DC VegFest 2011

Yesterday was the annual DC VegFest at George Washington University. It was my first time going, and I was so excited. The anticipation made it feel like Vegan Christmas. Omni Mom and I had a mishap with the metro (read: don't ever let me read a metro map) so we missed the cupcake eating contest, but once we got there, I had a blast! And Omni Mom was the best sport about everything, she's the greatest!

Our first stop was at the Sticky Fingers booth. I got a Daiya Cheese/Tofurkey stromboli and a strawberry cupcake. Omni Mom got a peanut butter cupcake. Everything, obviously, was delicious. I didn't get to snap a picture of my cupcake because I brought it home, but it didn't survive the journey home intact.

Then we wandered around for a little bit. I met a carrot, who later gave us some vegan dog food samples.

And then I spotted an Indian food booth. JACKPOT. I got everything, except the naan.

Chana Masala with rice, samosas, pakoras (onion fritters).

It was then time for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's food demo. She was as funny and charming as her food is delicious. She made gumbo with okra and pumpkin cheesecake. There weren't enough samples of each, but you can bet I made damn sure to get a sample of each. Both were really yummy! A recipe for the gumbo can be found here, and the pumpkin cheesecake recipe will be available in the Vegan Pie in the Sky cookbook! She also passed out a preview with two or three recipes of that book. After the demo, she did a book signing! It felt like meeting a celebrity, and in my mind, she kind of is. She was my lifeline in my early vegan days, so it was great to tell her how much she's influenced my life.

I wrapped up my time there with a plate of vegan nachos from Bread and Brew. I really just wanted the damn frisbee for Dakota, but if I had to buy a plate of nachos to go with it, okay. We made a final stop at Sticky Fingers for cupcakes to bring home, and then made our merry way home!

I bought some of these goodies along the way. I may or may not have already eaten all of the jerky...

Primal Strips Vegan Jerky.
Hickory Smoked and Thai Peanut. I also had Texas BBQ.
The hickory smocked and BBQ were my favorites.

Pasta Valente - Tomato/Basil, Garlic/Parsley, Sweet Potato
V-Dog Food

The DC VegFest was truly awesome. My parents have always been wonderfully supportive, and the longer I am vegan, the more people around me seek out vegan foods for me at family events or the like. I am, without a doubt, so eternally grateful for their support, because there are still people who make snide remarks about the choices I make. Those comments would never sway me in my beliefs, but I shouldn't have to feel defensive about the choices I make, especially when I don't question your beliefs and choices. The support and inclusion I get from my family and friends is wonderful, and I don't think they'll ever understand the immense gratitude and relief I feel when I know I don't have to explain or defend myself over and over again. That being said, I don't think anyone truly understands why I make the choices I do. And while that's not the worst thing in the world, it was great to be with likeminded people who get that part of me. And who am I kidding? The plethora of yummy delicious vegan food that I neither cooked nor cleaned up was fan-freaking-tastic. It'll be a long year until the next festival, but I'm already looking forward to it!