Somehow, I've talked my husband into writing a blog post. Actually, it was surprisingly easy. I thought I'd have to pry him with all sorts of things, much of which would include me listening to all sorts of sports somethings, which typically go in one of my ears and out the other.
But all I did is ask - and he said yes.
(Hmm...what else can I ask him to do?...)
I'm not sure what he'll write, and I'm not sure if he does yet, either, but if you have any suggestions, I'll gladly pass them along to him for his consideration. My guess is it will be on Asperger's - but depending on what I put on the menu this week, it could be about my vegan-ish journey, and his take on that. And trust me, he does have an opinion on that!
~Julie
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
My Blog, Your Voice, Your Choice
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I have an affinity for words. And I use them. Lots of them, all crammed together, spoken or in print. And many of you are kind enough to listen to them, to read them.
As I write in Asperger's in Pink, life consists of more than school, meetings and doctor visits. And this blog tends to reflect that, focusing on anything from Asperger's, to my studio, to that vegan-ish journey I've somehow landed on. In other words, my blog will never focus on just one topic. But sometimes an assortment of topics looks more like a jumbled closet than a tempting box of fine chocolates. (And everyone who knows me knows I'll take chocolates any and everyday!)
With that thought in mind, I'd love to know what you want to see here. What you would like to read more (or less) of. Which "chocolates" you'd like to see in this "box". More on Asperger's? Lighter on others? Add a new topic, such as a featured guest here and there?
To make it easy, I've positioned a poll up top ^ to the right --->. Can you see it? A few have told me it's been hard to find. But it's there. I'd love it if you would take a moment and do the talking. Let me know what you'd like to read, and I'll do my best to make it happen.
And if you've already voted? Thanks so much!
And thanks for stopping by. All this talking about chocolates is making me crave some. Drat.
Have a great week!
~Julie
As I write in Asperger's in Pink, life consists of more than school, meetings and doctor visits. And this blog tends to reflect that, focusing on anything from Asperger's, to my studio, to that vegan-ish journey I've somehow landed on. In other words, my blog will never focus on just one topic. But sometimes an assortment of topics looks more like a jumbled closet than a tempting box of fine chocolates. (And everyone who knows me knows I'll take chocolates any and everyday!)
With that thought in mind, I'd love to know what you want to see here. What you would like to read more (or less) of. Which "chocolates" you'd like to see in this "box". More on Asperger's? Lighter on others? Add a new topic, such as a featured guest here and there?
To make it easy, I've positioned a poll up top ^ to the right --->. Can you see it? A few have told me it's been hard to find. But it's there. I'd love it if you would take a moment and do the talking. Let me know what you'd like to read, and I'll do my best to make it happen.
And if you've already voted? Thanks so much!
And thanks for stopping by. All this talking about chocolates is making me crave some. Drat.
Have a great week!
~Julie
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
That Vegan Thing, Again (aka, Don't Let Me Cook)
There it sat, in the pantry. A lone red can of tomatoes with green chiles expiring in a mere month or so, staring at me, guilting me into using it rather than letting it collect even more dust.
I should have let it sit there.
I mean, the idea sounded good. Throw in some TVP, frozen peppers, and some seasonings, serve with a few pieces of fried corn tortillas, and dinner for one is done!
TVP? Oh, it’s textured vegetable protein (soy). It’s actually pretty decent in spaghetti sauce. Trust me.
Just don’t ask my husband, who is quite thankful he had to work through last night’s dinner. Or my daughter, who was lucky enough to snag Monday’s leftovers.
Overall, the transition to veganism has been positive. I feel better, and my family has been putting up with it. Even the dog comes running whenever I’m sautéing tofu!
No, I’m not kidding. Too many years of breeding “for show” have this little guy confused, making him more excited about tofu in the pan than bacon in the freezer.
But last night’s dinner…was a disaster. Thankfully, some kitchen god created the garbage disposal, which worked - and didn’t spew it all back out at me.
I wouldn’t have blamed it if it had.
So, I did what most sane, budget-oriented people would do. I opened up the freezer door and stared. Then I closed it, and repeated the process with the pantry. And don’t even mention the package of cheese taunting me in the refrigerator, knowing that caving now means regret later. I debated giving up on the notion called dinner but the freezer came calling again, this time remembering Boca Burgers were there along with a frozen hotdog bun, both ready to save the day…er…dinner.
Someday, I will conquer this vegan thing. Someday, I will sauté and steam with the best of them. But until then, heaven help the family. And please, oh pretty pretty please, pass the recipes. And the cooking lessons.
Even the dog knows I need them.
I should have let it sit there.
I mean, the idea sounded good. Throw in some TVP, frozen peppers, and some seasonings, serve with a few pieces of fried corn tortillas, and dinner for one is done!
TVP? Oh, it’s textured vegetable protein (soy). It’s actually pretty decent in spaghetti sauce. Trust me.
Just don’t ask my husband, who is quite thankful he had to work through last night’s dinner. Or my daughter, who was lucky enough to snag Monday’s leftovers.
Overall, the transition to veganism has been positive. I feel better, and my family has been putting up with it. Even the dog comes running whenever I’m sautéing tofu!
No, I’m not kidding. Too many years of breeding “for show” have this little guy confused, making him more excited about tofu in the pan than bacon in the freezer.
But last night’s dinner…was a disaster. Thankfully, some kitchen god created the garbage disposal, which worked - and didn’t spew it all back out at me.
I wouldn’t have blamed it if it had.
So, I did what most sane, budget-oriented people would do. I opened up the freezer door and stared. Then I closed it, and repeated the process with the pantry. And don’t even mention the package of cheese taunting me in the refrigerator, knowing that caving now means regret later. I debated giving up on the notion called dinner but the freezer came calling again, this time remembering Boca Burgers were there along with a frozen hotdog bun, both ready to save the day…er…dinner.
Someday, I will conquer this vegan thing. Someday, I will sauté and steam with the best of them. But until then, heaven help the family. And please, oh pretty pretty please, pass the recipes. And the cooking lessons.
Even the dog knows I need them.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Just For Fun
All blogging plans have gone to the wind this week. With Thanksgiving almost here (in the States), I don't expect much to change before the weekend, at best! So, just for fun, if you had to choose between Tofurkey and fruitcake, what would you choose?
I promise I'll share my answer if we get to 25 votes! (The poll is to the right -->)
Have a great week!
I promise I'll share my answer if we get to 25 votes! (The poll is to the right -->)
Have a great week!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Ten Observations from the First Month of this Vegan Journey
(For the record, next week will have absolutely nothing to do with diet. Thanks for reading!)
1. No matter how I slice it, dice it, or coat it in sauce, my husband is never going to willingly touch tofu.
2. Tofu comes in a variety of forms - and a variety of strange names: bean curd, tempeh, seitan (yeah, I think it’s pronounced like that evil dude.)
3. I now have proof our frufru dog has a horrible sense of smell. He comes running and begging by the stove whenever I’m sautéing slabs of…tofu. (I’m not kidding.) My daughter, however, runs in the other direction.
4. Some of my favorite foods are actually vegan, like my favorite chocolate cake, and a pecan streusel pumpkin cake. That was a shocker. I figured I’d be relegated to the produce bin for the rest of my life.
5. It’s been, oh, about a month? And I don’t miss meat, even chicken. Not one bit. I wasn’t expecting that.
6. It’s not that hard to cook “normal” meals for my family alongside “my” new diet. Most of our side dishes never contained butter, milk or cream in the first place.
7. I am not yet comfortable saying, “I’m following a Vegan diet” in public. Even though I really do feel better, I also feel rather self-conscience about it. I think some people believe all vegans/vegetarians walk around with a sermon in their pocket. Not me. This is a personal decision. What works for me may not be the answer for you.
8. Yes, you do get tired of eating beans.
9. Coffee isn’t the same without real, honest to goodness cream in it.
10. All things being considered, I feel better, am less hungry throughout the day, and have more energy. I can truthfully say (except for my morning coffee), for the first time in my life I’ve found a way of eating that finally feels like the “right” fit. And, honestly, wish I had started this journey years earlier.
We’ll see how long it lasts, but, for now, it’s working. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear your story, too. I am always open to suggestions for what you would like to see here.
1. No matter how I slice it, dice it, or coat it in sauce, my husband is never going to willingly touch tofu.
2. Tofu comes in a variety of forms - and a variety of strange names: bean curd, tempeh, seitan (yeah, I think it’s pronounced like that evil dude.)
3. I now have proof our frufru dog has a horrible sense of smell. He comes running and begging by the stove whenever I’m sautéing slabs of…tofu. (I’m not kidding.) My daughter, however, runs in the other direction.
4. Some of my favorite foods are actually vegan, like my favorite chocolate cake, and a pecan streusel pumpkin cake. That was a shocker. I figured I’d be relegated to the produce bin for the rest of my life.
5. It’s been, oh, about a month? And I don’t miss meat, even chicken. Not one bit. I wasn’t expecting that.
6. It’s not that hard to cook “normal” meals for my family alongside “my” new diet. Most of our side dishes never contained butter, milk or cream in the first place.
7. I am not yet comfortable saying, “I’m following a Vegan diet” in public. Even though I really do feel better, I also feel rather self-conscience about it. I think some people believe all vegans/vegetarians walk around with a sermon in their pocket. Not me. This is a personal decision. What works for me may not be the answer for you.
8. Yes, you do get tired of eating beans.
9. Coffee isn’t the same without real, honest to goodness cream in it.
10. All things being considered, I feel better, am less hungry throughout the day, and have more energy. I can truthfully say (except for my morning coffee), for the first time in my life I’ve found a way of eating that finally feels like the “right” fit. And, honestly, wish I had started this journey years earlier.
We’ll see how long it lasts, but, for now, it’s working. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear your story, too. I am always open to suggestions for what you would like to see here.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
An Accidental Vegan. Me.
As many of you may know, I’ve ventured into the world of veganism. Now, there may be some who are taking bets as to how long this will last, not to mention many rolling their eyes at me and thinking I’m crazy. Or that I’m going to starve to death, living on carrot sticks and something called kale.
And I completely understand that.
If you would have told me, five years ago, even, that I’d be considering veganism I would have laughed it off. I mean, give up meat? That’s not too hard, but don’t tell me I’ve got to let go of all that cheesey goodness! Cheese is an Achilles’ heel. And I’ve got to have my coffee the way I like it – and that’s with light cream. No sugar, just real cream.
But that’s exactly what propelled me down this path. Dairy.
Now, don’t start cringing. I’m not going to divulge all that personal stuff that even I don’t want to see in print! Suffice it to say, I finally came to the realization that dairy and I don’t mix (even though removing lactose does work, but only to a point). So, one late summer morning, I threw my hands up in the air and decided to just get rid of it altogether. And I felt…lighter.
No, I didn’t lose any weight. Not that kind of “lighter”. With my luck, I’ll probably end up being the poster child for “Vegans who need to go on a diet.” Just ask my jeans. The non-elasticized ones.
It’s hard to describe, but I feel better. Now, some would say that giving up dairy doesn’t mean I have to be a vegan. And I agree. But, see, I never really have liked meat, and we cook most meals without it, as well as rarely use eggs. Throw out the dairy, and, well, I guess you could say an “accidental vegan” was born. Now, I did try to add some dairy back in over the weekend to see if this “feeling better” was all in my head. But at 1AM Monday morning, my body convinced my mind this ride is for real.
Since I started this journey, I learned of others trying it out, including Bill Clinton. I think this interview sums up some of my thoughts pretty well. (And if the IT gods are smiling on me this rainy morning, the YouTube link will work.)
In reality, who knows where this journey will take me? Let’s face it, soy in my coffee just isn’t the same! But, at the end of the day, I feel better when I eat this way. And let’s face it, when you cut out a few food groups, you almost have to, by default, up your fruit and vegetable intake, and that's a good thing. Veganism may not be for everyone, but presently, it seems right for me.
If you want to follow this accidental journey, let me know, via comment or message, and I'll blog more about this experience.
And I completely understand that.
If you would have told me, five years ago, even, that I’d be considering veganism I would have laughed it off. I mean, give up meat? That’s not too hard, but don’t tell me I’ve got to let go of all that cheesey goodness! Cheese is an Achilles’ heel. And I’ve got to have my coffee the way I like it – and that’s with light cream. No sugar, just real cream.
But that’s exactly what propelled me down this path. Dairy.
Now, don’t start cringing. I’m not going to divulge all that personal stuff that even I don’t want to see in print! Suffice it to say, I finally came to the realization that dairy and I don’t mix (even though removing lactose does work, but only to a point). So, one late summer morning, I threw my hands up in the air and decided to just get rid of it altogether. And I felt…lighter.
No, I didn’t lose any weight. Not that kind of “lighter”. With my luck, I’ll probably end up being the poster child for “Vegans who need to go on a diet.” Just ask my jeans. The non-elasticized ones.
It’s hard to describe, but I feel better. Now, some would say that giving up dairy doesn’t mean I have to be a vegan. And I agree. But, see, I never really have liked meat, and we cook most meals without it, as well as rarely use eggs. Throw out the dairy, and, well, I guess you could say an “accidental vegan” was born. Now, I did try to add some dairy back in over the weekend to see if this “feeling better” was all in my head. But at 1AM Monday morning, my body convinced my mind this ride is for real.
Since I started this journey, I learned of others trying it out, including Bill Clinton. I think this interview sums up some of my thoughts pretty well. (And if the IT gods are smiling on me this rainy morning, the YouTube link will work.)
In reality, who knows where this journey will take me? Let’s face it, soy in my coffee just isn’t the same! But, at the end of the day, I feel better when I eat this way. And let’s face it, when you cut out a few food groups, you almost have to, by default, up your fruit and vegetable intake, and that's a good thing. Veganism may not be for everyone, but presently, it seems right for me.
If you want to follow this accidental journey, let me know, via comment or message, and I'll blog more about this experience.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
About Those Cookies
Don't ask me about computer cookies. I kinda sorta know about them, but not enough to text home about. Besides, I don't think there's any sugar involved. But chocolate chip cookies? Feel free to ask me about those! Over the past week, I've discovered two new recipes, alone.
Well, one recipe. The other came from a box at the natural grocer. My kid is allergic to natural - so she claims. Somehow, she thought buying those cookies would help her overcome that aversion. I don't think it helped any, but, darn, they are good!
But the biggest surprise of the week came in the form of wheat-free vegan (yes, vegan!) chocolate chip cookies. I pulled out the cookbook, gave them a whirl, and now my entire family is hooked on them. (You can find the recipe here, thanks to the Post Punk Kitchen.) They are so much easier than the - ahem - "real" thing, I think we've found a cookie for life. So inspired, I even used them as a prop in my latest photo redo.
But then I ran out, and had to use another kind for rest. Hmm...wonder how that happened?
Honestly, these are terrific. They suggest whirling oats in the food processor if you can't find oat flour. I tried that because I found oat flour - and I'm too cheap to buy it. Their suggestion worked beautifully. Let me know if you give them a try!
Well, one recipe. The other came from a box at the natural grocer. My kid is allergic to natural - so she claims. Somehow, she thought buying those cookies would help her overcome that aversion. I don't think it helped any, but, darn, they are good!
But the biggest surprise of the week came in the form of wheat-free vegan (yes, vegan!) chocolate chip cookies. I pulled out the cookbook, gave them a whirl, and now my entire family is hooked on them. (You can find the recipe here, thanks to the Post Punk Kitchen.) They are so much easier than the - ahem - "real" thing, I think we've found a cookie for life. So inspired, I even used them as a prop in my latest photo redo.
But then I ran out, and had to use another kind for rest. Hmm...wonder how that happened?
Honestly, these are terrific. They suggest whirling oats in the food processor if you can't find oat flour. I tried that because I found oat flour - and I'm too cheap to buy it. Their suggestion worked beautifully. Let me know if you give them a try!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)