Going Vegan in Alabama

Archive for January, 2009

There are a lot of "leftovers" that are good -- like leftover vegan alfredo sauce or vegan spaghetti sauce.

Yet, some vegans feel their leftover non-vegan items are not so good and give them a sense of guilt. For many it would be a great financial hardship to get rid of items that are non-vegan that they bought before they decided to become vegan. This could include leather furniture, wool clothing, even non-vegan makeup or lotions.

It is very expensive to run out and buy vegan makeup or vegan lotions -- especially if you are stocked up on non-vegan items. So don't and don't feel guilty. It would be more wasteful to throw it away unused imo.

And, replacing leather furniture would be a huge expense -- maybe sometime in the future you will have an opportunity and the finances to replace it with vegan furniture and you can donate it to a "charity shop."

Becoming vegan and sticking with it does make a difference. Make the steps as you can -- going all out, and throwing out could set you back and make you stop this healthy lifestyle.

If you are craving vegan cupcakes, then you may want to buy "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" its around $11 on Amazon.

The vegan cupcake recipes are incredible. You can use Pillsbury ready-made icing if you do not want to make your own (its vegan per their cs).

When you share these vegan cupcakes with friends they will be amazed at how good they are and how good they look! They won't believe there is no dairy or eggs involved because they are so moist. You really do Not need animal products to cook and bake well and delicious food.

Many times making vegan baked good from scratch turns out better even than boxed "vegan" bake mixes. Who knows why that is -- maybe it is the TLC you give to the "scratch" vegan recipes.

As you extend your time becoming vegan, you will find that many non-vegans will tell you that they could Never be vegan. Yet, it may surprise you that anyone can become vegan -- even those who think they do not want to cook more, love fast food, or cheese or meat. It is amazing how you can reproduce your very favorite dishes, make them taste almost identical to the non-vegan dish -- maybe even taste better.

For example, for grilled cheese lovers -- try Tofutti cheese between that bread you're making (see 365 list).

In Sarah Kramer's Vegan A Go Go cookbook there is an excellen fettuccini alfredo even your non-vegan family and / or guests will love. It is very deliciously creamy (easily created with cashews and pine nuts).

Learning to cook as a vegan you will find that the flavors in dishes many times can depend on the spices -- not the dairy or meat.

It is quite incredible to be able to continue enjoying flavors and dishes that you love and still stick to a vegan diet!

For many people, they make Sunday their "cook" day. Many times you can have the kitchen to yourself and you can take your time putting together yummy vegan dishes for the week.

A good dish to make is no-chicken soup, especially if it is cold outside. No-chicken soup is very easy if you use no-chicken Better than Bouillon. Simply cut up carrots, celery, onions add pasta or brown rice.

Another good soup recipe is the Roasted Carrot Coconut soup from Sarah Kramer's Vegan A Go-Go cookbook. It is very good. It tastes a lot like a Thai curry sauce and can probably be useful with stir fried vegetables.

One thing you do need is a good food chopper like a Vita Mix and herb mincer to make the soup smoother.

Sarah Kramer's Vegan A Go Go cookbook is amazing with top notch vegan recipes!

After making seitan, you may find it a bit salty. You can rinse it well before putting it up.

Seitan gives you a nice chewy texture and can be thought of as "hearty" or filling. Others who are not vegan may be put aback by it's appearance though -- it does look somewhat unappealing.

Sometimes when you are vegan, you crave some of your favorite non-vegan meals. This is when beef flavored seitan can come in handy. You can make goulashes, and italian dishes that call for beef and replace it with seitan (the beef that is). Using it for goulashes or italian dishes can cover up it's kind of "ugly" appearance too.

You may get a "wild hair" and begin making regular recipes into vegan recipes by replacing non-vegan foods with vegan ones that are in the recipes. Sometimes, this is very easy to do and you can bring back some of those dishes that were not vegan.

And, another "wild hair" is when you may Not have all the ingredients for a recipe. Many times you do not Need every single spice that is called for, etc. So go ahead and make that recipe.

Making seitan from scratch is quite interesting. Below is a video of someone doing so.

If I had an hd video camcorder I would have filmed it myself --starting with gathering ingredients, to mixing to kneading to boiling.

Seitan is a vegan food that vegans may want to try, yet may have a hard time finding. Recipes that use it can be somewhat complex too.

There is a basic instant gluetn recipe in Sarah Kramer's book, Vegan A Go Go. It calls for vital wheat gluten, which you can find in some Publix supermarkets.

You may wish to schedule a time to make it -- it can be involving.

You will really be proud of yourself once you make it (and it turns out okay LOL). It is a good indication that you are on the expert road to being vegan when you make seitan.

As you incorporate more and more vegan recipes into your meals and life, one day you will realize that your pantry is finally getting stocked with vegan staples. How great it will be when you look at a recipe and realize you actually have all the ingredients!

The word "resolution" can be intimidating and can also lead to immediate breakage. You could try something new like the 365 List. 3 things to work on; 6 things you want to accomplish; 5 things to stop doing. Here are a few ideas for the list ...

3 Things to Work On:

1. Spend less. Especially on things you Already have.
2. Be More "Green" -- Not the color, more eco friendly that is.
3. Smile more. Smile when you talk to someone. You would be amazed at how You feel and how you make them feel.

6 Things I Want To Do:

1. Make at least 3 new recipes a week
2. Make my own bread twice a week -- use a bread maker -- you'll save money in the long run.
3. Use Tofu more often for dinner.
4. Read more "good" books.
5. Get out of the house at least once a month -- visit relatives, attend a meeting.
6. Connect with "forgotten" friends -- at least two this year.

5 Things to Stop Doing

1. Stop self doubt and criticism
2. Stop being negative -- when being so, flip it immediately to something positive. Example, having to go yet again to store for Vegan ingredient forgotten, Flip to, I am so grateful, I am able to buy Vegan ingredients I need locally.
3. Stop being critical of others -- I don't walk in their shoes -- so who am I to criticize.
4. Stop making assumptions -- I will stop assuming other people know what I want -- I will tell them outright.
5. Stop making excuses, there is only one person responsible for what is happening in my life.