Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Local Thanksgiving Contest

UPDATE #3: Just heard back from TreeHugger, and they said the official winner of the contest will be announced on Monday. So we will find out after this weekend! Thanks for checking back, everyone. (Nov. 25, 12:10 a.m.)

UPDATE #2: Hi everybody. A big thank you to everyone who voted and followed the contest yesterday. Like all of you, I'm still waiting for official word that the contest is over and whether I've won. Right now, it's in limbo, but I'll let everyone know as soon as I find out! Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I'll be posting again as soon as this contest is finalized. (Nov. 24, 2:15 p.m.)

UPDATE: Thank you all for your votes! There is still 12 hours until the deadline, midnight on Nov. 23. To vote, click here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/11/treehugger_100m_9.php


Are you a TreeHugger??


I recently entered a contest on the environmental website TreeHugger.com called the "100 mile Thanksgiving Challenge". The goal was to design a Thanksgiving menu comprised entirely of ingredients from within a 100 miles of where I live. Well, tonight, I found out that I'm a finalist! I need your votes to win this thing, so will you please go to TreeHugger.com and vote for me? Bonus: you get to learn my real name- ha ha!! Hint: my initials are "B" and "Z" and I live in Syracuse, NY! Out of the five finalists, I'm one of two vegetarians and the only vegan menu, so I could really use all you guys' votes! Deadline is tomorrow at midnight!!

(NOTE: I found out after I entered this contest that the grand prize is a year's worth of organic milk- which I definitely will not be taking! If I win, I'm going to either see if they would give me soymilk, or whether I could donate my winnings to a charity. I really entered this contest because of the challenge of finding locally grown, seasonal foods and creating a menu with them!)

Deadline = Nov. 23, so please vote for me fast!




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26 comments:

Candi said...

WOW! You're awesome! Congrats on accepting the challenge AND for being in the very top!!!!!! You already got my vote, and I will poke Britty to do the same! :)

PS> I wrote to Origins regarding which of their products are vegan. I will let you know as soon as I get a response. (or IF I get a response!) Lol!

runswithdog said...

Okay, Bazar, I voted for you. You have a decent lead right now :-)
Also, about the tofu cutlets.... I love SRFC's tofu but if you want to try something different, head out to Han's Asian grocer (it is across from Erawan). They make their own tofu there, most times it is still warm. It's texture is indescribable...

runswithdog said...

Oh, and Bazu (yes, I got it right this time :-)), feel free if you ever want to join us on our Saturday runs at the parkway :-) We run slow and it is very lowkey.

Anonymous said...

Ok, Marty & I just voted for you. I hope you win! Do you think they'd let Bailey & Noble vote also? You're so close (only a few points away from the lead). I'm going to put this on my blog also so if anyone sees my blog and not yours they'll go vote for you.

aTxVegn said...

Wow, Bazu! This is too cool! I voted for you. Your menu looks awesome, you are awesome! And Crystal is awesome for putting this on her blog!

Amey said...

So cool! Your menu sounds so yummy yummy yummy. I voted for you! Good luck!

Jackie said...

Went and voted as vivacious vegan had the link on her blog. I see you are 2nd at this stage. Hope you win.

I am sure they wouldn't mind if you donated the milk to charity. At least it is organic.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving.

bazu said...

I just want to thank you guys so much for taking time out of your holiday to vote for me... 15 hours to go! We will see! How cool would it be if the top thanksgiving meal were turkey-free...?!

Anonymous said...

Ok, I voted for you, and you seem to be way out ahead... good luck! It's great to show other people that vegans love food and can cook it fantastically well!

Dreena said...

Just added my vote - good luck "Bazu" :)... and I do hope you get the soymilk (I think you're gonna' win)!!

bazu said...

Thank you SO much, Soja and Dreena. Your votes mean so much to me!

Candi said...

I was able to vote again! :) (How did that work?!) You're in the lead!! Your menu sounds SO great. It must have been a challenge to think locally like that and document your ingredients as you did. I thought it was SO well done!! I really hope you win. Even if I didn't know you here, I'd be voting for your amazing dinner!! Good luck!!

Amey said...

Bazu!!!
It looks like you are going to win!! Hoorah! Vegan rays of joy! Now, what about this prize of milk for a year!?
amey

runswithdog said...

Wow! Not only are you in the lead, but you have a really healthy lead! Great job!

laura k said...

Bazu, I'm sorry but I haven't been on blogger in a couple of days, and I read this post too late to vote! But awesome that you are a finalist--good luck!

Anonymous said...

So did you win? It kind of looks like you might have but I can't see a final update on the site.

?????

Anonymous said...

i did vote! i wish that you win:)

Anonymous said...

its looks at my computer as you are the one that have more votes

say: 168 !!!!!

Candi said...

I hope you win! Looks like you did, but I will wait for the official word before celebrating! :) :) I think your menu was really excellent!!

Dori said...

I came back to check to see how you did in the contest. I was vote 18 and another person had 20 at that time, sounds like later the "tide turned". I'll be back Monday anticipating your win.

aTxVegn said...

Bazu, I can't stand the suspense! But I'm sure you won. This is so great for you!

Carrie™ said...

I put my vote in for you yesterday. I just checked back and you're in the the lead!! I really hope you win.

Oh and for the Nat'l BND...I'm not in USA, but I didn't buy anything Friday, unless you count tofu and bagels! :o) I always found Black Friday a very strange event. We have nothing like it in Canada and I watch the news with all those crazy people fighting for merchandise and I'm a bit shocked and repulsed, but strangely, unable to look away.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

yeahh, bazu - you are so awesome. i really hope you win & i'm sorry i'm too late to cast an official vote. best of luck, i'll check back for the victory party! :o)

Unknown said...

Congratulations! Eating both vegan and local certainly presents additional challenges, and I really enjoyed your menu. Though not a vegan myself, I am interested in learning more about vegan baking and found some great things on your site!

Best,

Robin (the gal with the turkey menu)

Candi said...

Hi Bazu! Can't wait to hear the results!!

Just wanted you to know that I had emailed Origins and just heard back from them. Here is the response I got regarding their ingredients:

"From the beginning of Origins, it has been our philosophy to formulate with
non-animal ingredients.

Regarding the use of non-vegan ingredients, we would like to explain that
the majority of our products are appropriate for use by our vegan
consumers. We do, however, use beeswax or honey in some of our
formulations. Beeswax is naturally produced by bees during the process of making honey, and both ingredients come from nature-driven renewable sources. Honey and beeswax ingredients will appear on a product's ingredient label if either is present in the formulation.

Ingredient lists for any of our products are available upon request."

**********

I'm happy we only need to look for beeswax and honey on their labels. That's easy enough. I love their products, and hope to find true vegan ones. (such a challenge)

I did not like how they discussed the beeswax and honey though and how it's "naturally produced" and from a "nature-driven renewable source." Cow meat is natural and is fundamentally a nature-driven renewable source too - but I don't support taking that for ourselves either!

Well, they tried, and it's good to know that some of their products are vegan. I hope my old favorites are!! :)

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

Seriously, Bazu you are so awesome!