It's time to share! I've been working long and hard, between naps of my little guy, and free evenings, and sneaking out to a coffee shop now and then- it's a new world, trying to carve out time for yourself with a toddler around. But I've managed to complete my project! I've done it and I'm feeling better and stronger having accomplished something so tangible. Shortcut to Vegan has arrived! 

To quote from the website, "Shortcut to Vegan is a 7 day program designed for individuals, and individuals supporting family members. Take a shortcut to vegan, learning the key elements including the whys of veganism, vegan nutrition, preparing healthy meals, and putting it into practice. This one week program includes daily lessons, group discussions and optional assignments." 

Shortcut to Vegan had a soft launch a few weeks ago, and I'm thrilled to have gone through the first session with a few eager participants. I had great feedback on the program and am feeling even more confident now about what Shortcut to Vegan can offer, and how it can motivate people to embark on a new way to live, and eat! 

Check out the new website created just for this program. Sessions bi monthly, and when registered, participants get to create their own login and have access to daily lessons. Lessons are put forward starting on Monday, and finish on Sunday. Participants then get one more week to view the materials and finish up their work online. It's an excellent system to be held accountable and have a somewhat flexible, but firm timeline. I'm truly proud of this program and I think it has the potential to help a lot of people become clear about how they want to live- with intention and responsibility. 

So there you have it, my own little labour of love. I want this program to make the rounds. I want people to know about it, see it, hear buzz about it, and join in! If you're excited about the possibility of more people learning about the ins and outs of veganism, and how it truly can change one's life and the world, then I do hope you'll help me spread the word. Better yet, see what it's all about and join me in an upcoming session! 

Happy Holidays to all,
Andréa 

Interested in what someone who took the course thinks? Here's my first testimonial! (I love receiving testimonials!)

Toronto! The big city! Home of the CN Tower, the Toronto Raptors,  my brother, and THE BIGGEST VEGETARIAN FOOD FESTIVAL IN NORTH AMERICA! I feel so grateful that I had the opportunity to attend #VegFestTO for the second year in a row. What a dream. 

I flew from Halifax on Friday, arriving at the super convenient City Center airport, which is literally a 15 minute walk to the festival. Though the festival started that evening, I wanted to touch base with some old friends first. A vegan lunch at the Vegetarian Haven, a coffee at the Art Gallery of Ontario, a quick meditation session, and a veggie-luck for dinner and I was ready to crash, conserving my energy for the amazing lineup for the festival on Saturday. 

Having only been to two of the 28 years of Veg Fest, I'd have to say, this year was the best ever. ;)  Presenters included raw vegan chef Doug McNish, Dr. Michael Greger, author Rich Roll of Finding Ultra, my idol Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, vegan cookbook duo Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moscowitz, Ellen's trainer John Pierre, and many many more.  The festival is held downtown Toronto on the waterfront at the Harbourfront Center- a great venue for cooking displays, lectures, food and product vendors, outdoor seating, indoor table browsing, food sampling and music. There was so much to see, that even dedicating my weekend to the festival I was sure to miss a lot- specifically vegan pizza with cashew cheese and kale! (Which vendor had that?!) 

I was thrilled that my dad chose to accompany me to the festival on both Saturday and Sunday. He's a proud vegan and like me, took a lot away from his weekend at the festival- more than just vegan cheese, mayo, chocolate, cookies, coconut icecream, VEGA and Lara bar samples. Together we ate delicious raw vegan tacos from Live Organic Food Bar, and on day two it was raw zucchini pasta and kale Cesar salad. He joined me for hours of lectures and though we hate to pick favourites, we both agreed that Rich Roll's talk was by far the most inspiring and uplifting story we've heard in a while- worth the price of the airplane ticket alone! 

The Vegetarian Food Festival is a little piece of heaven on Earth for a gal like me. There's a vibe of love and compassion, of change, health, progress and people living their truth and dreams. I didn't catch a picture of the big guy with tattoos wearing his "Real Men Don't Hurt Animals" shirt, or the children running around with their vegan sweets in the sun, or the people lined up giddy with excitement waiting to get their books signed and a photo with their favourite author. This gentle festival, putting health, animals and the environment at the forefront of all interactions, is a place of inspiration. If you're vegan or vegetarian, omnivore or self-declared carnivore, this festival has the ability to change lives and inspire growth. I strongly encourage anyone near and far to put it on their calender for next year and start saving your money! It's worth the trip to Toronto!