Organic Vegan Wine

Jenni found some vegan wines that we've been enjoying, the Frey Winery. The wines are organic and vegan friendly, sulfite and gluten free too. The winery uses no animal based fining agents to help clarify their wine. We've worked our way through a few bottles already; they make a good bottle of wine. Here's a bit of the faq from their website:

Frey Organic Wines are Vegan and Gluten Free: No Animal or Gluten-Based Fining Agents Used

At Frey Vineyards we have made a commitment to formulate all of our Organic wines without using any animal byproducts in the winemaking process.

Since ancient times, fining agents have been added to a barrel or tank of wine to help clarify and stabilize the wine. They drift through the wine, pick up solid matter, and eventually sink to the bottom of the container. Common fining agents include hydrolyzed wheat gluten isolate, pea protein isolate, casein (milk protein), gelatin, egg whites, fish glue, and natural bentonite clay. Once the fining agent settles at the bottom, the clarified wine is siphoned off the top, leaving behind the residue, which is discarded. Although no trace of these products is found in the bottled wine, some consumers may object to their use. At Frey Vineyards we use only bentonite, a natural earth clay, as the fining agent for our white wines. (Frey red wines are not fined).

Allergy Concerns

We make no health claims regarding our wines, however, bentonite clay fining should pose no problem for people with wheat or gluten allergies, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or for people who have chosen vegan lifestyles.

Biodynamic and Vegans

Biodynamic farms view animals as an essential component of farm ecology and nutrient cycling. We make all of our own Biodynamic preparations for our farm, in accordance with Biodynamic standards, from plants and animals we raise. This has allowed us to reduce the need for off-farm inputs and to create what we believe to be a more balanced ecology on our land, and a higher level of self-sufficiency and sustainability. Due to the very dilute concentration of the preparations applied to the vineyards, no residues of animal products or allergens are detectable on the fruit at any time. However, for vegans who are concerned with the use of animal products in general, we honor your choice and continue to produce our full line of Organic wines made from grapes sourced from our neighboring farmers’ certified organic vineyards. Both our Organic and Biodynamic wines are produced without the use of any chemicals, preservatives or animal based fining agents.

Our promise to our customers is to continue to produce completely organic wines, made from carefully tended grapes and free from any additives. Our winemaker Paul Frey is vegetarian, as well as other family members.

The White Tower at the Tower of London

Tower Bridge from the Tower of London

Westminster Abbey

Parliament Bridge

Jamaican Jerk Skewered Vegetables

This is an old Vegetarian Times recipe. It's one of the first things I remember serving to my non-veg friends. It was a big hit. Skewers always are. You can serve these as an appetizer or on a bed of basmati rice.

Vegetables
Cherry tomatoes
1 red or green pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
Button mushrooms
Broccoli florets
1 red onion cut into wedges

Marinade
6 to 8 scallions (green and white parts) diced
1 red or yellow onion
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of allspice or ground cinnamon

Vegetables
Thread the vegetables onto 4 skewers, alternating cherry tomato, pepper, mushroom, brocolli, and onion. Place the skewers in a casserole dish. If you don't have something big enough for your skewers place all the vegetables in a big bowl. It's just as good.

Marinade
Process your marinade in a food processor to mix well. A blender would work just as well. Pour the marinade over the skewers or vegetables to coat. Refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours, marinating them periodically.

Grill the vegetables until they are cooked but not burned. This recipe can be done in the oven as well if you don't have a grill and aren't inclined to appropriate one. :)

Pasta with Asparagus and Strawberries

I made this the other night for the boys. It's not as vegan as Jenni would like, but it's a good way to get the kids to eat their asparagus. It's super quick too.

2 cups asparagus tips
1/4 cup water
6 oz bow tie pasta
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon mashed avocado
2 tablespoons of neufchatel cheese or mascarpone
1/4 cup of other white cheese (if desired) Monterey Jack, Parmesan, etc
1 cup of sliced strawberries

Cook asparagus tips in salted water until it's bright green and just tender. Set aside to drain.

Prepare the pasta according to directions in salted water.

In a large bowl mash the avocado, add the neufchatel or mascarpone, lemon juice and other cheeses. Add a couple tablespoons or a 1/4 cup of your cooking water and whisk until you have a quick sauce. Add your cooked pasta to the bowl and stir to coat. Toss in the asparagus and strawberries and serve.

The Great Railway Bazaar

I have been reading The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux, one of the great classics of travel writing. In the early 70's Theroux journeyed by rail from London to Tokyo and back again, taking in the whole of the Asian continent. He works his way down to Instanbul on the Orient Express: travels through the Middle East, India, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand on trains with such colorful names as the Tehran Express, the Khyber Pass Local, the Mandalay Express and the Trans-Siberian.

It's no picnic. Theroux's memoir is filled with danger, boredom, irritating passengers, truculent porters, war, poverty, and loneliness. It's no Walk in the Woods, but it isn't supposed to be. Traveling through Vietnam during the wind down of the Vietnam war wouldn't be a walk in the park. And reading about the extreme poverty in India where people live in the train stations and use the rails as public lavatories is as sad as it is oddly comical. But still, it's a pleasure to read, full of Theroux's observations and humor. The world has changed immeasurably since the Great Railway Bazaar was first published in 1975, but some things never change. Most of the countries Theroux traveled through are still politically unstable, dangerous and fascinating places. But that shouldn't keep you from widening your gaze and taking in the view. A must read for any traveler.

Travel Planning

Here are some of the resources I use to get the best travel deals out there:

• sidestep.com - This is a great travel aggregator that pulls in information from several different sources. I primarily use it for looking up the best/cheapest airfares. One down side is you cannot input "child" as an option when doing the search. (Many times, children get lower fares than adults.) Also, sign up for their free weekly newsletter. This is a great way to find out about specific deals.

• shermanstravel.com - I don't so much use this website, but I love getting their weekly email of the top 25 travel deals. This is also a great way to find out about specific trips and can be a starting off point for your travel planning.

Once I find out the general date and place we're targeting, I then break it down into the best deal and the most convenience for our family. Many times, going directly to the airline's website will get you the best price for your airfare, but the research on the travel aggregators will help you determine which websites to use for purchases.

Another thing to consider, is what will work best for your family. For example, we are traveling to Sweden in August - (I found a great deal!) Through my research on sidestep.com, I determined that August was a great time to travel to Stockholm (who knew?) Brad and I decided that instead of flying from our hometown in Central Illinois (which would be luxuriously convenient), we opted for flying direct from Chicago. There are two reasons for this decision; it's cheaper, but more importantly, we are taking our 4 year old twin sons with us and feel a direct flight will be easiest on them, and therefore, on us as well. We also chose an airline that caters to families, SAS. When taking an 8 - 9 hour flight with 4 year old boys, it's important to have things available to keep them happy. SAS provides a seat-back screen at every seat (even coach!), video games and child friendly meals. They also seem to have decent vegetarian options - but I'll have to report back on that after the trip!

For hotel options, I feel the best way to go is a bundled trip that includes airfare, hotel and if applicable, ground transportation. We've done this before, but for our upcoming trip to Sweden, I wanted to make sure we had a hotel that catered to families and was conveniently located. After checking Frommers.com (which is another valuable resource) and googling hotels in Stockholm, I found a great, reasonably priced hotel that was family friendly. In fact, they have a children's play area within the hotel and each child receives a surprise gift when you check in. By going directly to the hotel's website, joining their frequent guest program, and using the early saver rate, I feel I received a great price for our 9 night stay. (Again, I'll provide a full report on the room once we return.)

In summary, with a little online checking, you can find great deals that fit your needs. You don't have to have a travel agent or join a tour group. Independent travel is easy, affordable and provides a lot of options. Go plan a trip!

A Sense of Place

I've always been fan of travel writing. Sometimes funny, sometimes scholarly, but nearly always illuminating. 'A Sense of Place' by Michael Shapiro is a collection of interviews Shapiro had with some of the most prominent travel writers in the world, Jan Morris, Pico Iyer, Simon Winchester and others, providing insight into the craft of travel writing. He speaks with the authors about their motivations and their opinions, and what they have learned after a lifetime on the road.