after a long time being vegetarian, i finally decided to take the plunge into veganism about a month ago. of course, me being me, i didn't plan anything out beforehand (i.e. research, recipes). it was sort of a spontaneous effort. i had been considering it for a long time-- i've always felt it was the right thing to do for me personally, for a few reasons. and randomly one day i just decided to finally stop procrastinating and do it.
i was, however, unprepared for several difficulties and challenges. one being the amount of planning it takes just to make everyday meals. no more making an easy batch of cookies-- oh no, substitutions such as molasses or silken tofu should be on hand, things i have never kept in my cabinet ever. no more eating most of the "fake meats" i had come to love and have as a staple, such as my all-time fave, imitation bacon; the majority of these are also made with milk and eggs apparently. no more grilled cheese sandwiches for an easy lunch, or yogurt for snacks. most challenging thing: going out to eat with my boyfriend. he's a carnivore, and i'm sure he always will be. my gosh..trying to find places that cater to both of us is a real lesson in ingenuity and patience.
i was doing pretty well for awhile there. i made some yummy vegan chocolate chip cookies. i made stir-frys, tempura vegetables, veggie sandwiches, bean burritos. i discovered rice dream milk (sooo good) and soy yogurt. i was snacking on nuts and fruits. i thought i had a handle on things. i was patting myself on the back.
then the other day, i was insanely hungry. i hadn't eaten all day, it was 7pm and my tummy was needing a hearty, filling meal. but my cabinets were nearly empty (at least of vegan stuff). alas, the prospect of some frozen veggies and an orange was none too appealing in my hungry state. and we didn't at all feel like going out grocery shopping. and so we ordered pizza. that's right, take-out pizza from Uno's..with extra cheese..and broccoli/cheese soup..and later on, a Nutrageous candy bar for dessert. it tasted fantastic, i'm not gonna lie, i enjoyed it at the moment. but it was pretty much the meal of vegan antithesis to the max.
my body did not like this change at all. my stomach was upset the rest of the next day following. not to mention i was feeling pretty guilty too.
sooo i went grocery shopping tonight. i don't want to give up on this just yet. i know that i feel ten times healthier when i am putting the right foods in my body. i've even lost a little weight without dieting or exercise. (if you knew me, you'd know that's a feat, lol).. my kitchen is now once again stocked with delicious healthy foods and i don't think i'll be ordering any more pizzas anytime soon. and i found a vegan cheese at the supermarket! it's made by Tofutti and it's "mozarella" slices. this may help me out a great deal. cheese is my weakness.
i love animals, and i really do want to stick with this and not just be a part-time vegan.
(feel free to throw any tips my way!)
love, angie
it's been a lovely few days. the boy and i ate sandwiches at a park near my house a few days ago, and i made another animal friend:
this squirrely came right up to me without provocation and was taking food right from my hand. when my boyfriend tried to feed it, it scurried away. haha. i don't know what it is about animals automatically trusting me. i guess they know who loves them. ^-^
then saturday i went to a lovely shoppe and got several herbs and a beautiful set of amethyst runes. i spent a few hours yesterday researching each runic symbol and its meanings. i am not entirely certain in what capacity i will be using them just yet, but i am sure it will come to me. there's a reason we are drawn to certain things, so i listen to my inner pull on things-- at least i try to as much as possible.
one of the herbs i got was valerian. i put it in a corked jar as soon as i got home, yet by evening my whole kitchen stunk of it. it's now in a tupperware container in a cabinet until i decide to try it. i've heard good things regarding its helpfulness with insomnia (which plagues me regularly). for now though, it can stay sealed up.
i also found a great resource for herbs:
http://www.anniesremedy.com/
it has many herbal tea recipes, and tons of other ways to use herbs in the home. it gave me several good ideas, as i still have a lot to learn. i have a "magical herbalism" book, which was useful in the sense that it explained different properties of herbs, but i needed something that would give me more practical applications beyond spellwork or ritual uses. i am going to be making some magickal sachets though..
i must end this for now, i have a major bout of housecleaning to do, then i may be falling into "gauntlet: dark legacy" for the evening. i normally don't enjoy video games but we snagged a copy of this old game, and i lenjoyed it back in the day, and i'm happy to reminisce.
love, angie
