VeganMoFo and DC VegFest are coming this September

Ready to represent vegankind in DC

VeganMoFo 2013

VeganMoFo, the Vegan Month of Food, returns this September 2013. This former Post Punk Kitchen and blogging event has turned into a social media extravaganza. And rightly so. It's a month-long celebration of the vibrant community of vegan foodies that exists across all platforms and the Universe. Cue the trumpets.

I've participated twice in the past and it was a blast! This year my theme will be smoothies because I've had so much fun blogging about them so far, largely thanks to Crazy Sexy Kitchen. That means I've placed this blog into the Healthy/Whole Foods blogroll group. How cool is that?

My favorite thing about VeganMoFo is finding inspiration in what other MoFo'ers are posting. I can't wait to see what everyone cooks up. I'm going to be on the look-out for fellow blenders and DCites. And I'll be Instagram too, following the #VeganMoFo action.

DC VegFest

And if September wasn't cool enough, DC VegFest is happening on Saturday, September 28th, 2013. Hosted by Compassion Over Killing, this one-day, free festival promotes veggie food in the nation's capital. I didn't get to go last year and it has moved to a cool outdoor location, Yards Park, convenient to Navy Yard Metro. The lineup of speakers looks great. You can even meet the Shannons, our August VegCookbook authors, and see them do a cooking demo. The festival runs from 11am to 6pm.  

  

Cherry blossom foodie resources and a smoothie

Okay, these are magnolia blossoms.

Every year I forget how crowded cherry blossom season is in the District. The entire city is overrun with tourists, even far from the Tidal Basin. I always wonder what guidebooks or travel apps these travelers are using to navigate the city's foodways?

For hungry veggie tourists, I'd recommend:

• VegDC, the excellent local dining guide from Compassion Over Killing
• Happy Cow's DC page or their VegOut app for the iPhone
• The Veracious Vegan blog, featuring Angela's restaurant reviews
• Yelp's DC restaurant reviews
• The Washington Post's Going Out Guide to area restaurants
• The City Paper's annual Best of D.C. restaurant picks

And here is a smoothie recipe to celebrate the cherry blossoms. It's made using my new favorite item from Mountain Rose Herbs: Hibiscus Flower Powder (see photo below). 

Cherry Berry Flower Smoothie
Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries and black raspberries mix
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tsp hibiscus flower powder 
• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp amla powder (optional)

Serves 1.