Amy Luebbert helped organize VeganFest in hopes that an all-vegan restaurant will open in Des Moines.(Photo: Molly Longman/The Register)Buy Photo

While thousands of Iowans swarmed downtown to eat bacon-covered sugar cookiesat the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festivalon Saturday, over 600 Iowans gathered at the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines for a different kind of fest.

VeganFest 2017 was underway, taking a less carnivorous approach to foodie festivities.

Food Still Matters, a Des Moines-basedvegan potluckand discussion series, hosted the festivalto counter the "other fest" across town and to raise awareness about the hungry and under-noticed vegan community in Des Moines, organizer Amy Luebbert said.

"It's important that people know vegans are here in Des Moines," Luebbert said. "We wanted to shownot only the folks wholive in Des Moinesthat vegans are here, but also restaurants that we are a group of people that wants to eat their food."

Luebbert saidone of her goals for the festival was to prove there's a market for a vegan restaurant in Des Moines. When the East Village restaurantNew World Cafe shut down in 2015, the vegan community in Des Moines was left without a strictly vegan place to dine. Luebbert said she'd like to see that change and she thinks VeganFest's turnout is a step in the right direction.

Hundreds gathered for VeganFest 2017.(Photo: Gene McCracken/Special to The Register)

Luebbert saidmost Food Still Matters sessions have attracted about 30 to 50 people, so she was pleasantly surprised when VeganFest ran out of the 660 tickets and programs that were printed.

Those who attended the event had free access to massages from Peterson Health Services, information sessions about going vegan and sample treatsfrom shops such asTacopocalypse East, Trader Joe's,Gusto Pizza Co., and up-and-comingrestaurant, Dirt Burger. There were even Girl Scouts selling vegan Thin Mints.

More than 600 people gathered at VeganFest 2017 in Des Moines.(Photo: Molly Longman/The Register.)

Luebbert encouraged people at the event to try out a vegan lifestyle.

"I'm vegan for ethical reasons, andI've been vegan 16 years," Luebbert said. "Once I learned there was more I could do to help the animals, I was hooked. So, I did a bunch of research in a day and became vegan the next day. ... I feel more connected to myself and more honest."

Even the recycling system at VeganFest was environmentally conscious.(Photo: Molly Longman/The Register)

David Bottino, who has been vegan for two years, came to VeganFestnotonlyfor the foodbutfor the information sessions, which included topics such as vegan parenting and the environmental benefits of going vegan. He also said he came to feela sense of community, instead of fretting about the Bacon Festival raging across town.

"I always feel that when something terrible in the world and in life happens, something good will come along to balance it out,' Bottino said,referring to the juxtaposing bacon and veganfestivals. "Since I've gone vegan, I've dropped 45 pounds super fast and my asthma improved. It was just a lot easier to get out of bed. ... This is my lifestyle, so I'm glad it's getting some attention."

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VeganFest 2017 draws hundreds, counters bacon fest - DesMoinesRegister.com

Of all the ways we pair chocolate with other flavors, mint and chocolate is beloved by many that must be why this flavor combo has its very own holiday. Yes, February 19th is National Chocolate Mint Day, which is recognized by the U.S. National Confectioners Association. How this happened is a mystery, but hey life is full of mysteries.

Did you know that mint chocolate chip has been named one of the top 10 most popular ice cream flavors in the United States? And Thin Mints, the crispy, chocolatey Girl Scout cookies that were introduced in the 1950s, remain their best-selling cookies to this day. Although chocolate has been around for centuries, mint and chocolate came much later at the dawn of the 19th century, thanks to new advances in technology that allowed confectioners to mass-produce chocolates.

So, in honor of chocolate mint lovers everywhere, we have 15 dairy-free desserts that are sweet, chocolatey, and delightfully minty.

A freezer-made dessert that tastes like an indulgence but is actually good for you? Sign us up! This Chocolate Mint Slice recipe is a tri-colored beauty with each layer bringing its own unique flavor and set of health benefits. The base is primarily made up of oats, spirulina, cacao powder, dates, and coconut oil, the filling a creamy mixture of cashews, coconuts, and more spirulina, and the topping is a decadent drizzle of cacao butter, coconut nectar, and fresh mint. Indulge away and see that dessert can be energizing when made with the right ingredients!

A decadent mint cream flecked with bits of chocolate throughout. Plus more chocolate on top (because, yum!) and of course, coconut whipped cream! Almonds, dates, and cacao make the chewy chocolate no-bake crust. In fact, the entire Mint Chip Cheesecakeis no-bake and raw vegan, so you dont have to worry about setting or sinking, cooling or cracking, and all that goes into baking traditional cheesecakes. This is one rich dessert, so slice it small! Or dont.

These Raw Mint Chocolate Power Bars are full of healthy fats and proteins from seeds, nuts, coconut, and oats, plus theyre packed with energy-giving carbs from dried fruits. They have a fantastic mint chocolate taste and are the perfect food to refuel fast after the gym. They are quite rich and dense so cutting them in half might be a good idea before you chow down. At the same time, were not the food police.

These Crme de Menthe Brownies are a labor of love but if you have the time, they are well worth it. You have a chocolate brownie base with a creamy layer of mint that is topped off with homemade chocolate. Needless to say, this decadent treat is delicious.

If youre looking for a healthy and refreshing, yet decadent dessert, make these Mini Mint Chocolate Cheesecakes your next mission in the kitchen! These mini cheesecakes are made with oats, almonds, cashews, mint extract, spirulina, and coconut oil, among other good-for-you ingredients. Talk about a superfood dessert!

The perfect combination of mint and chocolate, this No-Bake Grasshopper Cheesecakeis cashew and coconut milk-based, making it rich and decadently creamy. The silky mint cheesecake filling sits on top of a mint chocolate cookie crust and is topped with silky chocolate ganache plus even more crushed cookies. Its no-bake, so you dont have to fuss over an oven it comes out just right anytime.

This gorgeous Raw Mint Chocolate Cakeis perfect for any occasion. Two decadent and creamy cashew-based layers sit atop a chocolatey crust of almonds, dates, and raisins. The first layer is lucuma, giving it a maple-like taste and the top layer is cool mint chocolate. In spite of its beautiful presentation, this cake is surprisingly easy to make even for raw dessert beginners.

These Minty Green Chocolate Cream Bars are an absolute must-make. The base is an oat and date crust, the middle is a raw chocolate-maca mixture, and the top is an avocado/mint/green powder concoction. All together, they make one amazing result. And they are super nutritious. We know, life seems too good to be true sometimes.

The best thing about these Thin Mint Sandwich Cookies? Double thin mint cookies. Who can eat just one?! Two crispy, minty cookies sandwich a layer of minty chocolate. Yum! They have the same crispy, flaky texture of traditional thin mints, but without the additives.

Lets paint the town peppermint with these amazing Homemade Peppermint Patties! Theyre made with only seven ingredients and couldnt be easier to put together. Youll be living in cool minty and chocolatey bliss in no time!

Whoa, mama! Chocolate and mint pair up to create an amazing flavor sensation in these gluten-free, oil-free, low sugar Chocolate Cupcakes With Avocado-Mint Icing. Avocado is the perfect candidate for the smooth and creamy mint icing that goes on top and the bright green color will be enough for your kids/dinner guests to be intrigued.

You can have your ice cream for breakfast and eat it too with this cold,Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Shake! This raw shake has a creamy banana base, fresh mint, cocoa extract, and mint extract to make it even more tingly. To top it off, add a handful of crunchy cacao nibs!

You will be hard-pressed to find anybody who isnt a fan of these Raw Choc-Mint Slices. The chewy, chocolatey base is made from a blend of raw nuts and seeds, dates, and coconut, its filled with a sweet, creamy, minty cashew cream, the topped with a simple chocolate ganache. Yum!

So what is so special about these Mint Carob Walnut Brownies? Not only are they vegan, but are also low fat, sugar-free, wheat-free (gluten-free with gluten-free oats), nut-free, and bean-free! These brownies get their natural sweetness from sweet potatoes, carob powder, and dates. Thanks to the sweet potatoes, it is hard to believe there is no added oil or nut butter. Carob powder is caffeine free and contains three times as much calcium as cocoa powder. Incredibly dense and fudgy, no one will ever guess how healthy they are!

If you are looking for a really rich and decadent vegan ice cream dessert, this Cacao Nib and Mint Chocolate Ice Cream recipe just might be it! It has a base of full-fat coconut milk with cashews added for extra creaminess, is sweetened with coconut sugar, and is perfect for any lover of mint chocolate. Mix in cacao nibs for extra crunch and top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream!

Lead image source:Mini Mint Chocolate Cheesecakes

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15 Minty, Chocolatey Vegan Sweets That Will Make Your Taste Buds Tingle - One Green Planet

Fruit and veg are not the only growth area. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

Demand for organic food is at its highest for more than a decade, according to major retailers.

Thats good news for an industry that was hit hard by the economic downturn but now seems to be returning to rude health as more shoppers say organic food is worth paying the premium for. This week the Soil Association will release its annual report on the state of the organic food market, which is expected to show that it has grown for the fourth consecutive year.

Meanwhile, Tesco says that organic sales in its stores have risen by 15% in the past year. And the home delivery service Ocado, which stocks more than 3,000 organic products, said sales increased 16% last year.

Waitrose also said the sector was thriving. We were the first supermarket to sell organic products in the 1980s and shoppers are as enthusiastic as ever, a spokeswoman said. Our latest figures show year-on-year growth of around 5%.

Significantly, sales of organic produce appear to be rising across all sectors, not just fruit and vegetables. An increasing number of consumers are buying organic fish, dairy produce and grocery items, such as olive oil, pasta and cooking sauces. But experts said price was still a major factor in switching to organic food, as promoted by celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver.

We are seeing that shoppers are increasingly looking to buy organic food but it needs to be affordable and consistently high quality all year round for it to be considered a viable option, said a spokeswoman for Tesco. The popularity of organic food began with fruit and vegetables, but we are now seeing customers exploring areas such as grocery, fish and dairy. So you can now use organic produce for the whole meal.

Adrian Blackshaw, chair of the Organic Trade Board, which recently won EU funding to help promote organic food in Britain and Denmark, said: Traditionally the two main challenges for customers buying organic are the price and the availability. Over the past decade we have seen this improve across the industry and now the organic market is in a clear growth phase in the UK.

Discounters are upping their game and increasing their organic offer

Adam Wakeley, managing director of Organic Farm Foods, said: The organic food revival is gathering pace thanks to retailers offering a wider range of quality foods at more affordable prices. They continue to support the organic sector and the result is continued growth, outstripping non-organic foods.

Last years Organic Market Report from the Soil Association revealed that the sector was worth almost 2bn in 2015. Sales growth of organic produce outperformed the non-organic grocery market, which decreased by 0.9% in the same period. The association said independent retailers and home delivery box scheme companies had helped boost organic sales. Another key driver was the catering industry whose use of organic food grew by more than 15% last year.

There is a clear opportunity for supermarkets to stock more organic, as our research showed people are having to shop around to find what they want, said Clare McDermott, business development director at Soil Association Certification. The discounters are upping their game and increasing their organic offer, as are other outlets such as Amazon Fresh. There is a huge and currently untapped potential to increase organic sales even further in supermarkets.

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Organic food sales soar as shoppers put quality before price - The Guardian

By Elena Neva

Three times a week: Thursdays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., you can come to 7 Hill St. in Somerville, to relax, meditate, chant (if you will) for 90 minutes.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy the peaceful and spiritual atmosphere.

Harvard graduate, the Rev. Kim found the location at the border of Medford and Somerville and organized the new home for Won-Buddhists and everyone else who wants to come and leave behind a hectic life and world with problems to exercise the mind and body.

All are welcome to come and learn some breathing techniques, meditation and tai chi.

Free yourself from the daily stress of life for 90 minutes of silence and peace.

Schools around the country are now implementing meditation to help with discipline and concentration of students.

The Rev. Kim visited some schools in our state and taught kids how to breathe for relaxation.

When I teach evening classes I also ask my students to close their eyes and sit in silence for five minutes before we will begin the class. Its a wonderful form of relaxation and concentration.

I had an opportunity to visit the Won Dharma Center (wondharmacenter.org) in upstate New York for a three-day retreat and had a delightful experience in a peaceful environment, tasty food and three days of meditation of different kinds: sitting, moving, walking in nature. I met people there from different states and even countries.

Some Thursdays nights in Somerville, one can try a very special ginger lemon tea with pies from the Rev. Park after the meditation, meet new people and have a friendly talk.

In 2009, I was interviewing the Rev. Kim, founder and leader of the Won-Buddhist center of Boston on TV3 Medford, for my show Meeting Interesting people. After the show was aired in Medford, it was also aired in Somerville.

Soon, a new home for TV3 in Medford will be open, and Im planning to re-establish the program. I will invite the Rev. Kim again to hear new stories of how meditation helps to transform peoples lives.

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NEVA: Meditation, relaxation and more - News - Medford Transcript ... - Wicked Local Medford

By Anne M. Mozingo

PORTSMOUTH Stress used to be the chaotic state of mind that plagued some adults who were juggling multiple responsibilities with very few hours a week to themselves. Today, stress is the norm for practically everyone in the United States, including children.

And its a killer. Daily stress gone unchecked is as important a risk factor as hypertension, diabetes and smoking when it comes to the number one life-threatening disease in the United States cardiovascular disease. And take that rushed, trapped feeling one step further and there are an array of anxiety disorders, a mental health condition that racks the nervous systems of more than 40 million adults in the United States between the ages of 18 and 54, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

But there is a solution that people worldwide are turning to. And its not the latest drug or new-age technique. It is called Transcendental Meditation, an ancient practice that originated in India. Those who commit to two 15-20 minute sessions of TM daily say it calms the mind and offers immense rewards for the body as well.

If anything significant happens in the mind, something significant is going to happen to the body since the mind and body are almost like one, said Joan Rist a TM teacher in New Hampshire and Maine. The mind settles down and the body gets this deep rest, and the rest is what is needed to get rid of this deep-rooted stress in our culture. Stress is the black plague of the 21st century. It impacts our health and our well-being. It impacts everyone. So if we can get rid of these deep rooted stresses we can improve our well-being and live life more with enjoyment of our full potential.

Times have changed since the first surge of Americans learning TM in the 1970s, when people wondered if TM was affiliated with a religion or a cult. Today, with more than 700 scientific studies exploring the impact TM has on those who practice, interest in TM is on the rise as TM is considered a mainstream form of self-care.

What is meditation? Is it a way to relax or a way to promote health, vitality and longevity? Is it a means to develop creativity, increase the meditator's IQ and obtain peak mental performance? Or is it a path to inner peace and enlightenment? Actually, Transcendental Meditation is a way to attain all of these possibilities and much, much more, said Bill Rist, who met his wife, Joan, in the mid-seventies in California, where they both were teaching Transcendental programs. The two have been teaching various advanced programs around the country for the past 40 years.

And with daily stress practically a badge of honor in this culture over the past decade, these teachers are doing their part to offer instruction on the TM technique to help improve the lives of many in a myriad of ways.

We have had an increase in people coming to learn TM to gain peace of mind, get relief from stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, (post-traumatic stress disorder), attention deficit disorder and some people learn TM because they want to realize more of who they are deep inside, they want to reach their full potential, said Bill Rist. We actually have people come who want to have better personal relationships, and limit the over-reactionary behavior with their bosses and family, but more than anything, it is anxiety that brings people in.

Transcendental Meditation continues to gain popularity because it is commonplace for both doctors and therapists alike to practice TM and recommend it to their patients. The American Medical Association conducted its own research on high blood pressure and the effects of various forms of meditation and concluded that TM is the only technique that works to reduce high blood pressure. Similarly, The American Heart Association in 2013 studied alternative and complimentary medicines impact on hypertension and today recommends TM as part of a treatment plan for those with blood pressure exceeding 120/80.

Unlike some alternative therapies that require a lot of time and effort to gain a cumulative impact, there is no learning curve at all with TM, said Joan Rist.

We are hard-wired for the mind to move from an active state to a less and less active state. In that moving the body settles as well. On the very first day a new meditator will almost always say they feel very relaxed, said Joan Rist. We have people who are not able to relax until they start TM. They start enjoying a relaxed state from the very first meditation, which is why it is so wonderful to teach this because it does not take years to get results.

Researchers conducted brain wave exams (EEG) on new and long-term meditators and found the longer a person practices TM the more cohesive their brain wave patterns become, which means all parts of the brain work together. This global coherence with alpha wave patterns, which are associated with restfulness and creativity, were found in those who had only been practicing TM for two weeks. And over time, these coherent brain wave patterns were found when the meditators were active as well, not just when the person is meditating. This EEG evidence, Bill Rist said, reveals what regular meditators experience as life with more emotional balance, creativity, improved memory, focus and learning capabilities.

I could not imagine starting my day without the focus I get from my morning meditation, said Joan Rist. And who doesnt want to recuperate from stressful situations more quickly? TM is now being taught to the young cadets at Norwich University to see if they are more resilient in active duty rather than waiting until they come home from war with PTSD. A four-year study is under way now. Its brilliant.

Every weekend either in Concord, Portsmouth or Portland, the Rists offer a one-hour Introduction to Transcendental Meditation workshop, which covers the benefits gleaned from the hundreds of studies in the past 40 years. TM settles the mind, Bill Rist told a group attending his workshop last week in Portsmouth, from the active state to a much deeper state of awareness, then transcends any activity at all. Four subsequent classes will offer these students the practical details of sitting down in two 15-20-minute meditations a day, calming the mind from its active state and thereby providing the body a powerful rest and preparing the meditator for the day or the evening. At the first class, the students will receive a mantra, which is a sound chosen by the teacher that comes from the ancient Vedic tradition. It is a pleasant sound that has no meaning and enables the meditator to settle the mind, giving them something to ride inward on, said Joan Rist.

If the sound had meaning it would keep us on the surface. The mantra has a healthy influence on the body and mind, yet it is only a vehicle, it is not an end in itself. It settles the mind, the mind loves to have less and less activity, said Joan Rist.

For four decades Bill and Joan Rist of Concord have been teaching the TM technique first brought to the United States in the 1950s and made popular by the Beatles in the 1960s, when the band traveled to India to learn from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi himself. But today there are many famous meditators in the United States, including Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah, George Stephanopoulos, Candy Crowley, Arianna Huffington, and Hollywood director David Lynch, who has been practicing TM daily for 40 years and started a foundation to raise money to provide inner city children with TM in their schools. The biggest project is in San Francisco, where 14 middle and high schools meditate together twice a day and call it quiet time.

Lynchs goal to get as many children as possible meditating has really kicked off in South America, where the education director in Brazil wants to offer TM to students nationwide, said Joan Rist. TM helps kids learn. Children with ADHD can learn TM. Its easy, effortless and natural and they find their grade-point averages go up. When we practice TM regularly, it impacts our health. It changes everything. Stress is the number one enemy of learning. So when kids, or adults for that matter, learn TM they enjoy this transcending process and the quiet we get from meditating becomes cumulative, we bring a little bit more each day into the active mind, which changes our ability to focus, be creative and reach our potential.

For information on Transcendental Meditation, visit http://www.TM.org.

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Transcendental Meditation helps get rid of stress - News ... - Seacoastonline.com

Trying to tone up and get fit is always a challenge.

Many of us promise ourselves every Monday to start the diet and vigorous gym routine to no avail.

Sometimes, the pressure we put on ourselves to stay dedicated can leave us slightly disappointed when we don't achieve the results we set out to get, leaving us beating ourselves up needlessly.

One way many of us decide to lose a few pounds is by using an exerciseDVD as it's cheap and you can work away from the comfort of your own home - the dream.

Antonella The Uncensored Reviewer did just that and the results are simply hilarious.

Reviewing Charlotte Crosby's 3 minute Belly Blitz, Antonella told followers of her predicament in being absolutely 'knackered' after the workout.

Her honest account and slightly er, coloured language will surely have you CRY laughing.

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This woman's excercise review will make you wheeze laughing - Her.ie

Ten minutes before the evening aerobics class even begins, the music is blasting and a half dozen women dance and clap in rhythm.

Leader of the pack is 75-year-old Gracie Perkins.

For a decade Perkins has taught this rhythmic aerobics class for seniors at BREC's North Sherwood Forest Community Park, dancing hard for an hour every Tuesday and Thursday. And she barely breaks a sweat.

"She's the fountain of youth," says Brenda Summers, 50, a regular participant. "She makes you want to be better."

When the class officially starts, the room is full, and Perkins grabs a stack of CDs next to the boom box. The ageless, constantly smiling Perkins wears a pink T-shirt slightly off her shoulder, her short, dark hair highlighted with brassy tones.

"Where y'all want to go?" Perkins asks the room while searching through the music. She puts on Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and the women know all the moves. They mimic jumping rope, then spin around.

Most of their routines involve a few easy-to-learn steps repeated in all four directions. The moves matter less than the idea of getting moving, Perkins says.

"Youre not concerned about making mistakes," she says. "Were concerned about fitness for life. We get vigorous."

They dance to classic songs from the 1960s and '70s and modern pop songs, just taking breaks to swig water, towel sweat out of their eyes and prepare for the next song.

Can't see video below? Click here.

"I love what I'm doing," says Mattie McClain, 67, who has done aerobics for 15 years nine with Perkins. "It keeps you feeling young and living longer. And it keeps you happy."

Trained as a health and physical education teacher, Perkins teaches them that while working out is about looking good, it is primarily about cardiovascular health and getting the blood flowing.

"Its all about cardio, from the inside to the outside," she says.

Born in Baton Rouge, Perkins helped create the Southern University Dancing Dolls, becoming the celebrated troupe's first director and choreographer. She taught in Kansas City and Seattle but settled back home in Baton Rouge. She's been teaching aerobics since the workout craze first hit more than 30 years ago.

She has always been energetic and active, says Perkins' niece Shari Poydras, 50, who attends the class.

"This is her all the time," she says. "I don't think she would be herself without it."

The members of the class perform their routines at fitness fairs all over the parish and have even shown off their moves at a Southern University football halftime show. Sometimes they take trips together.

"Theyre about having fun," Perkins says. "We love it, and whats amazing about it is we love each other. This is what we need."

Later in the class, the women grab small plastic platforms and hoist 2-, 3- and 4-pound weights to step up and down to the Motown hit "Please Mr. Postman." In most classes the women take 8,000 to 10,000 steps, says Theresa Charles, 64, who wears a pedometer.

The class winds down with stretching and balance exercises, and Perkins incorporates mental drills in which she calls out a time 12 o'clock or 6:30 and the class has to move their arms like the hands on a clock face.

But they love to dance, and, not counting the pre-class warm-up, they move for at least an hour.

"We live to dance. We dance to live," Perkins says. "Whenever we go someplace, thats our motto, we dance to live. Life is beautiful. Love it. Have fun."

Follow Kyle Peveto on Twitter, @kylepeveto.

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Dancing to live: In Baton Rouge, these seniors workout to Michael Jackson, other classics - The Advocate

"The Museum Workout" is a lively workout at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, staged amid some of the worlds masterpieces. (Feb. 17)

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Fine Art Meets Sweaty Aerobics | | iosconews.com - Iosco County News Herald

New York Times

Eco-friendly, Nontoxic and Vegan: It's a Condom New York Times But on this morning, the clerks had gathered to learn about an unusual new item on the shelves: nontoxic, eco-friendly vegan condoms. Meika Hollender, the co-founder and co-chief executive of Sustain Natural, addressed the crowd and showed off her ...

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Eco-friendly, Nontoxic and Vegan: It's a Condom - New York Times

Using nuts, soy and seasonings ranging from sriracha to Old Bay, home cooks and caterers alike brought their creamiest, cheesiest entries to the Vegan Mac and Cheese Smackdown.

Organizers estimated as many as 3,000 attendees came out for the second annual event, held Saturday afternoon at Baltimore City Community College, to sample from 28 cooks. The cookoff was part of the inaugural Baltimore Vegan Weekend, a series of events throughout the city celebrating vegan cuisine.

The event drew both repeat and new contestants, as well as a number of first-time attendees.

The people's choice winners from last year's smackdown, who call themselves Flying Pig Labs, returned with a slightly modified recipe. Wife and husband P. Jeanie and Doug Ciskowski of Southern Maryland have been vegans for 30 and 17 years, respectively. Jeanie entered the contest last year after spending about a month developing her recipe.

"You need a smooth-melting cheese and a sharp flavorful cheese," she said. She uses Daiya, a brand free of dairy, gluten and soy, to achieve the creamy texture, and her own cultured cashew cheese for the sharp, cheddar-like punch.

This time she used a bit more cashew cheese in her bid to defend the couple's title.

Other contestants, like Rebecca Daniels-Smith of Prince George's County, were entering for the first time. Daniels-Smith went vegan about 18 months ago and has worked on a perfecting a simple white cheddar-style mac and cheese over that time. Her entry, VGGF (Vegan Geek's Gluten Freeks) centered on gluten-free macaroni and Miyoko's Kitchen cashew cheese, a vegan mozzarella.

"I found this vegan mozzarella cheese, and it became like the holy grail of all recipes because you can do anything with it," Daniels-Smith said.

A panel of judges picked their favorites in eight categories, including best-from-scratch, most-like-grandma's and gluten-free.

Saturday's event marked the second time Pep Foods Inc., a local vegan collective, and Baltimore Vegan Drinks hosted the mac-and-cheese cookoff, which attracted more than 1,000 people in 2016.

Brenda Sanders, one of the event's organizers, attributed the event's growth to the allure of the vegan lifestyle.

"Folks are just ready to try something different. People are ready to get healthier, people are ready to change what they've been doing and do something a little different," Sanders said. "This whole health movement is really picking up steam in Baltimore right now."

The vegan lifestyle was new to Kevin Braughton, 43, who attended the event with his children Holly, 8, and Alec, 6. They adopted veganism as a family at the start of the year.

Braughton, a Severna Park resident, said the transition to vegan eating has been easy.

"Once you get over the first two times, 'Gosh, I wish I had a cheeseburger,' you begin to realize how much other food is out there and how enjoyable it is," he said. "And the more you eat it, the more you end up craving that rather than some of the old stuff."

Longtime vegetarians, like Howard University student Rachel Kenlaw, turned out for the smackdown, too. Kenlaw, 21, was raised on a vegetarian diet and said she eats mostly plant-based foods now.

"This excited me because everyone likes mac and cheese, and I'm starting a health and wellness-type blog because of the position I'm in at my school, and I was like, this is the perfect place to try some new things out," she said.

She tried eating meat for a few years, she said, but switched back to a mostly plant-based diet in college.

"I saw how my body reacted to [a plant-based diet] and I was healthier and I was actually getting sicker when I was eating meat," she said.

Baltimore's Vegan Weekend kicked off Friday with an informal restaurant crawl, and included events to celebrate vegan cuisine. After the mac-and-cheese competition, Pep Foods and Baltimore Vegan Drinks were scheduled to host an after-party at Thrive Baltimore, Pep Foods' new event space and community resource center.

Events continue Sunday . Five restaurants, Harmony Bakery and Cafe, Land of Kush, NuBohemia Cafe, One World Cafe and Red Emma's Coffeehouse and Bookstore, are hosting vegan brunches. And Paulie Gee's Pizzeria and Bar will also host a vegan pizza fest from noon to 4 p.m. The Hampden restaurant will serve at least 12 specialty vegan pizzas, plus appetizers and desserts.

smeehan@baltsun.com

twitter.com/sarahvmeehan

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Second annual Vegan Mac and Cheese Smackdown grows in ... - Baltimore Sun