It amazes me how out of control things can get so quickly.  Karma can take hold of a situation and run with it before you even have a chance to realize that you're not in control anymore.  amazing.

Here on the East coast we are in full blown wedding season.  For us in the party industry it means lots of work and highly stressed-out brides (it is the most expensive time of the year to get married). 

I have been to many, many weddings in my 8 years as a photographer and I have seen some shocking things.  The one thing that surprises me over and over again are the way some guests handle themselves at these events.  That is why I (with the help of Emily Post) have compiled a little list of tips for all of us to be mindful of for that next wedding we attend. 



RSVP. Immediately.
RSVP is French for "please respond" (répondez s'il vous plaît). Your most important obligation as a guest is to respond to the invitation immediately, especially if you are unable to attend. At the very least, it allows your host and hostess enough time to give an accurate count to the caterer. There is usually a card to return with your reply. If not, you may write a formal reply or a note indicating your intention.

Respect your invitation.
Do not ask your host or hostess if you can bring a date or your children!  The invitation will be addressed to the people invited. If you may bring a guest, your invitation will read “Mr. John Phelps and guest.” If your children are invited, they will either receive their own personal invitations or their names will be listed under yours on the envelope. This is not the time to question your host’s decision, to argue or to beg for an exception. And, please, do not add their names to a reply card or show up with them anyway!


Send a gift.
If you are invited to the ceremony and/or reception, you should send a gift, whether you are attending or not. Generally, gifts are sent to the bride in advance of the wedding. In some localities, gifts are brought to the reception and placed on a special table. If you hear from family that the couple would prefer a charitable donation—as in the case of an older couple or an encore wedding —please respect their wishes. If you receive an announcement after the wedding has taken place, you may send a gift if you wish, but you have no obligation to do so. It is nice to acknowledge the announcement with a card or a note expressing your best wishes.


Be on your BEST behavior.
Be on time, wear appropriate clothing and be respectful during the marriage ceremony. Pay your respects to the hosts, the wedding party and other guests at the reception. And remember..

“The good guest is almost invisible, enjoying him- or herself, communing with fellow guests, and, most of all, enjoying the generous hospitality of the hosts.” - Emily Post

Post Punk Kitchen they have some rocking recipes.  They are a cooking show on NYC's public access station.  If you don't live in Manhattan, log on to their website to watch clips from their show. 

VegNews is my favorite magazine out there. If you are like me and cant wait till a new issue comes out, log on the site and get your fix. 

I log on to Happy Cow when ever I'm traveling or planning a trip.  At my finger tips  are lists of vegan and vegatarain restuarants from all over the world.  It's an excelent resource. 

Vegan Action is a non-profit that promotes the vegan lifestyle and encourages others to go vegan.  Join a campagin, get some recipes, read the latest breaking news regarding a vegan diet, or shop. 

....more to come

For the last TEN years, the world has been celebrating World Vegan Day, on November 1st. Every year the celebrations get bigger and more numerous as many more people discover how enjoyable it is to lead a lifestyle that benefits people, animals and the environment.

Let's make this year HUGE! Invite friends over for a vegan dinner, go out to a vegan restaurant, bring vegan snacks into your kids school...there are so many things we can do to bring veganism to people and let them see that they can do it too.   

So what are you going to do?

Inspired by a recipe from Cooking Light

Potato mixture:
2 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes chopped (don’t peel yet!)
1 cup soy creamer or soy milk
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T. egg replacer mixed with 6 T of water
Cooking spray
Topping:
1 ½ cup of vegan marshmallows (from Pangea) cut in half
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 T of cold Earth Balance butter, cut in to small pieces, Keep chilled in freezer
½ cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) toasted
1/2 cup of rasins (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375* F
2. Place potatoes in Dutch oven and cover with water. Let it come to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (or until fork tender). Drain. Let cool slightly and then peal off skin.
3. Put potatoes in large bowl and add the creamer/milk, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat by hand or with a hand mixer until smooth. Add egg replacer mixture and beat well. Pour mixture into sprayed 13x9 inch baking dish.
4. Make the topping by sprinkling on top of potatoes with the marshmallows. In a medium bowl combine the rest of the topping ingredients (except the nuts and rasins) . With a pastry blender or a fork, combine till it resembles coarse corn meal. Add in nuts and rasins.    Sprinkle mixture over marshmallows and bake for about 30 min.

**Instead of using soy creamer or milk, reserve 1 cup of the water used for boiling the sweet potatoes and use that instead. **