Potluck

Don't think there's a recipe for spring rolls here, but these look great!

I belong to a vegan group that gets together about once a month for lunch out. It's a fun way to enjoy great conversation and explore all the vegan restaurant options in our city. At the last event, one of my friends from the group, Sandra, told me she belongs to another vegan group in the nearby city of Bellevue, that holds a potluck every month. They choose a theme for the potluck by the 'idea-on-a-piece-of-paper-drawn-from-a-hat' method, and her idea was selected for the next potluck. I think they usually pick a popular vegan cookbook, but she wrote Andrea's easy vegan cooking on her piece of paper, and everyone was supposed to cook something from my blog. Would I like to come?

Roasted veggies

 A more extroverted, confident person might have been thrilled and honored, but I was horrified. I tried to remain calm and 'normal' but I was experiencing thoughts like, "what if the recipes don't work?" "What if everything comes out awful?" "What if they hate the blog?" After recovering from the sensation of having sharp kitchen knives hurled at me, I said I would attend, if the date didn't conflict with my grandson's fifth birthday party. His birthday was occurring on a Tuesday,  and I didn't yet know which weekend day would be selected for his party. I even started to look forward to the potluck, and think about what I might bring.

Braised greens with tofu, cashews and raisins.

As it turned out, the date of the potluck was also the date of the Women's March in Seattle, as well as my grandson's party. We spent the morning and early afternoon at the march, the late afternoon at the joy-filled birthday party, and the evening at a quieter family birthday dinner at the little guy's house. It was an amazing, exhilarating day, and while I'm truly sorry to have missed the potluck, I'm glad I spent most of it with my wonderful family.

Two chickpea salads.

According to Sandra, 14 people attended the potluck, and it was a success — everyone enjoyed the food. (I hope she's telling the truth!) I had asked her to take pictures, and the photos I'm sharing here are hers, reprinted with permission.

I liked this marcher's sign!

 

Here's a glimpse into what I did on the day of the potluck. As I mentioned, I participated in the women's march, as I did last year. It feels so uplifting during these troubling times, to be surrounded by people who believe in justice, kindness, truth, etc.



I took a couple of photos of marchers and their signs.



And here's the birthday boy, just after blowing out the candles on his cupcake. Some days there are just not enough hours to do everything you want.

Vegan potluck / caipirinha

Key lime cupcakes (VCTOTW)

What could be more charming than a bountiful vegan potluck on a gorgeous summer day. The Madison vegetarian meet-up group had such a gathering last month, and more than 40 people showed up with lots of beautiful and delicious vegan food. It makes me so happy to see so many people embracing a vegetarian diet. Although not everyone is vegan, all the food is. The event was held in a pretty park with a splash pad where the kids could enjoy the sprinklers while their parents sat dry and well-fed on the grass. It's a very congenial group of people and we've had a great time at all the events we've attended. If you are in the Madison area, check out this group.

Here are a few of the dishes I managed to photograph. Even though circumstances caused us to be an hour late, there was still plenty of food to enjoy.

Quinoa

Flax-seed brownies (made by me). Recipe coming soon.

Tabooli

Curried carrot salad

Bean salad; Chips and salsa

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Travel help
So, any suggestions for great places to eat or visit as we pass through the wilds of S. Dakota (Sioux Falls), Iowa, Wyoming and Montana on our way to Seattle from Wisconsin?

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 Did you say caipirinha?

I'm not much of a drinker. I might have a glass of wine or a beer very occasionally, but if I do indulge in a mixed drink, I have a few favorites. I'm most likely to order a mojito, margarita or a caipirinha. A friend from work recently indulged me by making us delicious caipirinhas! In case you don't know, caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil, and is made with cachaça, a fermented sugar cane beverage. In addition to cachaça, there is lime, sugar and cracked ice. Perfect. We sipped them in lawn chairs on a high hill, watching the world go by. Thank you Sue!