Vegan Cook-Off #2 * Dublin * Friday 13th

Vegan Cook-off Competition Friday 13th February

Friday the 13th will be lucky for one person at the Vegetarian Society of Ireland’s cook-off competition! The second vegan cooking contest will fundraise for Focus Ireland and is being held in St. Andrew’s Resource Centre on Pearse St.

For €9, members of the public can sample both sweet and savoury vegan dishes and vote for their favourites to win. Food lovers have a chance to cook up a storm; you don’t need to be vegan to enter but all dishes must use vegan ingredients. Anyone interested in taking part can register atwww.vegetarian.ie.

VSI spokesperson, Louisa Moss said “The original cook off held four years ago was a great success and I’m excited this year that all proceeds will go to Focus Ireland to support them with the wonderful work they do for the homeless and those at risk in Ireland.”

Come along and discover the delights of vegan food!

For further information you can email vegantasticcookingcontest@gmail.com.

vegantasticcookingcontest@blogspot.com

The Vegetarian Society of Ireland would like to thank the Hopsack for part-sponsoring this event.

Ten Minutes to Kindness

Ten minutes to kindness sounds so easy and it so easy to say 'be kind', but, quite often, so hard to be it. People can be difficult, minds and voices clash, we are hurt and then we lash out, causing more hurt and more retaliation in a never-ending cycle of anger.

None of us are perfect, but we are all perfectly human, perfect earthlings, perfectly imperfect, we are what makes our world turn around.

I stumbled upon what follows earlier this year and it became my New Year's Resolution. Whilst it is not always easy, a month in it is becoming easier and I am a happier and less stressed person for it. This has impacted on every being and every situation I have encountered. Don't get me wrong, I still mess up - all the time - but kindness is winning.

Dalai Lama's Millennium Practice

1. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day remembering we all want the same things (to be happy and to be loved) and we are all connected to one another.

2. Spend 5 minutes -- breathing in -- cherishing yourself; and, breathing out cherishing others. If you think about people you have difficulty cherishing,extend your cherishing to them anyway.

3. During the day extend that attitude to everyone you meet. Practice cherishing the "simplest" person (clerks, attendants, etc.), as well as the "important" people in your life; cherish the people you love and the people you dislike.

4. Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you. These thoughts are very simple, inspiring and helpful. The practice of cherishing can be taken very deep if done wordlessly, allowing yourself to feel the love and appreciation that already exists in your heart.

Ten minutes to kindness, ten minutes to less stress, ten minutes to a gentler heart.

May Monday be kind to you!