It’s been almost a year since Dan and I invited a handful of friends and family to Lynch Park to witness us make a public, lifelong commitment to each other. I could rattle on about the how the dresses, shoes, ties, suits, whatever were all cruelty-free. No wool or silk in anything, and my dress was second hand. I made my veil myself, to look like one I saw Sophia Loren in. I also won’t bore you with the details that went into flowers and wine bottle centerpieces. I won’t brag too much about the spreadsheets and budgeting and other nerdotechnics* that went into planning a wedding in Massachusetts from Virginia. I’ll also skip over how excited I was to marry my best friend, and how much fun we had dancing at the wedding to old school Chuck Berry and rockabilly music. You probably don’t even want to hear about how our buddy Josh Hooten over at Herbivore Clothing designed the best wedding invitations ever for us. You guys aren’t here for any of that.
What you want to know is how you can win a $25 Gift Certificate and a stash of buttons and stickersfrom Herbivore Clothing**. I know how you guys think.
So here’s the contest! Our wedding had exceptional food – I mean really good stuff. Since Dan and I are both half Italian, the food at our reception was a 100%-vegan take on classic Italian dishes. Some the dishes were a bit harder to make than others, but they are all worthy recipes to add to a vegan resume. So please VOTE below in a comment for which menu item from our wedding reception you want to see featured as a Meet The Shannons recipe. We’ll randomly choose one follower (sorry to be so strict, but we have to have a way to contact you) to win a $25 Gift Certificate and some awesome stickers and buttons from Herbivore.
We’ll announce the winner and recipe on Monday, August 2nd.
Here are the contenders:
So let’s get this vote on!
*Yeah that is a made up word.
**We were trying to think of a prize that we’d want to win, and this was at the top of the list. I mean, besides the clothes, there’s a wide variety of cookbooks and other cool stuff you can get from Herbivore. You want to win this.
Pretty simple... Come with us if you want to live. 
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Italian wedding soup for sure!! This is one of my favorite soups!! YUM!
Almond Biscotti gets my vote.
Italian Wedding Soup. I'm most interested in seeing how you veganized this, as the other recipes are more easily imagined.
Almond Biscotti gets mine as well.
Hard choice – everything looks so tempting. o.k.: Tofurky sausage and peppers!
Nothing like a delicious soup to make you feel better… so, yeah, my vote is also for the Italian Wedding Soup! : )
I love italian wedding soup! Lets go for that one. 🙂
Italian wedding soup! It's something I've been missing as a vegan.
I love Italian Wedding Soup but havent had it since I became vegetarian so I would LOVE a recipe for that!!
I vote for the Pesto with bowtie pasta and vegetables. Although, everything looks sooo good. I have a weakness for vegan cupcakes, but the picture of the pesto really sold me.
I also vote for the Italian Wedding Soup. I'd never heard of it, but the picture looks so delicious and the name conjures up the romance and joy of beginning a life together.
Well I'm a follower now! I already have your blog in my Firefox live bookmark feeds, but now it's official. 🙂 (Although, the user name and my real name don't seem to match – I'm Gabrielle)
My vote is for “Pesto with Bowtie Pasta & Vegetables”!! Looks gawjus.
Pesto with bowtie Past and vegetables
GNOCCHI!! But if Italian Wedding Soup wins, I won't be sad!
Congratulations & Happy Anniversary!!
The Italian Wedding Soup sounds amazing! That totally gets my vote.
All of the recipes sound and look delicious, but I am definitely most interested in learning about the vegan version of Italian Wedding Soup!
Happy anniversary!
Pesto with bow tie pasta because if I chose anything else my vegan significant other would have my head (and pesto is delicious. I had home made pesto for dinner last night)
The Gnocchi with Marinara sounds yummy, but complicated (if you have to make the gnocchi by hand, that is); so my vote goes to the Pesto with Bowtie Pasta & Vegetables. 🙂
Chocolate mint cupcakes all the way!
Coconut vanilla cupcakes. I feel extremely honored to say that I actually tasted these on the blessed day (Congrats on your anniversary, Annie & Dan!) and I admit that I stole about 3 of them for the ride home after I had one at the reception. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have this recipe! All of the food was amazing but the cupcakes were definitely my favorite!
I vote for the gnocchi!
I have two votes. One is the Italian Wedding Soup and the second is the gnocchi. They both have a personal meaning to me. I am Italian and my whole life my Mom and Grandma have made food from scratch. When I became a veggie 16 years ago, I was left out of a lot of the good food. Becoming a vegan has made it even harder to enjoy the Italian classics. I have redone several time tested recipes, but I have not been able to master the vegan version of gnocchi or Italian wedding soup (which are both a staple at like EVERY holiday event). hanks for the fun contest!
The Italian Wedding Soup feels like a benediction for your lives, which in only a year have this fabuloso website and amazing Betty Crocker Challenge. The little Star Wars figures as well are endearing. I'm a half-Jewish Christian. The soup LOOKS delicious. Oye. Heavenly. Happy Anniversary!
Italian wedding soup FTW!!
Ooooh, I vote for the gnocchi!
Oh Italian Wedding soup, definitely! I'm Italian, too, and would love to finally try this damn soup!
Coconut vanilla cupcakes, my massive sweet tooth is making me insist.
Congrats on the anniversary!
One more vote for the Italian Wedding Soup!
No doubt the choc mint cupcakes. I have two little vegans at home who are three and six. It is a challenge for me to come up with “cool” things for dessert. They always want the things there friends have like cupcakes from the grocery store….yuck. I know they will “get it” one day, but for now I want them to enjoy being little. This would be a perfect treat and surprise!
I'd love to see the bow tie with vegan pesto and begetables. Pesto is such a joy and I'm always on the lookout for a good vegan recipe, since I no longer eat cheese. I don't think I'd actually get around to making the gnocchi or the biscotti, but I'd use the pesto recipe right away.
Hmmm no one's picked the Fig and Apple Summer Salad, and, although they all sound awesome – figs rock! Yummy. That's my vote. Happy Anniversary!!!!
Italian Wedding Soup! It is my absolute favorite (but the gnocchi would be good too)!
Italian Wedding Soup!!!!!! I have missed this so much since i've stopped eating meat 15 years ago…
Lots of votes for Italian Wedding Soup and I have never tried it
So, I vote for that!!
I want them all, but I'd love to know how to make gnocchi, so gnocchi + marinara gets my vote!
Gnocchi with marinara … simple, classic, hardly needs to be “veganized” if at all !
gnocchi with marinara
Italian wedding soup
Pesto w/bowtie pasta & vegetables, although I'd love to see the recipes for any/all of these yummy dishes!
Happy (almost) one year anniversary!
Gnocchi with Marinara. I'm obsessed with these tender little dumplings.
Italian Wedding soup! Happy Anniversary!
Italian Wedding soup, please! I'd love a veganized recipe for this. Oh, and happy anniversary!
Gnocchi with marinara for sure! Happy Anniversary! Keep the delicious recipes comin'.
Italian Wedding soup! oh how i miss you so much…
ps- happy anniversary!
Hmmm … I want to see the Gnocchi with marinara … that is the one I might be able to get my husband to eat … and also Italian Wedding Soup. He'd know I veganized it, but I might get him to try it!
Happy Anniversary! Would love to know the recipe for the almond biscotti, looked delicious!
Italian Wedding Soup is my vote. I have tried to make it a couple of times and it flopped, so a yummy version would be most welcomed. 🙂
Happy Anniversary!
Once I saw the word “fig,” I couldn't get any further. Fig & Apple Salad please!
Tofurkey sausage and peppers…must know how to make this! YUM!!!
Almond biscotti please please please!:)
Gnocchi! Looks fabulous. Happy Anniversary!
Pesto with Bowtie Pasta & Vegetables, please! Happy Anniversary!
italian wedding soup, for sure!
happy anniversary!
xo
Another vote for Italian Wedding soup 🙂
Italian Wedding soup! I am Italian and my family recipes can be … a bit hard to convert. I would love to know what you replaced and veganized to make it taste the same!
I'm gonna be a loner and weirdo and say the Fig and Apple salad, mainly because the colours and way it was displayed really looked wonderful.
To me it is the best out of all the photos.
Please tell me that you guys didn't make your whole wedding meal? That would be a first! Enjoy your next year together!!
~Anni + Dug … Vegans in cow country Alberta, Canada
Since I'm eating gluten-free now, Fig and Apple Summer Salad is the recipe I'd most like to see.
Gnocchi with Marinara for sure!
I'd love the Italian Wedding Soup recipe! Looks delicious!
Soup!
Gnocci W/ Maranara Please 🙂
right before I became vegan, I discovered The Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocci Soup. It stole my heart, so a veganized Gnocci Variation has really caught my attention!!!
Gnocci please. i wouldnt mind winning, but i would gladly not win for the chance at eating gnocci again. its been too long!
Gnocci with marinara!
My recollection is that the Pesto with Bowtie Pasta & Vegetables was my favorite. So I'll vote for that.
Italian wedding soup!! 🙂
:::drools:::
the Gnocchi with Marinara!
Chocolate mint cupcakes, yes yes!!!
I'd love to see the Italian wedding soup recipe.
Almond Biscotti hands down!
Italian wedding soup takes the day!
The results are in!!!
http://www.meettheshannons.net/2010/08/future-is-here-herbivore-meets-shannons.html