This last week I had the opportunity of spending a few days in beautiful Austin, Texas. I was there presenting at an educators conference (NISOD) with some of my colleagues. I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Healthy Girl's Kitchen, and she posted this flyer for a potluck at Rip Esselstyns house. If you don't know, or don't remember, Rip Esselstyn is the author of the famous Engine 2 Diet which advocates a plant based diet. At first, I barely skimmed the flyer but then realized that the potluck was happening on Memorial Day and I would be in Austin on the very day of the potluck. I immediately pulled up Google Maps to find the distance between my hotel and Rip's house. It was only a few miles!!
I wondered if the potluck was truly open to all so I "friended" Rip Esselstyn on Facebook and then asked him via a direct message if the potluck was truly open to all. He said it was open to everyone and feel free to bring a friend. So it was for real.....now I needed a dish to bring. First I looked for grocery stores close to my hotel but because it was downtown, there wasn't much in walking distance. Finally I decided the best option was to bring a can of corn, peas, garbanzo beans and black beans in my suitcase along with a bottle of Trader Joe's Sesame Soy Ginger Vinegarette. The idea would be to mix up the veggies and beans in a bowl and then pour the dressing over it making a quick salad. Monday after my conference, I went back to my room and threw the salad together. I then called a cab and headed for Rip's house. I was a bit nervous when I arrived, knowing that I wouldn't really know ANYONE. Rip was standing in his driveway graciously meeting all his guests. We had a quick chat and then I moved on to meeting some of the other guests. Overall, it was a cool experience with great food, great company and a genuinely warm and gracious host.
2 Comments
Keith
6/3/2011 12:51:03 pm
It was great to meet you at the potluck, Todd. Great blog as well.
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Susan Zimmermann
2/25/2013 05:08:37 am
Sounds like fun. I plan to bring my 6 grades 5-8 students to Austin the first week in May. Will there be any potluck then?
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About the Author
Hello, my name is Todd Coston. This site is a dedicated to my journey on a plant based diet. I'm passionate about the benefits of this diet and share my thoughts, resources and recipes through this site. I would love to hear from you, so drop me a line at [email protected]. Other Plant Based Blogs/Sites:
Happy Healthy Long Life Healthy Girl's Kitchen Choosing Raw Happy Herbivore Engine2 Diet Other: Rocky Road Run Volkslauf 2012 Categories
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