Veggie Girl Give-Away of The Blooming Platter (Vegan) Cookbook

Dianne “Veggie Girl” is running a give-away of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes!  Click on the link to go directly to her post where entering is simple!  Just leave her a comment at the bottom of the post sharing your favorite vegan dish, and then cross your fingers.  Hurry, as the contest ends this Thursday, May 19, with winners announced on Friday, May 20!

While you’re on the Veggie Girl site, enjoy all this vegan health counselor, cook, and writer has to offer.  I was completely “plattered” by the attention she lavished on TBPC as her featured cookbook.  And she’s bringing it back for a second week in a row!

Last week, she prepared and photographed five of the recipes from the book–and did a beautiful job with all–adding an intro plus comments that are thoughtful and generous in their praise of the dishes.  I love some of her twists, like serving my Chinese Tempeh Lettuce Wraps in collards when the lettuce didn’t look good at her grocery story (I am a south’ren gal, after all); or serving my Tofu with Tomato-Caper Wine Sauce over quinoa and kale for a nutritional powerhouse of a meal.

I can’t wait to see what this week holds!

Thank you so much, Dianne (aka Veggie Girl) from the bottom of my bloomin’ heart!

Happy (Vegan) Birthday to Me!

May marks, well, let’s just say a fairly significant birthday for me.  My husband teases me about my month-long birthday celebrations which have become tradition.  But you see, it’s not “all about me;” it’s all about my relationships with my friends and family, so it’s really all about them!

Still, this month is shaping up to be an embarrassment of riches with, most notably, the official launch party, book signing and food-in-art exhibition for The Blooming Platter Cookbook hosted by Sheila Giolitti at Mayer Fine Art Gallery on May 21, 7-9 p.m.  If you are in the local area, please come!

But there is much more to be grateful for, including that Jeff Maisey, editor of VEER Magazine, selected me as his May-June cover girl with photos by well-known Hampton Roads photographer, Kathy Keeney, and my cookbook the subject of the cover story written by a similarly well-known writer in our area, Kristen Kirk.

The photo shoot was this past Wednesday right after I got home from school.  I had hoped against hope that my braces would be taken off the day before, but it turns out that I have two more weeks to go.  Darn.  So we took a lot of “closed mouth” shots.  When we were finished inside, I sat down on the steps outside just to chat, but Kathy said she liked the pose and grabbed her camera again, snapping some shots like this one.

At one point, she asked me to hold my hand a certain way because she liked my wedding band, a birthday gift to myself (still more of the embarrassment of riches).  My husband “bought that ring twice” as he says because the center stone–his birthstone–broke twice in the original gold setting.  So I bought a $15 sterling silver band from Express(!) and have been wearing it for about as many years.

Last spring, with Joe’s and my 20th wedding anniversary approaching in September, I looked into having a mold made and the ring cast in platinum since I only wear silver-toned metals now.  But, even without a new stone, it was more than I wanted to pay.  So then, a few months ago, with this birthday approaching, I got serious about a solution, wondering about a completely new design that incorporated only the diamond baguettes from the original.

I called upon Mary Beth Nixon, my wonderful high school art teacher friend with an MFA in jewelry design from VCU.  I described my desire for a sleek, wide, quasi-industrial band with a little sparkle from the baguettes.  Together, we created a design that features those elements plus contrasting satin and polished finishes.  She, in turn, consulted with her friend Don Elliott who we hired to do the work.  And what masterful work he did, don’t you think?  You can find him at D.H. Elliott’s in Richmond, VA, 804.222.2806.

Thanks Sheila, Jeff, Kathy, Kristen, Mary Beth, and Don!

Incidentally, the watch I’m wearing is a cherished gift from Joe and his sisters Terri Ann, and Tina.  It belonged to their mother, our beloved Terry, who sadly passed away on April 13, losing her fight with brain cancer after several years.  They generously gave me her watch the day before her funeral and I find it a comforting symbolic connection to her.  Mary Beth and I designed the ring months before Terry died, but doesn’t the watch look uncannily compatible with it’s square face and tiny square diamond “numbers”?

Thank you Joe, Terri Ann, and Tina.

That Bloomin’ Minnie (the Mini-Great Dane)!

Now that’s a face only a “mother” could love!

Yesterday, one of Hampton Roads’ top photographers, Kathy Keeney, arrived at my house bearing the most beautiful array of vegetables for a VEER Magazine photo shoot.  Jeff Maisey, the publisher of VEER graciously offered to make me his May-June cover girl and my Blooming Platter Cookbook the subject of the cover story (thank you, Jeff!).

I barricaded the dogs out of the kitchen and dining room with baby gates, but left the deck door open in case they needed to go out, since they couldn’t access their dog door.  But that little Miss Minnie (the Mini Great Dane) figured out how to go out the deck door, run through the rock garden, and come in the dog door straight into the dining room.

Fortunately, we were almost finished with the indoor part of the shoot.  So I tucked a (vegan) dog biscuit into the bowl of veggies, and Kathy snapped some shots of Minnie looking positively deranged over that bounty!  Even without the biscuit, she really does love her vegetables almost as much as our dearly departed Veggie Dog, Webster.

Blooming Platter (Vegan) Cookbook Launch/Signing Party–You’re Invited

For those of you in the local area who aren’t yet following me on Facebook (please friend me!) or who aren’t in my personal email address book, please know that you and your friends/family are invited to the official Blooming Platter Cookbook Launch/Signing Party!

Many months ago, Sheila Giolitti, owner of Mayer Fine Art Gallery in Norfolk, VA, had the truly generous and inspired idea of hosting a launch party at the gallery, complete with a book-signing and a food-in-art exhibition.  I, of course, eagerly accepted and, through her enthusiastic efforts, it will be happening in about 3 short weeks.

Won’t you please join us and spread the word?  All of the information follows.   See you there!

“Incredible Edibles” and Book Launch/Signing

Free & Open to the Public

Saturday, May 21, 2011, 7-9 p.m.

Mayer Fine Art Gallery (also on Facebook)

333 Waterside Dr. Suite #252 (in the Waterside Festival Hall), Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 803-4749

Hassle-free access: drive into the garage immediately across Waterside Drive from the Hall, park on or near the 2nd level, and take the breezeway across Waterside Drive, directly to the gallery, immediately on your left.

Blooming Platter (Vegan) Cookbook–Two Give-Aways–Hurry!

I am so excited because this week there are TWO separate giveaways going on for my new cookbook, The Blooming Platter Cookbook.

As I mentioned last Thursday, my publisher, Vegan Heritage Press, is sponsoring a giveaway on their blog.   Plus, there is another giveaway in progress at VegWeb.

Don’t delay…the Vegan Heritage Press contest ends Sunday, May 1, 2011, at midnight.  While you’re on the site, I encourage you to “follow” Jon Robertson–you’ll want to go wherever he “leads”!

VegWeb’s webmistress, Laura, writes a delightful post and completely flattered and humbled me by calling The Blooming Platter Cookbook one of her “latest favorites” among vegan cookbooks.  (Thank you, Laura!)

I hope you’ll consider joining VegWeb so that you can enter for a chance to win their give-away ending Tuesday, May 3, 2011;  but, just as importantly, to participate more fully in all their enticing and comprehensive site has to offer.

Hope you win!  But if you don’t, you can click on the linked book title above to order your very own copy.

The Blooming Platter (Vegan) Cookbook Give-Away

I’m delighted to usher in spring by sharing a giveaway my publisher, Vegan Heritage Press, is sponsoring through their new blog.  Just click here and follow the simple directions for three great chances to win a copy of my new cookbook: The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

Hurry, the contest ends Sunday, May 1, at midnight!

A visit to the VHP blog will also afford you a sneak preview of one of the most luscious and ultra-easy recipes from my book: Mango-Coconut Cream Sorbet.

Hope you win!

Huff and Minnie and Their Vegan Mid-Century Modern Sofa

Because of Huff and Minnie:

Photo Credit: Donna Reiss

I needed to recover our living room sofa.  It is a striking mid-century piece that I bought from a friend for a song.  She had inherited it covered in gorgeous apple green silk from her mother-in-law.  But her young children were destroying it with their peanut-butter-and-jelly fingers.

When I rescued it, I spent a pretty penny to have it reupholstered in two tones of butterscotch chenille-like fabric.  Because I knew the dogs would lounge on it, I laid a matching rubber-backed carpet runner over the bottom cushions (as  you can see in the photograph), but Minnie liked to burrow behind the pillows and, consequently, it was smelling a bit like dog and showing some wear.

Not wanting to spend a fortune nor figure out how to transport it to Joe’s Upholstery in VA Beach (the best!), I decided to simply recover the two large bottom cushions and the 4 oval back cushions.  Because of the dogs, I wanted something like leather, but for the sake of cows, I wanted a leather-look.  “Automotive Vinyl” was recommended and, while it sounds utilitarian and not terribly comfortable, it is the opposite.

I was able to match the butterscotch chenille of the frame and had new bottom cushions cut, as the others had gotten compressed.  Now, it’s stylish, comfy and animal-friendly in more ways than one.   The results are pretty retro-modern fab, don’t you think?

Vegan Blogger Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter Profiled at IResolveTo.com


Recently, I was contacted by Kim Simpson of I Resolve To… (pictured at right).

Her blog celebrates making and keeping resolutions “and enjoying the journey.” As she traveled around the net, she discovered The Blooming Platter and read about its origins as one of my New Year’s Resolutions. She emailed me to ask if she could profile me as a Resolutionista. I was, of course, flattered, and happily agreed to an e-interview which you can read by following this link: http://www.iresolveto.com/ (post date: October 26, 2009).

Once there, I think you’ll love Kim’s compelling blog. It is generous of spirit and simultaneously practical and inspirational. I am honored that she allowed me to share my thoughts on motivation, goal-setting, moving past obstacles, accountability and more in relation to making and keeping resolutions that involve personal passions.

To Kim and all you other Resolutionistas out there, keep doing your inspired and inspiring work and many thanks for sharing the ride with me.

The Blooming Platter Business Cards

The purpose of this post is to give a shout-out to graphic artist extraordinaire, Holly Evans, who recently designed business cards for me.

No one could have been more thoughtful about what The Blooming Platter is, who I am, and how to represent both. I thought I wanted an actual logo with a quasi-feminine retro look, so she gave me some designs in that vain. But she loves the photos on The Platter and feels that they are a hallmark of the site. The next time we met, she surprised me by presenting a design based on one of my photos that looks like a “blooming platter,” borrowing both the lozenge-shaped elements and the color scheme from my banner in order to give a nod in a retro direction. A little burlap lends an earthy-organic look which I also wanted. The resulting print identity is far superior to anything I could have imagined. I think it’s perfect, don’t you?

Holly can be reached at hollyevans@cox.net. I couldn’t recommend her more highly as both a graphic designer and a wonderful person to know.

Thanks for everything, Holly!

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