that began with...

Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts with Pickled Vegetables
They are every bit as delectable as they look, but if you'd like to try them, you'll have to make a special request since they are not a standard menu item. And while we're on the topic of eating outside the parameters of the work-a-day bill of fare, feast your eyes on the main course:

Poppyseed Encrusted Tofu with Kale, Chanterelles, and Barley
We enjoyed the tofu immensely (especially the unusual pairing with barley as the starch), but we all agreed that the standout of the evening was the sweet course, a thoroughly unpredictable yet delectable juxtaposition of...

Avocado Soup and Lemon Sorbet with Candied Citrus Rind and Pistachio
This dessert was sublime. I recommend talking Chef Miller into reprising it the next time you visit the restaurant. Suffice it to say that the Bloom birthday celebration ended on a very high note indeed. Of course, just one birthday celebration is hardly adequate, and since Aunt Curly's birthday is just a few days after mine, we had our third annual "April Birthdays" bash on the weekend, complete with...

A Pizza Party to End All Pizza Parties
As if there wasn't enough white flour in those crispy crusts, we served the pies with a side of coconut heaven cupcakes. We figured this ultra-light fare would settle well during a few laps around the indoor go-kart track at Craig's Cruisers. And we were right. As an added bonus, the combined total of game room tickets amassed by people in our party was sufficient to procure a prized set of neon fangs per person, as well as several dozen plastic dinosaurs.

VegMichigan Goes All Out on April 13th!
Those of you who attended this year's Wake Up Weekend! will remember enjoying fellowship with our friends from the East, VegMichigan. On April 13th, we'll have a chance to see them again, this time on their side of the state, at the Metro Detroit Great American Meatout in Ferndale, MI. With free food from local veg-friendly restaurants, product samples from veg companies, and a cavalcade of excellent speakers, this event is a "must attend" for Michigan vegans on a mission! Tickets may be purchased in advance here at a discounted rate of just $7.00 per person ($3.00 for students, children 5 and under are free). Interested in free admission to the Meatout plus a free subscription to VegNews Magazine? Consider joining VegMichigan; membership has its privileges! Interested in carpooling or joining a Grand Rapids caravan destined for the Meatout? Leave a comment below and we'll see what develops.

Gridiron Gluttony Two Years Running
What do chik'n style seitan sandwiches, Philly cheeze steaks, potato salad, barbecued seitan skewers, nachos, sweet potato fries, Kettle chips, spinach artichoke dip, french onion dip, margarita cupcakes, boston cream cupcakes, and a BEHEMOTH chocolate raspberry-filled football cake have in common? They all graced the table several weeks ago for our second annual vegan Superbowl blowout. We were a bit concerned that we might not be able to top last year's showing, but suffice it to say that no one went away hungry.

Confronting Global Climate Change
Calvin College right here in Grand Rapids is one of over 1,700 universities and colleges participating in an exciting national initiative called Focus the Nation. Its purpose is to provide a day of focused discussion on global climate change and solutions for the future that can help "to move America beyond fatalism to a determination to face up to this civilizational challenge, the challenge of our generation." At Calvin, a series of events is planned during the first week of the spring semester culminating on January 31, 2008 with a teach-in, discussion with elected leaders, and a celebratory concert.

Food & the Future
Among the sessions planned for the teach-in (download the full schedule) is an offering on "Food & the Future" (9:00 am TODAY in the DeVos Forum) during which I will make a brief ten-minute presentation on Industrial Animal Agriculture and Global Warming. The purpose of this post, in addition to publicizing Calvin's contribution to this important nationwide initiative, is to provide attendees of the teach-in (and other interested parties) with links to online resources for further investigation of the general issues that I briefly consider in my presentation. Though ten minutes is not enough time to provide in-depth coverage of the serious environmental challenges posed by our reliance on industrial animal agriculture, my hope is that the following resources might inspire you to give these challenges the rigorous consideration they deserve.

Tuition-Free Online Education!
My general strategy for approaching this constellation of issues is articulated in a paper I recently gave in the Calvin College Christian Perspectives in Science Series titled Animal Welfare and Global Sustainability. In writing this paper, I found many of the following articles, papers, and reports illuminating. Check them out and decide for yourself!

RECENT POPULAR MEDIA
1. "Rethinking the Meat Guzzler", New York Times, January 27, 2008.
2. A Factory Farm Near You, New York Times, July 31, 2007.
3. Meat Is Murder On the Environment, NewScientist, July 18, 2007.
4. Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gasses Than Driving Cars, UN News Service, November 29, 2006.

ONLINE ARTICLES
1. Diet, Energy, and Global Warming, Gideon Eshel and Pamela Martin (University of Chicago), 2005.
2. Meat: Now, It's Not Personal, World Watch Magazine, 2004.
3. Sustainability of Meat-Based and Plant-Based Diets and the Environment, Pimentel and Pimentel, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003.

DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION REPORTS
1. Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006.
2.Livestock Development: Implications for Rural Poverty, the Environment, and Global Food Security, The World Bank, 2001.
Managing the Livestock Revolution
3. Global Warming: Climate Change and Farm Animal Welfare (Executive Summary), Compassion in World Farming, 2007.
4. Global Warming: Climate Change and Farm Animal Welfare (Full Report), Compassion in World Farming, 2007.

A New Lecture Series at Calvin College is in the News!
Wake Up Weekend participants may have had the pleasure of attending Dr. Stephen H. Webb's inaugural address of Calvin's new Animals and the Kingdom of God Lecture Series. Those who missed the lecture can read all about it in this article from yesterday's Grand Rapids Press. With an article on a recent vegan wedding reception at the Amway Grand earlier in the week, our hometown paper is doing their part to get the plight of farmed animals in the news. Take a minute to let them know that you appreciate their coverage of these stories and that you'd like to see more on related topics!

Just like last year, the blog's been silent since the big event a couple weekends ago. This year was an even bigger success. Many thanks to all involved, from the speakers to the organizers. This only covers Saturday, unfortunately.

Dr. Kerrie Saunders spoke about "Diet as Disease Prevention".

A panel discussed reaching religious audiences with animal compassion. Afterwards, all were welcome to the open house at Spacecraft.

Splinters rounded us up for chili voting time at the 106.

Eight kinds of chili were enjoyed by all. And when there wasn't enough, there was vegan pizza from Papa John's.

Celebrity judges discussed the merits of chili...or perhaps their conversation had digressed by this point.

Lots of art was donated for the auction.

Splinters played the part of the auctioneer, inspiring all to bid on the art.

Nominate Extraveganza! for Best Veg Blog 2007
The VegNews 2007 VeggieAwards are almost upon us, and you don't want to miss your chance to register support for your favorite vegetarian and vegan products, people, and places. Not only will your vote qualify you to win some fabulous prizes, but you can tout your G-Rad Pride by writing in ExtraVEGANza! as your favorite VEGAN BLOG. So whaddya say? Will you do your part to help catapult us to fame and fortune? If so, join our write-in campaign and let your vote be counted at the 2007 Veggie Awards online survey.

QUESTION 20 is the one on which you'll wave the ExtraVEGANza! banner. It shouldn't take more than five minutes of your time. Thanks in advance for your support!

Highlights from Animal Rights 2007 on a computer near you.
One of these days, you'll get tired of watching R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet, low budget ads for mini-malls, clips of skateboarding bulldogs, and videos of idiots putting mentos into diet coke bottles and begin to crave a bit more substance from your steady diet of YouTube. Lucky for you, there's a host of great new clips boasting highlights from this year's Animal Rights 2007 Conference in Los Angeles a few weeks back. Those of you who have attended AR events here in Grand Rapids in the past couple of years will see some familiar faces in the crowd. For instance...

Harold Brown of Farm Sanctuary
If you've ever had the privilege of hearing Harold speak, you know that he can change your life with just a few heartfelt sentences. So imagine what he can do with a full ten minutes on the mic. Or just watch it here.

Howard Lyman
Attendees of the 2006 Vegetarian Awakening Conference here in Grand Rapids won't soon forget Howard's impassioned keynote address. The Mad Cowboy is at it again here at AR 2007 telling big agriculture: No More Bull! Check out his presentation here.

Erik Marcus of VEGAN.COM
Though Grand Rapids has not yet enjoyed the honor of Erik's presence, tentative plans are in the works to bring him to town for Wake Up Weekend 2008! Let's roll out the welcome mat a little early by boosting his book revenues (check out Meat Market and Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating) and tuning into his excellent podcast. Here's what he had to say in L.A.

Kill the Coping. Kill the Curb. Leave the Animals Alone.
My good friend Harold Brown knows I love skateboards. And vegan-themed skateboards? SHUT YOUR MOUTH! You know I'm down. Needless to say, I was thrilled to find this little number on my doorstep yesterday afternoon (Harold, you're too good to me!). So I got up this morning, rushed to Premier on Westin in GR, hooked up some Indies and some Autobahns, and broke off this SICK custom grip tape job to complement the Food Fight Vegan Grocery graphix.

If you're interested in picking up one of these badboys, you better act fast since they printed a VERY limited edition of only 50 decks. Looks good with my Kyle Field carrot-top cruiser too!

AND THE WINNER IS…

JENNI SHORTT, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND OWNER OF TIPPITAPPI
In a small city that offers ready access to sustainable farming, celebrity vegan chefs, animal compassion organizations, veg-friendly restaurants, and an engaged community of hardcore vegan foodies, it is easy to forget that in most places, a commitment to the vegan lifestyle requires a lot more patience, imagination, and moral courage than some of us lucky Grand Rapidians have had to muster. As a means of both exhibiting our gratitude for what we have here and encouraging others who are putting it all on the line for their convictions elsewhere, we hereby institute the ExtraVEGANza! Moral Courage Awards.

We are pleased to announce that the inaugural recipient of this award is our new friend Jenni Shortt of Tippitappi fame. Stay tuned for a more in depth story on Jenni’s inspiring journey into animal consciousness and her courageous leap of faith into full-time vegan activism through graphic design. In the meanwhile, read her blog or check out her t-shirts. Put some thought into which one is your favorite; when we post our more in-depth profile on Jenni and her work, there just might be an opportunity for you to snag that snappy tee with the help of a substantial subsidy from extraVEGANza!

Alright, the post we have all been waiting for--Vegetarian Awakening 2007. As one who enjoys eating continuously throughout the day, this was perfect. It went something like this: breakfast, tasting #1, tasting #2, tasting #3, lunch, tasting #4, tasting #5, tasting #6, dinner, dessert. That was just day one. However, I suppose you would like to read the real run down. Here we go.

After a breakfast of cornbread pancakes and tofu scramble, we went to the auditorium to see the first chef's demonstration. The chef was Cathi DiCocoa of Cafe DiCocoa in Maine. She had a very motherly way about her and peppered her demo with easy how-tos. She taught us how to make pistachio pesto, sweet potato pita, stuffed vine (grape) leaves, skordalia, hot olives, mouhamara and smoky baba ganouj. The picture features her with a smoked eggplant.

The next demo was by Tal Ronnen. Tal Ronnen started the Veg Advantage program to help food-service operators integrate vegetarian options into daily operations (hmm...he could be helpful for all of these local colleges). He is a chef at the Madeleine Bistro in L.A., so check it out if you are in the area!. He showed us how to make the shaved fennel, orange and quinoa timbale (middle), cajun grilled portobello fillets (right) and shiso wraps (left).

After the Ronnen tasting, Chef Sualua (rhymes with Kahlua) Tupolo presented. He was a very gregarious man with many stories to tell. He showed us how to make wasabi tofu mayo, fish patties, lemon meringue pie and jack cheese. All of his stuff was very good! It was interesting to learn about how to make my own vegan cheese.

We were pretty full after the morning's breakfast and tastings; nevertheless, lunch was served. It was salad and soup with many extras.

What goes well after a lunch? Dessert, of course! Fran Costigan showed us the secrets of her vegan hazelnut L'Opera cake. It seemed like a lot of work, although I am sure her precision measuring did not seem to make it any easier.

Following Fran was Ian Brandt, perhaps the quietest chef of the bunch. He is the chef at Sage's Cafe in Salt Lake City, providing raw and cooked plant-based cuisine. What was the most helpful about this demonstration was the side-by-side comparison of the raw and cooked appetizer, entree and dessert. Everything was very tasty and our table agreed that the raw won out over the cooked.

Peruvian Bryanna Clark Grogan was the next chef. She had veganized many of the Peruvian recipes from her family. I appreciated the colors and interesting plating techniques. She showed us how to make causa (tri-colored potato salad), tofu-quinoa chicharron (crispy fried tofu), trigo (wheat), anticuchos (kebabs), northwest-style mazamorra morada (purple corn pudding), and alfajores (pastries).

Even though we were stuffed to the gills, a three-course dinner was planned. Afterwards, we waddled across the street to the Spectrum Theater for presentations by Dr. John McDougall (left) and T. Colin Campbell (right). Both presentations were excellent. McDougall talked about the health and environmental benefits to a vegan diet while Campbell talked about the research behind his book The China Study (which he wrote with his son) and the link between cancer and dairy.

When we walked out of the presentations, we were greeted with a smorgasbord of desserts and sparkling apple cider. Matt was so excited about his desserts that once he got through the line, he counted 19 of them on his plate (see mini entry below)! That's like me eating a dozen cupcakes!

The next morning started with breakfast and a panel discussion. Aftewards, Chef Eric Tucker was the first to demo. He is the chef of Millennium Restaurant that I went to while I was in SF. He showed us how to make the grilled belgian endive salad with pink grapefruit, pink peppercorns and garlic-tarragon ranch dressing, bruleed and truffled mushroom pate with dried fig mustard chutney and asian root vegetable-mushroom broth with pea greens. The pate was awesome!

Ken Bergeron was supposed to be next, but he couldn't make it. Kevin Dunn took his place and showed us how to do a few things with tempeh. I wasn't a fan of tempeh at all until I tasted these recipes! I was amazed. We had seasoned baked tempeh, tempeh arizona and tempeh cakes with red pepper sauce and scallions.

The next chef was Chad Sarno, who opened a raw vegan restaurant in Turkey. His food was all raw and was very interesting to learn about. He made consommé, alfredo (right, bottom), rawvioli (bottom, top), cannelloni (bottom, left), hemp cannoli (middle) and chocolate milkshake. All of it was good, but the best parts were the beetroot rawvioli, hemp cannoli and chocolate milkshake. Mmmmm.

Kevin Dunn did a short demonstration of cashew creme brulee and heaven and hell (flambéd fruit with lite vanilla Tofutti ice cream). We received our boxed lunches and went on our way. What an amazing experience! The food was great and it was good to see many people fired up about compassionate and healthy cooking.

We certainly satisfied our sweet teeth tonight. Dulce de Leche, Triple Threat Chocolate (how's that for a name, people?) and Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes were a few amongst the many cupcakes that arrived tonight for Vegucator and Curly's birthday celebration. Pictures will be posted as soon as we recover from sugar shock. For the record, I did meet Moles' challenge of eating a dozen cupcakes. I'm finishing the twelfth as I type.

For those in the Northern Indiana/lower Michigan area:

At Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana on March 24, 2007, we will have a screening of the documentary Peaceable Kingdom followed by discussion led by Matt Halteman, professor of philosophy at Calvin College.

12:30 pm Vegan potluck

2:00 pm Peaceable Kingdom Screening
Wegman's Cruelty screening (short documentary about the egg industry)

4:00 pm Matt Halteman will discuss the radical implications of animals for our lives.

Brianne Donaldson, student at AMBS, will discuss her work and how it affects AMBS.

Come and bring friends! Everything is free.

One far:

One near:
"Thinking About Animals," Brock University, Canada, semi-near Toronto

Here are some talks that speak to the issue of animal compassion from a Christian perspective.

MP3: "Living Toward the Peaceable Kingdom"

MP3: "Animal Rights & Christian Responsibility"

Notes: "Compassionate Eating as Care of Creation"
Notes: "Animal Rights and Christian Responsibility"

Word on the street is that animal agribusiness is really worried about rising opposition from religious groups. Someone should let them know about these talks and invite a response.

If you have been wondering why the blog has been silent for three days, it's probably because we're all still recovering from the amazing weekend of animals, awareness and advocacy. Here are a few highlights, though there are a few of the highlights missing due to the impending unwieldiness of the collage. Perhaps a part two will come at a later date...or another person who attended the event can post about it. (Incidentally, I forgot my camera at the first night's events, so I have no photos for that collage.)

1. One Satisfied Customer
Saturday kicked off with brunch at local restaurant Marie Catrib's. Although we were expecting roughly 24 people, I think the final numbers indicated more like 50. We ate in scattered regions of the restaurant, getting to know new faces over amazing vegan brunches. This photo features Matt, a student new to veganism (and Marie's stuffed french toast!). See how happy he was before he began eating? Well, he was just as happy (if not more so) once his plate was empty.

2. It's "Chli" Time
One of the ways Splinters helped set up NEST for the evenings festivities was by cutting out a sign for the Chili Contest.

3. Spreadsheet Time
Vegucator readied the spreadsheets for the chili cookoff and the art auction. With that look of intense concentration, military-style jacket, and urban surroundings (look at that brick!), you know that some serious work was getting done.

4. Registration Rooster
Nurses, along with some help from various others, crafted the registration rooster where people would register for chili and the art auction. Vegucator decorated r.r. with the cleverly crafted cantaloupe and brussell sprout auction paddles.

5. Some of the Art
This photo contains some of the art that was up for auction. All were overwhelmed by the amount, quality, and creativity that covered the wall for the evening. The amount of money raised was staggering!

6. Dish Drying Rack
I thought this deserved its own picture. George and I struggled with and conquered the orange crate, transforming it into the dish drying rack of our dreams. It was definitely high-five worthy when the feat was accomplished.

7. Chili Time!
As crowded as this photo appears, the rest of the NEST was even more crowded. There was an overwhelming turnout for the chili cookoff--both for the competition and tasting. No one was disappointed...or left hungry. The celebrity judges of the evening deemed the Michigan Chili by Erika Jane and Susan to be the winner, with Karen's Thai Chili as the people's choice and Gwen's black bean chili as the runner up. Erika and Susan must defend the title next year--with the udder as the prize!

Overall, it was an amazing weekend and we look forward to next year. Thanks to everyone who helped set up, tear down, donated art or food or time and just plain came to the event. It wouldn't have been as successful if it was not for all of you!

Checkbooks At The Ready! Let's Start the Bidding...
Well, not until Saturday night. But with the Wake Up Weekend Art Auction just one day away, we thought you might enjoy perusing a few sample images and a (semi) complete list of our esteemed contributors. (Please note that we have posted these images merely to give you a sense of the style of some of our artists' work; the images posted are NOT in all cases the specific works donated to the auction.)

SUE COE

REB

BRETT COLLEY

So who else is in the game? CHECK THIS OUT:
Brandon Behning, Kevin Buist, Jeremy Chen, Juan Garcia, Erika Jane, Michelle Kleinhenz, Tim Maddux, Gail Philbin, and Emily Schreur. You'll also find a wide spectrum of stunning screen prints made by Calvin artists under the direction of Adam Wolpa: Joe Arens, Sarah Bakker, Peter Brant, Miranda Brower, Stephanie Dekorte, Eugene Dening, Taylor Greenfield, Pam Johnson, Lyndi Katje, Heather Luimes, Ruth Ribeiro, and Brad Smith.

Proceeds will benefit three incredible organizations working hard to improve the lives of farmed animals: FARM SANCTUARY, MERCY FOR ANIMALS, and COMPASSIONATE CONSUMERS. Check out their websites, REV UP THAT GENEROSITY, and come prepared to purchase GREAT ART for a GREAT CAUSE!

Now you can wear your ExtraVEGANza! pride on your sleeve.

Need another reason to rock the Wake Up Weekend!? How about the debut of a brand new line of SIZZLIN' HOT, limited edition ExtraVEGANza! Wear? These Brussels Sprouts Tees and Cantaloupe Totes were designed by Adam Wolpa and hand-printed with love by Wolpa and Halteman especially for this event! (Many thanks to Nurses for the much needed helping hand!) If those tees look pillow soft, it's probably because they're made of 100% sustainably-grown organic cotton. Supplies are limited, but we'll be selling what we have and taking orders for a second run at the Saturday evening events, so check the American Apparel size chart and tell us what you need!

THE SCHEDULE IS NOW SET. PLEASE NOTE THE REVISED TIMES AND VENUES!

A weekend of animal-friendly food, art, education, and advocacy brought to you by ExtraVEGANza!, G-RAD, Grand Rapids For Animals, Farms Without Harm, and Calvin Students For Compassionate Living.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
3:00-5:00 pm--Animal Advocacy: Why, Who, and How?
Commons Annex Lecture Hall (Calvin College)
Presentations by Harold Brown (Farm Sanctuary), Adam Durand (Compassionate Consumers), Nicole Matthews (PETA), and Nathan Runkle (Mercy For Animals).

5:30-6:30 pm--"Compassionate Comestibles" Vegan Potluck
Commons Annex Lecture Hall (Calvin College)

7:30-10:00 pm--Film Festival & Discussion
Bytwerk Video Theater (Calvin College)
Wegman's Cruelty (Introduction and discussion by Adam Durand)
Peaceable Kingdom (Introduction and discussion by Harold Brown)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20
10:30 am--Brunch at Marie Catrib's of Grand Rapids
1001 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids, 49506
Have brunch and meet our special guests!

6:00 pm--Vegan Chili Cook-Off and Open House
The Nest (613 Lyon NE, Grand Rapids, 49503)
Guest judges Harold Brown, Marie Catrib, Adam Durand, Nicole Matthews, and Nathan Runkle.

8:00 pm--Art Auction
The Nest (613 Lyon NE, Grand Rapids, 49503)
Proceeds will benefit Farm Sanctuary, Mercy For Animals, and Compassionate Consumers. Artists with work up for auction include Sue Coe, Peter Brant, Kevin Buist, Jeremy Chen, Juan Garcia, Erika Jane, and Reb Roberts. For a complete list of contributors, contact Adam Wolpa (wolpa@calvin.edu).

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JANUARY 19-20!

FIVE ORGANIZATIONS ARE BETTER THAN ONE,
AND CELEBRITY GUESTS ARE THE BEST!
Tell all your friends! Invite the family! Help us put Grand Rapids on the map as the epicenter of compassionate culture in the midwest with an extravegant weekend of animal-friendly food, art, education, and advocacy brought to you by ExtraVEGANza!, G-RAD, Grand Rapids For Animals, Farms Without Harm, and Calvin Students For Compassionate Living. We'll be eating up a storm, learning a bit about the hidden costs of food, engaging in a little compassionate competition (vegan chili cook-off style!), auctioning some original artwork for charity (wait until you see the list!), and playing host to some of the most influential and inspiring animal advocates in the movement. We're even going to debut the new line of ExtraVEGANza! T-shirts (take your pick: brussels sprouts or cantaloupe?). Oh yes, it's BIG!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
In cases where venues are not yet announced, details will follow when available. Stay tuned!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
2:00-5:00 pm--Animal Advocacy: Why, Who, and How?
Interested in knowing how to make a difference for non-human animals? Learn from the pros and have all your questions answered! Speakers include:
Harold Brown (Farm Sanctuary)
Adam Durand (Compassionate Consumers)
Nicole Matthews (PETA)
Nathan Runkle (Mercy For Animals)

5:30-6:30 pm--"Compassionate Comestibles" Vegan Potluck
Like what you see on ExtraVEGANza!? Just imagine how it tastes! Bring a dish to share and cause mouths to water all over the World Wide Web.

7:30-10:00 pm--Film Festival & Discussion (Calvin College, Bytwerk Video Theater)
Two incredible documentary films about the hidden costs of factory farming, and an audience with some the good folks whose stories are featured in the films! Renown animal rights advocate Harold Brown will introduce and entertain questions about Peaceable Kingdom (A Tribe of Heart Documentary), and headline newsmaker Adam Durand will present his acclaimed film Wegman's Cruelty (A Compassionate ConsumersDocumentary) and discuss its contoversial aftermath.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20
10:30 am--Brunch at Marie Catrib's (Lake and Diamond)
Haven't tried the vegan brunch fare at Marie's yet? What are you waiting for?

6:00 pm--Vegan Chili Cook-Off and Open House (The Nest)
With Special Guest Judges Harold Brown, Marie Catrib, Adam Durand, Nicole Matthews, Nathan Runkle.

8:00 pm--Art Auction (The Nest)
Proceeds will benefit Farm Sanctuary, Mercy For Animals, and Compassionate Consumers. Artists with work up for auction include Peter Brant, Jeremy Chen, Erika Jane, Emily Schreur, and Adam Wolpa. We are especially pleased to announce the inclusion of an original print donated by internationally acclaimed artist and animal advocate SUE COE!

Do You Have A Work of Art To Contribute?
We are still gratefully receiving donations of artwork for the auction. Here's your official invitation: Artwork has always performed important social functions, but an increasing number of contemporary artists have turned more deliberately toward interventionist techniques, relational aesthetics, and works that facilitate activism on a variety of social justice issues. While the main theme of this event is compassion for animals, the modern industrial complex under which animals suffer is intimately connected to human crises such as environmental sustainability, unfair economic practices in the developing world, and public health. We are currently seeking artworks that celebrate animals in some way or that invite interpretation in any of the above directions. Please direct inquiries to ExtraVEGANza! curator and auctioneer Adam Wolpa (wolpa@calvin.edu).

Should Old Acquaintances Be Forgot?
Not when they have mad culinary skills. You'll be pleased to know that your old friends at extraVEGANza! sent 2006 to bed fat and happy, and welcomed 2007 with some jaw-dropping new recipes.
New Year's Eve

The evening began with a trio of mouthwatering dishes artfully prepared by Noodles and Splinters: (1) a cashew coconut curry of homegrown kale, onions, leeks, garlic, brussels sprouts, beets, potabella mushrooms, and tofu; (2) a cole slaw of purple and green cabbage, arugula, sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, vegannaise, and a splash of bragg; and (3) a beet-water infused quinoa crowned with a generous pat of Earth Balance.
Party Time!

The dessert course and subsequent merrymaking took place chez Moles-Vegucator and featured, among other amusements, Moles' chocolate mint cupcakes with a dark fudge ganache and Splinters' ginger martinis. (The cupcake recipe is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes For Cupcakes That Rule. As co-host of The Post Punk Kitchen, Isa is whipping up more than just cupcakes; be sure to check out Vegan With A Vegeance to see what else is cooking.
New Year's Day

For brunch, we enjoyed cranberry scone, tea sandwiches on homebaked white bread (cucumber "cream cheese", and curried tofu), chocolate cherry drops, and olive bread. Yes, those tea sandwiches have been stripped of their crusts, but don't panic; they'll be reborn as garlic breadcrumbs in a pasta dish later this week (after a few days of feverish culinary ambition, it's a relief to drop the pretense and boil up a little pasta to be tossed with olive oil, breadcrumbs, parsley, and red pepper flakes).

Suppertime!

But before getting back to business as usual, we treated ourselves to a delicious soup of beets, pearled barley, black soybeans and pumpernickel croutons. The grand finale kept Splinters and Vegucator hard at work all day long researching, developing, and finally executing a brand new original recipe: cashew cream tiramisu with coconut biscuits and an almond brandy filling.

We've been waiting impatiently for a convincing vegan tiramisu recipe for too long, so we decided to take matters into our own hands. To say the least, 2007 is off to a promising start! Best wishes to you and yours for a happy, healthy, compassionate New Year!