I Haven't Given Up!

I just don't have the time to keep track of two blogs. Or more. ;-)

Please come visit me at my "regular blog" that has plenty of vegan stuff on it, as well as what is actually going on in my life.


Hooray for Veganism-I'm loving it, well after my 30 days!

Do People Tease You Too?

I know the answer to this already, but I just have to complain. I'm so sick of people teasing me about what I eat. Or even commenting about it in general. It's so funny because being vegan FAR from defines me (I haven't even followed this lifestyle that long) but people always make jokes at the office about my "science project" lunch, which is funny to me, but then they all make a big deal when we're doing a recipe exchange or something. They are like "is it going to be some of your vegan crap?" and I always say "no, I'll make you something you'll like" and it's vegan and then I tell them and they stop liking it. What the hell? Why are people so scared of this?

I have three office food moments coming up. On Monday we're having a "Make Your Own Sundae" fundraiser. No biggie. When asked if it was a good idea, I said that I'd bring my own ice cream (i'm Angela on the party planning committee) and everyone was like "you're so high maintenance". I'm bringing my own. I didn't say "make sure we buy some vegan stuff", I just said that I would bring my own. Then we have a summer picnic for the office in two weeks. This is supposed to be a "gift" to us for all our hard work. Yeah, I'm going to have to bring my own food for this too. The place they are ordering from has salad but no one cared. It's not that I want special attention, but they know and I'm on the committee and part of the team. Our Christmas party has a limited menu as well, though we could expand it if we choose AT NO CHARGE! But no, that would be ridiculous to offer another option. So I'm going to have to do my standard just eat the french fries off the plate. I don't want special attention, as I'm writing this it seems like I do, but what I really want is for me to be ALLOWED to follow my lifestyle. I can make the calls for all of this, but they are like "oh don't bother them". When I went out with my girlfriends they all insisted that I order separate from them because they are afraid people will spit in all our food when I ask for no butter. What the heck?

Ok, I'm ranting, but I'm pissed. When they asked me what I could eat from the BBQ place I told them that I verified the fries and green beans were vegan. Tell me why we couldn't throw that on our catering order for a whopping $6 when everyone else is getting a $20 meal for free?

A Question to the Vegans...

Ok, so how strict are you? I've found that people keep making me food that they say is vegan, and then I find out that there was egg white in it. I don't induce vomiting, and sometimes I still continue eating b/c I figure the damage is done. I feel kind of bad about it, but at this point it has been all egg that has been involved b/c people can't seem to understand that egg is not vegan. I was also recently told in a restaurant that they don't have any vegetarian items other than the grilled chicken sandwich, so I do live in strange place, but I just wondered what your opinions were on this.

One other question. My friend Lindsay and I are going on a cruise in January (hooray!). I've called the cruiseline and they have promised that there is vegetarian eating, but not vegan eating. I am thinking that I am going to be vegetarian for the cruise and a few weeks prior (to get my tummy ready) but I still really don't want to. I don't want cheese. I don't want butter. I don't want milk, eggs, etc., but I don't want to starve on the cruise. Does this make me a hippocrite?

I'm not sure why I'm asking people because really, I am making my own decisions, but I just feel so badly about this and unsure of what the right thing is. I've got that devil/angel thing on my shoulder.

Oy!

Much Needed Update

I haven't been writing much b/c I've been trying to decide what exactly to do with the blog. Frankly, the title is all wrong, because I have been a vegan for way longer than 30 days, and I'm sick of having several blogs for the different areas of my life. I'm trying to come up with a blog that would just be everything, with less of my daily ranting and more posts with some substance, but I've gotten into such a roll with the ranting that I can't seem to get through that.

I have found a ton of great vegan recipes and I'll take more pictures this week. The problem is, other than one original recipe, I'm stealing from other people. Of course I will give them credit when I post the recipe and the pictures, but I want to have some of my own innovations and ideas. I'm just learning the different flavors with all the vegetables (I must have lived under a rock) so I am sure that I'll experiment more and get working on my own recipes soon.

Be sure to visit my regular ranting blog.

Vegan Shopping

I'm going to see Lindsay tomorrow and we have some big plans. Mostly I'm forcing her to take me for some retail therapy, but it's the good stuff. We're going to go to Trader Joe's (the closest one is well over an hour away-it's a travesty) and for lunch we're going to Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant. With the exception of one thing with milk on the menu, everything else appears to be vegan, so I'm super excited. They even have vegan sushi, so I'm thinking I might be able to learn new taste sensations so I can really be a vegan, instead of one who plays one on the internet.

On Saturday, Lindsay has a date with some girlfriends, and I'm tagging along to P.F. Changs. Now they make me a little mad because they aren't so "vegan" or healthy, though they like to pretend they are healthy. I am not at the point where I think that they need to have a veggie only wok, but I understand the people that are concerned about that. There is pretty much just the one vegan dish, which is the Happy Buddha, which is just steamed vegetables. I am hoping they'll put some tofu in there, they seem pretty agreeable to that.

I am so excited to be stocking up on all the good vegan treats. Woo-hoo!

I Heart Tofu

I've been experimenting with tofu. I'm sort of a mad-scientist in the kitchen with this stuff and I have yet to perfect it. I'm the best sushi rice cooker in the whole world, but tofu still vexes me. "Freeze it, then cook it" my friends say, and when I do that it is all wet and spongy. "Just bake it" they say, and then I burned it and it tasted wrong. Just plain wrong. So I don't know what to do. I got recipes off the internet, followed them to the letter, and mine tastes nothing like they claim their's tastes like. Either I'm a bad cook (which we know isn't likely) or they are a bunch of liars and their tofu is a spongy mess like mind. Ok, so I'm not a great cook.

I am probably having sushi tonight, but I'm not enjoying it like I used to. The guilt factor is so high that I know I'll be weaning myself off of it. I am still going strong elsewhere, but I am not eating as healthfully as I was before, so I sort of need to recommit to the Skinny Bitch. I'm not being a total crazy person, but I had a couple of Atomic Fireballs (sugar) and I had a sip of some soda (when I thought I might dehydrate in the car) and that is just unacceptable.

Best sandwich ever (other than the delicious Lone Star from Jimbos). Smart bacon, avacado and veganaise. Yum yum yum!!!

A Cry for Help

Today after lunch I ate two Sugar in the Raw packets. I wanted something sweet and had a couple packets in my desk. I guess it was like eating rock candy without that little stick and the sticky saliva on my cheek, but it was still a little rough.