The "V" Word Turns 3 Years Old Today!

Today The "V" Word turns 3 years old. My baby is growing up now and has become bigger, stronger and more than I could have ever imagined.

The story of how The "V" Word came to be can be found here in the very first post I wrote 3 years ago today. It was not meant to be a recipe blog because I didn't have many culinary skills then but more than anything else, that is what it has turned out to me. Looking for the most effective way to channel my energies and speak up for the animals, I found that my talent lied in writing and in cooking (a huge surprise to me), in creating delicious, cruelty-free versions of my old favorite foods. That is where my voice for the voiceless speaks out loudest and clearest. I talk the talk about walking the walk.

And with over 150 recipes now on the blog, The "V" Word is in production to release a cookbook, hopefully the first of many. But The "V" Word isn't all about food either. There are reviews of books, products and restaurants, and there are essays about life. Not just life as a vegan, though my being vegan has become the core of my life, but about the journey of life - my battles with weight loss and illness, my triumphs over adversities, and most importantly to me, figuring out the kind of vegan and person I want to be. This blog is a testimony to my evolution and my journey, one that will continue for the rest of my life. One that I hope people will tag along with me for the ride, get inspired and travel their own journey of compassion and kindness.

Birthdays are also about gifts and I have been blessed with many - friends, followers, fans, supporters, teachers, mentors and role models. I give thanks to you all. One very special gift I received was The "V" Word's official new logo which you can see on the top of the page. It was designed by John Beske of John Beske.communications - Design for a New Green World. I cannot thank John enough for his hard work, his talent, his generosity and most of all, his patience with me when I had no clue what I wanted the logo to look like. In the end, we decided to keep it simple and I absolutely love it. I even have it in 2 different color schemes so I can have variety.

The official logo is available on a gazillion items in The "V" Word Gift Shop. Now you can have "V" Word clothing, hats, mugs, stickers, buttons, magnets, stationary, tote bags, thermoses, and pretty much any thing you could ever want the logo on. I, myself, am partial to the flask :) There are, of course, dog shirts so your companion animals can show their vegan pride as well. 

And if anyone ever really orders The "V" Word thong or boy brief, I must insist on knowing who you are and having a picture sent to me!!

Because it's always better to give than to receive, The "V" Word is having a special birthday giveaway. Five people will be selected at random to receive a free "V" Word swag bag filled with official "V" Word goodies. Why five? Because "V" is the Roman numeral for five. That's as deep as the reasoning goes.

To qualify for the giveaway, simply leave a comment under this post telling us what The "V" Word means to you. Don't forget to include an email address so I can contact the winners to find out sizes and mailing addresses. And remember, to qualify, you MUST be a registered follower of The "V" Word. Comments must be submitted by 10 pm EST on Wednesday August 22nd.

A lot has changed over the past 3 years but the mission of The "V" Word remains the same: To promote Veganism, to bring The "V" Word into the mainstream, to help save animals, to promote good health and fill bellies with tons of delicious, healthy cruelty-free foods.

Giveaway Update: the 5 winners are: Gita, Janna, Liisa, Karen and Moonsword. Please contact me at r.par@att.net with your contact info - full name, address, phone, email, t-shirt size.

Congratulations!

The "V" Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.