HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome to our blog, which we have been unable to access for the last few months. To bring you up to date, we held dinners at Salvatore's Pizzaria in October and at Estia in November, while attending the Wellness Expo, also in October.

Our plans for 2012 are ambitious and will include dinners in the HRM as well as the South Shore and Valley, catered events and potlucks. As always, we will include interesting guest speakers to increase our knowledge, especially as most will relate to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Hope that you will join us.

SPECIAL DINNER AT SATISFACTION FEAST

Satisfaction Feast will close and Sunday, September 11th is the final day.

Sarita has provided Halifax with a fine vegetarian restaurant for 30 years and to celebrate this achievement we are hosting a special dinner on Friday, September 9th at 6 pm. No special menu, as many of you have your favourites, and no special pricing, although current members receive a discount through our discount program. No guest speaker, although we may share some memories.

Everyone is welcome. If possible, please reserve a place at halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com
Note - this is a celebration and not a wake.

Dinner at the Mid East

Last year the Halifax Association of Vegetarians returned to the Mid-East Food Centre to enjoy a dinner in their expanded dining area, and it was one of our most popular dinners in 2010. We will return to the Mid-East (corner of Agricola and North) on Friday, August 26th at 6 pm for our last dinner of the summer.

Choose any 4 items from the 10 menu items listed (expanded from the 7 available last year), and the cost, including a drink, is $12 per person, $10 for members, and (gasp!) these prices include tax!
Menu (9 of the 10 are vegan)

1. Stuffed Grape leaves - Calrose Rice with herbs and spices
2. Mjadra Timan - Rice Lentils with caramelized onions
3. Mjadra Burgle - Wheat Burgle with Chives and Spices
4. Buryani Veggie* - Basmati Rice Eggplant potato onions yogurt and spices
5. Tabouli Salad - Parsley tomatos onion cracked wheat oil and spices
6. Hummus - Chic Pea salt garlic and Tahini
7. Mus'aa - Eggplant onion tomato chic pea and spices
8. Timan Bagelah - Basmati Rice green fava Dill and spices
9. Fuol Mudammus - Fava Beans with Onion and tomatos
10. Samosa - Hot spices mixed with Potatos peas and spices
CASH PAYMENT ONLY. Everyone welcome, but space limited so reserve early to Nancy at halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com

August Events

The Halifax Association of Vegetarians is offering a potluck and a
dinner in the month of August.

The potluck will be held in Glen Margaret (near Peggy's Cove) at 12
noon on Saturday, August 13th. Please bring the recipe for your dish
so we can indicate vegetarian/vegan and make copies, if requested.
Reserve by email (halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com) and receive directions. Please also indicate
if you need transportation or can offer it.

Our next dinner will be a return to the Mid East at 6:00 pm on Friday,
August 26th. This will be our last event of the summer. More
information on this dinner, as well as the guest speaker, will follow.

Raw Foods Dinner at the Heartwood

The Halifax Association of Vegetarians is hosting a raw foods dinner
at the Heartwood on Wednesday, June 29th at 6:30 pm with guest
speaker, raw foods or "living cuisine" consultant Georgia Barnwell.
This is an excellent opportunity to be introduced to this diet, which
is growing in popularity across Canada.

The dinner special will be a raw foods salad/dip platter. It will
consist of a spinach/lettuce salad with nuts, veggies, local sprouts
and a lemon tahini dressing. Along with the salad we will serve a
fresh basil guacamole and a seed/nut pate. Specially made flat breads
will be served along with the dips. For dessert we will have a raw
foods nut/dried fruit ball with coconut.

The cost of the dinner will be $16, plus the cost of beverages, tax
and gratuity. HAV members can use their membership cards for a 10%
discount on this dinner, and for future visits to the Heartwood.

Send reservations to halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com

New Documentary

Forks Over Knives is playing at Halifax cinemas starting on June 10th! We're very excited to see this pro-vegetarian documentary.

Visit the website to see what it's all about. www.forksoverknives.com

Dinner in Wolfville, May 21st

Hello Members and Friends,

For our dinner in May, we are joining with the Veggie Potluck Group from the Valley for a special dinner, to be held on Saturday, May 21st at 6:00 pm., at the Ivy Deck Cafe in Wolfville. Seating will be for 20, divided between our two groups, and consist of the following:

Wolfville Dinner Menu:

Greek or Mandarin Salad/ or vegan soup

Entree - Spanakopita or vegan moussaka

Dessert - choice of many desserts made by the Ivy Deck, including lemon squares, rum balls, carrot cake, vegan and non-vegan cheesecakes, and vegan gluten free cupcakes

Cost is $20 per person, plus beverages, tax and gratuity

Owen Bridge from Annapolis Seeds will be the guest speaker (subject to confirmation).

Please reserve as soon as possible by email since seating is limited.

halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com

MEXICO LINDO BUFFET

HAV is hosting a vegetarian/vegan buffet, 6 PM on Monday, April 18th (Monday -Ana's only day off) at Mexico Lindo (3635 Dutch Village Road). We return to Mexico Lindo each year because this unique buffet is fabulous! The buffet break-down is included below. The cost of the buffet (including drink and dessert) is $16.50 (+ tax) per person. If interested, please reserve early by return email.

BUFFET MENU:

MANGO AND PEAR SALAD
In a bed of greens slice mango, pears and pecans. Dressed with Honey.

POBLANO CREAM SOUP
Creamy soup made with poblano peppers and corn nibbles.

EMPANADAS
Corn tortilla pockets filled with spinach and cheese. Garnished with salsa and chopped cabbage.

ENCHILADAS
Corn tortilla soaked in tomato salsa and filled with green pepper and corn topped with melted cheese, onion and sour cream.

IMPOSSIBLE CAKE
A cake and a flan together! With or with out milk goat caramel.

VEGAN features of the buffet:

CHIPS AND SALSA

SOY CEVICHE
Cooked soy protein mix with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and a zest of lime juice

MEXICAN RICE
Rice fried in salsa and diced vegetables

BLACK BEANS
Refried Black beans

EMPANADAS
Corn tortilla pockets filled with potatoes. Garnished with salsa and chopped cabbage

ENCHILADAS
Corn tortilla soaked in tomato salsa and filled with green pepper and corn.

NOPALITOS (Cactus Salad)
Slice tender cactus mixed with tomato, onion, and cilantro

AGUA FRESCA (House Drink)
Jamaica flavor, made from dry petals of the Hibiscus flower.

CHINESE VEGETARIAN DINNER

Our next dinner will take place at 6:00 pm. on Sunday, March 6th. We are returning to Lui's Formosa Gift and Tea House, the only completely vegetarian Chinese restaurant in the HRM, which is located at 278 Wyse Road (corner of Albro Lake Rd.) in Dartmouth. They are usually closed on Sunday, but will open for our dinner.

The dinner last year included a Chinese Tea Ceremony, which is not included this time. However, Jeffrey has agreed to teach us a sentence or two of Chinese during the dinner, which will consist of a sampling of their many menu options and some not on their regular menu. The cost is $15, plus tax and gratuity. Space is limited to 20 places, so please reserve early at halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com.

January Korean Dinner

Happy New Year from the Halifax Association of Vegetarians. Our first dinner of 2011 will be held at Song's Korean Restaurant, 6249 Quinpool Rd. on Thursday, February 3rd at 6pm. New in 2010, this restaurant has been receiving excellent reviews.

The vegetarian and vegan friendly menu will include a choice of salad or veggie dumplings to start, then specifically made for us- fish-sauce free kimchi, miso soup, then egg or tofu topped BiBimPap (a rice and vegetable dish with Korean hot sauce that is added individually to taste), followed by a choice of many teas. The cost is $15.00 plus tax and gratuity.

Please e-mail halifaxvegetarians@gmail.com to reserve a place.