an argument for becoming a "weekday vegetarian".

some of you might remember my numerous half-realized attempts at becoming vegetarian, but now that my health is becoming even more important to me, i’ve got even more resolve to make the leap. with so much research leaning towards vegetarianism as the more healthy, environmentally responsible and economically practical option, it seems just plain stupid for me (and i really mean me, not you) to keep eating as much animal derived food as i do. i don’t eat much red meat anyway and i’m lactose intolerant, but i still love cheese and chicken and the odd turkey burger.

anyway, this “third option” seems so doable! 5 days veg, 2 days whatever i want. i suspect that at some point, i’ll lose my appetite for animal products all together. that’s the goal. check out the clip on tedtalks (via knowing is helping)

oh shit…. i wonder if there’s a vegan ice cream place like this. sounds so good.

actually! there is! just down the block from sundaes and cones in fact. it’s called stogo. i’ve never tried their treats so i can’t vouch for the quality. they offer sorbet and dairy-free ice-creams made with soy, coconut milk and hemp in a delectable menu of flavors! here’s a sample: mexican spiced chocolate, cinnamon raisin cookie, pomegranate chocolate chip and salted caramel pecan… yum!

lies! lies! lies! lies! LIES! all you vegans out there, i ought to give each of you a swift kick in the rear for this! this crap you try to pass off on me as cheese?! HA!

great, yea, it “melts” like cheese and it stretches like cheese. it even kind of looks like cheese, but by no means does this pass for cheese! not in consistency. not in smell. and definitely not in taste… that’s the most important part!

daiya! ha! crap i tell you! CRAP! marshmellowy, oddly tangy-sweet crap in a bag… specifially made to send me into a food rage! grrrr!

..:::end rant:::..

at least the rest of dinner—hearty minestrone and a massive greek salad—was good :)

edit: i ordered a slice of pizza made with daiya cheese. so i haven’t bought this and i don’t think i’ll be purchasing it to cook with. i can’t imagine a mac + cheese with this *barf!*

well, I guess we have a winner by unanimous vote! I saw the whole soy & co. yogurt and went for the cheaper brand ($.50 difference). I guess I got what I paid for.

*snark face

going grocery shopping a little later. I’ll be sure to pick some up!

feeling annoyed this morning because i bought this stoneyfields o’soy yogurt, excited to find a relatively cheap (99¢) soy alternative to my favorite breakfast meal. but alas, this tastes like vanilla flavored ass and the texture is not at all appetizing. adding insult to injury, there’s milk in it! the ingredients read:

CONTAINS SOY AND MILK (OUR LIVE ACTIVE CULTURES ARE MILK BASED)

what’s the point?! i didn’t bother finishing the cup. i’m cranky. and i’m still hungry :(

alsoooo, quitting cheese is turning out to be way harder than i anticipated. get a plate of baked macaroni or vegetable lasagna in front of me and my salivary glands revolt against me! it’s funny how your brain tries to play tricks on you. tricky tricky!

i’m trucking along though. i’d be hella grateful if anyone had a soy yogurt or dairy-free yogurt alternative to recommend.

?

ahnka asked: not a question. just wishing you all the best in your dairy-freeness. i went dairy-free a couple years ago. i only lasted nine months but i learned a whole lot about what nuts and avocados and root veggies can do in place of cheese. yum! i'm trying to do just do it during the winter months now, when i feel the most congested. please keep us posted :)

thanks so much b! i’m hoping to make this a summer of home-cooked picnics in the parks and lots of culinary experimentation (the best part!). indeed, i will for sure be posting my progress and victories on tumblr. i figure if i can be successful at this, i can persuade my mom into dropping dairy and going veg too. but small steps and one at a time…

step 1: milk-free
so, i stumbled across this article about greener milk and i’ve just decided to give up dairy products all together. i don’t drink milk anyway, but this and so many other pro-vegetarian articles that’ve fallen into my lap the past few weeks has completely turned me off to milk products. dairy makes me mucusy anyway and despite my love of cheesy dishes, dairy generally makes my stomach upset. from the recent studies suggesting that milk actually leeches calcium from bones to the disturbing industry standard of animal cruelty, it just doesn’t make sense to me to continue consuming the stuff in any form.

i think my toughest dairy habit to break will be my daily yogurt consumption and my cheese cravings (cheese, like barbeque sauce, makes everything taste better). but the more i think about it, the more i realize there are far more enjoyable and responsible alternatives. i love soy yogurt! i haven’t found the right kind of cheese alternative (suggestions anyone?), but maybe i should explore more foods and flavors… i bet there’s a whole world of taste i’m missing out on!

here’s to my new dairy-free existance!