Do these delightful treats have what it takes to win Cupcake Wars? (Photo credit: Sticky Fingers Bakery)

If you have the Food Network in your favorites list, as so many of us guilty vegans do, tune in tonight at 9PM EST to see Jenny Webb and Doron Petersan of D.C.’s all-vegan Sticky Fingers Bakery competing against three other non-vegan bakeries in a icing-topped pastry battle to the death on Cupcake Wars! According to the Cupcake Wars website, “Each week on Cupcake Wars, four of the country’s top cupcake bakers face off in three elimination challenges until only one decorator remains. The sweet prize: $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase their cupcakes at the winning gig.”

Vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli took home the prize for her appearance on Cupcake Wars last year and has since been featured on Fran Drescher’s daytime talk show as well as in the New York Times. You can watch a promotional video for her episode on her website to get yourself pumped up for tonight’s competition. Will Sticky Fingers take home another crown for the vegan contingent?

If you’re in the D.C. area, Breadsoda is having a viewing party from 8-10pm tonight (it’s probably too late to hop on the Fung Wah bus from NYC by now) with drink and food specials. You can also follow @stickyfingersdc on Twitter for the opportunity to win prizes during tonight’s broadcast. It’s vegan dessert madness, I tell you! And I, for one, will not be complaining when the cupcake revolution takes hold.

Last month we had Earth Hour. We’re currently in the middle of Earth Week. And Wednesday is officially Earth Day. Which means there’s a lot going on!

Farm Sanctuary is celebrating by pushing the plant-based diet from coast to coast. DC restaurant Bread & Brew is going vegan for Earth Day, thanks to Compassion Over Killing. And from 6-10pm, Green Drinks NYC and Earth Day New York are holding Earth Night, a fund-raiser/fete featuring an open bar, music and a fashion show. Get details and tickets ($20) here.

Then on Friday and Saturday, the 19th Annual EarthFair will take place in Grand Central Station. There will be music, art, environmental exhibitions, food—and peeps from Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary! Don’t miss it.

As for me, I’ll be spending Earth Night at a temple in Brooklyn watching a screening of The Real Dirt on Farmer John. What about you?

I’d bite too if this guy were dragging me out of bed.

• Think your organic fruits and veggies are antibiotic-free? Think again. Yet another reason to start that victory garden.
• Wanna donate a kidney? You can choose to give one to another animal advocate, like Hillary Rettig did. Apparently you can also have one taken out through your hooha.
• Now that I’ve whetted your appetite: Luna bars and Uncle Eddies cookies were recalled because of the salmonella outbreak.
• Obama’s not thrilled about the pb&j situation. So while he’s made some questionable choices, maybe the appointment of Cass Sunstein as regulatory czar is cause for hope.
• One of the owners of Stogo isn’t vegan. Do you care? I don’t. As long as he respects us, unlike some other restaurateurs.
• Was anyone else a little bit happy to hear that groundhog Chuck bit the mayor? And not surprised that he’s now going to be “retired”? Maybe he was pissed about the new Pedigree commercials using all those wild animals. Especially the one where the guy throws a Frisbee in the bull’s face.
• Speaking of commercials, by now everyone’s seen the PETA ad that was too racy for the Super Bowl. (Not that I watched; there were better things on TV.) I guess sex and football don’t go together. But in the name of synergy, I’m glad someone finally removed the ad for BACON SALT from this article about how well Ellen DeGeneres is doing since she went vegan.

While watching the inauguration with my own agenda, that of the millions of animals killed for their fur, I was shocked but very pleased to see that Aretha Franklin wasn’t wearing ANY fur. Not a single tuft anywhere on her coat or hat, amazing. I once poked my head into her limo parked in Columbus Circle and explained to her why her wearing fur was cruel to animals…and offensive to me. So perhaps I should take full credit for her fashion choice today, ha! Though the coat she was wearing may have been wool. One step at a time I guess.

Michele Obama and Jill Biden didn’t have a stitch of fur on either. Laura Bush wasn’t wearing any fur and she looked quite sophisticated in her gray ensemble (which may have been wool). Her daughters, the Bush twins, had no fur on and were actually wearing quite sensible coats (ok, maybe I’ll miss their shenanigans just a little bit).

Lynne Cheney had a big fur collar on her coat, figures. Her husband hunts (both animals and people apparently) fer christ’s sake.

But the worst violation of decency goes to Spike Lee’s wife, Tonya Lewis, who was wearing a big, grotesque fur. Spike’s not off the hook either; he sported a fur collar and a Yankees hat with fur lining. Did they “Do the Right Thing” and have some consideration before flaunting their wealth–and bad taste–during this recession? Not by a long shot.

Join Compassion Over Killing for “Ask for Soy Milk Day” at Dunkin’ Donuts

As mentioned earlier this week, it’s Free Iced Coffee Day (10am to 10pm) today at Dunkin’ Donuts nationwide and the DC-based Compassion Over Killing has dubbed it into a day of action with Ask for Soy Milk Day at Dunkin’ Donuts.

Here’s two more Dunkin’ Donuts locations in NYC that serve soy milk. Stop by your local Dunkin’ Donuts today and politely ask for soy milk with your free iced coffee!! Or simply stop by the locations below to enjoy yours with soy!

Dunkin’ Donuts by Penn Station
Dunkin’ Donuts by Port Authority

And the only Dunkin’ Donuts location that we knew of that serves soy milk:

Dunkin’ Donuts in the East Village (2nd Ave and 10th St)

This sign can be coming to a Dunkin’ Donuts near you!

Following a SuperVegan post about the availability of soy milk for Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees to add to their menu, the wonderful Washington, DC-based grassroots group Compassion Over Killing chalks up another victory by convincing a local Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee to carry soy milk at his two stores.

As previously reported, soy milk is currently available for Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee to order from their product list – most franchisees do not know that soy milk is available, so if you want soy milk at your local Dunkin’ Donuts, please ask the manager to get soy milk! You can also give them a little nudge online by sending them a brief note with info on your local store.

Soy milk will be available starting as early as this Friday, April 25th at the Dunkin’ Donuts located in Takoma Park, MD at 6851 New Hampshire Ave. and in Hyattsville, MD at 2057 University Blvd.

In 2004, COK was successful in convincing the now bustling Java Green to adopt an all-vegetarian menu and has since partnered with the restaurant to promote veggie-eating in creative promotions such as Vegan Days where the restaurant donates a percentage of sales to COK and media events that resulted in great stories like this one that aired on an NBC affiliate in Washington, DC. Erica Meier, COK’s director, tells us that they are working on ways to help promote the new soy milk offerings at their local Dunkin’ Donuts as well!

Birdbath’s banana-sesame-agave cake. Do these look like NYC’s best vegan treats to you?!?! OMFG!

• Time Out New York names the Chelsea location of Blossom “best vegetarian restaurant” in its 2008 Eat Out Awards. Other nominees: Candle 79, Caravan of Dreams, and Counter.
• While I do agree with the New York mag folks on Gossip Girl , they must have been smoking something when they decided to make the uber-bizzare OMFG claim that Birdbath’s banana-sesame-agave cake is the city’s “best vegan treat” in its 2008 Best of New York issue back in March. Have they not had Danielle Konya’s VeganTreats’ new tiramisu, Sweet & Sara’s smores and toasted coconut marshmallows, Candle Cafe’s chocolate mousse pie, Pure Food & Wine’s ice cream sundae…to name a few off the top of my head?
• New Yorkers celebrated this week with news of the pending arrival of DC’s Sticky Fingers Bakery in Brooklyn and pretty soon our brethren in our nation’s capital will be able to celebrate with finally getting Danielle Konya’s VeganTreats! The ever-lovely Ms. Konya was in DC last week meeting with various veggie restaurants and will soon start distributing her sweet goodness there!
• Sweet & Sara just moved to a bigger marshmallow factory in Long Island City of Queens, NY. With the expansion, Sara Sohn’s vegan marshmallow empire now expands to Australia, Hawaii, and Whole Foods in Chicago!

RIP WrapWorks, I wish I knew how to quit you.

(It’s Pride! Of course I have to write about COK! Hmm…I mean, “C.O.K.”)

Compassion Over Killing has rolled out VegAustin.com to save those in the Southern hipster capital from getting their angled hair all tangled up when they are searching for veg-friendly bites.

And back at their home base and the nation’s capital, COK is rallying up votes for their first annual DC-Metro Best Vegetarian Restaurant contest on VegDC.com. But considering that DC votes don’t really matter, what’s with this whole voting business involving DC? Really, they could have just asked me! (My votes are: Soul Vegetarian, Yuan Fu, and Sunflower!)

In other news…sadly, WrapWorks on Dupont Circle in DC has closed. Their Green Party Wrap (grilled veggies and mango salsa with perfectly seasoned rice) and Lambada Colada (think pina colada with strawberries, raspberries, and mangos added for extra-awesomeness) were my absolute favs. I used to go to WrapWorks every time I’m down in DC. Where oh where will I go now? I miss you so much!!

A few months ago, I got really, really sick of posting about Chinese raccoon dogs and all the terrible department stores their fur was showing up in. Thankfully, two New York legislators have introduced a bill to ban the sale of raccoon dog fur in the state. “Unfortunately, we can’t outlaw the inhumane treatment of these animals in China, but with the legislation I have introduced in the Assembly, we can at least ensure that New York State plays no part in this deplorable practice,” said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal. There’s also a bill in front of the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington to do the same thing; that one would also require the labeling of all fur items, including those valued at less than $150 (which are exempt from labeling by current law).

I hope the only time I ever post about raccoon dogs again is to tell you that this bill passed. And when they inevitably show up in Felix’s cute video collection. (Thanks, Pierre, for the tip.)

This awesome Zippy via Veg Blog.

• “One can certainly put together a healthful vegan diet, but doing so requires a level of nutritional expertise that few Americans possess,” says the Washington Post.
• Miss Manners answers this whiny omni’s protest: apparently the company party will only have vegan food! (The horror!) What to do?!
• We need to get us one of these Austin, Texas veggie hot dog eating contests.
• Coca-Cola took the PepsiCo challenge, agreeing to stop funding animal testing (a few weeks after Pepsi did).
• Rent-a-Rescue: “Flexible pet ownership” by FlexPets.

Once a month, the Washington Post‘s “Chef on Call” plays matchmaker between civilians with food issues and professional chefs with solutions. In today’s edition, a sixty-something couple gets a course in gourmet Indian cooking courtesy Chef Nilesh Singhvi of D.C.’s Bombay Club.

Sandra Gaffigan read The China Study and went vegan, but her steak-loving husband Jim has been tough to convert, especially with such tactics as a “kit for wheat berry chili that used eggplant as a meat substitute.” Unfortunately, Chef Singhvi’s food didn’t really do the trick for him either; after what sounds like an amazing feast of Fruit Chaat, Hara Kebab, Kadai Mushrooms, Moong Usal, Raita, and Khubani Ka Meetha, Jim remains unconvinced.

But the rest of us get the boon of a bunch of great recipes, and a very mainstream article that treats veganism as totally normal, respectable, and healthy.

Mark your calendars for this year’s Taking Action for Animals
conference in Washington D.C. From July 28–30, an array of leading animal protection organizations such as the ASPCA and HSUS, to name only a few, will seek to motivate, inform and inspire through speakers and training workshops.

Sign up for the e-mail list to stay up to date on new information as it becomes available, or e–mail HSUS for further details or to register. If you’ve been to the event in previous years please share your experience in the comments.

Looking for more vegan Thanksgiving options? Join United Poultry Concerns for a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Open House in Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 2 to 5pm. Just bring a vegan dish that will feed four people, and go!

A few days before, UPC will lead a demonstration at the White House. Join the organization on Tuesday, Nov. 21, from noon to 4pm, at the Lafayette Park-South West Quadrant, and help educate people about the cruelty turkeys suffer before becoming the centerpiece of their holiday meal. There’s also mention of a vegan Thanksgiving celebration, but no details.

To reserve a spot at the Open House or for more information about the demonstration, call 757-678-7875 or e-mail Karen@upc-online.org.

According to the Equal Justice Alliance, “In a late night move on Friday, AETA was added to the House Suspension Calendar for THIS Monday! This underhanded fast-track maneuver, like the one in the Senate, means that AETA will not have any debate…only an up/down vote.” The vote is scheduled to take place after 6:30pm.

Please contact your representatives today (Sunday) and tomorrow morning, by phone, fax, and/or e-mail, and ask them to vote against HR 4239, S 3880 and to have it removed from the suspension calendar. The EJA provides a sample letter and talking points, as well as links to your representatives’ contact information.

If you’re in the DC area, lobby against the AETA on Monday at 10am. For details, check out NoAETA.org on Monday morning, or call 800-632-8688 or 202-468-4834.

Bluegill.

The BBC News reports that Bluegills are being used as the latest weapon in the war against terror. New York, Washington D.C., and San Francisco are now testing the municipal water supply on these critters. The fish are held captive in tanks into which a fresh supply of city drinking water is pumped several times a day. They are then monitored for signs of exposure to toxins, such as coughing.

NYC bluegills recently detected a diesel fuel spill two hours before any Department of Environmental Protection device, but word on the street is they’re not too strong in the bomb, hyjacked planes, and anthrax detection areas.

The Horse Slaughter Prevention Act may be heard by the House on Thursday, so your help is needed immediately. Willie Nelson talks about why this bill is so important.

If you haven’t already, e-mail your representatives and ask them to ban the killing of horses and the transport of horse flesh and live horses for the purpose of human consumption.

On Tuesday, join the rally in DC, then lobby the House to pass H.R. 503. And on Wednesday, take part in National Call-In Day for Horses by asking your legislator to protect America’s equines.

Skinny Bitch: “You are a total moron if you think the Atkins Diet will make you thin.”

I got to the Taking Action For Animals conference shortly after 3:00pm. Perhaps the most exciting thing about conferences is seeing old friends and colleagues, and surely, meeting new ones as well. It took me over an hour to do the first of many rounds of meet and greets, so sadly I missed the keynote presentation of Farm Sanctuary’s Gene Bauston.

Then, my stomach demanded my attention and I made a run with the awesome Pulin Modi to Ella’s Pizza, which was conveniently just a few blocks away from the conference site. (This in turn caused me to miss the ballot campaign presentations from the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban and Arizonans for Humane Farms.) The pizza was ok, but it was a bit pricey – $28 for a plain large pie featuring the vegan meltable Follow Your Heart soy cheese!! And you thought NYC was pricey!!! I miss my Two Boots!!

Thankfully, I made it to the sweet and inspiring talk by Rory Freedman, author of the Los Angeles Times best seller, Skinny Bitch – “a no non-sense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous” (or, in other words, go vegan).

Rory told of how she got started in animal activism as a student at the University of Maryland – College Park, and how four years ago, she actually was one of us, sitting and listening to people speak at an animal rights conference, until she decided to help spread the word on veganism by penning her witty book for the masses.

The most touching part of her talk was when she invited 9 student activists to read quotes that she included in her book from Gail Eisnitz’s Slaughterhouse with her on the stage. She left the audience with the simple message that “behind every ballot initiative or campaign is someone who made it happen” and that everyone should step up to be that “someone” because “one really does make the difference.”

After much inspiration, surely, my stomach demanded for more attention. An army and I including my fellow SuperVegan.com blogger, Olivia Lane, headed to Meskerem for some incredible Ethiopian food. (Sadly, I have yet had Ethiopian food in NYC that is as good as DC.) The friendly and accomodating staff made the experience even more enjoyable – considering that though we made a reservation for 12 for 8:45pm, when we all finally arrived at 9:30pm-ish, we had swelled to an army of 18.

What would have capped off my night would have been some vegan pastries, but sadly though DC has better Ethiopian food than NYC, they don’t have late night vegan desserts options. (Really, almost everything closes in DC around 9:30pm.) So, I headed back to my sister’s place in Arlington and grabbed some raspberry sorbet. And now, I’m just dreaming for my return to NYC.

Check back tomorrow for Day 2 of TAFA coverage!

Say allo à moi at Taking Action for Animals!

Taking a cue from my fellow SuperVegan blogger – the wonderful Olivia Lane, I’ll be setting up shop with my laptop at the Viva! table at the Taking Action For Animals conference this weekend in Washington, DC! And like Olivia, I’ll try and see if I’ll be able to blog right on site from the conference. So, definitely do stop by and say hello to moi!

Haven’t registered for the conference yet? (Well, neither have I actually, but I’m getting on it!) Go straight to their website! Oh, and don’t forget to attend the COK Benefit Dinner Party!

Yes. They‘ll be there.

The folks at Satya magazine, Java Green restaurant, and Sticky Fingers Bakery are teaming up to throw a superfun benefit for Compassion Over Killing (COK) on Tuesday. The well-purposed dinner party takes place in D.C. and neatly bookends the Taking Action for Animals Conference. Stuff your face, flirt your ass off, save the animals—it’s a great deal!

Tuesday, September 5, 5:30-8:30pm, Java Green, 1020 19 Street N.W., Washington D.C., 202-775-8899, RSVP: feedback@satyamag.com, $20 recommended donation.