Serenity in the Storm

Fundraising Tips (or Animal Rights Conference 2012 Recap, Part 2)

You can read part 1 of the Animal Rights Conference Recap from yesterday here. One of the sessions I attended at the conference was on fundraising. I jotted down lots of great tips to understanding fundraising for a nonprofit organization and I thought it might be of interest to some of you who might be thinking about fundraising if I shared them here. The session was led by Alex Hershaft (of Farm Animal Rights Movement) and Carrie LeBlanc (of Mercy for Animals).

Carrie LeBlanc began by talking about the concept of fundraising more generally. She shared how difficult it can be to ask people for money, but urged us all to rethink this encounter with others. Fundraising, she says, is about presenting someone with the opportunity to engage with your organization. Many people have money and want to donate it to a project they believe in—by contacting them, you are giving them the chance to learn about the work your organization is doing and you are inviting them to be a part of that work.

LeBlanc’s initial tips for fundraising are to get set up in an effective way. To launch a fundraising campaign, she recommends working on the following first:

Create a donor database. There are premade donor database programs you can purchase, if you’ve got some money to spend. But an easy, affordable option is to immediately create a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. In this spreadsheet, you should record the name, address, email, and phone number of each potential donor. Create a space for notes on that donor (like particular interests, important information, etc.) and also keep track of when and how you contact them.
Create a logo. Making a logo for your organization is a great way for people to identify you and you can use it on your donation materials.
Create a clear mission statement. Make sure you have a clear, concise mission statement that tells donors who you are, what you do, and what your specific and more general mission and goals are.
Create a website. These days it is so important to have an online presence. Creating a website for your organization will help people find you, help them learn about you, and help them donate. Put a ‘donate’ button right up front in a prominent spot.
Engage with social media. Get your organization on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. These are great free ways to network, get the word out, make donation calls, share information and exciting news, etc.

Once you’ve got a good infrastructure for asking for money, LeBlanc says there are two main methods of fundraising—Passive Methods and Active Methods.

1. Passive Methods. Passive methods are those in which your organization can constantly be engaged. These are methods where you are not explicitly asking an individual for money, but where you are opening the opportunity for them to donate if they want to. Examples of passive methods include:

DONATE button. Put a donate button on your website or a link to where people can donate on your Facebook page. Write a blog and place a donate button there. This button should link directly to a payment system, like PayPal, where it is easy to donate. These can be added through even fairly simple blog-type websites and are a great way to passively engage.
Tabling at events. Tabling at events is a great way to get the word out about your organization. Always make sure to have a donations bowl on your table so that people who are inspired to donate can do so easily.
Newsletters. Newsletters are an awesome way to keep people informed about what’s new with your organization. They are also a chance to passively ask for donations. At the end of each newsletter, include information on how to donate to your organization.

2. Active Methods. Active methods of fundraising are those in which you contact individuals directly and ask for donations. Active methods include:

Annual fund ask. An annual fund drive happens around the holidays. People are generally in the holiday spirit when these letters arrive and tend to give more during this time of year. If you do no other type of fundraising, you should absolutely do an annual fund ask every year. Usually mailings go out on December 1st and organizations ask for donations to the annual fund. These funds are collected for general use and are unrestricted funds, meaning you can use them for any purpose, including keeping the office running, the lights on (all the un-sexy parts of running an organization). These donation request letters should go out to your entire donor database. TIP: Personalize the envelopes and write handwritten notes on the letters. Making these letters as personal as possible will help you stand out from the pile of other donor letters.
Major gifts. When you start fundraising, hopefully you will have some major donors start to give to your organization. For each organization, what constitutes a ‘major gift’ will be different—for some $500 is a major donation and for others $10,000 is a major gift. Pay special attention to these donors. Nurture these relationships and don’t be afraid to ask them later on for another donation. Call them personally and let them know how the organization’s latest campaign is doing, invite them to events you might have, or invite them to visit your organization and learn more.
Events. Events can be an effective way to fund-raise, but they also take a lot of time, effort and money. Generally, you should expect to spend fifty cents for every dollar you make at an event. And yet, events can be a wonderful time to get donors together, to celebrate your organization’s hard work, and introduce new people to the work you are doing. Other ways to have an event include asking one of your major donors to host a small event at their home with 10-50 of their friends. This is a great way to get your major donors more actively involved and it’s an effective way to grow your donor base.
Membership program. Starting a membership program can be an effective way to get continuous support. You can set up different levels of membership where they will get different things for their membership commitment. These do take a fair amount of work through maintaining the membership program, coming up with incentives to become members, and staying in touch regularly to ensure that members re-up their membership the following year.
Grants. Applying for grants can be an excellent way to get significant funds for a particular project. You can look at the Foundation Center’s Foundation Directory to see what foundations fund your type of organization. This can often be accessed for free through your local library. Also, looking at who funds other organizations similar to yours is a great way to locate appropriate foundations. LeBlanc recommends seeking out a volunteer grant writer, as writing grants can take a lot of time and expertise. Grants are also fairly restrictive in what they can be used for and they require a fair amount of follow-up in the form of reporting back to the foundation on the outcome of your funded project.
Planned Giving. LeBlanc suggests having a special page on your website dedicated to planned giving. Planned giving is a way to invite people to include your organization in their will or estate plan. Look at other organizations’ sites who do this to get the proper wording for this so that it is easy for donors to include your organization in these legal documents.

I thought these were some great getting-started tips from Carrie LeBlanc! Alex Hershaft presented second and began by saying, “Now these are all great tips for fundraising. And some of these will cost money to make money. But how do you run an organization when you don’t have any money?” Good question! And Hershaft gave some great down-and-dirty tips for saving money and running an organization effectively. Here are some places where you can save money:

Rent. Hershaft suggests thinking long and hard about whether you really need to rent an office space. FARM, for instance, is a national organization and runs out of Hershaft’s home. Don’t get caught up in renting a space if it’s not absolutely necessary for your organization.
Technology. Buying technological equipment and software is a major expense for any organization getting started. Techsoup is an organization that provides technology to nonprofit organizations for a small fee. CNET offers free software downloads.
Furniture. Large offices do furniture liquidation and will get rid of their furniture for next to nothing. These can be a great way to furnish your office inexpensively.
Remote Connection. If you are not going to have a brick and mortar office, or you are working with people who are physically distant from you, LogMeIn is a great service that enables remote access and remote collaboration in your organization.
Printing. Printing can be quite expensive. Hershaft suggests building a relationship with a printer and let them know you are a nonprofit and are looking to save on printing. Planning ahead can save you a lot of money. If you have a printing job that needs to be done in the next couple of months, find out if the printer can give you a discount if they print it whenever they have down-time in their workload. Use the ‘house’ paper at the printer; this is so much cheaper.
Advertising. Seek out ‘remainder space.’ Many magazines, just before they go to print, will have remainder space (empty space they need to fill). You can often get this ad space for next to nothing.
Postage. Plan ahead and use media mail for mailings.
Volunteers. Volunteers are a non-profit’s best friends. Seek out professional volunteers, in particular—people who have professional skills that are useful to your organization, like website design, grant writing, logo design, etc.

I hope these tips from Carrie LeBlanc and Alex Hershaft are useful! What other fundraising tips do you all have?

Animal Rights 2012 Recap Part 1

No post for the last week! I have just had the most wonderful week away from my computer. It started out by flying into Baltimore. My sister Lucy picked me up from the airport early Tuesday morning. We spent all day Tuesday, Wednesday and some of Thursday hanging out and it was a blast. We spent Wednesday afternoon looking for an interview outfit for her. She had an interview on Thursday for a new job and has a second interview this week. Wish her luck! We ate lots of delicious food–too many things to name, I’m afraid, with Lucy’s girlfriend, Caitlin, and did a fair amount of coloring. I found this amazing coloring book for adults–it’s an A-Z animals coloring book with the most stunning pictures of animals. It was so fun to hang with them and their two cats, who really act more like dogs. We went on a beautiful walk through a nearby park and stopped at the the farmers market where we gots lots of tomatoes and made gazpacho!

On Thursday, I met up with Tish who is in DC for the month doing research at the National Archives on her brilliant dissertation. We had a nice vegan vegetable bento box and then I headed out to Alexandria on my own to the Animal Rights 2012 Conference. I spent Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday morning at the conference and then went into DC to spend the day and night with Tish at her place. We spent the day together eating. Our eats included the most delicious vegan soul food–candied yams, collard greens, cabbage, and cornbread–and a trip to Sticky Fingers bakery (of Cupcake Wars fame) for a cupcake and mini cheesecake. Tish also made us an awesome breakfast the next morning of breakfast tacos with vegan chorizo, potatoes and corn tortillas. Yum! Sunday was back to the conference until Lucy picked me up in the afternoon. Now I’m on the plane home, thinking about all the fun I had, all the amazing thought-provoking sessions I attended, and all the extraordinarily compassionate people I met.

Conference Highlights from Thursday and Friday
The conference began on Thursday night with a beautiful opening plenary. First, they lit three candles in the large conference hall. The first candle was for all of the animals in the world who are oppressed. The second candle was for all the activists and people working to the make the world better for animals who couldn’t be with us. And the third candle was lit for the oppressors in the hopes that they would find their way to compassion.

In the opening plenary, the speakers introduced the conference, saying that the purpose of the conference was to network, discuss tactics and recharge our batteries. We were reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” And to quote Elie Wiesel, “Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentors, never the tormented.”

Norm Phelps gave a great history of the animal rights movement and closed his historical outline by saying, “We encounter a lot that can break our hearts. There is also a lot to feel good about, and a lot to look forward to. Being at the conference made me hopeful—hopeful that so many other people are working to make the world better for animals; hopeful that there are many ways to make change; and hopeful that real change will happen.

The full conference program can be viewed here. There were so many wonderful sessions, including a number of plenary sessions in the morning and evening each day. I wish I could have gone to all of the sessions, but I went to as many as I could, and I attended all of the plenary sessions. These are the individual sessions I attended (if you’re interested you can read more about them in the conference program). On Friday, I went to Working for the Movement; Individual Activism; Understanding the Meat Mindset, which became Speaking Truth to Power; Fundraising; and Agriculture Campaign Reports.

Friday evening, there was a lively session on activist repression with Odette Wilkins, Dara Lovitz, Will Potter and Heidi Boghosian. The general consensus in this session was that state repression is actually a sign that what the movement is doing is working. Furthermore, repression tends to sow seeds for revolution, so it actually may grow the movement. Will Potter explained that what we’re seeing is repression through state mechanisms, which is actually corporate repression at the source. Corporations are influencing the state to pass more repressive legislation like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and state Ag-Gag laws. Further, corporate and state repression relies heavily on division and infighting in the animal rights movement. We are urged to stop the infighting in the movement, stop being critical of one another and work together. Vegans often can be involved in a ‘fetishizing quest for purity’ and can be hard on one another. We need to stop this and realize that animal rights vegans work for the movement in many different ways and that these are all important.

This great panel was followed by a debate on tactics, called “Paths to Animal Liberation” with Jenny Brown, Nick Cooney, Karen Davis, Norm Phelps, and Peter Young. This debate was really interesting. Nick Cooney (of Farm Sanctuary) and Karen Davis (of United Poultry Concerns) presented different sides of the welfare reforms debate, thinking through the question of whether incremental welfare reforms help or hinder the movement. Norm Phelps (author of many books, including The Longest Struggle) and Peter Young (of the Animal Liberation Frontline) debated the role of direct action. Phelps argued that much of direct action was violent and that violence cannot be justified. We must fight this war for animals with compassion.

Peter Young began with a story about liberating three chickens from a slaughterhouse in south Seattle. It took less than an hour for him to enter the building and rescue the three birds who had been overlooked by slaughterhouse workers. He said something that really resonated with me: “It was a small action, but it wasn’t small for those birds.” This, I think, is at the heart of direct action—making small actions that often might not have an effect on the larger system, but that are everything to the animals whose lives they affect.

On Saturday, I went to the Newcomer Orientation II before I headed into DC. On Sunday, I went to Engaging Young People; Applying Direct Action; Lunch with Movement Publishers; and Commonality of Oppression. I’ll post a continuation of the recap in a second installment and tell you about some of the great work various groups are doing. But for now, a list of a few book recommendations I received throughout the week…

New on my to read list:
Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change by Nick Cooney

Animal Impact: Secrets Proven to Achieve Results and Move the World by Caryn Ginsberg

Aftershock by pattrice jones

Speaking up for Animals by Lisa Kemmerer

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky

Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life by Zoe Weil

Summer Gazpacho

The other day, I was talking to my dear mother on the phone and she was telling me about a gazpacho she was planning to make for dinner using vegetables from her garden. I thought it sounded pretty amazing and asked that she share the recipe here. She agreed and here it is, along with a lovely photo! So perfect for a hot summer day!

Anne’s Gazpacho

Due to the hot weather this year, the garden is producing earlier than usual. We have an abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and herbs. I came up with this version of gazpacho to use the ingredients I had in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy it!

The Recipe

Serves 4-6

1 C Seedless cucumber

¼ C Onion

1 Red pepper

½-1 Stalk celery

5 C Tomatoes (or as much as you like)

1-1½ Limes juiced

¼ C Dry white wine

1 Tbsp Finely ground roasted cumin seed

3 Tbsp Fresh basil

3 Tbsp Fresh cilantro (optional)

5 Cloves of garlic

1-2 Tbsp olive oil or to taste

Hot chile pepper to taste

Directions: Finely chop cucumber, onion, red pepper, celery, and place in bowl. Puree 1-2 cups of tomatoes with garlic. Chop the rest of the tomatoes and add the cumin, finely chopped basil and cilantro to the mixture. Add white wine, olive oil and lime juice. Hot chile to taste. Correct the seasoning. Refrigerate and serve cold. Garnish with basil or cilantro.

Baahaus Summer Party

Yesterday, Karen, Oliver and I travelled out to Vashon Island on the ferry to attend the Baahaus summer fundraising party. Baahaus Animal Rescue Group is a small sanctuary on Vashon Island, run by Glenda and her partner Karen. Glenda is the animal rights/human rights librarian at the University of Washington and is part of our animal studies working group.

When we arrived, we were greeted by this wonderful guy. His nose is so soft and he is extremely friendly.

There was some delicious vegan food, lots of people, and time to visit with the animals while we were there.

The geese were honking a lot with all of the visitors there.

We took a walk around a trail that loops around the perimeter of the property and were able to see most of the animals that way.

I made fast friends with this rabbit. Overall, it was a lovely outing with good friends. We met Maria Elena, Tony, and their new baby there and got to visit a bit, which was lovely.

What did you all do this weekend?

Meatless Mondays: A Radical Move?

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Meatless Mondays, an international campaign to encourage people to refrain from consuming meat one day a week in order to curb their environmental impact. Overall, I think this is a pretty good initiative–it tends to get people who would otherwise never consider eating vegetarian more frequently to forego the meat just one day a week. It’s been implemented in many schools, universities and workplaces around the world and has been effective in educating many about the effects of meat consumption. Giving up meat one day a week can, for some, be a stepping stone to realizing that meat is not all that difficult to give up and may encourage vegetarian or even vegan eating beyond Mondays.

Meatless Monday is by no means a radical move. And it is nowhere near enough, even if we’re talking in purely environmental terms. It does not condemn meat eating more generally or talk about the implications of eating meat six days a week; it says nothing about reducing dairy or egg consumption. The Meatless Monday campaign suggests eating grass-fed, hormone-free, local meat when meat is consumed. And interestingly, the Meatless Monday discourse says nothing about the animals. Reasons for going veg are frequently pitched in terms of a tripod–for your health, for the environment, and for the animals. Meatless Monday talks about the environmental and health impacts without advocating for the animals.

Nonetheless, this type of campaign makes important strides to mainstream and normalize the idea of foregoing meat and it is working on a broad scale. While one day a week may not seem like a lot to some who are used to not eating meat or dairy more often than that, for folks who eat meat for every meal, this would be a big step in the right direction.

The New York Times reported a bit of news this week, which makes clear that Meatless Monday is viewed as a threat to the meat industry. When the USDA sent an internal newletter to its employees recommending their participation in Meatless Mondays, meat producers and republican lawmakers from the Midwestern states were outraged:

Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, for one, had this to say: “I will eat more meat on Monday to compensate for stupid USDA recommendation [about] a meatless Monday,” Likewise, Sen. John Thune, offered his take: “Who at USDA thought ‘Meatless Mondays’ was [a] good idea? Anti-[agriculture] agenda at USDA is irresponsible, even for a day.” ~Slate

USDA endorsement of Meatless Mondays and vegetarianism more broadly would have been a huge step in the right direction, particularly because of their involvement in drafting the nation’s dietary recommendations. Instead, the USDA retracted their statement that Meatless Mondays were a good idea and said that the recommendation had been made ‘without the proper clearance.’

There’s some great stuff written on the politics of the meat industry’s relationship with the USDA. The USDA and industry leaders have been in bed with each other for decades, resulting in dietary recommendations that have the industry’s interests (and not consumer health) in mind. Marion Nestle’s book, Food Politics, explores in great depth the politics of government legislation and recommendations and industry interests.

We can see that for some Meatless Monday is seen as a highly radical move—the reaction of producers and legislators involved with the meat industry is an example of this. The level of defensiveness is amazing against those who are trying to make a healthier, kinder, and more environmentally sound choice just one day a week. That its seen as ‘un-American’ and ‘anti-agriculture’ is an interesting embodiment of carnist ideology in action.

Just a little food for thought (pun intended?!) for the weekend. Happy Friday!

Raw Beet Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

I bought some beets a couple of weeks ago at the farmers market and then promptly forgot about them. This morning, I was digging around in the fridge and found them! I whipped up this little on-the-fly salad/slaw with what I had around and it turned out great! The flavors are bright and earthy with a lemony ginger-sesame dressing. Even if you’re not a beet fan, you’ll probably like this salad as the beet flavor is very mild when paired with the dressing. If you don’t have beets, you can use all carrots in this recipe instead.

The Recipe

Serves 1 (or two small sides)

1 cup grated raw beet

1 cup grated raw carrot

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp brown rice vinegar

1 tsp ginger juice

3/4 low-sodium tamari

1/4 tsp sesame oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Let sit for a bit to marinate. Serve.

Picturing Death: Photography as Activism

Taiwan-Doomed-Dogs-003_540x405 — Photo by: AP Photo/Wally Santana

Talk about a powerful and heartbreaking form of activism. Taiwanese photographer, Tou Yun-Fei spent two years documenting last moments of stray dogs before they were scheduled to be put to death in shelters. 70% of dogs in shelters in Taiwan are killed within 12 days of arriving at the shelter.

In a formal portraiture style common in the 1800s, Tou Yun-Fei’s aim is to document a small number of the 80,000 stray dogs euthanized in Taiwan each year. The result is beautiful and heartbreaking photographs of dogs in their last living moments. The photographs are scheduled to go up in a gallery show in Taiwan next month.

53677_story_x_large — Photo by Tou Yun-Fei

For Tou Yun-Fei, photography is the following:

Photographic images allow us to contemplate. Through contemplation we gain an understanding of the uniqueness and nobility of life. Through contemplation we understand how chaotic and disordered the world has become.

The photographic image is merely a vehicle of communication that can lead to a better understanding of a situation, an event, of ourselves and of the world around us.

53681_story_x_large — Photo by Tou Yun-Fei

This project shows the power of photography, the importance of looking—of witnessing—as a catalyst for change. For those who view these photographs, Tou Yun-Fei says, some rethink the responsibility they have to animals as companions. These photos show each dog as an important individual being. We are asked to look honestly into their eyes with the knowledge that this individual is dead, that they died unceremoniously, and that we have a responsibility to change a system that devalues animals so much that this an acceptable problem-solving tactic.

What do you all think of this project? How have you seen photography used as effective activism?

Chik-fil-A: Speciesism with a Side of Homophobia?

I’m sure many of you by now have heard about the recent Chik-fil-A uproar. It’s been blowing up my Facebook page for the past couple of weeks. If you’re not familiar, Chik-fil-A (an apparently popular fast-food chain) president, Dan Cathy, recently stated on a radio show that, “we’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about.” This sentiment is not at all surprising considering the company’s consistently outspoken conservative Christian values and its history of donating large sums to anti-gay groups. Response to this news has come in the form of celebrities boycotting the chain, the Jim Henson Company breaking a partnership with the chain in protest, and people all over the country taking a stand against the company.

As consumers, the little power we have is to support businesses that reflect our personal values (and to boycott those that don’t). Of course, I fully support a boycott of any company spouting anti-gay rhetoric and funding anti-gay groups or any other company policy based on hate and discrimination through a narrow interpretation of religious texts. And yet, I’ve felt uneasy with responses to the Chik-fil-A news which come in the form of:

“Well, I guess I’ll have to eat elsewhere—too bad, I really liked their chicken sandwich!” I even saw a blog showing you how to make a version of their chicken sandwich at home.

Or “Shame on you, Chik-fil-A, for discriminating and promoting hateful behavior.”

Or statements like this one from actor Ed Helms: “Chick-fil-A doesn’t like gay people? So lame. Hate to think what they do to the gay chickens! Lost a loyal fan.”

I found myself uneasy with the fact that the majority of responses were about consumers’ former loyalty to the fast food chain, and that now, since discriminatory action within the company has been ‘discovered,’ a boycott must follow. When I first heard the news of the company’s anti-gay tendencies, I was not at all surprised. Not that I knew anything about Chik-fil-A’s history to begin with. But I’m not sure why anyone is surprised that any fast food chain or other company whose business is driven by the exploitation of billions of animals each year and many thousands of disenfranchised workers (in factory farms, slaughterhouses, packing plants, and the restaurants themselves) is in the business of discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation.

The same social mechanisms that make us believe that it is acceptable to kill animals for food and underpay a disenfranchised workforce to do society’s most violent work are at work in anti-gay, homophobic behavior. A system based at its core on oppression and discrimination is naturally going to breed oppressive and discriminatory policies. Thus, while I’m fully in support of a boycott on any companies supporting an anti-gay agenda, I’m a little turned off by the indignant attitude that “We should be able to eat our chicken sandwiches without supporting an anti-gay agenda.”

So long as we have the attitude that certain kinds of discrimination are acceptable (e.g., speciesism) we will continue to perpetuate all forms of discrimination. We can’t be outraged by discrimination based on sexuality, while ignoring the speciesism, racism, and classism implicit in the system and expect society to change. We can’t pick and choose what forms of discrimination we resist and expect a better world to magically emerge.

These struggles for equality and liberation are intersectional and social justice movements must overlap to gain strength. This Chik-fil-A situation, then, is not merely an opportunity to take a stand for marriage equality and equal rights based on sexual orientation—It is an opportunity to open a much larger conversation about the implications of our food choices and other behaviors for humans of different races, sexes, socio-economic backgrounds, abilities, etc.; for animals who suffer and die so that our lifestyles aren’t disturbed; and for the environment that takes the devastating brunt of industrial production.

Admittedly, this a much more difficult conversation to have. It is complicated and requires so much more of us than a declaration that, “I’ll have to buy my chicken sandwich at McDonald’s instead” or even “I’ll have to buy free-range chicken and make my chicken sandwich at home instead.” This conversation is a lifetime project in which we try at every turn to practice a deep-rooted and constantly evolving ethic that is anti-homophobic, anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-classist, anti-speciesist, etc.

Piña Colada

I’ve been in the mood for a tropical beach vacation lately. That’s definitely not happening any time soon! But I did make this very nice piña colada drink the other day. It made me feel like I was on a beach for a minute. Maybe. Typically I think a piña colada is made with pineapple juice. This recipe calls for fresh pineapple chunks. I used coconut milk from a can. And instead of plain old ice made out of water, I made ice cubes out of coconut water with pulp. I made this without alcohol since Eric and I are really not so big on the drinking, but I’m sure this would be fantastic with a splash of rum! Delish!

The Recipe

Serves 2

1 can of coconut water with pulp

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

1/3 cup canned coconut milk

light rum (optional)

Pour the coconut water with pulp into an empty ice cube tray. Freeze. In a blender, add 1 tray of coconut water ice cubes, pineapple, coconut milk and rum (if using). Blend until smooth. Serve in glasses with a wedge of pineapple for garnish and enjoy!

Do you have any favorite summer drinks to keep you cool and happy?

Marinated Onions

One of my favorite places to eat these days is Chaco Canyon Cafe. They have two locations—one in the U-District and one in West Seattle. They are all vegan (except for milk at their espresso bar) and they have lots of raw options. My favorite thing to get at Chaco Canyon is either the avocado sandwich with the side salad or the artichoke melt with the side salad. Their side salad is heavenly–it’s made up of greens with sliced cucumber, carrots, sprouts, marinated onions and white and black sesame seeds on top. The marinated onions are such an amazing addition to the salad. They put the onions on the avocado sandwich as well. I figured this would be an easy thing to make at home. I’ve made pickles before and this seemed much simpler since there were no added herbs and no canning involved.

The Recipe

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 jar with lid

apple cider vinegar

water

Fill a jar with sliced red onions. Hint: separate the slices before you put them in the jar so they have maximum exposure to the vinegar mixture. Fill the jar halfway with apple cider vinegar. Fill the rest of the way with water. Cover with lid. Gently turn the jar upside down several times to carefully mix the water and vinegar. If you like a less sour pickle taste, you can add a greater ratio of water to vinegar. Place the jar in the fridge. Check them frequently. After a couple of days, they will have turned entirely pink and be well-marinated. Keep them refrigerated as you use them up.

How would you use marinated onions?