Going Veggie

[Count Zero]

I don't think escalating it really helps matters. Some people just seem to have a weird kind of inferiority complex when they're faced with someone who's a vegetarian/vegan for ethical reasons. People tend to feel very strongly about what they eat, I suppose. I usually take it as a sign that they might feel bad about eating meat at times. It also helps to say that you feel sorry for the animals rather than that you think it's wrong to eat them. I used the latter phrasing just once - it didn't go over well.
Usually, when people find out you're vegetarian/vegan they will ask you about it. I think it's best to stay polite and friendly because I believe that's a better way to get them to think about it.

[Gul Re'jal]

Count Zero wrote:

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I had some trouble with giving up sushi and seafood, too.

Vegetarian sushi is your answer (I can't guarantee the flavour is 100% the same, because I never had real seafood in my life, so I don't know its taste, but the fakes are yummy.)

http://kylemehr.avx.pl/hk/media/1/Im...a/CIMG4417.JPG
http://kylemehr.avx.pl/hk/media/1/Im...a/CIMG4418.JPG

But it's probably impossible or nearly impossible to get it outside Asia.

[Count Zero]

There's vegetarian sushi available here, too, but not of the fake fish variety. But this stopped being a problem years ago for me. More recently, I got quite sick after eating (vegetarian) sushi once and can't even stand the smell anymore ever since.

[Tora Ziyal]

teacake wrote:

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Now here's something dull.. though I actually love it. No fat greek style yogurt (the real stuff, not that shit diet stuff full of fillers) and 3/4 of a cup of All Bran.

Sounds good. My version is fat-free greek style yogurt with Grape Nuts and/or raisins. Maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon. Yum.

[Grey]

Yay! I totally support you, J. Allen! Glad to hear it's had such a marked effect on your health so far!

Myself, I just don't like meat for the most part. The taste, the texture, the way it feels in my mouth, the way I feel after I eat it...bleck. Especially beef.

I do, however, love seafood and some forms of dairy (mostly cheese), as well as eggs.

So I do eat meat, on occasion. But people cooking for me or eating with me have come to think of me as vegetarian (comparatively speaking) because if there is a choice between vegetarian anything and something incorporating meat, I'll almost always pick the former. And we do a lot of vegetarian cooking around here, to the chagrin of my carnivorous family members.

CorporalClegg wrote:

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The ultimate thing about meat though is, everything it can do, beans can do better. More importantly, they do so without the cholesterol and saturated fats--and especially the synthetic toxins and steroids that are found in most prepackaged meats these days. Beans truly are a "magical fruit."

Yes! I love beans!

[J. Allen]

Count Zero wrote:

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I don't think escalating it really helps matters. Some people just seem to have a weird kind of inferiority complex when they're faced with someone who's a vegetarian/vegan for ethical reasons. People tend to feel very strongly about what they eat, I suppose. I usually take it as a sign that they might feel bad about eating meat at times. It also helps to say that you feel sorry for the animals rather than that you think it's wrong to eat them. I used the latter phrasing just once - it didn't go over well.
Usually, when people find out you're vegetarian/vegan they will ask you about it. I think it's best to stay polite and friendly because I believe that's a better way to get them to think about it.

Well, it's all in good fun. I only get annoyed when someone gets pushy. Up until that point, I'm as pacified as peach pie.

Grey wrote:

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Yay! I totally support you, J. Allen! Glad to hear it's had such a marked effect on your health so far!

Myself, I just don't like meat for the most part. The taste, the texture, the way it feels in my mouth, the way I feel after I eat it...bleck. Especially beef.

I do, however, love seafood and some forms of dairy (mostly cheese), as well as eggs.

So I do eat meat, on occasion. But people cooking for me or eating with me have come to think of me as vegetarian (comparatively speaking) because if there is a choice between vegetarian anything and something incorporating meat, I'll almost always pick the former. And we do a lot of vegetarian cooking around here, to the chagrin of my carnivorous family members.

Thanks, Grey! To be honest, like Count Zero was talking about earlier, I started seeing the animals I was eating, and while that wasn't the biggest motivator to move to vegetarianism (my health is the biggest), it still played a role, and now if I visit a farm, I shall pet the animals with impunity. IMPUNITY, I SAY!

APPROACH ME, LITTLE LAMB, FOR I SHALL NOT SUP UPON YOU THIS NIGHT!

[teacake]

J. Allen wrote:

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APPROACH ME, LITTLE LAMB, FOR I SHALL NOT SUP UPON YOU THIS NIGHT!

I see you with a jar of mint sauce in your back pocket..

[J. Allen]

teacake wrote:

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I see you with a jar of mint sauce in your back pocket..

It's for the trees. The trees love mint sauce.

[Sector 7]

thestrangequark wrote:

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^Is a slow cooker the same thing as a crock pot?

When I was a kid there was a year when our stove broke and my mom couldn't afford to fix it, so every hot meal we had was in from a crock pot!

I make a bitchin' vegetarian chili, if you want the recipe for that, J. It's easy to make, easy to modify, cost-effective, super nutritious, extra-diabetes friendly, and delicious!

"Crock-Pot" is a brand made by Rival. When other manufacturers started making them, the term "slow-cooker" came into use. It is a generic term for the same thing.

thestrangequark wrote:

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On the contrary, m'dear, there are those who would say that anything that has beans is not chili! So you prefer an all veggie chili-esque stew? So what, make what you like! Another healthful, but non-vegetarian creative spin would be to use ground turkey breast or chicken breast and make a bean-free chili

I agree, there are as many versions of "chili" as there are cooks.

I make a simple chili in the slow-cooker/Crock-Pot, with ground turkey:

1 can Light Red Kidney Beans
1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 pound Ground Turkey
1 can Diced Tomatoes
Diced Fresh or Dehydrated Onions
Crushed Basil
Cholula Hot Sauce (or other hot sauce/chili powder) to taste

Brown ground turkey in pan. Add to slow-cooker.
Add canned items to slow-cooker. Stir.
Cover with lid. Simmer all day while at work, etc.
Enjoy a simple chili for dinner!

[p.s.- for a thicker chili, I have been known to add a small can of tomato paste]
Apologies to the purists, but being a caregiver and disabled myself, I often use canned food. You have permission to substitute and suggest healthier alternatives.

For my current batch, I had leftover broccoli stems and celery hearts from a veggie tray I made for friends. I diced them finely and put them all in the chili. Mom and I LOVED it!

thestrangequark wrote:

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Oh, man, Sector7, please don't take any offense or insult at this, because I don't mean it that way at all, but I personally find your attitude towards carb counting hilarious! It's just that I am a type 1 diabetic; I've been carb counting since I was 12, using carb counts to calculate boluses. The thought of carb counting as fun rather than "IF YOU DON'T DO THIS CORRECTLY, YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SLEEP!" is so mind-bogglingly foreign to me that it made me laugh! It's awesome that you like it though, and that it's working so well for you. Very cool!

I am very insulted and mortally wounded............ NOT!
Like I said, tsq, I have always loved reading labels. I just never really knew how to apply what I read to a healthy diet. Carb Counting just... clicked.

Gary7 wrote:

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Hey, I have a bean question. When you buy dried beans and lentils, it seems like they need to soak for a long time before they're usable. Like 4-6 hours minimum. Is there any maximum? Can I keep a bunch of beans sealed up with water in a jar in my refrigerator, ready to be used at a moment's notice? Or would they deteriorate into a soggy mess before too long?

I read several posts from you, Gary7 and others about beans. Thought I'd add something I learned. Not knowing how to cook them & Mom being hungry for beans, I did not rinse the beans... just put the dried beans in the crock pot with lightly salted water with black pepper and simmered all day, stirring occasionally. They turned out great... even I liked them and I'm not a fan of just a plain old pot of beans.

This has become my favorite thread on TrekBBS, right behind The Caregivers' Thread!

[J. Allen]

Oh, man, I love a good old pot of beans. I also like to cut big chunks of Vidalia onion into the pot. It adds this flavor that's hard for me to explain, but it just tastes so good!

[Sector 7]

J. Allen wrote:

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Oh, man, I love a good old pot of beans. I also like to cut big chunks of Vidalia onion into the pot. It adds this flavor that's hard for me to explain, but it just tastes so good!

When I do eat them, I like slivers of raw onion and apple cider vinegar on top. I learned that from my best friend's mom while in college.

This begs the question to all: How do you like your beans?

Also, since I am eating healthier... Mom only has upper dentures, therefore she cannot chew food well. I see quite a few raw veggie dishes here. How can I compromise? I need dishes where I can cook the same items crispy/crunchy for me AND softer for Mom. Puree is out of the question. The food becomes mush and too soft even for Mom. An example is Chinese stir-fry: I'll make it normal, eat mine right away. By the time I finish eating, Mom's is soft enough for her to enjoy. With only the two of us, it is much too expensive and time consuming to fix separate meals. [Hope that made sense... I had a big day & am exhausted]

[J. Allen]

Sector 7 wrote:

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When I do eat them, I like slivers of raw onion and apple cider vinegar on top. I learned that from my best friend's mom while in college.

Apple cider vinegar, eh? Hmm...

[SmoothieX]

J. Allen wrote:

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Both! And I've only been to GABP once, but it is something I haven't forgotten. My friend and I were only 4 rows back, and behind the shortstop, which is a great place to be, because all of the really good action happens there.

You were sitting in short left field?

Good luck with the changes in your diet. A few years back, my cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver counts were through the roof and I had to give up alcohol other than on rare special occasions. Not fun considering I used to brew my own beer. But my levels dropped dramatically in short order, so well worth the investment in my health.

As for chili, Cincy style is fun. Never had the real stuff, but have made it from a recipe a few times. My favorite is a pork chili verde I conjured up one Super Bowl Sunday a few years back.

[KimM]

In agreement with you Sector7! Informative and funny! And inspiring. I've always been a committed carnivore. This makes me want to explore other options!

J. Allen, as for the ethics of vegetarianism, I grew up next to my grandparent's farm. We were trained early to harden our hearts towards what we saw. It was difficult; I think the natural inclination is kindness, and it never occurred to my elders that perhaps they should have allowed is to own our feelings of compassion.

[J. Allen]

SmoothieX wrote:

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You were sitting in short left field?

Good luck with the changes in your diet. A few years back, my cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver counts were through the roof and I had to give up alcohol other than on rare special occasions. Not fun considering I used to brew my own beer. But my levels dropped dramatically in short order, so well worth the investment in my health.

As for chili, Cincy style is fun. Never had the real stuff, but have made it from a recipe a few times. My favorite is a pork chili verde I conjured up one Super Bowl Sunday a few years back.

Thanks, Smoothie!
Yeah, we were actually next to second base, which I guess isn't really the short stop position.

The best Cincinnati style chili will be the one I try to make next.

KimM wrote:

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In agreement with you Sector7! Informative and funny! And inspiring. I've always been a committed carnivore. This makes me want to explore other options!

J. Allen, as for the ethics of vegetarianism, I grew up next to my grandparent's farm. We were trained early to harden our hearts towards what we saw. It was difficult; I think the natural inclination is kindness, and it never occurred to my elders that perhaps they should have allowed is to own our feelings of compassion.

I agree. You should be able to feel however you wish. I feel that if such a thing doesn't bother you, okay. If it does, that's just as alright. I was never completely comfortable with it, and as I get older, I find it less and less appealing. That's just for me, though, and I would never hold anyone else to that. We're omnivores by nature. What's nice is that it also lets me make a choice, and my body doesn't have to suffer for that choice.