I just can't stand it any more. I can't just eat things with no meat any more. I have had enough of bean burrito's, veggie sub's, and anything cheese based. As of yet, only a couple sit down restaurants my wife and I love eating at have things I can eat. I'm tired of refried beans, cheese taquito's, and cheese quesadilla's. I want more from a restaurant!
And why not? Why should I not expect at least something of good tasting? Especially when I am paying for it? Doesn't have to be anything huge, but a couple unique items would be nice. Chili's at least has a spicy black bean burger, as does Ruby Tuesdays. But for sure, nothing fast food has anything worth paying for.
I'm only complaining because I'm at the end of my rope eating out. So I am really doing some good cooking myself. I am making vegetarian chili and homemade vegetarian soup this week. I am taking my own initiative and making something delicious for myself. Next week, I am making meatless chicken buffalo pieces with real buffalo wing sauce! As well, I am going to try the "stroganoff" that Abolitionist Raven made and put her recipe up on her blog.
Its slow going as I have no friends or family that are vegan or vegetarians, so I am alone in my venture. This seems to me harder than I first expected as no one wants to really hear why I don't eat meat of any kind, or why I am trying to be a vegan. At least my wife is very supportive.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Eating Out, Tofu, and My Garden
Its complain and whine time for me. I'll just index them for you.
1. Eating Out
I live in Indiana and I can tell you that its really hard to get anything diverse to eat when eating out. Everything is made with some sort of flesh. Its so annoying when the only thing vegetarian is made with cheese. Oh yum, just give me a plate of cheese for christ sake and skip with the pleasantries! What about something unique and good? Chili's has a black bean burger, but thats about it. Perkins has a cheese quesadilla, but not much else. And just forget about fast food! I'm not picky, but I'm tired of my only option with any flare being Subway. Don't get me wrong, I love veggie subs, but all the time? It gets old! Come on people, I'm not asking you to cater to me, how about just a couple items that aren't meat based? Is that to much to ask?
2. Tofu
Tofu is gross. Its not the flavor, because it doesn't have much of its own. Its the texture of it. It feels gross in my mouth. Unlike veggies and premade veggie treats like Morning Star's veggie Italian Sausage, its hard to imagine what ever flavor your imitating when its so squishing and mushy in your mouth. Last night I made Fancy Fillets with extra firm tofu. You know, it wasn't terrible. The breading flavor was great, as was the vegan tartar sauce, and the hot sauce rocked it out for me. But I couldn't eat more than the one on my plate. It just didn't fell right in my mouth. I will try it in something else I'm sure. But tofu as a main dish? It just ain't happening again!
3. My Garden
What is there to complain about my garden? Nothing. As in there is nothing, I don't have a garden. I don't have a yard big enough and its cold any way so I'm screwed. I really want an indoor greenhouse garden so that I can have fresh veggies all year around! Imagine fresh peppers and mushrooms all year around! Fresh spinach, squash, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, any time I want them. OMG I'm drooling right now! We are buying a house this year, and at the very least, I'm going to get one with a yard big enough for a garden. A big garden. A big garden all for me!
1. Eating Out
I live in Indiana and I can tell you that its really hard to get anything diverse to eat when eating out. Everything is made with some sort of flesh. Its so annoying when the only thing vegetarian is made with cheese. Oh yum, just give me a plate of cheese for christ sake and skip with the pleasantries! What about something unique and good? Chili's has a black bean burger, but thats about it. Perkins has a cheese quesadilla, but not much else. And just forget about fast food! I'm not picky, but I'm tired of my only option with any flare being Subway. Don't get me wrong, I love veggie subs, but all the time? It gets old! Come on people, I'm not asking you to cater to me, how about just a couple items that aren't meat based? Is that to much to ask?
2. Tofu
Tofu is gross. Its not the flavor, because it doesn't have much of its own. Its the texture of it. It feels gross in my mouth. Unlike veggies and premade veggie treats like Morning Star's veggie Italian Sausage, its hard to imagine what ever flavor your imitating when its so squishing and mushy in your mouth. Last night I made Fancy Fillets with extra firm tofu. You know, it wasn't terrible. The breading flavor was great, as was the vegan tartar sauce, and the hot sauce rocked it out for me. But I couldn't eat more than the one on my plate. It just didn't fell right in my mouth. I will try it in something else I'm sure. But tofu as a main dish? It just ain't happening again!
3. My Garden
What is there to complain about my garden? Nothing. As in there is nothing, I don't have a garden. I don't have a yard big enough and its cold any way so I'm screwed. I really want an indoor greenhouse garden so that I can have fresh veggies all year around! Imagine fresh peppers and mushrooms all year around! Fresh spinach, squash, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, any time I want them. OMG I'm drooling right now! We are buying a house this year, and at the very least, I'm going to get one with a yard big enough for a garden. A big garden. A big garden all for me!
Friday, January 4, 2008
New Years Dinner
Well, spending time with my family over the holidays has been fun. Now I live in another state from them, so they didn't know that I had gone veg until I came home soon after christmas. Most response from friends and family was, well, interesting to say the least. Most immediately got defensive about it. I think my mom has said about four times, "Don't expect me to give up meat". They some how think I will be on a crusade to "convert" them to vegetarians. That is wholly not my plan.
My uncle argued with me about it, not sure why. And one of my friends tried to tell me that I HAVE to eat chicken because they have proteins I must have or I will die. Of course, I would have thought I would have seen many more vegetarians dying from this instead of them living longer if that where the case. LOL
But all of them, with out exception, couldn't comprehend what I meant by "not eating meat". Some assumed that I would still eat fish, or that I was still eating chicken, or that I was just cutting out red meat. All of those assumptions are wrong and I had to continually go back to the definition of meat. No dad, I am not eating wild game, that is also meat. No friend, I am not eating Salmon, thats still meat as well.
Oh well, I guess its a change for everyone. As far as I know, I have never personally known a vegetarian. I have not had a friend or family member that I knew of that was a vegetarian. So I am a first. I hope I am the first among many in my family, but everyone has a personal choice, and I will only lead by my example. People only change by their own choice, not by force.
My uncle argued with me about it, not sure why. And one of my friends tried to tell me that I HAVE to eat chicken because they have proteins I must have or I will die. Of course, I would have thought I would have seen many more vegetarians dying from this instead of them living longer if that where the case. LOL
But all of them, with out exception, couldn't comprehend what I meant by "not eating meat". Some assumed that I would still eat fish, or that I was still eating chicken, or that I was just cutting out red meat. All of those assumptions are wrong and I had to continually go back to the definition of meat. No dad, I am not eating wild game, that is also meat. No friend, I am not eating Salmon, thats still meat as well.
Oh well, I guess its a change for everyone. As far as I know, I have never personally known a vegetarian. I have not had a friend or family member that I knew of that was a vegetarian. So I am a first. I hope I am the first among many in my family, but everyone has a personal choice, and I will only lead by my example. People only change by their own choice, not by force.
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