Arkansas Vegan: An online community and information source for vegans and vegetarians in Arkansas.
Celebrate!
Every day is a holiday somewhere in the world, and every day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our compassionate lifestyle.
Croatia
Ever wonder where those white dogs with black spots come from? Dalmatia is a region on the east coast of Croatia, jutting out into the Adriatic Sea. Think about it: ALL the dogs living there are Dalmations - heck, so are all the cats, and all the people too!
August 5: Croatia: Homeland Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving in Croatia doesn't involve 17th century pilgrims at all - in fact, zoom ahead to 1991. The country we once knew as Yugoslavia was in deep trouble. The majority of the power was held by one group, and on June 25th the other two groups formally declared independence and formed their own countries: Croatia and Slovenia. The government resisted, civil war broke out, and finally on August 5th, 1995 Croatia won its independence. Slovenia did too, later Bosnia-Hercegovina was formed, and what was left of Yugoslavia became known as Serbia And Montenegro. The NATO forces that were brought in to bring peace to the region were led by famous Arkansan General Wesley Clark, Supreme Allied Commander NATO Europe. (You know President Clinton Blvd in Little Rock? The citizens of Djakovica, Kosovo named their main street after General Clark because of his help in ending the horrible ethnic cleansing they faced at the hands of the former regime. He was literally a life saver for them!)
To Croations, June 25th 1991 is like our July 4th, 1776, and August 5, 1995 is like our September 3, 1783 - that's the day when the Treaty of Paris was signed officially ending the American Revolutionary War. Definitely something to celebrate! To get you in the mood, here's a very easy recipe for Blitva, a Croatian side dish, another for Croatian Sour Soup, and a really tasty and easy sounding one: Roasted Rosemary Vegetables.
August 11: Zimbabwe: Heroes' Day
Until 1980 the 12 million people of this nation, at that time called Rhodesia, endured highly prejudiced colonial rule. After decades of struggle they gained independence, changed the name of their new nation to Zimbabwe, and expected a bright new beginning. Instead, the country has continued to suffer under the ineffective and near-dictatorial rule of President Robert Mugabe.
Something we have in common with the Zimbabweans is that as the general public endure the challenges of their lives there are a few people that stand out. People that we use as mentors and examples. Sometimes they don't even know it; they just do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. When times are tough we rely on them, and their strength reinforces our own. August 11 is a day to recognize these heroes. How do you define "hero?" Who is a hero to you?
Here's a great recipe for Nhopi (Corn Meal with Pumpkin), a very popular dish. You'll need 1 cup corn meal, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, ½ pound pumpkin, peeled, cooked and mashed (include any cooking liquid), and salt to taste
Bring the water to a boil in a big saucepan and put in the corn meal. Cook, stirring frequently, until it forms a porridge.Stir in the mashed pumpkin. Then add the sugar, peanut butter and salt and combine all ingredients well.
Continue to cook for a few minutes over low heat, adding about ½ cup of the retained pumpkin cooking water (or veggie broth) if necessary to make the consistency you prefer. Serve immediately with spinach or another leafy green.
Eat well! As a vegetarian you save 95 lives every year, and that makes you a hero in my book. This day is all about you, my hero!
Zimbabwe
The health and hunger problems faced by Zimbabweans mean their life expectancy is only 39 years. Do you suddenly realize how lucky you are?
Hungary
Where would we be without Hungary? Hungarians invented / co-invented the carburetor, the transformer, the ballpoint pen, the vinyl record, holography, and so much more.
August 20: Hungary: National Day / St Stephen's Day
August 20 is National Day, known locally as Szent István ünnepe (St. Stephen's Day), or Foundation of State, and even "the day of the new bread." If you guesed this holiday celebrates the formation of a new nation by Stephen go to the head of the class.
Vajk was a warrior king who by defeating virtually all other Magyar clans in the area was able to unite them and create the nation that would later become known as Hungary. When he was baptized at age 10 he had been given the name Stephen, so as king was known as Stephen I of Hungary. After his death miracles were said to have occurred at his grave so he was canonized by the Catholic Pope and became known as Saint Stephen.His picture appears today on the Hungarian 10,000 forint banknote.
This holiday is celebrated each year with fireworks just like our July 4th. A great thing about this holiday though is that we are presented with perfect justification to jump headfirst into "the day of the new bread." The Arkansas Vegan team LOVE to bake, and there is nothing like fresh, hot bread in the office. A favorite here is to modify a French bread recipe for the bread machine by REMOVING the salt and just four tablespoons of the flour, and ADDING two tablespoons of Spike seasoning, two tablespoons of rosemary leaves (little spiky things), and two teaspoons of anise seed. This makes some of the greatest toast you've ever had in your life!
If you don't have a bread machine don't worry - here's an easy recipe for Hungarian Country Bread.
August 29: Russia: Nut Spas
"Nut Spas" sound like wonderful places to send your crazy aunt on holiday, but it's actually a traditional celebration marking the annual nut harvest in Russia. Nuts are a great cause for celebration; consider the wonderful flavors they add to baking, desserts, and savory dishes; the oils they provide; the protein; and the creamy texture when processed. They're indespensible little gems, and we tip our caps and curtsy to the Russians for giving nuts the respect they deserve.
We found a great, easy, inexpensive nut recipe that will be something exciting you you can make for the family. Guarantee you they'll be asking for more Noodles In Nut Sauce. If you'd like to try something Russian, what could be more Russian than borsch? Ahhh, borsch. If you haven't tried it, prepare to be blown away by this amazingly simple, amazingly weird, amazingly GOOD soup! Here's the recipe.
Russia
Russia is the world's biggest country, spanning eleven time zones!
Q: Russia is the world's
second largest producer of oil. What is the only country that produces more?
second largest producer of oil. What is the only country that produces more?
A: Saudi Arabia.
