Don't Miss This Event! APRL's 8th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration!

Enjoy a healthy, humane, and environmentally friendly Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, sponsored by Tofurky! There will be music, feasting, and tons of fun, including a talk with vegan celebrity fitness instructor John Lewis and a presentation about APRL's work. If you're veg, this is a great chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal you can actually eat! If you're not yet, then what better time of year to try something new (and delicious)?

When: 2:00pm on Saturday, November 19th

Where: World Beat Center at 2100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Tickets are $15 at the door, and kids are half price!

Note: This year the whole feast will be provided (not a potluck!). Bring your appetite.

Volunteer: We always need volunteers - cooking up some Tofurky roasts beforehand & serving food during gets you in for free. Feel like getting creative in the kitchen? Your contribution of a vegan baked good for our dessert table will be greatly appreciated!

RSVP here to attend or volunteer. Hope to see you there!

Updates

APRL's Orange County chapter helped pass a historic ban on retail pet sales, rodeos and animal circuses in Irvine! APRL activists who have been protesting a puppy store in Newport Beach then gathered at City Hall there to ask for a similar ordinance - read more here.

Five more restaurants dropped cruel foie gras after being contacted by APRL in September, and our last protest received coverage in the New York Times.

133 people watched Farm to Fridge, a documentary about meat production, as part of APRL's Pay Per View program, which pays people $1 to watch this 4 minute video.

Click here to watch an inspiring video about APRL's veg outreach at the Escondido Street Festival.

An article about APRL's campaign to stop the poisoning of wildlife ran in the OB Rag - see the article here.

An Interview with Turtle Island/Tofurky Founder Seth Tibbott:

We asked Seth Tibbott, founder of Turtle Island Foods (makers of the famous Tofurky) how things have changed since he went veg 40 years ago.

When and why did you decide to make a switch to a veg lifestyle?

I switched to a vegetarian diet during college in 1971, after reading Diet for a Small Planet by Francis Moore Lappe. I was working as a teacher/naturalist and her book made total sense to my environmental leanings. Add in the nutritional and animal rights piece and it seemed like a perfect win, win, win situation.

When you founded Turtle Island, most Americans probably hadn't heard of tempeh or other meat alternatives. How do you think awareness about vegetarian eating has changed since then?

In 1980 you pretty much made your own natural foods, whether it was granola, tempeh, yogurt, or tofu. I actually worked at a "head shop" in college and it was the only place in town that you could buy granola! In just a few years time, granola was all over the supermarket and I thought "Hmm, maybe the same thing will happen with tempeh." Now you can pretty much buy any type of product you can think of. And tempeh, which for most of the last 31 years had only been available in natural foods stores, is now busting into supermarkets and is growing at an extremely fast rate.

Do you think living veg is easier today?

Absolutely! Witness the 30% of Americans who now label themselves "flexitarians" and eat 4 or more meatless meals per week.

What message do you try to convey at Tofurky/Turtle Island Foods?

Eating a plant-based diet is healthy for you, healthy for the planet, and respectful and considerate of all living beings. Win, win, win.

Tofurky has helped a lot of vegetarians & vegans feel included in holidays like Thanksgiving. Can you share some memorable feedback from a happy customer?

Here's a letter from Tami in California: "Hello! I just had to let you know that this Thanksgiving was my first as a vegetarian. I had serious doubts that I would be able to make it through without eating turkey. I even reasoned that I could be mostly veg except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I talked myself out of that and decided to give one of your Tofurky roasts a try. Wow! Was I pleasantly surprised! I couldn't believe how yummy the tofurky, stuffing, and gravy all were! Now I think I might be able to pull this vegetarian thing off. Thanks for the great Thanksgiving dinner!"

Do you have a favorite recipe you would like to share?

Try Aunt Jean's Crockpot Tofurky for an easy Thanksgiving feast!

November Adoption - Elly

If you've been thinking about adopting lately, today is your lucky day! Meet Elly, a 2 year old rescue kitty looking for her forever family. A beautiful petite tabby, Elly was living in a home with over 40 other cats until the homeowner passed away in October and they were sent to a shelter, immediately set to be euthanized. Luckily, animal rescuers heard of their predicament and saved the whole group, setting them up with medical care and working to find them safe foster homes. Elly is looking for a quiet home with a caretaker who will promise to love (and not declaw her)! Elly was recently spayed and has completed the first stage of her shots. Donations will be provided to help cover the remaining expenses. Write to alex@aprl.org if you're interested in seeing pictures & meeting her!