The VRG's Maryland Newsletter by Emma Malone

June, 2013

1. EDITOR'S NOTE
2. VRG LUNCH AT THAI LANDING IN BALTIMORE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013
3. TWO BOOTS PIZZERIA OFFERS VEGAN PIZZA
4. SILVER DINER OFFERS A HEALTHIER SELECTIONS MENU
5. VISIT VRG AT THESE OUTREACH BOOTHS
6. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS STREET FAIR
7. VRG BOOTH AT UMBC'S 3RD ANNUAL VEGFEST
8. VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS
9. THE LOST CITY DINER REVIEW
10. OTHER EVENTS
11. THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP VEGAN VIETNAMESE DINNER IN HOUSTON
12. BOOTH TABLECLOTHS
13. GET DISCOUNTS ON PRESCRIPTIONS, VISION, HEARING, AND DENTAL SERVICES
14. PREPARING PASTA IN A MICROWAVE AND A HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE USING A 
LOT OF VEGGIES
15. VEGAN VINE UNVEILS NEW MEMBERS-ONLY WINE CLUB WITH SPECIAL 
DISCOUNTS, SHIPMENTS, AND EVENTS
16. B-MORE ALIVE!
17. REVIEW OF INTERNSHIP
18. THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS
19. CALL A DIETITIAN DAY SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013
20. ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP

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1. EDITOR'S NOTE
Thank you for your expressed interest in The Vegetarian Resource
Group!  My name is Emma, and I have been interning at The VRG this
spring. It has been a pleasure to work with everyone at The VRG and to
see how much vegetarianism means to so many people out there. I will
surely take the learning experiences with me. I hope you have enjoyed
our services and continue to support The Vegetarian Resource Group.
Enjoy!

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2. VRG LUNCH AT THAI LANDING IN BALTIMORE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013
Thai Landing at 1207 N. Charles Street in Baltimore has created a new
vegetarian menu after 20 years in operation. The Vegetarian Resource
Group is sponsoring a vegan lunch at Thai Landing on Sunday June 23 at
2 pm with the following menu. All dishes contain no fish sauce, and
they said they will moderate the spice level of dishes. (However,
everyone has a different notion of spices. So if you are sensitive to
spices or have to have a lot of spices, you may want to go at another
time.) They will be serving family style on the second floor. There
are steps. Menu subject to change. Thank you to Mark Rifkin, RD for
organizing this dinner, and for attendees who want to support
restaurants adding vegan options.

VEGAN MENU
Som Tam (Thai Papaya Salad with peanut dressing)
Pad Kra Prao (Tofu, fresh basil, carrots, string beans, bamboo shoots, and
a little hot pepper)
Roti Massaman Pak (Chick peas with cauliflower, zucchini, carrots,
potatoes, and peanuts simmered in coconut milk with mild curry)
Pad Woon Sen (Vegan soy chicken with stir-fried tofu, bean thread noodles,
baby corn, mushrooms, onions, snow peas, bean sprouts, and green onions)
Tofu with Mushroom Pad Khing (Stir fried tofu with ginger, black mushrooms,
button mushrooms, baby corn, snow peas, carrots and onions)
Rice

COST: $25, which includes tax and tip.
You must prepay by June 13th.  Seating is limited.
Send $25 per person with names of attendees to The Vegetarian Resource
Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; Call (410) 366-8343 
 with a
credit card Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, or pay online at
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]. Write Thai dinner and attendees' names in
the comment section. Refunds can only be made if we can replace your
seat, since we have to give Thai Landing a count ahead of time.

We hope to see you there!

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3. TWO BOOTS PIZZERIA OFFERS VEGAN PIZZA
Two Boots Pizzeria located at 1203 W Mt Royal Ave in Baltimore offers 
vegan pizza. All of their crust is vegan and pizza can be ordered with 
Daiya cheese. Be sure to ask to have the "mild sauce" which is free of 
all animal products.

[ http://www.twoboots.com/TW2008/baltimore/ ]

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4. SILVER DINER OFFERS A HEALTHIER SELECTIONS MENU
Silver Diner, with several locations in Maryland and Virginia, is 
offering many new items on their healthier selection menu. Not only does 
the healthier selection menu have lots of vegetarian options but they 
have a great variety of dishes with lots of ingredients you don't 
commonly find at a diner.

Some of the new additions to the menu include: Pesto Veggie Pasta, Santa 
Fe Roasted Veggies, and Black Bean Hummus. The Santa Fe Roasted Veggies, 
made with Chipotle seasoned brussel sprouts, beets, butternut squash, 
eggplant, quinoa, oaxaca, black bean salsa, sunflower seeds, apricots, 
salsa roja, and cilantro is a good example of these wholesome veggie 
entrees.

[ http://www.silverdiner.com/menu/healthierselections ]

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5. VISIT VRG AT THESE OUTREACH BOOTHS
The Vegetarian Resource Group will be having an outreach booth at the
following events.

Local (Maryland Area) Events:
On June 22th: Booth at the 32nd Street Farmers Market in Waverly, in
Baltimore, Maryland.
[ http://www.32ndstreetmarket.org/ ]

National (Outside of Maryland Area) Events:
1. On June 15th: Richmond VegFest in Richmond, Virginia.
[ http://www.veggiefest.org/ ]

2. On June 28th: Animal Rights Conference near Washington, D.C.
[ http://www.arconference.org/exhibitors.htm ]

If you would like to volunteer at any of these events, contact
Soren at [email protected].

If you would like to donate towards our veggie outreach, donate at
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ].

Donations can also be sent to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box
1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. Or call (410) 366-8343. Thank you.

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6. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS STREET FAIR
by Whitney Blomquist

Philadelphia's International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) Street Fair
brought out an estimated 200,000 Philadelphians and their neighbors
from surrounding cities. It was a huge event with acrobats, street
performers, concerts, food trucks, artwork, carnival rides, and
shopping, all to celebrate the arts of Philadelphia. This year's theme
was "If You Had a Time Machine..." I dressed up as Philadelphia's
favorite man, Benjamin Franklin. Did you know he loved tofu? My family
dressed up as the tofu.

Many of the attendees let us know how excited they were to see us at
the festival.  Several discussed the impact a vegetarian diet has had
in community outreach programs that Philadelphia has been implementing
throughout the city. They share a common goal of bettering the health
of Philadelphia's homeless population as well as the health of
children that attend inner city schools. We also spoke with teachers
that were interested in using VRG materials in some of their lesson
plans and a high school senior who starts college in Philadelphia this
coming August. She was worried about a lack of vegan restaurants near
her school so we shared the Philadelphia Restaurant guide and
recommended some of our personal favorites to her.

The PIFA Street Fair gave VRG an opportunity to connect with a diverse
group of people who were interested and open to learning more about
health and animal rights related issues. We had a blast dressing up and
getting to experience the arts of Philadelphia!

If you are interested in volunteering at a VRG booth at an event in your 
community, email [email protected]. For a list of other 
ways to become
involved, visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/getinvolved.php ]
To support veg outreach, donate at [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

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7. VRG BOOTH AT UMBC'S 3RD ANNUAL VEGFEST
By Emma Malone

Last month I had the pleasure of accompanying dietitian Mark Rifkin to 
UMBC's 3rd Annual VegFest to set up and run The VRG's booth. This was 
the first festival I got to attend which was entirely Veg-themed, and I 
had a lot of fun being a part of it. It was really great to see everyone 
come together to celebrate their common appreciation for the vegetarian 
lifestyle. Lots of people came, even some who had driven all the way 
from Virginia or New Jersey just for the festival. Also, it was a 
beautiful day, so even non-vegetarian college students came out to check 
it out.

UMBC's Vegetarian Club recruited some great groups to be involved. There 
were many local businesses supplying vegan products, like organic fruit, 
vegan food (among which included the booth next to us selling homemade 
vegan cupcakes and desserts-yum!), natural soaps, and much more. Between 
Mark and I we got delicious Indian food, ever-tempting falafel, and what 
looked like an award-winning vegan chocolate peanut butter cup treat. We 
also came home with some all-natural chemical free laundry detergent, 
vegan cheese, organic fruit, as well as peanut butter tofu and spicy 
seitan. It was a great event for getting to try some of the best things 
out there for vegans and to be amongst people who share a lot of common 
values.

Throughout the day the festival featured live music, a speech by Dr.
Kirt Tyson on veganism and treatment for diabetes, as well as a
cooking demonstration by Annie Shannon. It was a great event, and
people were so friendly and eager to learn from us. Hanging out and
partaking in the whole celebration was great, and on top of that I
also got to learn a lot from Mark as he gave out vegan dietary advice
to festival-goers (and to ask him a few questions of my own). I look
forward to going to another festival like this.

If you are interested in volunteering at a VRG booth at an event in
your community, email [email protected]. For a list of other ways to become
involved, visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/getinvolved.php ]

To support veg outreach, donate at [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

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8. VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS
Congratulations to Our $5000 Scholarship Winner Greta Lorenz
[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2013/05/13/greta-lorenz-receives-5000-vrg-college-scholarship/ ]

Vegan Products at Harris Teeter
[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2013/04/24/vegan-products-at-harris-teeter/ ]

Information about L-Cysteine
[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2013/04/22/information-about-l-cysteine/ ]

Las Sopas de SudAmerica
[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2013/04/17/las-sopas-de-sudamerica/ ]

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9. THE LOST CITY DINER REVIEW
by Emma Malone

From the minute I walked into The Lost City Diner, it had me feeling
like a little kid in a toy store. My boyfriend and I both have a thing
for eating out at diners, but this one especially was really cool.
This diner is what it would look like if you traveled to a
1950's-styled diner on a futuristic inhabited Mars. It is themed like
science fiction comic books, complete with a large metal zeppelin
hanging over the entrance and 5-foot-tall posters of fantastic alien
and sci-fi comic book art.

Even better, of course, the diner has several vegetarian and vegan
dishes on the menu. Everything that can be prepared vegan is marked
with a little V icon, including vegan chili, eggplant sub, a vegan
meatball sub, and their "Half-Moon Personalized Quesadilla" which can
be made with vegan cheese and meatless beef crumbles, Gardein brand
no-meat chicken or beef strips. They also offer Daiya brand cheddar
and mozzarella cheese, vegan sour cream, homemade vegan dipping sauce,
vegan sausage, and a vegan BLT. I ordered the "Venus," a Gardein brand
meatless burger with vegenaise brand vegan mayo.

Anyway, the real attraction for us was the vegan ice cream sundae menu
and vegan milkshakes! They offer most sundaes with a soy vanilla ice
cream equivalent and vegan toppings. We ordered the "Zenith" vegan
sundae, which was made with vanilla ice cream, bananas, peanut butter
sauce, and hot fudge. It was fantastic! Some of their other vegan
toppings include vegan wet walnuts, vegan whipped cream, vegan
marshmallow, and of course fresh sliced strawberries. They will also
soon be offering the chocolate vegan ice cream!

It was a lot of fun and I hope to go back again soon.

To see our comprehensive list of Vegetarian Restaurants see the
following links:

[ http://www.vrg.org/restaurant ]
[ http://www.vrg.org/links/restaurant.htm ]

and for information on vegetarian restaurants in and around Baltimore,
see a copy of the VRG's Guide to Vegetarian Dining in the Greater
Baltimore Area at [ http://www.vrg.org/travel/baltimore.pdf ].

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10. OTHER EVENTS

--REHOBOTH BEACH VEGFEST
For information see the website at
[ http://rehobothvegfest.org/ ]

--THE 6TH ZEGEVEGE FESTIVAL- CROATIAN VEGANMANIA
You are invited to Veganmania in Croatia - the 6th ZeGeVege Festival
of Sustainable Living!
Zagreb, Croatia - Trg bana Jelacica - Sept 6-7, 2013!

More than 30,000 visitors, 24 performers and 60 exhibitors at last
year's ZeGeVege Festival are guaranteed to be here again and are
reasons why you should visit and participate in the 6th ZeGeVege
Festival.

Do not forget: Friday, Sept 6, 2013 (from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and Saturday,
Sept 7, 2013 (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) are days when you must be in Zagreb
because it's time for another Veganmania!

This year we also expect fun for everyone and two-day long socializing
with numerous exhibitors and performers from Croatia and abroad at 60
stalls and during the 20-hour long music and stage program.

After Linz, Ljubljana, Graz, Winterthur, Munich, Vienna, Klangenfurt,
Iserlohn and Innsbruck the time has come for the September Veganmania in
Zagreb!

More information at [ http://www.facebook.com/ZeGeVegeFestival ] or
[ http://www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php?id=1523 ].

--32ND ANNUAL VRG PRE-THANKSGIVING POTLUCK DINNER IN BALTIMORE
Hosted at 5:00 PM, Sunday November 24th at North Baltimore Mennonite
Church, 4615 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210, we will show our
appreciation for turkeys by not eating them and serving many delicious
festive vegan dishes.

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11. THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP VEGAN VIETNAMESE DINNER IN HOUSTON
The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan networking dinner
during the annual meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The restaurant is within walking distance of the Convention Center.
VRG's Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels and VRG staff will participate in
a discussion.

Located at Cafe TH, 2108 Pease Street, Houston, TX 77003
Sunday, October 20, 2013, 6 PM

Menu:
Spring rolls with tofu.
Vegetable Noodle Soup with rice noodles, tofu, and vegetables including
squash, portabella mushrooms, and bok choy
Yellow Curry with cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and potatoes
Vermicelli with Lemongrass
Stir-Fried Tofu with tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers
Rice
Tea

Cost: $25 per person. Includes tax and tip.

Menu subject to change. Please reserve early as seating is limited.
Please send $25 to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203. Pay at [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ] and write in
Th Dinner and the attendees' names in the notes. Or call (410) 366-8343 

between 9 AM and 5 PM Eastern time, Monday to Friday to pay with a Visa
or MasterCard. Refunds only if we can replace your seat.

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12. BOOTH TABLECLOTHS
by Whitney Blomquist

Throughout the year VRG participates in activities in Maryland and 
around the nation. It is important that we maintain a  professional 
presence at these events. We are asking for your help to purchase 
tablecloths that will have VRG's logo imprinted on them. These 
tablecloths will not only keep our booths looking neat, they will make 
set-up easier for our volunteers. One tablecloth with logo is $150. Two 
are $250.

Donations can be made at [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]. 
Please write in the comments that this is a donation earmarked for a
booth tablecloth. To make a donation, you can also call (410) 366-8343
or mail a check to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203.  We appreciate your support.

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13. GET DISCOUNTS ON PRESCRIPTIONS, VISION, HEARING, AND DENTAL SERVICES
The free WellCardRX provides discounts for prescriptions, vision,
hearing aids, and dental work. Download the following PDF for your
free card, as well as additional information about the program and how
to get a list of participating providers:

[ http://www.vrg.org/offers/images/wellnessrxcard.pdf ]

This free discount card program is not an insurance plan. The card is
only valid at participating providers and may not provide the lowest
discount. Request the best price. Use of the card may result in a
donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

A person may either get a better price with the Rx Card or with their 
insurance. In some cases, the Rx card provides a better price on generic 
medications. Also, if a person has maxed out his/her vision or dental 
component of their health plans, at some providers they may be able to 
use the card to get savings on dental and vision work.

To receive a bulk quantity of health savings WellCardRX, contact
[email protected].

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14. PREPARING PASTA IN A MICROWAVE AND A HOMEMADE
MARINARA SAUCE USING A LOT OF VEGGIES
By John Jentelson

Saturday afternoon, I was preparing a homemade marinara sauce using a
lot of fresh veggies from the terrific salad bar here at the
retirement home. I added some Muir Glen canned organic tomato products
and veggie broth, some Bolner Fiesta Spices herbs and spices, hot
sauce, chopped garlic that I still buy in a jar, and some other
vegetables.  While it was cooking on the stovetop, I considered what
grain or pasta to use. I often use quinoa but decided on some whole
wheat penne under the Meijer store label (6 grams of fiber). But how
to cook it before adding to the sauce?

I just didn't feel like pulling out a 3-qt sauce pot and spend time
bringing the water to a boil. So, even though there were no
instructions on the package about how to use a microwave oven, I
decided to look it up online and came across some guidelines. What did
I have to lose?

I took a 2-qt Gladware micro-safe container and filled it halfway with
cold water. I poured in about 2 cups of pasta, covered it loosely with
the lid, and cooked on high for 5 or 6 minutes. At that point, after
letting it rest about one minute, I removed the container over to the
sink, stabbed a fork-full of the pasta and discovered it wasn't cooked
enough.  I just covered it again and cooked it for another 5 minutes.
Repeated the tasting process and felt is was about al dente,
especially since I was going to drain it and add to the marinara for a
half-hour to saturate it with flavor.

I'm really impressed, considering I've been cooking about 55 years and
never heard of this technique. There are over 100 sites explaining
this technique for cooking pasta in a microwave, so I'm not the first.
I didn't add anything but water to the container.

Link:  
[ http://www.microwavecookingforone.com/MoreRecipes/PastaPastaPasta.htmlx ]

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15. VEGAN VINE UNVEILS NEW MEMBERS-ONLY WINE CLUB WITH SPECIAL 
DISCOUNTS, SHIPMENTS, AND EVENTS
San Martin, Calif., (May 8, 2013) The Vegan Vine, a line of California 
Central Coast wines made without animal byproducts, today announced its 
new Wine Club, offering quarterly shipments and member benefits not 
available to the general public.

Wine Club members receive 15 percent off all Vegan Vine orders, 
invitations to exclusive events, dinners, tastings, and more. Each 
quarter, members receive a shipment of four bottles of Vegan Vine Wine, 
one bottle of each of Sauvignon Blanc 
[ http://shop.theveganvine.com/store/item/Sauvignon-Blanc ], Chardonnay 
[ http://shop.theveganvine.com/store/item/chardonnay ], Red Blend 
[ http://shop.theveganvine.com/store/item/Red-Blend ] and Cabernet 
Sauvignon [ http://shop.theveganvine.com/store/item/Cabernet-Sauvignon ] 
for $53.55 a $63 retail value (tax and shipping not included). A Vegan 
Vine glass with the slogan "wine with compassion" on the back is also 
included.

"The Vegan Vine's Wine Club is a way to thank our community for their 
support and loyalty, and reward them with special offers and exciting 
events to showcase how satisfying animal-free wines and entertaining can 
be," said Cheryl Durzy, co-founder of The Vegan Vine and Vice President 
of Sales and Marketing for Clos LaChance.

Former NBA champion John Salley [ http://johnsalley.com/ ], a part
owner and ambassador for The Vegan Vine, will host a series of dinners
with food/wine pairings in 2013, with upcoming events scheduled in New
York City, Ann Arbor Mich., and Los Angeles. Details about each dinner
will be released first to Wine Club members.

"I'm looking forward to these dinners, and sharing my passion for fine 
vegan food and wines with our guests and club members," said Salley. 
"The Vegan Vine is eager to educate the vegan, foodie, and wine-drinking 
communities about producing wines in a way that's respectful of the 
earth and the animals we share it with."

The Vegan Vine is made entirely without animal ingredients that are 
typically used in the wine filtration process. In most wines, isinglass 
(from sturgeon fish bladder), gelatin, egg whites, or caseins (a milk 
protein), are used as processing aids while fining the wines to help 
remove solids. Although typically filtered out of the wine before it is 
sold, the use of these animal ingredients makes many wines unsuitable 
for vegans.

Wine Club shipments can be customized to individual specification by 
calling the Wine Club Manager at 408-686-1050.

The Vegan Vine wines can also be purchased directly (legal shipping 
states only) by calling 1-800-ITS-WINE. For the most recent list of 
locations carrying The Vegan Vine please visit 
[ http://theveganvine.com/find-buy ].

ABOUT THE VEGAN VINE

The Vegan Vine line of vegan wines, suitable for an animal-free
lifestyle, is grown and produced by Clos LaChance Winery. The Vegan
Vine avoids animal products in the production process by allowing the
wines to naturally settle out the undesirable particles and by using
bentonite clay instead of animal-based fining agents. The excess
compounds are removed with sterile filtration, promoting freshness
without animal products. Grapes are sourced from Clos LaChance's
Estate Vineyards in the Northern Central Coast, where the wines have
the benefit of a climate and terroir that naturally creates a softer
style wine. The Vegan Vine Wines include an award-winning Cabernet
Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Red Blend, and Sauvignon Blanc. More
information on The Vegan Vine can be found at 
[ http://www.theveganvine.com/ ], on Facebook 
[ http://facebook.com/TheVeganVine ] and on Twitter: @VeganVineWine.

ABOUT CLOS LACHANCE

Clos LaChance Winery has been in business since 1992. Being a good 
steward of land and resources is a key practice in Clos LaChance's 
farming and winemaking methods. Owners Bill and Brenda Murphy strive to 
maintain a beautiful and healthy environment for themselves, employees, 
neighbors of the winery, and visitors. As a family-owned and operated 
business, the Murphys are especially vested in the sustainability of the 
winery and vineyard, with the hopes of creating a legacy for their 
children and grandchildren. In 2010, Clos LaChance's winery and its 150 
acres of Estate vineyards were Certified Sustainable by the California 
Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. In addition, the winery bottles their 
wines in eco-glass, which is 25 percent lighter than regular wine 
bottles. The winery is located at One Hummingbird Lane in San Martin, 
California.

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16. B-MORE ALIVE!
B-more Alive! is a Baltimore-based business that specializes in 
preparing and offering vegetarian and vegan options in the Baltimore 
area. They are most well known for their famous (In Baltimore) Falafel 
wraps which give a funky twist to the traditional middle-eastern 
sandwich. B-more Alive chooses local seasonal and organic ingredients 
and prepares everything from scratch, from the falafel patties to the 
tahini sauce. You can find them set up at many of the area's biggest and 
best festivals offering this staple meal. They also offer homemade wild 
fermented (old style pickled) specialties such as Sour Kraut and Kimchi. 
Support B-More Alive! at local events including Karmafest, Baltimore 
Herb Festival, Honfest, Hot August Blues Festival and many others.
They also offer catering for events both large and small.

Keep up with their whereabouts on their facebook page 
[ https://www.facebook.com/BMoreAlive?ref=hl ].


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17. REVIEW OF INTERNSHIP
by Emma Malone

This semester I was lucky enough to be an intern at The Vegetarian 
Resource Group, which has been a fantastic experience. I have met some 
really great people and started to feel kind of at home in the office. A 
lot of what I got to do as an intern involved connecting with people and 
learning about their experiences in being and becoming vegetarians and 
vegans. For instance, I read dozens of applications for VRG's annual 
scholarship, which gave me insight into people's reasons for being 
vegetarian: for health, animal rights, positive world change, and much 
much more. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of my time here. 
People had so much to say and so many different, insightful beliefs that 
I could really appreciate.

I found all of the experiences very compelling. People shared about 
their deepest passions and about how becoming vegetarian helped them 
overcome struggles in their lives. Some had dealt with eating disorders, 
diabetes, and being overweight and had been able to greatly improve 
their health and state of being by becoming vegetarian. In addition, 
they improved their self-esteem and confidence, which I think makes a 
huge difference in people's lives. It was a reoccurring theme for these 
young people THAT taking control of their eating behaviors had not only 
given them a sense of overall self-control and empowerment, but it 
allowed them to feel like they could face any obstacle that came their 
way. Because of that success they aspired to do great things with their 
lives for the world and for themselves. I got to write back to these 
students, as well as to students who sent in Youtube videos for our 
video contest, and getting to connect with people and give them positive 
feedback was wonderful.

I actually used this as inspiration for my final project at Towson 
University in a research study about how vegetarianism can be 
therapeutic as it reinforces a healthy identity and promotes the overall 
well-being of the individual. Not only will I take this experience with 
me as I go on to higher education and go on to work in the psychology 
field, but it has definitely made me think more about where I want to be 
with my own health and life. I plan to be more conscious and committed 
to my choices and I feel encouraged to become vegan one day.

Over the course of my time here, I have also gotten to do a lot of 
writing including restaurant reviews and product reviews (which required 
sampling lots of new and delicious vegan foods) and I put together the 
monthly email newsletters, which was a privilege. Beyond that, I worked 
booths at both the CityLit Festival and the 3rd Annual UMBC VegFest, 
both of which were lots of fun. I met a lot of interesting people at the 
CityLit Festival and heard from many diverse perspectives. At the UMBC 
VegFest I worked alongside the knowledgeable dietitian Mark Rifkin and 
learned from him as he gave out dietary advice. It was amazing to see 
how many people he was able to help and to see how grateful the people 
were. Nutrition is really something that is underrated and misconstrued 
in general society, and I hope we begin working even more towards 
holistic, preventative healthcare with a focus on diet.

Now that my internship is just about over, I still get to look forward 
to meeting more of The VRG's staff at the upcoming Animal Rights 
Conference in Alexandria, VA as well as to coming back into the office 
now and then to help out. It's been really nice to develop this side of 
myself and to work alongside the people at The VRG. Everyone I've gotten 
to work with in the office has been really kind and helpful. Not only 
have they given me such great feedback and encouraged me to do my best 
with all of my work, but they have been very eager to give me guidance 
for my post-undergrad endeavors. I enjoyed getting to know them and I'm 
sure I will be coming back into the office even after my internship is 
through. I would like to thank everyone for taking me on as an intern 
and for making the experience what it was. It has been lovely!

For more information about VRG internships, see 
[ http://www.vrg.org/student/ ].
To donate towards VRG internships, scholarships, and other projects, 
visit [ http://www.vrg.org/donate/ ].

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18. THANKS TO VOLUTEERS
The VRG would like to extend their thanks to the following for their
help in the office:

Chris Dietrich
Burkely Hermann
Emma Malone

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19. CALL A DIETITIAN DAY SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013

Our next Call-A-Dietitian Day will be Saturday, July 20, 2013, from 12
Noon to 3 PM EST. Appointments are in 15 minute increments.

If you have general nutrition questions, Ed Coffin, RD will be available
by telephone. To reserve a 15-minute time slot, please email the VRG
office at [email protected] or call (410) 366-8343.

Please be advised that these sessions are not individualized nutritional
counseling. Such advice should only be provided through direct in-person
contact with a qualified health professional. There is no charge, but if
you do commit, please call on time. Otherwise you are taking someone
else's spot.

Ed Coffin holds a bachelor's degree in clinical nutrition and is a
registered dietitian. He has clinical experience from a variety of
facilities such as Women Infants and Children and Veteran's Affairs. Ed
has worked in nearly every part of the natural and organic foods sector
from logistics to packaging and production.

************************************************************************

20. ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP
Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with
businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your
school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians
aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer
member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian
Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes
primarily from memberships, donations, bequests and book sales. The
VEGETARIAN JOURNAL, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in
The VRG. (For more information, please see the VEGETARIAN JOURNAL
online at [ http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ] )

To sign up for The Vegetarian Resource Group national email
newsletter, please visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

To sign up for The VRG's Maryland Email Newsletter, please visit:
[ http://www.vrg.org/local/ ]

We are also on Facebook and Twitter!!
[ http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup ]
[ http://www.twitter.com/VegResourceGrp ]

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or
find out more about The VRG, contact us at:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343 
Fax: (410) 366-8804 
E-mail: [email protected], Website: [ http://www.vrg.org ]
To donate:
[ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=1565 ]

Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2013
The contents of this newsletter, and our other publications, including
Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice.
Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.
We often depend on product and ingredient information from company
statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info
can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made.
Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable
for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

If you were forwarded this message and would like to sign up for our
monthly local email newsletter please see our website:
[ http://www.vrg.org/local/ ]

If you wish to not receive the Local Email Newsletter, send an e-mail
message to [email protected] with the phrase "remove me from local email
newsletter."