Happy World Vegetarian Day

Happy World Vegetarian Day!  It is also the first day of Vegetarian Awareness Month.

With my work schedule and the fact that I am the sole care giver for the two little snots called dogs that I live with for about a week and a half, I didn't get to plan anything super special.  I had leftover seitan for lunch and vegetable spring rolls from the freezer for dinner.

Normally on an occasion such as this I would bake a batch of brownies or cookies.  I find great joy in finding any reason to bake, no matter how frivolous.

Today I had to settle for buying a couple of packages of cookies from Whole Foods to share with the office.  I figured by sticking vegan-friendly sugar under my co-workers' noses, that gave me a perfectly legitimate reason to send out a mass email wishing a Happy World Vegetarian Day (and thereby making everyone aware of the day and the idea).  Nobody complained and only 3 cookies were left by the time the work day was over.  One of the supervisors even said she'd have a vegetarian dinner in honor of the day.  Yippee!

And as I finish this short post, Meat and Potatoes begins on Food Network.  Let's change the channel...

Happy Anniversary to Me

Ten years ago today I became a vegetarian.  I don't know how I remember the exact date all these years but each August 28 I add another year to the record book.  Ten years is a milestone.  

I don't remember if it was my first and failed attempt at becoming a vegetarian when my brother said it, or when I transitioned slowly and did it successfully, but he once said that my attempt would be like when I decided I didn't like Diet Coke.  Briefly in my preteen years I decided I didn't like diet colas anymore and would only drink regular, sugar versions.  That was very short lived.  Ten years later I think back at my brother's comment and smile wide not only because I am still meat free, but I have been dairy-free for one year and pop-free (soda for you odd folk) for about two and a half years.  

Recently a co-worker at my new job made a comment about how much I've cut out of my diet--no meat, no dairy, no pop, etc.  I think back on it and realize that I have set many limits on myself but in doing so I have empowered myself and made myself feel much better physically and mentally.  Each element taken out of my diet was done so for well thought out reasons.  I don't just decide to quit something and chuck it out the window.  

The past ten years have been difficult, to put it lightly.  Learning to live without a major part of your diet that you were raised on is not done with a snap of the fingers, especially when that part seems so ingrained in your culture and traditions.  It's not just about adapting yourself, but trying to get those around you to adapt to you.  

Sitting here contemplating the last decade I am not only proud of myself, but I am gleaming with pride for my family and friends.  My friends took to the vegetarianism a little easier than the family, but my family has gone miles and miles.  Not only does everyone accept my diet, but they have even tried to understand why I do what I do and they are always trying to accommodate my needs.  I am most proud of my parents who have probably grown the most aside from myself.  They had to turn their thinking inside out, sometimes prepare two meals at dinner (even though I said I'd make my own), and always had an extra eye open to make sure I was doing this whole thing right and not becoming malnourished.  They had to learn to accept their daughter as different.  

I was planning a party at a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the city to celebrate, but scheduling so that enough people can make it is like beating yourself over the head with a frying pan.  It might not happen until the end of next month if it happens at all.  Tonight I may just indulge in a bowl of almond milk ice cream.  By myself.  And ponder. 

Fest My Face!

I should have written this several days ago, possibly more, but with a new job and seemingly swamped schedule (yet what have I actually done in the past few weeks?) I have not gotten around to putting one Festival of a weekend down-on-blog.

I can't even remember which weekend it was.  I'd have to look up the dates.

At any rate, that Saturday I went to the Renaissance Faire with a very good friend of mine and her buddy from Texas.  They were in for the week and, well, Ren Faires are fun.  I snuck in my bottle of water (sorry, I'm a bit anti-paying-several-dollars-for-bottled-water) and a Cliff bar since I wasn't sure what the food plans were and if there would be anything vegan-friendly there anyhow.  Unless you were in the Far East, I don't imagine very many vegans during the Renaissance period.  I watched Becca and Laura share stewed mushrooms, a turkey leg, and a brownie.  I got hungry at one point and had to venture off on my own to seek out sustenance.  The safest option seemed to be a plate full of tempura vegetables.  Freshly fried veggies on a hot and steamy day.  Mmmm.  They were delicious but I paid for it later.  The best find? Becca spotted a vegan-sugar-free-chocolate-chip-cookie at the bakery.  It was delicious, especially right on top of those veggies.


Sunday I struck out on my own to go to the Veggie Fest for the first time ever.  I earned myself a nice sunburn for forgetting my sunscreen and I didn't get to buy any t-shirts because I forgot to get cash.  Booo.  But I loaded up on fliers and samples (when available).  It would have been better had I not been dripping sweat.  There were more spirituality and yoga booths than I expected considering it was a vegetarian festival, not a spirituality festival.  I guess many people feel the two go hand in hand (and this is where I run into trouble trying to connect with other vegetarians in get-togethers and meet-ups).

Anyhow, guess who ended up getting toys from Veggie Fest?  That's right, the carnivorous dogs!  Pawdukes, a really great dog biscuit company (grain free, vegetarian, soy free), had a booth and they gave me some free samples since they didn't have any cookies small enough for my snots with them but I would have been a repeat customer.  And then I saw the squeaky toys they had for sale.  Perfect sized for my perfect brats!

I did buy myself a 1 year subscription to VegNews magazine.  Because I'm not behind on reading my other magazines already.  And because I don't already get Vegetarian Times.  VegNews is a vegan-only magazine.  I figure I could get some ideas and pointers.

Then I met up with a couple of buddies at Starbucks and had a soy-mocha-frappuccino.  I really need to rake in the stars to retain my Gold status next year!  (No, I don't have a problem...)

The Last Supper

That is what my mom has been calling it, considering we're all going to be on diets of some sort for the next year or so.

My brother finally proposed to his girlfriend of three years this past weekend and on Tuesday my parents and I went out to dinner with the happy couple and the fiance's parents.  Did I spell that correctly?  I never know.  Anyhow, my brother made the reservations and let us know a day in advance.

I decided, as I usually do, to check out the menu online and be well prepared.  I have found this makes the evening go far more smoothly because I foresee any kinks and issues that may arise before they actually happen.

This menu had a few things I thought I might be able to eat--salads without the cheese, the soup if it was made with a vegetable broth, and the spaghetti marinara if the sauce was dairy-free.  But soups and salads and noodles with marinara sauce can be pretty boring, especially when you're out celebrating your brother's engagement.  So, I decided to give the restaurant a call.  What if the cheese was already mixed into the salads, the soup had a chicken broth, and the marinara sauce had parmesan sprinkled in?  Better safe than sorry, right?  The glory of cliches.

The person who picked up was very bubbly and helpful.  She was actually going to put me on with the chef himself.  According to said person, several vegans had been in recently and the chef prepared something special for them.  Unfortunately the chef was on a conference call, but he told the girl I was talking to that all I had to do was talk to my server--vegans come into the restaurant all the time and there are several options of what he can do for me.

I hung up the phone with a big smile on my face.  I know chefs aim to please because that is how they get customers and thus make a living, but for some reason I felt as if this was out of the ordinary.  I expected something along the lines of "We can take meat or cheese of anything on the menu" or for the girl on the phone to suggest the salads, soup, or spaghetti marinara.  I was pumped!

Skip to the restaurant with everyone sitting around, giddy with excitement over the idea of an upcoming wedding.

And I ask the waiter about vegan options.

Waiter: You can order anything on the menu and the chef will make it without dairy for you.

Umm.  Okay.  That was nothing like what I was expecting to hear.  So I investigate the menu further while he gives us another moment and there is nothing on the menu other than those few options I listed before and meat, meat, and meat.

Waiter: Have you decided on something?

Me: Well, there's really nothing for me to choose from because everything is meat.  So if I asked you to take dairy out, you'd have to take meat out too and it would be a pile of nothing.

Waiter: Oh, you don't eat meat.

Me: No, I'm a vegan.  I don't eat meat, dairy, or eggs.

Waiter: Hmm.  What can we do.

(My mom is trying to talk over us through this and the waiter is paying no attention to her.)

Me: Can't you just have the chef make some pasta with vegetables in some olive oil or something?

Waiter: You could order (lists a bunch of nonsense) or the marinara, but I think that has dairy.

Me: Then I won't eat it.

Waiter: We could do pasta with vegetables.  Would you like that?

Me: That would be great...

And he proceeded to, in a more garbled way than I ever thought possible, figure out what vegetables to put with the pasta (broccoli and asparagus and seasonal veggies).

Mom: He just wanted to be the one to figure it out.

Yea, not impressive.

So when the food came out, mine was a plate of noodles with broccoli and asparagus tossed in olive oil, and a side of seasonal veggies.  Huh?  It tasted good.  Nothing spectacular.  The rest of the night the waiter tried to sprinkle wit into his service.

Part of me wants to contact the restaurant and tell them the story.  Part of me wonders what good this would do considering I was given a meal to satisfy my needs.  I just want the waiter to be on the same page as the rest of the staff and understand that when somebody says "the chef said there are several options" and "can you please ask the chef?" you should really go ask the chef.  What I really want to know is what those other vegans got to eat.

Now I'm hungry.

Don't Be Such a Baby

I've noticed over the years since becoming a vegetarian that I'm not as strong as I used to be.

I'm not talking physical prowess here, but stomach strength.  You know, the ability to sit through blood, guts, and gore and not flinch or feel acidity creeping up the back of your throat.  That kind of strength.

I used to be able to sit through the grossest of TV shows and movies.  I would watch marathons of Emergency Vets on Animal Planet, my eyes wide open during the surgery clips, dreaming of the day I'd be standing there saving the lives of animals.  Needless to say, I never went that route with my life.  I even went to see Saving Private Ryan at the movie theater, no the least bit sickened by the splaying of intestines, flying of limbs, and whatnot in the first scene.  Then I went home and had a hamburger for dinner.  I was strong.

Now I can't even read a graphic description without feeling at least a little bit queasy.  I just finished a book that described dissected bodies, bloodied and smashed up bodies post-fight, 1800s surgery patients, and I knew the grumbling in my stomach was not hunger.

This weakness has been a developing thing in my life and yet it still feels so alien, very unlike me.  I can stand the sight of blood and road kill simply makes me sad unless it's especially messy in which case I try not to look.  But these movies and TV shows and books.  What is wrong with me?

I can't help but wonder if it's the diet.  Does eating flesh harden a person to the ugliness?

Just some food for thought.

The Holy Cow

Alright, so I don't think the cow is holy, but at the rate I talk about my dairy dilemma, you'd think there was something super-extra-special about the heifer.  I suppose how hard our culture has made it to take dairy out of one's diet does make a cow a little bit special.

Remember how I used to use the Kosher labels on packaged foods so much?  If it is labeled Kosher and parve, I have to look at the ingredients list to make sure eggs are not a component.  If it is labeled Kosher and dairy, it is off limits.

I believe once I mentioned the mystery of this dairy label.  Let me recap:
Not all kosher products labeled as dairy actually have dairy ingredients.  My parents and I did not understand this at all and it 1. frustrated my mother because I wouldn't eat these products anyhow not knowing why they were labeled as such and 2. frustrated me because I didn't understand the labeling and it limited my potential food pantry even further.

Recently my dad used his food industry ties to unravel the mystery which is actually not so mysterious at all.

Folks, it is simply the strict rules of kosher eating.  If a product is manufactured in the same facility as a dairy product, even if it has not even come close to touching that dairy product, this product must be labeled as dairy.  According to kosher law, it is dairy.  I'm not going to go into the laws of what makes something kosher, but it all started to make sense to me.

But then my mom, according to her logic, figured I should be eating all those labeled-but-not dairy products.  My logic told me she was right, but my gut told me it was still all wrong.  There was something about those products that was wrong.  After an awkward confrontation about brownies for a get-together, I was guilted into eating labeled-but-not brownies and chocolate chips.  They were delicious but I felt horrible.

I spilled my guts to Zach.  Even if Zach is not a vegan, or even a vegetarian, I can spill my guts to him about my food crises and he'll listen with almost as much understanding as a vegan, sometimes more than some vegetarians.  He'll also play devils advocate and deal me a good dose of his own meat-eating opinion.  It works out in the end.

So, what did Zach say?  He wanted to know why I was so worried about being like other vegans.  (It's not like I'm striving to be a strict, perfect vegan anyhow).  These products have not touched dairy.  Eating them does not promote the dairy industry (I thought about it a few days later and you could argue that it does in a semi-long-winded fashion, but you could also argue that the oil spill somehow promotes the dairy industry.  Everything is a chain reaction, no?)  By eating these products I am not saying "This product may contain milk, nom nom nom yummy!"

That one talk completely changed my perspective on the issue.  A strict vegan probably wouldn't buy one of those products for the fear that it might have TOUCHED dairy.  It's still not a dairy product itself in the common sense of what dairy is.  If you are allergic to dairy, it's probably not a good idea to buy these foods because dairy particles may have been floating in the air.  But for somebody who is not eating dairy for ethical reasons, this isn't eating a piece of cheese or drinking a glass of milk.  No cow was harmed in the packaging of this cereal.

Thank you, Zach.

An Omnivorous Mother's Day

If you haven't figured it out yet, my parents eat meat.  As do my brother and his girlfriend.  So when it came to making Mother's Day reservations, we were all more concerned about my mom's tastebuds than the number of entrees from which I could choose.  Don't get me wrong, my parents always try to pick a restaurant where I can find something palatable on the menu, but this was my mom's day and so she was the priority.

We went to a local restaurant that had changed names and menus a couple of times but always remained a good choice.  It is well known for the selection of meats and fish because almost everything is smoked in the on-site smokehouse and, from what I have heard, very well.  Recently they added a "create-your-own pasta" entree to the menu which I thought I'd try.  Cavatappi with mushrooms, broccoli, and aglio olio sauce.  Pardon me if my spelling and Italian grammar is off.

When it came out, it smelled wonderful and I was about to taste a bite when, just before the waiter walked away I asked, "Is that cheese?"  Sprinkled and melted all over the top was shredded Parmesan cheese.  The waiter was very apologetic when I said "that wasn't on the menu" and took it back to get me a new one.  All I could think was how a restaurant shouldn't put something like dairy on a dish without writing it on the menu first.  What if somebody has a dairy allergy?  Menus should be explicit!  Then it occurred to me how demanding I was, even if I was just talking to myself in my head.  If I was still eating dairy, I would never have noticed that the cheese wasn't on the menu.  If somebody had pointed it out, I would have said something like, "Well if you have a special dietary need, then it's up to you to point that out to the waiter."  I'm becoming a hypocrite.

The manager came out with the fresh bowl of pasta and was extremely apologetic.  In fact he came back and stuck around a little too much to make sure we were all enjoying our Mother's Day.  He even told me a recipe he found once on how to make an ice cream-like concoction out of frozen bananas.  He's not vegan, but I was the only vegan he'd come across since he read about it. He was a very nice guy and I was very appreciative of the service--not everybody is so understanding.

By the time I dug in, everyone else was finished.  My parents had thoroughly enjoyed their whitefish (I think it was whitefish? Some sort of fish) while my brother ate brisket and his girlfriend nibbled some ribs.

Then my parents, brother, and brother's girlfriend shared a molten lava cake while I sipped some delicious decaf coffee (my mom always has to remind me about the decaf part at dinner time.)

Overall I'd say it was a good day.  Now on to Father's Day...

Bow to the Coffee Gods

Before giving up dairy, a favorite summer treat of mine was the Starbucks' Frappuccino.  Then came the Frappuccino light which made the treat seem nearly sinless.  What could be better than creamy, blended, icy coffee drinks on hot summer days?  Deeeelicious!

But, sadly, these delicacies contain dairy.  Drats.  I'd have to settle for an unexciting iced coffee that just goes too fast and lacks the thick beauty of a blended drink.

This past week I was at a Barnes and Noble with a friend and the coffee gods must have been looking down on me and smiling.  There on the menu was the new and fabulous Customizable Frappuccno!  Yes, readers, now you can make your Frappuccino dairy-less (with soy), decaffeinated (they were smiling down at my mom, too), light, and more!  I savored that beverage as if it were my last.

Okay, I exaggerate.  But it was darn good.

Then, the next day, we met some friends and another Starbucks with no Customizable Frappuccino menu! I inquired and was informed that the company was not to introduce this new idea until next week.  The barrista obviously saw the disappointment streaking across my face because he asked what I wanted.  And he granted my wish!!

I write this as I sit at Panera Bread drinking their irresistible hazelnut coffee with a friend.  No, I don't have a problem.  You do.

Seders and Sandals

The seder on Monday was pretty nice.  Nothing unusual other than my super-fabulous quinoa dish (recipe courtesy of Becca, one of the greatest friends ever.  No bias.  At all.)

The quinoa was a hit.  After everyone and their shadow asked what the stuff was and how it wasn't a whole grain (my uncle started by saying it's the only grain we can eat on Passover and I had to correct him--No, it's not a grain, that's why we can eat it on Passover).  Nobody missed the matzo kuegel that nobody made because of massive confusion because everyone was too busy enjoying that odd little not-grain.  My cousin even asked for the recipe.  Mmmm.  Yum.

The mock-chopped-liver wasn't such a hit.  I was surprised by how many people actually tried it, though.  It didn't turn out as creamy as I would have liked and it started to separate.  Yuck.  Maybe next time I'll stick in a hard-boiled egg?  (Yes, I know, but I'm the almost vegan).

Over all, satisfactory.


Yesterday my mom and I went shoe shopping.  I needed black sandals because for some reason I only have brown.  I also need some not-gym-shoe-walking-shoes.  I don't understand shoe makers.  Really.  Some of the shoes/sandals/footwear out there that has leather on it really does not need leather.  There will be a millimeter strip of leather that could have been made of vinyl but no, it's got to be leather.  This makes footwear shopping excessively difficult.  I wandered the aisles about three times before finally finding two pairs of sandals.  I had to look at the "ingredients" of the second pair three times and have my mom act as a second pair of eyes.  I usually pass up certain brands such as Clarks because they are always leather.  But I was desperate.  And what?  Man made upper?  Man made sole?  What?  I took them and ran.  Somebody out there is playing with me.  Evil.

But I win.

It's all melting

Hello.  Remember me? 

Yes.  I’ve been away awhile again.  It’s partly because I had been busy and partly because there really wasn’t much to say.  I’ve been exceptionally unadventurous lately and haven’t tried any new recipes in quite awhile.  I feel like a delinquent in that respect. 

I had a horrible outing just last weekend that is worth mentioning, though.  A friend had a birthday celebration at a bar in the city, so several of us decided to have dinner downtown before heading to the bar.  This is how the conversation between my friend Jess and I went about the restaurant:

Jess: We’re going to Harry Caray’s, is that okay?

Me: Yea, sounds good.

Okay, so I’m not sure if that was exactly how it went, but that is the gist.  So I went to the online menu for Harry Caray’s Restaurant.  It was definitely workable.  When we got off the El and found the destination, it was smaller than I expected and the inside was more like a bar, the kind where you sit at an empty table and the waitress brings you a small menu if you ask for one.  Well, that’s because it was Harry Caray’s Tavern.  There was nothing on the menu for me except for chips.  Not even a veggie burger.  There were grass fed beef burgers and organic turkey burgers, but no veggie burgers.  Go figure.  So I ordered the caprese panini without the cheese…a balsamic tomato sandwich.  I have no idea if the bread had egg or milk in it and I have no idea if they used butter or oil on the bread to grill it.  And I ate a lot of chips. 

Later at the bar I kept eyeing the dreamsicle martini.  I haven’t had a dreamsicle in ages and hadn’t thought about having one in at least seven months because, well, another name for a dreamsicle is a creamsicle.  But this martini had no creamy ingredients listed.  It seemed perfectly innocent.  So I ordered it.  When it came it looked creamy and frothy.  I was skeptical, but the ingredients listed were innocent.  I tasted it and of course it tasted creamy…it was dreamsicle!  It was delicious but I felt so guilty.  I must have been wrong about something in there.  I stopped halfway through because it was drying my throat and causing a tickle (all in my head?) but dammit the ingredients! 

On the bright side, I’m excited for Passover.  I know you don’t hear that often, especially from a vegetarian, but it’s always been one of my favorite Jewish holidays and the latest issue of Vegetarian Times has an entire article on a vegetarian seder.  Holy Moses!  I plan on bringing mock chopped liver and a quinoa dish as well as flourless chocolate cake (unless I come up with something better).  Quinoa, I learned, is not actually a grain but a relative of the spinach plant.  Duuuuude.  We can eat quinoa on Passover!!! 

I also found a recipe for matzo meal pancakes.  Pancakes and I have a special relationship.  This will be a happy Passover. 

Until then, chow down!

Soy-The Enemy?

I had a whole slew of recipes and dishes I was going to blog about.  The almost-vegan front has been slow, but enough delicious courses have come my way that a fair sized blog-post was in store.  Until my mom did some spiffy internet research that turned up the probable cause of the digestive troubles that have plagued me for the last several months.

That was a mouthful.

Did you know that soy is not a miracle food, even for vegetarians?  Too much soy intake can cause digestive discomfort.  :::DING DING DING:::  Also, too much soy before and during your period if you are female (that seems quite redundant) can cause heavy and uncomfortable periods because soy manipulates hormones.  That explains some other stuff.

To make a long story short, it is recommended that people only have soy once a day and that women limit soy before and during that time of month.  Certain people need to limit and avoid soy for other reasons, too (medication, illness, etc).

I was not aware of this and without dairy in my diet I was loading on the soy in all forms.  Tofu, tempeh, fake meats, etc.  It's all full of soy.  Just the past few days I've been trying to cut out all soy to see if I feel any better, and it's incredible to see how much soy is used in all the food products we use.  All of the dairy-free cereals in our house have some sort of soy product in the ingredients list.  The bread we bought has soybean oil. The vegan cookies my mom bought me for my birthday have soy this and soy that.  There are soy-somethings-and-anothers in so many things that cutting out soy is far more difficult than cutting out dairy and eggs.  That says something!

My mom brought up a good point--if soy manipulates hormones, should growing children even be eating it?

I won't, nor can I, give up soy all together, but I will definitely cut down on how much I eat.  I am looking for a larger variety of nuts and seeds to eat.  I bought almond milk today to try in place of soymilk (which I became slightly addicted to even if I don't drink it straight from a glass).

This whole almost-vegan thing is much harder than I thought.  Dang, soy.

This discovery has prompted a huge curiosity in me and I think I'll be doing some sort of research on soy.  Why do we rely so heavily on it?  What can it actually do to us?

Back to watching the Olympics and quietly wondering how many of these athletes are vegetarians, if any.

The Garbage Bowl

Rachael Ray always has a bowl nearby while cooking that she calls her "garbage bowl."  She even has identical bowls for sale in her Rachael Ray line of cookware.  Honestly, I can just take a plastic bowl from our plasticware cabinet and it would do just fine.  Or better yet, I'll throw everything directly into the trash and save some soap and water.

But the idea is that everything goes into this garbage bowl.  So much has gone on in a seemingly short period of time that I couldn't decide what to post first.  It seemed silly to post several items in a row--why make my readers feel bombarded by blog?  So, I give you my written version of a garbage bowl.

Trash #1
My family is quite liberal, generally speaking.  My immediate family is definitely liberal.  My dad and I you can easily call progressive and active and political.  My dad, however, can't get politics off the mind and listens to pundit radio, watches pundit TV, and has been known to live and breathe politics.  I'm not far behind, but I have too much on my mind to devote my life to politics.  (But what isn't political these days?).  Anyhow, to get to the point, my dad is a HUGE fan of Thom Hartmann, a progressive radio personality.  I often listen to Thom while in the car with my dad.  He's very smart and not too imposing like many similar people can be.

Last week Thom Hartmann had a dinner for a small number (less than 100) of his fans that was based around the idea of local and sustainable food and living.  Knowing that was right up my alley (I'm all full of cliches today) my dad invited me to tag along.  We dressed all nice for our adorable father-daughter date and headed into the city.  My dad repeated to me that not only is Thom Hartmann a celiac patient, but he is vegan as well.  We both assumed the vegetarian option for dinner would be vegan friendly.  My dad's biggest worry was that he'd be the only meat eater present.

Only half of the main course was vegan.  I ate a single stuffed cabbage leaf armored with garlic cloves the entire night.  I had some wine (unsure if it was vegan).  A cheese maker helped to sponsor the dinner as well as the radio station.  When my dad asked if there was anything at all I could have for dessert, a caterer left to find out and never came back.  My mom later scolded (and by scolded I mean tsk'd me lightly) for not asking myself and not continuing to ask until I got an answer.  My dad defended his statement that Thom is a vegan until we went back into the car when he decided maybe he was wrong after all.  What did Thom eat?  Did they make something special just for him?  That would be silly.  At least that's the way I saw it.  The next day I found out my dad had paid for the dinner and I still feel pretty terrible.  If I had known, I would have sent my mom along with him although she probably would not have appreciated the topics as much.  Hearing Thom speak did make it worth the trip.  He's written several books and is still on the radio.  He's worth looking up (beyond politics he talks about global warming, food, and other interesting things.  He's currently rewriting a book based on the original case which brought about this whole corporate-personhood mumbo jumbo).

Trash #2
The other day I made a faux meatloaf from a recipe in the latest Vegetarian Times issue.  It uses tempeh and oatmeal.  Aside from the process being slightly more involved and messy than I exepcted, it turned out really well.  It doesn't taste like meatloaf (not that I would remember, my mom stopped making meatloaf well before I became a vegetarian) but it is good.  The rest of the loaf is in the freezer for later consumption.  If I didn't know the point value of a serving, I would have eaten half of the loaf in one sitting (and considering the sensitivity of my digestive track, that would have been ugly).  It feels really good to make a real meal for myself.  That means no meatless hotdog in the toaster-oven for a few minutes as a substitute for whatever meat the parents are having.  This was real.

Trash #3
Every night my mom and I sit down to the news before dinner.  We usually watch World News on ABC followed by the local news and Wheel of Fortune.  We love Wheel of Fortune.  This week on World News, Diane Sawyer did a short piece previewing what would be shown on Nightline later that day.  It was a piece on the horrors and truths of the dairy business.  The piece showed some of the less graphic images, but my stomach still churned.  I didn't say a word the entire couple of minutes this went on, reporter voice telling my mother and I about perpetually pregnant cows, docking tails, and feces.  Not even the worst of what I read leading me to give up dairy, although that alone would do it.  I didn't say anything to my mom about it even hours later.  I still haven't and I probably won't.  It is enough for me that she saw what she did.  I'm glad she finally knows a little bit of why I'm doing what I do.  If you recall from previous posts, my mom didn't want to know the truth about dairy farming.  She wanted to eat cheese in ignorance like most people and I respected that and left her alone.  The only problem was that she was clueless as to why I wouldn't even eat dairy once a week for protein and calcium.  It really bothered her.  I think she's accepting it now, but after that clip she won't have much wondering to do anymore.  If anybody is interested, I'm sure both shows have links to information on their websites, but don't take my word for it.  I haven't gone to look for myself.  Just remembering the faces of those cows makes my stomach spit extra acid.


I'll leave it at that for now.  Happy Hump Day!

Salivating for a Sandwich

A few days ago I did a web search for vegan-friendly bakeries.  My birthday is approaching and the thought crossed my mind, where will I get my cake?  I can't have dessert at a restaurant or from the grocery store bakery anymore.  

A few bakeries came up in the search, most located in the city.  All of them quite expensive.

One bakery was also a cafe.  I stopped in at the Sweet Dreams Organic Bakery and Cafe yesterday to take a look--and a taste.  The atmosphere was pleasant, much like your average Starbucks Cafe or Caribou Coffee location.  Tables brought together small gatherings of diners and sippers amidst brown and petal-pink decor.

I didn't bother to read the menu in full, simply blurting out that I'd have a grilled vegetable sandwich, a la carte and to go.  The girl behind the counter made the sandwich from scratch as evidenced by how long I wandered the dining/lounging area picking up fliers and browsing the cookies and cakes while I waited.  It took a significant amount of will power to leave without a vegan cupcake or cookie of some variety.

In the car I unwrapped the warm sandwich to some surprising ingredients.  As I took a bite, I flipped open the menu I had taken to find out I was given a tofu sandwich instead of a grilled vegetable sandwich.  Instead of returning it, I ate it.

My tastebuds did a little dance across my tongue and I may have even said, "Mmm, that's good!" aloud to myself.  Seasoned tofu, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, and leafy greens were piled carefully on vegan ciabatta bread spread generously with zesty hummus.  The only mistake I made was eating the whole darned thing.  It was enough for two meals.

I will be going back to Sweet Dreams again despite relatively high prices.  Next time, I will indulge my sweet teeth.  (Yes, I have multiple.)

Vegetarian Dating

Let me just put it out there flatly.  I don't have many vegetarian friends.  I can count them on one hand, and they don't even live in the same state as I do.  I have friends who are "occasional vegetarians" or who are very conscious of what they eat, but that doesn't count.  I've also never dated a vegetarian.  In fact, the last person I "dated" found it quite enjoyable to talk about how he loved to eat his cow still mooing.  Tacky?  Yes.

I have decided (and my mother whole-heartedly agrees) that it is time to connect with more of my "kind."  I found a connection website--I hesitate to say dating website because there is an option for finding friends, too--for vegetarians and vegans.  It is completely free.  FREE.  So, I signed up and have been obsessively checking for the past day and a half.  That's what people do after first signing up for a site like this, right?  Well, in my search, only two guys came up.  I get the feeling this site is not nearly as popular as, say, Match.com, eHarmony, or Jdate.com.  My profile has been viewed over twenty times, but I have not received any messages.  And there is no feature to see who had viewed your profile.  Sad.

We'll see what happens.  I have a feeling connecting will be much easier if/when I move to the city.  Oh, surburbia, how you stunt me.

I Didn't Forget

You might remember early on in the days of this blog (I say as if this blog is really really old) I designated a space for books.  It is a list of links to books which have to do with food, usually vegetarian or vegan food, that I find fabulous in some way or another.  Not only was I going to list those books, but "review" them within the blog as well.

I haven't done that much.

It isn't so much that I have forgotten about that feature, but that I am a little intimated by the idea of reviewing this next book.  I could always choose another book first, but why go on any longer?  I'll have to do it sooner or later.

The Face on Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is the book that launched me into a dairy-free, humane-egg-only lifestyle.  Most of the people I know won't even touch this book simply because of its title.  I read the title now and it's quite clear, this is a book that will tear into every detail about your diet and make you feel guilty about it.  For G-d's sake, just look at the word face.

I originally picked up this book and read the jacket thinking it would be an exploration into the psychology of why people eat what they eat.  Cool.  I'd like to know that considering I am so profoundly effected emotionally that I can't eat certain things (and thus this blog).

Not so much.

Moussaieff Masson digs into the food industry, into the psychology of eaters, into cultural dining, into the economics of food, and into the environmental effects of the way we eat.  He didn't leave many corners unexplored and he tied many of these elements together.  The Face on Your Plate is a good go-to book for any information you may want on the food industry, unless you'd like to keep eating flesh without a guilty conscience.

That last part is unfortunate in my opinion.  So much of that information is invaluable and could be used to help make healthier, cleanier, safer farms and an Earth on the way to improvement instead of in a constant downward spiral of damage and global warming.  But what omnivore wants to read about how cows, chickens, and fish are treated pre-plate?  Or about their negative carbon foot print?

Prior to reading this book I always thought I was doing my part by not eating meat and that dairy and eggs were okay because no animal was being killed.  I laugh at that now because cruelty does not equal death.  And as I read those sections of the book, I wanted to kick myself because it all seemed so obvious.  I'm not giving specifics because some of my readers won't want to know them.  I am going to respect that.  At the same time, I am going to encourage everyone to read this book.  I have a sneaking suspicion it is very under-read.

To address what I know some people are thinking:
*No, this is not the only book from which I've gotten my information.  After reading these menu-altering chapters, I picked up other books and joined online groups.  I asked many questions, researched, and confirmed what I originally read.

And So Begins 2010

Not much has happened in the ten days of the new year, especially food related.  I haven't even used my new cookbooks yet.  Mainly, whenever I go to find a recipe there either isn't anything I can make with the ingredient I am looking to cook, or whatever looks appealing I don't have the ingredients for at the moment.  There are several key vegan-cooking ingredients that I will need to learn to keep in the cabinets and refrigerator, things I've never used before or that we don't keep regularly.  I also need to learn to plan a dish several days in advance so that I can go buy the ingredients that I don't have.

Salad dressing:
I made a salad dressing with flax seed oil several days ago.  I used the typical 2-1 ratio of oil-to-vinegar with balsamic vinegar.  It was a very simple dressing, no recipe, but it was very, very balsamic-y.  I think this is in part due to flax seed oil being nearly tasteless, and the balsamic vinegar has been sitting in our cabinet for a very long time.  Today I doctored the dressing up a bit and it's interesting to say the least, edible, maybe quirky?  I added a bit of walnut oil (which is also high in omega-3s) and a splash of orange juice (we don't have lemons or lemon juice in the house).  Next time I think I'll use half flaxseed oil and half walnut oil.

Popcorn:
I got my microwave popcorn bowl in the mail!  It is my new favorite toy.  The first time I used it, I over-popped my popcorn and it burned, but I ate it anyway.  I topped it with some melted Earth Balance spread and salt.  The next time I popped it just right and sprayed some cooking spray on top for a light oil-taste and no fat.  I think I need to experiment with different oils and perhaps buy popcorn salt.  Mmmm.  I love popcorn!  I bought the bowl from Amish Country Popcorn whose popcorn I have as well.  It's delicious stuff.


Happy Eatings!

A Vegetarian 2009

2009 marked my nine-year anniversary of becoming a vegetarian and I decided on that anniversary to give up dairy and become "almost-vegan."  Needless to say, I've learned a lot and have more to learn than I ever thought possible.  I've decided to compose a list of what I learned this year in the realm of vegan dieting:

1. It is very hard to find certain pre-made food items without dairy ingredients.  Even when you think dairy wouldn't be necessary and wouldn't think dairy would be an ingredient at all, many times it is.  Whey and milk solids sneak up on you like unwelcome birthdays (okay, okay, I'm not that old yet.  But it was a good comparison, no?)

2. Tofu is good.  It takes a lot of draining and some creativity, but baked, broiled, or pan fried, it is a tasty source of protein that is good for dieting, too!  I never thought I'd put tofu on the grocery list on such a regular basis.  I still haven't gotten my parents to partake in the bean curd goodness, but it is a vital source of protein that I finally have gotten myself to accept and eat.

3. Even with all the nifty vegan replacements out there like Earth Balance vegan spreads and Tofutti sour creams, baked goods will never be exactly the same without dairy ingredients (I will let you know when I find the perfect recipes!)  They're all a little less buttery (obviously) and a little more dry.  I could use something like vegetable shortening, but that would involve hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, just the sound of which hardens my arteries.

4. Veganizing is expensive.  Whether it's buying vegan butter replacements, vegan sour cream, or any other speciality ingredient for baked goods and special meals, stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are not cheap.  Typical grocery stores don't always carry the necessary ingredients and those they do are sometimes marked up because they aren't in high demand or are just expensive to make.  And my humane certified eggs?  Expensive!  I need a job.

5. You can't rely on people to remember that you've changed your diet.  I should have remembered from back in high school when I became a vegetarian, although completely giving up meat products is a bigger change that giving up dairy.  More people remembered back then, but it still took a lot of reminding.  People are also more likely to make sure there is something for a lacto-ovo vegetarian to eat than for a vegan.  I admit, it's easier for the average eater to prepare food for a lacto-ovo vegetarian.  But really, it's not hard to make vegan food.

6. Being dairy free feels good!  I've known for quite awhile that I'm sensitive to dairy food, but I didn't know I'd feel so much better completely off of dairy foods.  Granted, I've had some digestive issues due to swine flu, antibiotics, and some other digestive problems I have, but over all I'm less bloated, less gassy, and more regular.  And I know you all wanted to know that!

7. Don't be surprised to find omnivores, very set in their ways, to be afraid of vegan foods no matter how normal they may seem.  Just the word vegan can weird people out.  Some people are scared of new things.  Vegetarians and vegans are so used to trying new and "ethnic" foods because otherwise our food choices would be very limited.  Omnivores aren't as pressured to expand their tastebuds and thus don't always want to.

8. Chefs, even at the cheaper restaurants, are usually eager to please.  If you say you're a vegan, the chef is usually ready to doctor something up for you, take out an ingredient from a listed entree, or create a new plate of food not listed at all.  This aim to please, after all, is what pays the bills.

9. Some locations are more vegan friendly than others.  The suburbs are okay.  Chicago is better because it's more diverse.  A place like London would be even better because of the large Indian population.  I would eat very well in California (and not just because I'd be raiding Rachel's kitchen).  Texas doesn't even understand the lacto-ovo vegetarian yet.  Texas is special, though.

10.  Lastly but definitely not leastly (I know it's not a word), not everyone accepts the vegan.  Even parents can find it difficult to come to terms with their daughter's anti-dairy ways.  It's a clash of values, generations, and comfort.  But you have to realize that maybe hard time people give you is out of love and caring and a genuine worry that you aren't getting enough nutrients and protein.  But you can't let it go to your head or get too far beaten down.  If nobody ever stuck to his or her guns, where would we be?

The end.