The Vegan Love Boat Contest

Vegan Italian Sausage Chunky Minestrone made with Tofurky Italian Sausage

Every year around this time there is a excitement that hits The Shannon homestead. We wake up every chilly morning looking forward to dinner. We go to bed looking forward to leftovers for lunch the next day. The leaves begin to change on Brooklyn and we get out our cotton and acrylic sweaters and the whole time we look forward to pre-heating that oven. See folks - It's Tofurky season! 

Now usually we make like 3 or 4 holiday roasts around this time of year to test recipes and because they're awesome but this year Hurricane Sandy hit NYC. After spending a small fortune on subway trips around the city, we haven't been able to find a single holiday roast. Now maybe it's all the shipments being messed up but I'd like to think it's because of the increase in people exploring a meat-free lifestyle. Either way - the bad news is that we don't have a tested recipe to share today but the show must go on! So in the spirit of just going with it - today we're launching our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Contest! Well this year it's more a vegan all-star contest. You know it's like The Love Boat. All these celebrities in one spot having adventures and stuff. Yes,we're a little late this year but we're giving away a prize pack featuring some of our favorite vegan products that we hope will make up for it! 

• 1 Coupon for one free package of Tofurky Deli Slices, Tempeh OR Sausages
• 1 Coupon for one free package of a Gardein product of your choice
• 1 Coupon for one free package of a Earth Balance product of your choice
• Discount Coupons for Amy's, Sweet & Sara Vegan Marshmallows and more Tofurky
• 1 Vegan Marshmallow Variety Pack from Sweet & Sara

Last year, we asked you to leave a comment below telling us what Vegan Thanksgiving tradition or dish you're the most looking forward to but this year - we'll keep it simple. All you have to do is leave a comment below with link to a cute Autumn themed animal picture - like a kitty playing in leaves, a bulldog in a pumpkin or a Llama in a scarf - and we'll randomly choose ONE MEMBER from the comments below to win!

 

Sorry folks you have to live in the United States to win. You also have to be a member so we can contact you later to send you your prize packet. If you're not already a member, you can find the button to join in the right hand column. We'll be choosing the winner on Thursday Nov. 15th.

So start up your search engines and let's set our course for adventure!*

* That's a line from The Love Boat Theme if you didn't click the link earlier.

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Ranch Dressing & A Gardein Contest! Damn.

The word "Epic" and "Legendary" are used a little too liberally these days. To paraphrase Louis CK  - if you use words like "Amazing" to describe a basket of fried food - you're setting yourself up for a pretty mediocre life. This is a bad habit I'm guilty of. I mean I'm like a shameless serial offender of painting the world "Amazing". So one of my New Years Resolutions is stop being lazy with my language. I think this might be harder than reducing salt, sugar and caffeine in life. Days like today  make it borderline impossible. See - Today is officially Good News Monday!* 

Here's a bit of good news that happened this weekend : A blogger in China helped rescue over 1,000 dogs who were on a truck in route to a slaughterhouse. In the animal rights movement we don't get to hear happy stories everyday. It can make you feel helpless and overwhelmed a lot of the time. So this is a story I'm going to file away for bad days. There is always hope and our actions matter.

Here's some good news that's happening right now! We're partnering with Gardein this week for an epic contest! We're going to be giving away 2 coupons for a Free Gardein Product of Your Choice! To win just leave a comment below telling us which 2 Gardein products you're going to get and what you're going to make with them. Then we'll randomly choose ONE Comment from a Member and send that Member your coupons! 

We're choosing randomly so you can be yourself. In other words, we won't judge if you're stocking up on their burgers and plan to eat them all in one sitting. In fact, that actually sounds kinda impressive. Sorry folks you have to live in the United States to win. You also have to be a member so we can contact you later to send you your feast! If you're not already a member, you can find the button to join in the right hand column. We'll be choosing the winner on Friday January 27th. 


In prime Betty Crocker fashion we're including in this post the recipe for one of our favorite Gardein Products : Buffalo Wings! These little sliders are more than just tasty and easy. They're the right amount of spicy and give you a great excuse to make a huge batch of vegan Ranch dressing. These little sliders are perfect for Super Bowl Sunday or can make a snowy Thursday night a little less chilly.

I hope you love these little buddies as much as we do and good luck with the contest! May the odds be ever in your favor!

The Return of Very Special VegNews Contest & Soy Nog Cheesecake with Buttery Rum Sauce

Almost a year ago from this very day, we posted a recipe for Soy Nog Cupcakes and a contest. A contest that was so epic -- people got so excited that for the year following this little contest -- we were still getting emails asking when we were going to have this contest again... Well. Here it is! 

The return of The Very Special VegNews Contest* and this year's awesome Soy Nog recipe! As we mentioned last year -- this is a magical season! We have excuses to buy and make presents for each other. Which I love. People host parties centered around cookies.Which is as awesome as it sounds. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. Which is incredibly important and I wish happened more. There is random mistletoe everywhere to kiss your husband under. Which is one of my favorite holiday traditions**. And the retour au sommet... Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

I was trying to find a way to top last year's cupcakes and then it hit me... everyone loves vegan cheesecake. I mean everyone. Bring this clandestine vegan treat to any party and watch it disappear plate by plate and you are guaranteed at least one "Hmmm. This is vegan?"

This is a recipe that I think might become a new tradition for us - like partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you this contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far? This will help us plan out our posts for next year.
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized? This will help us make sure the book we're writing covers everything you ever wanted.
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Book Club, Cafe VegNews, Savvy Vegan...?

Before you leave your comment - Remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "Member" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "Join" button in the right hand column of this blog.

We'll randomly choose a Member from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50!


I know. That is a Major Award! That goes great with vegan cheesecake... let's make some.

Beer-Battered Green Beans

So, we've been a little MIA lately. We had computer issues that ended up being a bigger deal than I thought because we needed that computer for our photos. We also had a photo shoot for our "about the author" section with V.K.Rees Photography that was literally magical. She was able to take photos of me that I actually like. It's was like some kind of Harry Potter moment. I've been setting up 2 completely awesome contests for December. You're going to love these. And of course, there is the book...

The deadline for the manuscript for our book is about 2 weeks away and I admit I'm nervous and excited and busy. There's the recipe testing and writing and the typing out of recipes and then double checking there's no typos and just so much to do. I've been so terrified of mistakes and I've literally been micromanaging myself while being excited to finally have the best job in the world.

I had to stay in Brooklyn over Thanksgiving and missed out on The Shannons' Annual Vegan Feast. I can tell you I did make the best of it by getting a lot done - including a Peking Tofurky with drumsticks and Asian vegetable wild rice. But I missed going to Boston to see everyone and spending the holiday with family. This is the first time I have missed Thanksgiving since Dan and I became "us" and it was kind of sad.

But enough with the sad stories, today we're going to talk about Beer Battered Green Beans. You've seen Green Bean French Fried whatever on the menu of all those TGIF-ish places. I've always kind of joked that this trend was a dubious attempt at "healthy fries" after Super Size Me*. I mean after that movie, everybody seemed to be deep frying their green beans. Weird or wonderful? Maybe both.

Having said that - These fries are good! They are delicious. I mean I was really shocked at how fraking good these fries were. Green beans are one of my very favorite vegetables so it was fun to play around with a new way to make them but you have been warned just because these little guys are green doesn't mean they are "health food"... They are a fun, vegan, basket of food that will go great with a cold beer and some Hockey. We should love them for who they are.

Game on!

Where we're going we may not need roads but we're going to need these books! (Yes this is a pretty awesome contest)

Don't worry it will all make sense.

I think every vegan hopes that a day will come when people all over the world are willing and able to adopt a cruelty-free lifestyle that's better for them, the environment, and of course, the animals. Until that day comes, it's up to us vegans and veg-curious to help show the world how easy and fun being a compassionate consumer can be. This is the story of one anonymous reader who is doing what she can to help make this hope a reality.

Recently Dan and I got a email from a reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) who wanted to donate some books for a Meet The Shannons contest. She wanted the books to be prizes at a benfit for Farm Sanctuary, but plans had fallen through. Being an awesome activist, she wanted to make sure these books made it out into the world to help inform and educate people about how easy and important a vegan lifestyle is. So she asked that we give them away on our blog. Challenge accepted!

When the box came, it had a lovely note and 4 brand-new never-been-touched books! Four books that any vegan or veg-curious or just plain animal lover would want on their shelf.

We tried to figure out what would be the perfect contest. We wanted to do something really special--but I'll be honest, we're really focused on the Meet The Shannons book right now and the days are a blur of typing and cooking. Type Type Type. Cook Cook Bake Cook. Wash Dishes. Repeat.

But somewhere in all that, I found these beautiful organic carrots (see photo above) at the market around the corner. So here's our contest! Leave a comment below telling us what you would do with these colorful little carrot buddies and we'll randomly choose ONE Comment from a Member to win 4 cruelty-free living classics!

• Farm Sanctuary by Gene Baur
• The China Study by T.Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II
• Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
• Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia Simpson

We're choosing randomly so you can be as honest as you want. In other words, if you would just gobble 'em down with a bowl of vegan ranch dressing or if you would feed 'em to your house rabbit - it's all good. Sorry, you have to be a member to enter, so that we can contact you later to send you your brain feast! If you're not already a member, you can find the button to join in the right hand column. We'll be choosing the winner on Friday November 18th.

Special thanks goes out of course to our book donor but also to these authors who are helping make a better future for all of us.

PS - Don't forget to adopt a turkey!

Tofurky Meets The Shannons Contest!

Cajun Deep Fried Tofurky with Okra Giblet Gravy

It's no secret that we love Tofurky! We love the deli slices for lunch in sandwiches and salads. We love the roasts with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. We love the leftovers cut up into chunks in pot pies. I mean what's not to love about this vegan classic that has become a Thanksgiving tradition all over the world? Not only is it a compassionate alternative to eating sweet birds like Beatrice at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and Skip and Victoria at Farm Sanctuary but Tofurkys are prefect for whatever creative cooking ideas you want to experiment with during the holiday season. 

We've deep fried them Cajun style after injecting them with a spicy marinade all Paula Deen Style and served them with okra giblet gravy. We've roasted them over an over flame and a can of beer. Yes, we are talking about the infamous beer can Tofurky. We've wrapped it in vegan bacon and brushed it with sea salt and black pepper. We're glazed it with orange and miso and partnered it with Asian vegetable stuffing. Tomorrow we're posting a recipe for a Tofurky roasted in Dark Beer and Rosemary. Today we're launching our Tofurky Contest!

I won't make you wait any longer. Here's the contest! Leave a comment below telling us what Vegan Thanksgiving tradition or dish you're the most looking forward to and we'll randomly choose ONE Comment from a Member to win a coupon for ONE FREE TOFURKY FEAST! That includes:

• One Tofurky® Roast (made with organic non-genetically engineered soybeans) - now 20% larger
• Savory Giblet Gravy
• Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Bread Crumb Stuffing
• Tofurky® Jurky Wishstix
• Organic Chocolate Cake from Amy's Kitchen
• Happy Tofurky Day card & coupons

We're choosing randomly so you can be as honest as you want. In other words, we won't judge if your favorite Thanksgiving tradition is football with pizza veggie dogs or surfing and smores. Sorry folks you have to live in the United States to win. You also have to be a member so we can contact you later to send you your feast! If you're not already a member, you can find the button to join in the right hand column. We'll be choosing the winner on Friday November 11th.

So who wants to win a FREE Tofurky Feast?!?!?

The World Go Vegan Week Contest!

So cute.

 I really love having things that might not be one of a kind but are darn close. I like things that are screen printed by hand and little vintage-y things that have to do with 80's cartoons and toys from my childhood that are actually from the 80s and not Hot Topic. I love kitchen toys that are shaped like robots, wallets made from recycled bicycle tires from Sweden and pillow cases with love letters on them*. That's why I get a lot of things from Etsy. On one website you can find handmade and vintage wonders from all over the world that are all the more special because they aren't mass produced in sketchy factories and really are treasures*. One day I was on Exaltation's store, falling in love with this Oxytocin shaped necklace when I found something just marvelous. If you're not familiar with it, Oxytocin is the neurotransmitter responsible for love and bonding in all relationships. It's basically romance in chemical form. Ironically though what stole my heart was a sweet, little simple and classic necklace that says my favorite word : Vegan.

It's World Go Vegan Week right now and we have special posts planned but to start it all off we're partnering with Exaltation for a fraking kick-ass contest! You guessed it! We're giving away One of these adorable Vegan Necklaces to One lucky Meet The Shannons Reader! These cute little necklaces tell the world that you're a hero to the billions of animals who suffer and die every year for meat and dairy products while being a little more discrete than a cape.

All you have to do to win is leave a comment telling us 2 things :

1. If you could be eating at any veg-friendly restaurant in the world tonight where would you be?
2. Everyone has their own super power. Baking. Knitting. Jitterbugging**. What do you think your super power is?

Of course there is no wrong answers and don't worry about trying to be the most creative. Consider this a brag board that might lead to you one day having an awesome vegan necklace of your very own. Before you leave your comment -- remember in order to win one of our contests, you must be a "member" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "Join This Site" button on the right hand side of this blog under "Friends of The Family" .

We'll randomly choose a member from the comments posted below on Oct. 30th and send you your MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). 

* Yep. I have gotten all these things on Etsy.

**  OK - They're not all treasures.

*** Seriously adorable word right?

Let The Vegan Collection Love-fest Contest Begin!

If you know my husband in real life, you know that he likes what he likes, and that his loyalty to a "good thing" is eternal. Sharing your life with someone like that is easy at Christmas and predicable at restaurants. I could list off examples of the things my love loves for like an hour, but here's what matters today: Dan freaking loves his Vegan Collection wallet. He loves the look. He loves that it's a classic guy's wallet that fits in his pocket. He loves that nobody was hurt making it.

That's why this contest is big deal for us! We both love doing contests with folks who are making the world a better place for animals by providing all us vegans with what we need to not only live a cruelty-free life, but also make it cool. The folks over at The Vegan Collection don't just do that; they also make 100% organic t-shirts with a 90% lower carbon footprint than any other t-shirts out there. and 25% of all profits are donated to organizations that are advocates for animals. So yeah. They are yet another cool thing happening in LA right now, and pretty much the best of the best as far as vegan companies go! 

They are also our partner for the next Meet The Shannons contest! This week, ONE lucky reader can win a Spencer Pocket Wallet and a Vegetable Slayer t-shirt (pictured above)! All you have to do is post a comment below telling us one thing you love about being vegan and a what vegetable you love to "slay". NEXT Monday September 26th at 9pm EST Dan and I will randomly choose ONE winner from the comments below. It will be totally random so you can be honest and admit you love "the babes" or "the cupcakes" or whatever. You can also admit you're not into the greens and your favorite vegetable is tofu. We're all friends here. And in order to win, you have to be a follower of Meet The Shannons so that we have your contact info. To become a follower, just click on the "Join this Site" box in the right hand column in the "Friends of the Family" section.

So let's get this vegan love-fest started!

The Anti-Kobayashi Maru Contest

No not this Maru... Silly.

So the other night I was tweeting with John McDevitt from The Laziest Vegans in the World & Vegan Omaha about Star Trek... and it got me thinking about the Star Trek reboot and how James T. Kirk found a way to beat the infamous Kobayashi Maru.

Now if you're cool enough to not know what that is... it's a test given at Starfleet Academy to all potential captains. It's the basic 'No Win Situation'* featuring Klingons, their Neutral Zone and a doomed civilian vessel. Nobody likes a no-win situation--so it got me thinking about how to create a Everybody Wins Contest!

It also seems like a great time to do it because we have to celebrate our Facebook page hitting 7,000 followers (GASP) and our new Meet The Shannons T-shirts! It's like Blogger Law. So we're putting together a gift pack that will include 1 Meet The Shannon T-Shirt of your choice, 1 Free Method Product (yes the cruelty-free & environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies) and a bunch of other cool stuff. Now if you're wondering if our gift packs are awesome... check out this blog post by The Radioactive Vegan one of our past winners**.

Also check out the beautiful Bianca Phillips (YES from Vegan Crunk) with her winnings from our VegNews contest!

And the lovely Italia Millan, an activist all-star from Detroit, in her winnings from our Herbivore Clothing Company Contest!

So yeah, this mystery prize pack is going to be worth winning especially when you hear how easy it is to win. All you have to do is post a link to an adorable cat or kitten video in the comment section below and NEXT Wednesday Aug. 24th at 9pm EST Dan and I will randomly choose ONE winner and ONE runner-up to win a special 2nd place prize! YES! 2 Winners!

I like to think that we're all going to be winners though, because after this over there will be a list here of some pretty cute internets here that we all can enjoy. It's actually kinda ridiculous how excited I am for this.

Remember in order to win - you have to be a follower of Meet The Shannons - So we have your contact info. To become a follower - Just click on the "Follow" box in the right hand column. So start your search engines and let's get all crazy cute!

* Now if you're a half-full type, you might actually think of this as being the ultimate 'thinking outside the box' situation.

** This prize won't be exactly the same as that one... but it hopefully will be equally awesome if not better!

Attack of The Ridiculously Awful Wedding Album! Warning : Never has whismy made you so sad...

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

I have to apologize for the delay posting this. If you haven't noticed we've had some technical problems lately with photos. So without further ado : The so-awful-it's-awesome director's cut wedding album that features the worst pics from our shenanigan-packed photo shoot. Although I'm worried that since this post is so late, your imagination has created ridiculous situations that put these to shame. If you want to be able to see the looks on our friend's faces - which are kinda amazing - click here.

I started to caption the photos but really they speak for themselves. If you are looking for a less-traumatizing write-up of our cruelty-free wedding, you can check out the write up in Offbeat Bride. Special congratulations goes out to Shaun and Aliza-Marie Johnston who had their own completely vegan wedding this past weekend! Good luck you crazy kids!

ALSO - We've been added to VegNew's 2011 Veggie Award Nominations! A huge thank you goes out to everyone who voted or is going to vote for us and wrote us in and all the above! I'm not going to lie... it's been a tough summer for me, and just being nominated is really great. But it would mean a lot to me if you guys voted for us too! So if you haven't voted yet for Meet The Shannons, please do!

All Kneel Before The Great Herbivore Contest of 2011!*

Anyone who has ever planned a wedding has at one point realized the importance of having a good photographer. You look at how much money is being spent, think about all the folks traveling from all over, and it becomes clear that not having legit documentation would be a tragedy.

And anyone who's ever been anywhere near a wedding has experienced what is captured in this video. Now you might be tempted not to watch it, but someday you'll be old and will regret that choice.

When it came to our wedding, my first and most important request was that there would be no campy wedding photographer hijinks. No Easter baskets full of bridesmaids. No pretending we're on a trampoline. No Photoshop shenanigans. No freaking pyramids!

I can tell you this was clearly explained to our photographer, but alas, the day came and I was unprepared for the pure insanity that was inflicted on my loved ones. I mean it was so bad I keep expecting Ashton Kutcher in a trucker hat to pop from a the bushes all like "Dude! Hilarious!" Two years later, I've found a way to laugh at these photos. Many of you have already seen photos from our cruelty-free wedding on Offbeat Bride, but today you're going to see two never before released director's cut photos and get a chance to win a FREE t-shirt from Herbivore Clothing Company!

Our buddy Josh Hooten over at Herbivore Clothing designed the best wedding invitations ever for our special day, and so it only seems fitting that we'd celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary by sending more Herbivore awesomeness out into the universe!

So here's the contest! VOTE in a comment below for which ridiculous wedding photo you like the most, and we'll randomly choose one follower to win a Free t-shirt from our buddies at Herbivore Clothing Company! If you're not already a follower, you can find the button to follow in the right hand column.

We'll announce the winner on Wednesday, July 27th and release an album of more never before seen wedding photos that will make you laugh and cry. You will feel a wide spectrum of emotions. Shall we begin? Here are the contenders!

A. The Battle Cry (You really should click on this one so you can see the faces better) :

I just want to add that we have the best friends on the planet.

B.The Veil (Please note that this one is a photo of this shot being set up - so it just hints at the insanity you will seeing next week) :

Is this one a teaser? Yep.

So now you know how it works - get out and rock the vote**!



* This title might be only funny if you've seen Superman II and are clicking on the links in this post where I am comparing wedding photographers to General Zod. But even if you are a normal person who has better things to do than remember quotes from amazing 80s superhero movies... this is still an awesome contest!

** Dear 90s - I miss you so much.

Owls are cute - FREE Owl Shopping Bags are Really Cute! TODAY ONLY CONTEST!

During our packing I found these adorable shopping bags that were intended to be prizes at a bridal shower... I could keep them for myself but I would rather share them with you! So we're having a little Earth Day Contest!

So today's contest : Please post a link to a cute owl photo in the comment section below and tonight at 9pm EST Dan and I will randomly choose 4 WINNERS!

Remember in order to win - you have to be a follower of Meet The Shannons - So we have your contact info. To become a follower - Just click on the "Follow" box in the right hand column. So start your search engines and let's get all crazy cute!

The Betty Crocker Project : Pina Colada Cupcakes with a Special Guest Appearance of The Sweet & Sara Contest!

A few months ago we posted a recipe for a cupcake to help get folks in the wintery holiday mood. It was a lovely little cupcake that combined Silk Soy Nog and the spirit of the season. But this weekend while I read countless Facebook statuses talking about freak snow flurries and saw photos posted of the recent NY Vegfest... well, it seemed like it was time for a new cupcake*. A cupcake that would warm your house like a Spring day and remind you that frozen treats and beaches are coming soon. It became clear to me that the time had come for Pina Colada cupcakes**.

As always I looked through our copy of Betty's Big Red to find the recipes that I could piece together to create this masterpiece. Then I remembered an email I got a while back from the folks over at BC about Betty's online cupcake center, and quickly found these. When you compare the recipes, you'll notice I made quite a few changes, but the spirit is there. I was cautious because I didn't want them to taste like suntan lotion, so I tried to keep the flavors subtle and natural when possible. All in all, these little buddies turned out just as I had hoped, and we loved them. We went mini with ours... because that's how we roll around here.

We could be yours.

Which brings us to our second agenda item, something else you're going to love! The Sweet & Sara Vegan Marshmallow Contest! Wow - I can actually hear you all gasping with excitement. This blog is all about proving that being vegan doesn't include sacrifice. Nothing says that more than Sweet & Sara's Easter Peepers & Skippers! Who needs those smug little gelatin-based Easter treats now that we have these?

That's why we're partnering with Sweet & Sara to bring these little guys, and a variety pack of vegan marshmallows, into the life of one lucky Meet The Shannons reader! Want to win some awesome for your Easter basket, or to give away as an Afikomen Prize, or maybe just to just eat? Here's what you have to do:

• Start by "liking" this post on Facebook using the little button at the top.
• Post a comment below with a link to a cute picture of a bunny and/or a chick (ducklings, piglets, kittens, puppies and other cutie faces are also approved) and a "Thank You" to Sweet & Sara for putting peeps in their place.

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog. We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Thursday April 7th and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping).

So start your search engines, find those cute bunnies, and enjoy these cupcakes...

The Betty Crocker Project : Fresh Berry & Tea Tart & Announcing THE CLEAN LIVING CONTEST!

I love this time of year, the dogwood tree outside my office window starts to get little bright green buds. Daffodils and crocuses are sprouting up throughout the neighborhood and the grocery stores are full of fresh berries. Berry stands are opening up anywhere near North Carolina and if you're lucky you can find a stand that also has asparagus - but more about that later. Let's talk tarts.

These tarts are just... lovely. But even though those bright flavorful berries kinda steal the show, I have to mention the crust and crumble for this are pretty exceptional as well. The crust was made with Earl Grey Tea (my personal favorite) and then we topped the tart with an orange zest crumble to bring out the bergamont* flavors in the tea. The combination of them all make this tart really stand out in The Betty Crocker Project. Yeah this tart has that "it factor" to make it in the world of food blogging.

Springtime isn't just about blooming flowers and the revamping of the produce section. Around this time of year, we all open our windows and look around our caves and start well - un-caving. Spring cleaning it one of my favorite projects all year and not just because I like things that smell good! I love making a space my own. Some of you might remember awhile back when I talked about my Pink Lady Kitchen. Well, Method has changed up their products a little bit since then but we're still a Method house** and we'd love to help get you excited about Spring cleaning too!

So we're giving away 2 Method products*** of your choice! All you have to do is "Like" this post (see above) and then post a comment below sharing your favorite tip to an environmentally friendly home! Remember you have to be a "follower" of our blog to win so we can contact you. If you're not a follower - you can find the button for that to the right of this post. Next Wednesday - March 30th - we'll randomly pick a winner from the comments and get you started on your way to another level of clean living!

Let's get these tarts started!

The Betty Crocker Project : Corned Beef-less Tips & Cabbage

Ugly? Fair enough.

I recently decided to never watch the movie Short Circuit ever again. I'll give you all a moment to recover.

Now before you all assume that I was afraid of the sentient robot who was originally built to be the ultimate weapon... that's not it. It's because I love this movie and I'm afraid it might not live up to my very kind memories. Also I have come to terms with the fact that Ally Sheedy might not actually be a very good actress and she already ruined WarGames for me last summer.

Now you're probably wondering what this has to do with this pretty traditional Irish American meal that is also known as The New England Dinner in Betty's cookbook. Well, back when I was a little meaty eater, I loved this dinner. This was a Betty recipe I both looked forward to and dreaded because I had such fond memories of this meal - I worried it would be impossible to veganize this recipe in any meaningful way. I mean we're making corned beef - that's salt cured beef if you're not familiar. This could have gone very wrong but it didn't. In fact it was a nice reminder of a dish I haven't had in like 20 years. Does it taste just like the meaty version? I would say 70% - which is enough to capture the spirit of this dish and make it a great dinner this St. Patrick's day. I mean this really made me happy and I'm kinda tough on myself - so that's saying something. I figure I got lucky with this one, why test my luck with a beloved robot movie. I mean didn't Short Circuit 2 do enough damage?*

Before we start marinading some Gardein, I want to make sure you remember to enter the latest Meet The Shannons Contest and check out The Official Shannon Family Desert Island Food List on one of my very favorite blogs : The Laziest Vegans in the World. We put a lot of thought into it and feel pretty good about our choices.What's on your list?

Need Something Green This St.Patrick's Day?

The Cow Hugger Pin at  Herbivore Clothing Company $1.00

Around the time we got married, there were numerous jokes about how I was trading in my super-Jewish last name for a super-Irish one. It was like I became a character from Angela's Ashes overnight. But as a newly Irish-Through-Marriage person, I have had a lifetime to look forward to wearing green on St.Patrick's Day. I adore green. I like wearing it. I like decorating my home with it. I like eating it. I mean, if you haven't seen pictures of our wedding, we had some really amazing green going on.

So I thought as a nice little Sunday afternoon post, I'd share some cool green things to help you get into the St.Patty Day celebration this year, and of course protect you from those eager pinchers. I'm strong believer in prevention. And green.

Plus there's a little contest at the end...

Soy Nog Cupcakes & A Very Special VegNews Contest!

There's not really much more I can say about Soy Nog Cupcakes, other than that they're fantastic and you should try them! I mean, I guess I could talk up how moist and distinctively enjoyable they are for the holidays, but those would only be words. Something wonderful about this time of year is that you don't just talk about some pretty marvelous things - you actually get them! Think about it. You get to make a list of things you've always wanted and you get at least some of them - unless you've been bad. You get to bake all kinds of wonderful projects and warm up your house at the same time. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. There are countless parties to throw and go to. Mistletoe to kiss your husband under. Still don't believe me this is an awesome time of year? You get to drink hot chocolate. You're drinking warm liquid chocolate! And one of my personal favorites - Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

These cupcakes combine 2 things that we love: Cupcakes and Silk Soy Nog! (insert starry eyed lovesick swoon here) They also seemed like a great post to announce our next contest. That's right, we're partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you A Very Special VegNews End of the Year Contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far?
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized and would like to see next year?
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Saavy Abby, Book Club, Cafe VegNews...?

Before you leave your comment - remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "follower" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "follow" button on the side of the blog.

We'll randomly choose a follower from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50! I know - It's like a Christmas Miracle!

Let's bake some cupcakes!

Vegan Hot Cocoa, A Contest Update & A Very Special Shannons PSA

When I look back at my childhood, I find it hard to deny that the 80s were the Renaissance of PSAs. We had School House Rock, G.I.Joe telling you that knowing was half the battle* and of course the quintessential After School Special. Of course, we all remember hearing the "safety rules"  for Halloween and immediately ignoring them. But when I was 5 years old, they canceled trick or treating in my neighborhood because some sicko had been going around poisoning companion animals left outside the week before. It was very real and I will never forget hearing about it. Since then I have heard several similar sad stories and am pretty heartbroken to hear these things happen more often than we'd think. So please - oh please - bring your companion animals inside and make sure they are safe and secure during your parties and trick or treating!

OK - Soapbox away! Let's get on to the fun stuff...

The Betty Crocker Project : Beef (less) Stew

Dear Soup Season, You are always welcome at our house! OX - Annie

What can I say about this stew? Well, in no particular order :

• This stew is the perfect Fall dinner, and makes a lot, so you can have leftovers for a few days.
• It's hearty and has warm flavors without getting too spicy. It has a nice rustic charm to it that made me wish the leaves outside were a little more red and orange.
• Like regular old "meaty" stew, this stew is even better the next day. The onion and "beefy" flavors really come out after the stew gets to sit for a bit, so I really suggest not eating it all in one meal. The next day you'll see what I mean. I was genuinely sad to see the bottom of my bowl the first night, but the next day it was like saying good-bye to a friend. OK I'm being dramatic today - but man it was good.
• You can get the same flavor from this stew in an hour that you would find in a pot of "beefy" stew that takes 4 hours to make, and no one was hurt in the making of this stew.
• Don't forget your bread! Soup just isn't soup without some good bread. Our Sunflower Seed Herb Whole Wheat Bread is just about perfect.

That should pretty much cover it... I mean, do you need to hear more? Go make some stew! Chop - chop! (That's soup making humor)

Special Edition : Shannons @The Movies Contest

Here's something you may not know about me: One of my first jobs was being a movie projectionist. I loved this job. The smell of popcorn in the air. The coveralls and dark tunnels with only a few scattered desk lamps and flickering projectors to light your way. Working till 3 am building prints and then getting to be one of the first people in the country to see a movie. I love movies. I love the uncomfortable chairs and dusty curtains. So I guess it makes sense that our next contest* would have a movie theme of some sorts.