Days 36-38

It finally happened — I ate a non-vegan item. But, it was to be polite, as opposed to me actually missing something. We went to our friends’ house and visited with them and their children. Of course, we grilled since it was quite nice where we were. So, my hosts, good people that they are, bought Gardenburgers for me to eat. Since I’m not really “public” about my veganism yet, I s’pose it was bound to happen. Nonetheless, it wasn’t as good as I remembered. Maybe it was the cheese, maybe it was something else. But, I certainly wasn’t impressed. Of course, I was still grateful that they had thought of me. And it’s the thought that counts, right?

But, something else happened — I actually told someone I was vegan. I mentioned it to a stranger in passing, not thinking twice about it until the words had already escaped my mouth. I guess my veganism is ready to escape just “being in my head.” Of course, I’m still trying to figure out how I’ll break the news to my vegan-averse husband.

Now, to touch on an article I read this week in the New York Times. In a regular series, the reporter describes cooking with his 4-year-old son, Dexter, who also happens to be highly allergic to several foods. in this article he talks about some conversations he’s had with his son about where meat comes from — animals. In the article, he mentions how Western animation has anthropomorphized animals, giving them the humanlike characteristics that makes eating meat hard for some folks.

But, what I thought was interesting was my own personal experience — I come from a multiracial background and my grandparents grew up on farms and slaughtered animals themselves. Have I been convinced by the mainstream, white media to find animals warm and fuzzy, thus making them harder to eat? I admit that, as a precocious child that loved books, my favorite tomes were Charlotte’s Web and the Winnie the Pooh series, which give quite a few human characteristics to its wide cast of animals.

From a media theory standpoint — looking at critical cultural theory and media effects research, is it the media that “did it” to me, i.e., helped convince me to go vegetarian and, eventually, vegan? Or was I simply drawn to these media because I was already that kind of person? All interesting questions, but it really becomes a “chicken or the egg”-style conundrum…

Anyway, I guess I have to ask myself, “Does that even really matter?” I mean, I’m vegan regardless of the media I consume, so what’s the point in asking if mainstream media got me on the path to begin with.

Day 35

So the vegan thing is still working out — today’s food log includes:

Breakfast: Rice Krispies with soymilk and a sliced banana
Lunch: Black Pepper Tofu Snacks, Safeway Mushroom Rice Noodle soup bowl, a handful of wasabi peas
Snack: toasted everything bagel with Smart Balance Light, herbal red chai latte with a dash of Silk soy creamer (I ♥ Trader Joe’s Red Chai — it’s rooibos tea with Chai spices)
Dinner: the hubby and I went out for sushi — I had green tea, an avocado and cucumber roll, a vegetable hand roll, and inari; simple and delicious

In other news, I also watched King Corn this afternoon after work (how did I live before Netflix?), a documentary about corn’s ubiquity in our lives, from corn-fed beef to high fructose corn syrup. It was interesting, but also somewhat disheartening — basically, the family farm is disappearing because of America’s need for cheap food.

It was also depressing to see images of cows on feedlots, awaiting slaughter (at least the cows grazing in the field looked like they were doing what cows are supposed to do). Anyway, I’d recommend it to anyone that liked The Omnivore’s Dilemma, or is interested in learning about American farm subsidies and/or where our food comes from.

And with my 40 days soon coming to an end as of April 12 (technically, it’s 40 days, plus the Sundays of Lent), I’m trying to mentally create my tactful conversation with my husband, explaining how I’ve been secretly vegan all this time. I’m not sure how he’ll react, but he’ll never be able to say that it would be impossible to “work around.”

As far as Easter eating goes, I’ll most likely bring some dishes to my grandmother’s house, where we usually have lunch. She usually has some dishes that are incidentally vegan, so I’m thinking about an appetizer (possibly VeganYumYum’s asparagus and white bean pesto tart), possibly another veggie dish, and a strawberry pie for dessert (I have to make up for my not-that-great strawberry pie from last year — I will not accept defeat!).

We usually have Easter dinner with my husband’s aunts here in town, but I’m not too worried about that as they’re pretty healthy folk. They usually have fresh veggies for apps, a big salad, and fruit for dessert. Besides, oftentimes, I’m too full from lunch at my grandma’s house, so I usually eat light for dinner on major holidays.

Days 29 – 34

It’s been a relatively quiet week or so. I got sick on Tuesday, aka Cesar E. Chavez Day, so I didn’t go out at all and, instead, kept the couch and my dog company. So, after all that “thinking” about what I wanted to do, it all came to naught.

The most exciting things to happen to me as of late were some delicious kitchen experiments (like the banana pancakes from The Student’s Go Vegan Cookbook. Note: replacing walnuts with pecans=AWESOME) and today’s trip to Sipz, my absolute favorite local veg*an restaurant. I had orange “chicken;” it made my tummy happy.

Oh, and I’ve added a new original recipe to my repertoire — a Mediterranean-ish pasta dish. I’ve done it two different ways, but it’s “building blocks” remain the same. I saute minced garlic and a chopped onion in olive oil (this most recent time, I used up the leftover oil in an empty jar of sun-dried tomatoes), then add some white wine (pinot grigio earlier this week) and mushrooms. Once it cooks down a bit, I added some chopped broccoli, putting a lid on it, so the broccoli steams a little bit. Of course, while this is all going down, I boil some water and get some rotini pasta going. Once everything’s copacetic, I add the rotini to the veggies, then add a tablespoon or so of capers, a small can of chopped black olives, a quarter teaspoon of red pepper, and a few good squeezes of lemon juice.

As anyone can see, there’s plenty of room to improvise — I could add chickpeas/garbanzos, subtract something, or add spinach or toasted pine nuts easily. The whole idea is to keep the same flavor profile, if you will. So, as long as you keep it Mediterranean, whatever you add (or subtract) should work. And the best part is that the hubby loves it!

Day 28

I’ve hit the four week mark! I’m pretty proud of myself at this point, especially since it hasn’t caused a huge disruption in my life.

Foodwise, today was pretty simple: Rice Krispies with rice milk (I know how redundant that sounds, but whatever) for brekkie, leftover lemon rosemary tofu in a whole wheat pita with spinach and Dijon mustard, and an AWESOME veggie sando (sprouts, pesto, avocado, tomato, lettuce, and roasted red peppers) on sourdough, along with a dill pickle and some Veggie Stix. That sandwich gave me awful breath (I think there was some garlic in the pesto), but it was SO worth it!

In other vegan-related news, I’m still on the fence about my Cesar E. Chavez Day activities. I found out what the local activists were up to — lots of union-related stuff (which isn’t a problem to me since I’m a union member) — but it does sound fairly interesting. So, we’ll see. I guess it all comes down to how I feel on Monday, you know?

In other, other vegan news, I still don’t know how to feel about this blog. On one hand, I like the idea of featuring healthy food and encouraging people to be fit. On the other hand, I feel like it perpetuates the notion that you can’t be fat and healthy, which is far from the truth. Also, the initial photo on the site raises the whole PETA-like issue of promoting veg*ism by showing half-naked women. Because you know, objectifying women is always a good way of getting people’s attention.

Oh well…”politics of language” aside, hopefully it’ll inspire folks to eat healthier if nothing else!

Days 26 – 27

So, I’ve decided to take a new tact with this blog and, instead of my usual food logging, I think I should just share my latest vegan moments, thoughts, or questions. While I’ll still mention any amazing vegan recipes I come across, I’ll try to keep it more interesting than a food journal.

So, for food, I’ve been eating pretty tasty stuff, per usual. Tempeh sausage crumbles, Mexican food, and Trader Joe’s soy peach yogurt have been highlights. And while it wasn’t the best tofu I’ve ever had, I was pleased with the lemon rosemary baked tofu from The Student’s Go Vegan Cookbook. I’ll probably have to play with it a bit more to get it right for my palette. It was quick and fairly tasty, though, so it was worth the experiment.

For my vegan “thought of the day,” Cesar E. Chavez Day is coming up. It’s state holiday here, so I have the day off. You see, this is particularly relevant as I recently found out that he was an ethical vegan on top of fighting for farm worker rights. So, instead of just loafing around, I have two options — having an awesome vegan picnic with some friends, or participating in the parade in town, volunteering with our local animal rights organization by handing out pamphlets on veganism.

One activity would feature sharing delicious vegan food from a local co-op with my dear friends, and the other would involve a service activity. Only thing is, I’m not sure how comfortable I am with making my veganism “public” right now. While I feel like I’ve conquered the whole food portion of a vegan lifestyle, I’m still transitioning my beliefs to other parts of my life and am yet to do any activism. On the other hand, I haven’t even revealed it to my husband yet. (But! He did have a completely vegetarian dinner with me tonight, which is a HUGE step for him.) So just how comfortable will I feel eating vegan with my friends?

While I don’t have a problem with activism in general (I’ve worked at numerous non-profits in the past and believe in voicing your opinions), I’m just…nervous, I guess. Anyway, I e-mailed the animal rights group about the activity, so I still have a few days to think about it. We’ll see how it goes! If I wimp out, maybe I could do something more low-key, like hand out pamphlets at a local college campus or something…

Oh, and I found out Beauty Without Cruelty has some great skin care products, even for folks with sensitive skin. My next step is to see if I can buy it in person (I like to test products if possible, especially since I’m sensitive to perfumes), or if I’ll have to exclusively order online…Looks like I’ll be invading our local natural foods stores and the all-vegan shop in town next weekend!

Day 25

After a hard time waking up this morning, I finally got out of bed and had some coffee with soy creamer as I perused our local newspaper. Once I realized I was hungry, I got to thinking what I should have for breakfast. And that’s when I remembered the frozen slab of tempeh in the freezer — so I went immediately to work making the tempeh sausage crumbles from Vegan with a Vengeance. So quick, easy, and delicious! Anyway, I had it with wilted spinach in warmed whole wheat pita pockets with a touch of Smart Balance Light. Ugh, I wish my digital camera was working so I could share a photo!

Oh well. Lunch was leftover cream of celery soup and Veggie Stix. Quick and simple! Dinner involved roasted brussel sprouts and garlic from Vegan for a Vengeance (and it was popcorn-flavored, just like Isa said!) and a salad. Dessert involved Rice Krispies cereal with soymilk and some boysenberries I got on sale at the local, family-owned natural food store. A simple day of relaxed, nutritious, and tasty cooking!

In other vegan-related news, I’m in the process of switching over my remaining personal products — hair products, deodorant, make-up, etc. Since I’m using up the remaining product I have (I don’t want to be wasteful), so far, I’m only using a vegan shampoo, conditioner, and weekly hair mask. I’ve also found a variety of vegan make-up options and an inexpensive, easy-to-find deodorant. That part was easy.

But, the thing is, I have really sensitive skin, so I need skincare products that are gentle, non-comedogenic, and hypoallergenic. I’ve been searching the Internet, looking for something that is cruelty-free, somewhat easy-to-find, not too expensive, and effective for acne, to no avail (yet). I know I’ve got quite a few qualifiers, but they’re more like priorities than downright requirements. I guess I’ll just need to keep looking — I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person to ever pursue these kinds of products. Wish me luck!

Days 15 – 24

Wow, 10 days without posting! While I’m still enjoying veganism, I’ve just been very busy, hence the lack of posts.

And, honestly, there hasn’t been much to miss. I’ve been enjoying green mashed potatoes, Larabars, vegetarian sushi, a Rice Dream ice cream bar, bagel and pita sandwiches, LOTS of fruit, and plenty of other tasty eats! Oh, and I made the cream of celery soup from Nava Atlas’ Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons for dinner tonight — even the hubby liked it!

At this point, I’m really satisfied with my efforts to make veganism doable. It hasn’t disrupted our meals out or at home, I’ve been eating healthfully, and I’ve loved cooking (see: oatmeal peanut butter cookies from Vegan with a Vengeance). At this point, I think it’s so ridiculous that I didn’t do this sooner…But, I guess it’s better late than never, right?

Day 14

Two weeks of veganism down! Aaaaand, it hasn’t been that difficult. I don’t really feel deprived and it hasn’t caused too many eating issues…

Anyway, yesterday was a day of food experimentation! For breakfast, I decided to go back to my old brekkie standby — oatmeal with soymilk, cinnamon, golden raisins, and brown sugar. But, I don’t really have time to stand in my kitchen and lazily eat it (because I’m waiting for it to cool down). But inspiration struck (!) and I poured it into my Thermos wide-mouth food jar and brought it to work instead. That way, I got to enjoy it at my leisure and it was still nice and toasty!

Lunch was a simple affair — a couple of leftover Lightlife hot dog “pigs in a blanket” (warmed them up in the toaster oven at work) with ketchup and Dijon mustard, some steamed spinach with pepper, an apple, and a banana. It did the job — kept me going for the afternoon, while being relatively healthy.

In other food news, every Wednesday, I always check out the New York Times Dining & Wine section for great recipes (Mark Bittman has been a big proponent of eating less meat for some time now). I usually get inspired and, sometimes, find a recipe I have to try immediately. And so it went with Bittman’s Green Mashed Potatoes. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew it had “dinner” written all over it — I subbed the dandelion greens for spinach and used store-bought Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, but otherwise followed the directions to the letter. And it was SO. GOOD. I mean, mouth-burning, can’t-wait-for-it-to-cool, melt-in-your-mouth delicious! The potatoes and spinach are fairly plain by themselves, but the breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper take it from simple to sublime. I had two servings, it was so good.

Of course, I had dessert later — peanut butter/raisin vanilla wafer sandwiches. Had there been any Green Mashed Potatoes left over, though, I’m surely I would have snacked on that instead!

Days 11 – 13

Such a long time between posts! Tsk, tsk! Oh well, here’s the food log for the past few days.

Sunday was an off morning because of daylight savings time. I subsisted off of coffee until brunch, when we went to the Jewish deli down the street. I had an onion bialy (like a bagel, only the hole isn’t really a hole and it’s filled with chopped onion and poppy seeds) and a garden salad with oil and vinegar. It was simple, but SO good, especially the fresh-from-the-oven bialy.

Dinner was mostly snacking on fruit and crackers, and some “pigs in a blanket” (really just Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls — which are incidentally vegan — wrapped around Lightlife veggie dogs). Not particularly healthy, but not horribly bad for me, either.

Yesterday (Monday) was another crazy deadline day. I had an apple pie Larabar (SO GOOD) and a cup of coffee for breakfast, then a rotini and zesty marinara Healthy Choice Fresh Mixer, which is incidentally vegan. Dinner was paneang curry from the local Thai restaurant and tofu salad rolls. I had leftovers for lunch today (Tuesday), along with an apple. It was still super tasty!

Sadly, I forgot to eat breakfast and only had a cup of coffee this morning. But, I did have a couple of bananas to snack on today (before and after lunch). Dinner was steamed veggies over rice with soy sauce. It was really simple, but I didn’t feel like making anything much more complicated. Sadly, it wasn’t filling enough, so I warmed up two leftover “pigs in a blanket” for a little snack. That made it all better!

I’m feeling SO good about keeping myself vegan for the past two weeks. And I’m almost upset I didn’t do it sooner; it’s been that easy. So, for anyone out there wondering if they can make the switch, just know that you can. It’s challenging, sure, but not impossible, even if you eat out from time to time, like I do. So, here’s to three-and-a-half more weeks of success!

Day 9 & 10

Oh, Friday the most glorious of weekdays! It was yet another busy day, so food was fuel until that evening. Breakfast was a toasted bagel and a cup of coffee with soy creamer. Lunch out with the hubby at the local coffee shop — I had a veggie sandwich with avocado on toasted sourdough and a side of seasoned fries. My only regret is that the sourdough may have been “toasted” on a grill with butter. But, I hate sending food back (not to mention I was ravenous and on a quick break from work). I’m also not sure how to do it without seeming like a gigantic ass (mind you, the sandwich was not described as toasted, so it’s preparation was a mystery until I received it). Anyway, dinner was the big deal, though, as we went to my favorite Japanese restaurant. I had a vegetable roll with avocado and cucumber and a two-piece inari, along with an iced green tea and a hot sake. It was tasty!

Breakfast today was yet another bagel, with brunch at the Marie Callendar’s again – the hubby enjoyed the omelette bar (I was surprisingly un-enticed by his breakfast choices), while I did soup and salad again. Dinner was a pita pizza of sorts — roasted garlic hummus and baked asparagus on a whole wheat pita. Different and good! I also snacked on various goodies all day, including the last of my Veggie Stix, a Cutie, pretzels and Dijon mustard, and some pistachios. A nice, enjoyable Saturday, to say the least!