Almost everything on these pages are related to Project Management, Technology and the things that interest me. This post is no different. Except that it is not about Project Management nor Technology.

I have been vegan for a little over three years. You’ll find some vegan recipes on this website.

My daughter recently turned Three and had a birthday party for her. Games, hats, food and drink, for the children and the adults. There was no question that it would be a vegan party. As my daughter says, “no dead cows…..”.

Organising a party for Three year olds, with nothing but vegan food is not as difficult as the carnivores may think.

There was a wonderful cake, in the shape of a Ladybird, or Himugüegeli, covered in wonderful black and red marzipan with delicious chocolate throughout. There were also home made Schinkengipfeli, which is a type of croissant, usually filled with dried or cured ham. Mine was of course was vegan, using tofu and vegan smoked sausage for the filling. They were very popular.

For my part, I found a new recipe for the classic English Victoria Sponge cake, I’ve also copied it to my page here. Oddly, it has Apricot jam in the recipe, but it does work. Wonderfully. I also made my staple Low fat sweet potato chocolate pudding.

As well as the usual mélange of fruits and vegetables for the savoury accompaniment I bought some vegan sausages, or, as Alnatura have it, Mini Wieners. I do enjoy these, although I am not sure Ruedi Hadorn or Erich Hess would agree. Personally, I enjoyed them most when they were dipped in hummus.

I didn’t tell anybody in advance that we would be banqueting sans viande, didn’t feel it necessary. Children are magnificently open minded when the foods are fresh, colourful and cake. I did discuss it with one or two of the parents who asked about one or two things, mostly the cakes. Some of the left overs were taken away in doggy bags.

It is twenty or so years since I turned Vegetarian and about three years since we became Vegan, so I have no experience of preparing a party with dead animals, however, my experience of Vegan cooking and baking reinforces my belief that nothing could be more simple.

Or quicker. For the Sponge cake, I actually had this prepared more quickly than it took the over to warm to 160° C / 325° F.

Of all things we made the most popular, and my personal favourite, were the Schinkengipfeli. There were none left at the end of the day. And no dead pigs.