Being vegetarian in a non-vegetarian home

I must see this question over and over and over again. In fact, it was a question I once pondered as I grew up in a non-vegetarian family. I didn't date any vegetarians either. Thankfully, on his own accord, my boyfriend decided to go strict vegetarian. Before that, I had no idea how life could be so easy in respect to the kitchen.

So...if you are living under your parents roof going by their rules, what can you do? Maybe you've been married for years and suddenly decide to go vegetarian- what about the rest of your household?

Well...I'm in no position to say "do this" or "if you do this, everything will work out fine". However, I can give some tips and advice to help in these situations. Each person's relationship is different among household members but I hope this helps!

*Be up front and honest. You might as well go ahead and fill them in. People might start suspecting something when you don't touch the meat on your plate for a month. It's wise to be up front and honest with those you live with- after all, it helps build mutual respect. This is the perfect time to tell the people you love why you want to go vegetarian. I suggest keeping it simple and genuine. Explain to others how going vegetarian makes you feel. Don't judge or condemn others because people dislike being preached to or having ideas pushed upon them. I wouldn't go into great detail of the horrors that is animal cruelty, etc. unless others show genuine interest and can handle the information you want to share. This isn't about converting- it's about getting support.

*To each their own. Consider the other person(s) point of view. Consider how these changes will affect the flow of the household (budget, grocery shopping, cooking, stress, etc.) Respect their reasons for not wanting to or having to compromise.

*Get the facts. No matter your reason for going vegetarian, have the facts- especially the health ones. A lot of people have the idea that vegetarianism is unhealthy. I suggest doing a lot of reading. I have some wonderful helpful links for good readings, if interested. For your own safety, it is good to know the RDIs(Recommended Daily Intakes) for your body and how to get them. When you know this, it is easy to explain to others how you can stay healthy and get adequate nutrients. I suggest getting advice from a dietician, healthcare physician, or websites from the medical and scientific communities.

*Transitioning or Avoiding. If you are trying to make the transition or avoiding the products you dislike, there are a lot of options. You can use fake meats, alternative dairy products, and so forth. My old trick was eating the side dishes on the table and not the entree- it seems to me that side dishes are often vegetarian.

*Do it yourself. Make the money, make the grocery list, do the cooking. Making money can be hard if you are under 16 so this doesn't always work out. For me, my parents supported my decision and purchased veggie items. If you are able to do some odd jobs, get a summer job, or spend your own money you can purchase what you want. The complications could be, however, budgeting wisely for other household members if needed and making the grocery list before-hand- it can really save some money, time, and frustration.

*Learn about the foods. Buy a cookbook, find vegan-friendly items by reading online, and research what ingredients to avoid, and substitutions. I suggest ordering a free vegetarian/vegan starter kit.

*Consider making considerations. A vegetarian diet just won't fly in all households and while some of us might sit back and go "what?" and what I'm about to say, I think it is true: The stress this creates might not be worth the decision. I stick with my thoughts on not judging others too harshly because I have not walked in their shoes and this is just one of those cases. So...consider going flexitarian and avoid meat when you can because any effort is better than none. Bargaining is good too- consider cooking some of the meals and make some of the items or all of the meal vegetarian. Considering working out a deal like trying it for a month with cooperation from others in the household- then let what happens happen because chances are, if you eat vegetarian an entire month and have only positive side effects, others will be more willing to accept your decision.

This is all I have so far. I will probably add to this. Please feel free to comment or add your own tips/guidance.

Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango and Nectarine

This is a great dessert- when I chose to make it I thought it would be light and perfect for summer. Admittedly, you can make this for any time of year. Andrew and I both agreed that my version tastes a lot like peach cobbler and not sweet sticky rice with mango and peach.

So, this recipe is a modification of the famous Thai dessert with sticky rice, coconut cream/milk, and mango. Enjoy = )

Sweet sticky rice:
Rice (short grained- think sushi rice) cooked per it's own directions (which happened to be 2 cups rice, 4 cups water, a splash of olive oil and salt- boil then drain).
Drain rice.
Pour rice in container.
Add 1 tbsp rice vinegar.
Fluff.
Let cool 10 minutes.

Sweet Mango and Nectarine mixture:
In a saucepan combine
1/2 cup soy milk (this is often when coconut milk or coconut creme is used)
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Mango, sliced thin or as desired
1 Nectarine, sliced thin or as desired
Bring to boiling, then
Simmer on low heat for 6 minutes, stirring the slices of mango and nectarine

Add the sweet mixture to the sticky rice- it should evenly coat it like a syrup and not drown the rice.

Personally, I think this called for some ice cream. It definately reminded us of peach cobbler so ice cream or something creamy and cold would just make this luscious. Enjoy = )

Lively Mint Lemonade

I love lemonade. It's summer and I always feel inspired when summer hits. This year, Andrew bought me a (chocolate) mint plant. I have been trying to find various uses for it. So here are a few including the Lively Mint Lemonade recipe!

1. Bathor foot soak: With use of a cloth (most people seem to prefer cheesecloth with bath soaks), you can create a tea bag effect by closing the cloth with a rubberband and hang it from the faucet for hot water to rinse through or let it float around. You could also purchase a loose leaf tea 'thing' lol. No, I don't know the term but we have a couple (because we have an entire drawer + some just for tea alone). You can take mint, rosemary, lavender, whatever and make a bath soak this way. Mint is supposedly good for oily skin and stinky feet = ) It also makes people more alert. If you don't want to get a mint plant and don't mind a temporarily brown tub, you can put a mint tea bag in.

2. Minty tea or coffee: We use the little loose leaf metal 'thing' and place some mint leaves in it. This really compliments hot chocolate too!

3. Lively Mint Lemonade!
There are different ways to make flavored lemonades or teas. The popular way seems to be combining the ingredients and simmering them. Let cool then refridgerate. But, I like to make my lemonade in 2 minutes without turning on a stove. So here is what you'll need:
1/2 -1 cup lemon juice (by taste preference and budget)
1/2-1 cup sugar (by taste preference, budget, diet, etc.) and of course you can just use a sweetener instead per their own directions (i.e. Stevia, for example).
A way to strain liquid, such as the infamous loose leaf tea metal 'thing' = )
Hot water!!!
A pitcher/liquid container

Tip: I don't like to waste water so I do something with the water until it becomes hot (like use it to water my mint plant = )

Combine all ingredients but instead of simmering you just add very hot water to the pitcher. Stir. Add ice cubes to glasses if you want to drink quickly. Otherwise, you can either refridgerate or make it sun lemonade by placing it outside or in a window and let the sun do the job for you.

If you don't have fresh mint, you can always do this with a mint tea bag and make a 'mintea lemonade" hehe.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. It really helps on a hot, summer day without being too overloaded in sugar or calories.

Perfect Pancakes, Mmmmmm!

Ever since moving into our new, little apartment I have been making pancakes almost every morning. I guess I am making it up to myself since I denied myself pancakes for almost 2 years (I still can't find what I am allergic to in them but at least it just makes me sneeze and everyone else laugh!). I have tried recipe after recipe on boxes and online. Now, after using some cues from those recipes and trying my own, this is what I have come up with:

The 10 step pancakes!

You will need:
1 tbsp butter/margarine/substitute
1 tbsp vegetable oil/canola oil/any oil you want
2 eggs OR egg replacer (I use Ener-G egg replacer so please read my directions = )
2 cups milk or soy milk
1/3 sugar or sweetener of choice
2 cups of pancake mix

1. Buy a vegan-friendly mix (or make your own if you aren't as lazy as me = )
*** I like Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix or Betty Crocker Bisquick (information provided by http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/VeganShoppingQS-Baking.asp?Category=Baking). If not vegan, Whole Foods 365 Old Fashioned Pancake & Waffle mix is good (has milk but no eggs).
2. Get out a bowl to mix everything in. It needs to be able to hold at least 6 cups of water.
3. In bowl, combine 1 tbsp butter/margarine/substitute ( I LOVE LOVE LOVE Smart Balance Light or you might like Earth Balance), 1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil/any oil without too much flavor, 1 cup milk/soy milk (I use vanilla flavored soy milk).
4. Because I use Ener-G egg replacer, I heat up these ingredients then add 2 tsp egg replacer. You may choose to use real eggs or bananas/other egg replacer and don't have to heat up. If so, just skip to next step.
5. Once egg replacer is added, whisk or stir.
6. Add 1 cup milk/soy milk.
7. Add 1/3 cup of sugar or sweetener of choice.
8. Add 2 cups of the mix
9. Stir or whisk together until most lumps are gone. Add: Cinnamon (1 tbsp) & Applesauce (2 tbsp), 1/2 cup Blueberries (great with blueberry syrup!), or 1/3 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
10. ENJOY!!!

Please let me know if you made this and what you think!!!

Going vegetarian...how?

One day the light goes off. You hit the light switch. You see the light and think "I want to go vegetarian"...then, you're feeling blind because you have no idea how to make the switch.

Here are some tips from both personal experience and anecdotal:

Decide what type of vegetarian you want to be. Some people decide they simply want to cut out meat but still consume milk, eggs, anything that isn't pure animal flesh. Some people decide to go pescetarian and so they cut out all animal flesh but fish and may still consume milk, eggs, and other dairy products. Others choose to go vegan or even raw. You don't have to research what type you want to be, but you do have to avoid products that you are not comfortable eating (for whatever reason!). You can view types of vegetarians at http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/tp/TypesofVeg.htm

I suggest, for your own sanity and well-being, you do some research on the foods you are eliminating. Find out what is "bad" about them (i.e. unhealthy levels of fat or cholestoral, encourage animal cruelty, go against your religious or spiritual beliefs and so forth). Also, look at what is "good" about them so you can try to get their good nutrients elsewhere. This will also help you decide what diet is right for you and WHY. When you do research like this, you learn a lot which will help you stay healthy, stay focused on what you want, and alleviate questions from others who may worry about your decision.

READ! This means you should consider buying a book or two (or just use the local library because it is free) to learn more about your dietary choices. Read articles online (most will probably be biased because they are from companies/organizations that promote vegetarianism- while this isn't wrong I always suggest considering objective sides as well as other point of views). Personal choices of reading are: "Becoming Vegan" (nutritional guide book) by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S.,R.D. and "How it all Vegan" ( a cookbook with related information) by Sarah Kramer & Tanya Barnard.

For articles written based on scientific research in the world of dieticians and nutritionists, I suggest going to the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group at http://www.vegetariannutrition.net/articles.php. I have been reading about studies done related to vegetarian diets and their articles. So far, they have been the most objective and have given the best information- in my opinion. Yes, there is a lot of terminology but the conclusions are a good place to summarize what is good for you, what isn't, and what isn't known yet. Their site offers a lot more than these articles as well and links to the ADA which will also be helpful with dietary information.

You can obtain a free vegetarian starter kit from http://www.mercyforanimals.org/vegan-starter-kit.aspx and http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/index.html

Decide HOW you want to go vegetarian. For me, I went cold turkey. The first three months were a struggle (not because I was craving meat- I wasn't- but I was struggling trying to find things I *could* eat). This is why I say research first. You could of course slowly cut out meat/dairy products at a pace your are comfortable with. If you choose to go at your 'own pace' I suggest having a little bit of a plan though. For instance, try Week 1 & 2: No red meat, Week 3: Substitute milk with alternative milks like rice milk, soy milk, or almond milk, Week 4: No poultry, etc. Keep it on a calendar to remind yourself. This way your body will gently get used to your new diet WHILE you research. What is great is, you can use each week for research: If Week 1 you cut out red meat, learn about the pros AND cons of red meat as well as healthy alternatives.

As for alternatives, when I first went vegan, I happened upon a wonderful site called "I Can't Believe it's Vegan!" which has lists of regular foods by companies like Progresso and Old El Paso that are vegan. The link is http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
There are a lot of faux meats out there, also. If you're thinking "What can I eat?" just think about what you'd normally eat. If you are in the mood for steak, make a tofu steak (you can get pregrilled/precooked/flavored tofu blocks at some chains or you can do it yourself.) If you are craving a burger, you can choose a veggie burger in a number of textures and flavors. Personally, I enjoy veggie hotdogs from LightLife (see http://www.lightlife.com/index.jsp).
There are brats, deli meats, and dairy products (rice ice cream, soy milk, and so on). Of course, if you try something and don't like it, don't be discouraged. Each product is different (I have had some nasty veggie burgers and I have had some that I could have sworn were meat!). Also, trying something once vs. trying it a few times over a period of time, you may find that your taste buds will come to enjoy the new food. So, if you try something and hate it- it's not the end of the world. You just need to find what works for you!

I *ALWAYS* suggest seeing a dietician/nutritionist. ***I am not a doctor/health practioner/dietician/nutritionist*** There are a lot of dieticians and nutritions that specialize in vegetarian diets. There are also programs like Nutrisystem and Weight Watchers that offer vegetarian diet programs. The American Dietetic Association has a search tool for finding a professional dietician/nutritionist at http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_fanp_consumer_ENU_HTML.htm

Join a vegetarian-friendly group: online, offline, or both. I have joined a number and it has really helped me with support and helpful information. A great site to meet vegetarians is http://vegetarian.meetup.com/

Cook for yourself! Buy a cookbook, get one from the library, or search the millions of vegetarian/vegan recipes floating around on the internet. It's the healthiest, most affordable thing you can do for yourself in my opinion. You KNOW what is going into the food. You don't have to stress over not having something nutritious to eat. You don't have to worry about cross-contamination. Caution: While there are a lot of yummy faux meat products out there, I urge you to eat more whole foods than processed ones.

Grocery chains with decent vegetarian selections are: http://www.traderjoes.com/Attachments/Vegan.pdf, http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/, http://www.target.com/ (some have vegetarian sections), http://www.dierbergs.com/dierbergs.com/Dierbergs.com+Homepage.htm, http://www.publix.com/, http://www.kroger.com/Pages/default.aspx, and others.

Invest in some great kitchen equipment! A food processor, a blender, a really sharp knife or two, a handy cookbook, a soymilk making machine, a bamboo mat (for sushi) and other tools in the kitchen will make your life much easier. You just need to find out what types of meals you enjoy and then decide which items you need (by far, the food processor has been the most helpful in vegetarian recipes for me!). I also suggest a soy milk making machine because you'll make milk as you like it, from the whole soy bean, and for cheaper in the long run.

Keep a diary/blog about what you learn. That's what I am doing = ) It makes it easy to print off a list of items I like, can eat, cannot eat, etc. to take to the grocery store so I don't stand there lost.

Find your local Farmer's Market, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or other vegetarian-friendly place to shop. You'll find these to be just wonderful- especially if you like organic food. You can search for Farmer's Markets and related in your area at http://www.localharvest.org/

Scout out the local vegetarian-friendly restaurants and stores. I had to research companie's customer service responses for a few places I like to eat to ensure that they were "vegan friendly". This doesn't always mean your food won't touch a surface that had meat on it, etc. but if you don't want to cook every day of your life, you might enjoy some vegetarian-friendly restaurants. Of course, if you're lucky to have full vegetarian restaurants in your neighborhood, you got lucky = ) You can find local restaurants/health stores at http://www.happycow.net/

Monitor your health. Excercise, consider taking multi-vitamins, and try to eat as many nutrients as you can. If you don't feel well, I always suggest seeing a doctor, dietician, nutritionist, etc. You need to make sure you take care of yourself, no matter WHAT diet you have.

If you plan to become a strict vegetarian, vegan, or just want to end animal suffering in any way you can, you will want to make yourself aware of vegetarian-friendly beauty and clothing products. Both can easily be purchased online from places like: http://www.veganessentials.com/, http://www.veganstore.com/, http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/, and others.
Beauty products can be found in a number of local stores (mostly I have seen them at grocery stores). My favorite is Avalon Organics (http://www.avalonnaturalproducts.com/) but other known products (from companies that have vegetarian or vegan-friendly items but you'll need to see which are which): http://www.kissmyface.com/kmfstory.html, http://www.jason-natural.com/, http://www.jonathanproduct.com/ (found at Bath & Body Works- this is a vegan brand last I checked), and of course you can consult an Arbonne Representative for which products would be ideal for you: http://vegetarian.myarbonne.com/.

Ask questions. This is a great thing about joining a group. Ask questions or read other's questions. You'll learn a great deal- but it may take time. I have a list of helpful links. Always feel free to ask me a question also- if I don't have the answer I will try to find it for you.

Top questions people ask are (from what I have gathered):
What can you eat?
How do you get enough protein?
Do you have to take vitamins/pills?
How do I explain to my parents that being vegetarian is safe?
How do you get enough calcium?
Aren't humans meant to eat meat- we are omnivores/carnivores, aren't we?
Why don't vegans eat honey?
My religion encourages us to use animals- so why shouldn't I?

I will add more to this as I can but I felt this was a good foundation. Comments are welcome if you have tips on making the switch!

Sushi Time!!!

Mmmmm sushi! I never liked sushi/had it before I became vegan. I thought it had to have fish in it but a lot of places have just veggie rolls or "true" california rolls (which means crabmeat included in the midwest lol). It's actually amazing.

Today Andrew and I made our first sushi rolls. We have been eating it a bit when we go out so here is what we learned:

You need:
A bamboo mat (we found them at the local farmer's market and whole foods- they are cheap! preferred to get one with a bamboo rice spoon!!!)
Seran (sp?) wrap or something tight and plasticky to cover your bamboo mat
Sushi rice (we used Jasmine but brown rice or short grained rice works best)
Nori sheets(aka roasted seaweed) - BUY THE NICE STUFF cuz the cheapest is kinda nasty (Preferred: Buy the sheets that have perforated lines for cutting!)
Rice vinegar (wow that stuff is yummy by itself)
Sugar & Salt (to make rice sticky)
Veggies of your choosing (typically avocado, carrots, and cucumber are popular)
Cream cheese (optional but adds a nice cold surprising taste)
Sesame seeds (optional)
Soy sauce/Wasabi/Pickled Ginger/Whatever you want to dip it in!

Boil the rice ((1-2 cups) while cutting the veggies into long, thin pieces. Boil the rice for 20 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes. There shouldn't be a need to drain water as you shouldn't put more than you need to boil in. After the rice is cooled for 10 minutes in the pot, take it out and put it in plastic-LINED shallow dish/bowl. Fluff rice.

Create sticky rice mixture: 1/4 Cup rice vinegar, 1 Tsp Salt, 2 Tsp Sugar. Add to fluffy rice to create sticky rice. Mmmmm!

Dip fingers in some water- it makes the nori sheets sticky so they hold the rice, etc. Place nori sheet on bamboo mat with perforated lines vertical (for slicing the roll when done). Now, you can make it with your nori on the INSIDE or OUTSIDE. This is how we make it with it on the outside which is easier for us (beginners) lol. Spread the sticky rice on 2/3s of the bottom part of the sheet evenly. Create a row of each veggie/sliced cream cheese towards the bottom (it makes it easier when rolling). Take bamboo mat and roll the nori sheet from the bottom keeping it tight and firm. You have to budge a little when rolling because you won't roll it all up in one swift motion so you just gotta work it. Once at the end where the nori sheet folds over it's other half, take some water to 'glue' it together.

Now, dip it in some soy sauce with some wasabi or pickled ginger and it's YUMMY! Enjoy!

This is what we learned from a cook book, some youtube videos, watching them make it at the restaurants, and finally making it ourselves! Easy for beginners.

Soy: Potentially dangerous?

According to http://www.soytoy.com/soydanger.html, soy products are potentially dangerous. However, the article does not state that soy beans are dangerous. In fact, it seems to encourage us to get a soymilk-making machine and make our own as stated "Soymilk should NOT cost you more than $2 per quart asit does in most supermarkets. Not when wholesale beanbuyers can purchase those soybeans that yield onequart of soymilk for less than a penny".

*** My opinion: The more I read about potential danger for soy, the more I am considering making my own soy milk or at least, as recommended, purchase those only made from whole soy beans (not the powders and what not the article warns against). Keep in mind, the article is written by a company that sells Soy milk machines and *may* be biased.

I have been reading a lot about this controversy- so much that it makes my head hurt.

***My opinion: I have come to the conclusion that unfermented soy products in small portions, along with a healthy & diversified diet should be ok. Also, breastfeeding is far better than feeding a baby any other substitute.

There is a lot out there. I am noticing a lot of people claiming that the dairy and meat industry pay and/or encourage authors/speakers/media to discredit the soy industry. And so, now I, like many others, are forced to pick through the dirt to find out what is true and what is false- don't you love politics?

I'll be doing more research and adding to this but here are my questions for you!

***updated:
According to the information in this article: http://www.vegetariannutrition.net/articles/Soy-and-Breast-Cancer.php it seems that American women can safely consume up to 15g of soy a day. I pulled out my current soymilk from the fridge. It contains 6.5 g soy/serving (which is 8 oz.) I usually don't drink a full 8 oz. of soymilk a day and am monitoring how much I do consume daily as I am trying to stay under 10g daily. I feel that staying under that amount and eating as whole as possible, the risk of negative effects of consuming too much soy to be minimal.

1. Do you think soy is potentially dangerous?

2. What do you think about infant formulas?

3. What is going on in the politics of vegetarian industries vs. meat & dairy industries?

4. How do we know who we can trust? I'm asking for some solid proof here- studies, sources, etc. IF YOU GOT IT = )

5. Is this going to change any of your dietary habits? Which ones?

Sweet Dreams are Made of These...

This week, I have enjoyed two flavors of Rice Dream: Mint Carob Chip and Vanilla Swiss Almond (see http://www.tastethedream.com/products/rd_frozen.php)

While I much prefer Soy products to Rice, Almond, or any others- I am trying to diversify my diet and not rely on soy products. If I can get past the strange, lingering, acidic-like taste it leaves- it may become my favorite sweet treat.

The only other treats on my list are: Oreos (according to PETA's accidentally vegan link, some Nabisco Oreos are vegan! see http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/), and the cake(s) from Cafe Sunflower in the Atlanta, GA area (see http://www.cafesunflower.com/).

My next attempt will be to make my own cake(s) because they will probably be a LOT cheaper. Anyone got some great, EASY & CHEAP recipes for CAKES (anything chocolate preferred and if you know what Texas Cake is- please send a recipe my way!)?

So here is my question to you so I can blog further:

Question 1: Do you think soy is potentially dangerous?

Question 2: What are you favorite sweet treats?

Question 3: What are some easy, cheap, cake recipes that you enjoy?