it's all about the cupcakes

This Weekend: Poplar Springs, Thanksgiving with the Turkeys

This coming weeked is Poplar Spring’s Annual Thanksgiving with the Turkeys. Join their eight friendly turkeys and all their friends in celebrating a cruelty-free Thanksgiving potluck. Please bring a vegan (no meat, dairy, or eggs) dinner or dessert item to serve 8. $10.00 suggested donation to benefit the animals. No charge for children under 16. The event is from 12pm-4pm on Saturday November 22nd.

Click here for directions to Poplar Spring’s

See you there!!!

November 17, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Benefit, Events, Farming, Food, Kids | Leave a Comment 

Poplar Spring Open House

smile :DYesterday Poplar Spring had their annual open house. The weather could not have been more perfect, sunny, 80 degrees, and blue skys! There seemed to be a great turnout, hopefully they raised more then enough money. There was great vegan food, live music, and wonderful animals! If you did not make it out to Poplar Spring for this event make sure you make it out for the next one, Thanksgiving WITH the Turkeys, which is November 22nd, check our events calendar for more details.

October 13, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Benefit | Leave a Comment 

Poplar Spring Open House TOMORROW!

Don’t forget that the Poplar Spring open house is tomorrow (Sunday, Oct 12th). Hope to see you there!!!

October 11, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Benefit, Events | Leave a Comment 

Pancakes for Poplar Spring

Great Sage is generously donating 10% of their profits on August 31 to benefit the rescued animals at Poplar Spring. This wonderful vegetarian, organic restaurant also serves a delicious brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. So come on out to Great Sage and enjoy a great meal and help the animals too!

Sunday, August 31, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 9 p.m.

http://great-sage.com

August 28, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Benefit, Food | Leave a Comment 

Poplar Spring on NBC4

NBC4 reports from Poplar Spring with Karen Dawn author of “thanking the monkey” a new book giving a lighter but true view a the way animals are treated.

Video >> Poplar Spring on NBC4

August 12, 2008 | Filed Under Rambling | Leave a Comment 

Hope

Benjamin and I attended the Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary’s Farm Tour and Yard Sale yesterday.

Despite my idea that it would be a rough drive up there and back, the baby boy slept both ways–the entire 45 minute drive! Very nice. I was quite happy to not have to pull over in the back country with no cell phone service to feed the little guy.

Tim and I are committed to raising Benjamin vegan–no doubts. The fact that he will be challenged by some people, ostracized by others (not only children but parents of friends and teachers as well) is something that makes me sad–but he will be stronger for it, and I believe that for every child who misunderstands him, there will be another who learns from him about animals being our friends.

As cheesy (or cheezly, or another dairy-free brand of cheese–what have you) as it is, this song popped into my head at Poplar Springs yesterday–”I believe the children are our future…” you know the rest. I think it had something to do with the fact that at work 97.1 (sing it: wash eeefff eeeemmmm) is always on and they feel the need to play that song once every two hours or so. But it also had to do with the fact that there are just so many families at Poplar Springs events. Whether or not they are vegan or vegetarian when they go home–when they are at the beautiful, sprawling sanctuary they are learning about the animals that live there, interacting with the pigs and cows and sheep, and most importantly, subtly learning that the animals were rescued from places that didn’t treat them well–which makes kids ask questions. Case in point: the little girl who went with us, she’s seven, asked her dad why the animals need a sanctuary. I didn’t hear his answer–but I know that when I was seven I had no idea that a human could possibly treat an animal in any other way than nicely, and I blindly shuffled the chicken nuggets from (shudder) good ‘ole Mickey D’s into my mouth on a daily basis.

Maybe if I had been exposed to a place like Poplar Springs I would have had more questions, inklings. Maybe I would have become a vegan at a younger age.

Poplar Springs, schools offering soymilk as an option and beginning the process of improving their menus–among other things, is so hopeful to me.

While I was waiting in line for my veggie hot dog, a little boy (maybe five years old) ran up to his mother (with whom I was chatting) and she asked him what he wanted on his “hamburger”. He looked at her and said “No, mom, VEGGIE-burger, not HAM-burger!”

Pretty cool.

Sing it, Whitney Houston.

-Megan Meinberg

July 27, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Benefit, Events, Farming, Kids | Leave a Comment 

Weekend Events: July 26-27

COK / Stickyfingers Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest
In honor of National Veggie Hot Dog Month, COK has teamed up with Sticky Fingers Bakery to host D.C.’s first ever Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest. Enjoy all the Tofurky Franks you can eat and win fabulous prizes or watch others stuff their faces. Help us show others how easy, delicious and fun it is to choose vegetarian foods! Everyone is welcome and there is no entry fee.

Where: Sticky Fingers Bakery at 1370 Park Rd., N.W., D.C.
Metro: Columbia Heights Metro station (green line)
When: 6 pm
More Info: http://www.cok.net/feat/hotdog-contest/

Poplar Spring Farm Tour
Come on out and meet the animals and enjoy hay rides, ice cold lemonade, veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs. Shop for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and handmade crafts in our gift shop, and for hidden treasures at our giant yard sale in the carriage barn.

Where: Poplar Spring
When: Saturday, July 26, 2008
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
More Info: http://www.animalsanctuary.org/events/index.html

Vegan Meetup Group: Restaurant Visit to Lemon Tree
Lemon Tree is a cozy Middle Eastern café and market with a number of vegetarian and vegan options. It is located in Congressional Plaza near the Twinbrook Metro station. Ingredients are listed on the menu so one can tell whether or not they are vegan.

Where: Lemon Tree Cafe and Market
When: 6 pm
More Into: http://vegan.meetup.com/28/calendar/8303369/

Vegan Meetup Group: Potluck Picnic in Rock Creek Park
Join VSDC and the Washington, DC Area Vegan Meetup group this summer for food and fun in beautiful Rock Creek Park. Please bring a vegan dish to share (no animal products like meat, fish, fowl, eggs, dairy, honey, etc., and their derivatives) that serves four times the number in your party. You should bring the ingredient list/recipe and serving utensil. You are also encouraged to bring your own reusable plate, cup, and utensils to cut down on the use of disposable products. For more information, contact VSDC at 202-362-VEGY box #2 or vsdc@vsdc.org. For directions, visit www.nps.gov/rocr or call 202-895-6000.

Where: Rock Creek Park Grove 10
When: Sunday, July 27, 4:00 PM
More Info: http://vegan.meetup.com/28/calendar/7954829/?a=cv1c_grp

July 25, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Events, Food, Kids | Leave a Comment 

Poplar Spring Farm Tour

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville Maryland will be having a farm tour on July 26th. There will be hay rides , ice cold lemonade, veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs. Shop for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and handmade crafts in their gift shop, and for hidden treasures at the giant yard sale in the carriage barn. Poplar Spring is just an hours drive from DC (directions here) and is worth a visit if you have never been. Also check out their Spring 2008 Newsletter, there is more information about how you can help, other events, and sanctuary news (download it here).

[http://www.animalsanctuary.org]

June 26, 2008 | Filed Under Animals, Events, Food | Leave a Comment