Life has been unbelievably hectic the past few months. I haven’t given up hope on becoming vegetarian though! In a few weeks I will be back up north for 6 weeks and will have a chance to re-start things and get into a good frame of mind, some good habits and better access to good food stuffs

So, check back for some updates toward the end of June! Ciao!

And, it wasn’t oh-so-successful at all. Could you call it a bit of a ‘disastor’? Um, yea. But I’m not giving up! I really do need to find that vegetarian cook book and just start at it again! I know I can do this… I’ll go find it tomorrow! I believe (michelle!) that it’s called Simply Vegetarian.

I’ll get ‘er done!

We have a siamese named Mocha who tends to go crazy over chicken. Not just regular chicken but Kentucky Fried Chicken! You bring the stuff into the house and he’s over you like a cat on a pile of catnip! So, wonders of wonder — we wondered what he would do with the meatless chicken we bought.

We tried it the other day. I didn’t want to eat it alone but instead with a sauce so we had pasta with marinara sauce and added some spice to it. They (the company, Presidents Choice Blue menu) seemed to do a good job of trying to make it look like chicken, so it wasn’t too bad texture wise. Taste wise? Well, the first 3/4 was good but I couldn’t eat the last part of it. It seems all of the veggie foods have portions just slightly too large for me and after a while, the food just doesn’t taste so great. So yes! We’d eat it again but no, the portions are too much for one so maybe we’d share one chickenbreast instead of having a big chunk all to our selves.

And as for Mocha? Was he able to tell it was fake? You almost fooled us but you certainly couldn’t fool the chicken-chicken cat’s refined poulet tastes!

I was laying in bed about 10 minutes ago trying to sleep. Literally, all I could hear was the rumbling of bellies and my dog farting up a storm. You see… she eats our left-overs. Honest to God I tried to sleep. Between my belly bubbling and Martin’s belly gurgling and Uma with her fartin’, I just couldn’t do it.

The winds of change are abound (or afloat?) in the household!

Not that y’all really asked but since I am so kind and generous and thoughtful, I’d like to lead some insight into some stuff that you may notice when you are changing your diet.

1. The winds O’change a-plenty!
2. Regularity as regular as the day comes tomorrow!
3. Sounds o’change in yer pocket… dollars that is! Cheap-cheap-cheaper!

Okay, so it’s only 3 things but - they are an important three things! Things I’d like to see sooner than later? Weight-change, change with water retention and hopefully, no more wind

Waking up late again today (12:00), we were caught in the breakfast/lunch dilemma. “Let’s go to the diner,” said Martin. “Ugh. But they don’t have anything for me to eat!” He pauses. “What about a club sandwhich?” I ponder. “It has bacon.”

“So?”

“So…”

“So, what do we do?”

I think some more. “I’ll whip up something….”

“What? What is it? What’s going to be in it?” asked a frightened, deer-in-headlights Martin.

“You’ll see…”

I check the fridge. Yes, the wraps are still there! Yes, hummus and tzatiki sauce…. alfalfa sprouts? Check! Veggie ground-round? CHECK! Broccoli? Garlic? BBQ sauce? Green peppers? Onions & green onions…. cucumber and cheese! Add some spices into the mix and toss most of that into pan with a bit of olive oil, chuck the rest onto the wrap and in less than 5 minutes with very little prep, we had a delicious wrap!

While he was eating, he joked he was becoming a vegetable. And afterwards? “How was it?” Um, he says, “Edible!”

Thank Goodness for the Edibility of the food. Glad to know it wasn’t dog’s food!

After my last post I ended up having some more chicken and even pork one night. There was extra and there is one thing I hate more than anything and that is wasting food. I knew it would be wasted if I didn’t eat it. We are starting to buy portions enough for just one so that there isn’t the waste but there are still some reminants in the freezer that are there. I know it’ll just go to waste and that’s what I do not want more than anything!

As Michelle said, it takes time. I’ll get there! It’s getting easier but there are still days when things are a bit rough food-wise… I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, it’s just food afterall!

Well, I’ve *tried* to be vegetarian for 9 days now. Some days are easier than others. It’s funny how michelle wrote about the quick ‘cold turkey’ transition and the slow n’ easy transition. Well, I had *hoped* to go the cold turkey route but today I broke. Well, almost everyday I sort of “broke” by eating chicken and fish on Friday. Today I really broke by having bacon on my subway dinner. I was hungry after shovelling 2 hours after a big snowfall and without having something ‘prepared’, I (yummily I may add!) devoured  a chicken-bacon ranch sub!

michelle noted that it may be a good thing to have a list of foods around that are easily accessible. For the sake of this blog, I’m going to call it the “Core” list of vegetarian foods to have onhand and I agree michelle, this would be a great thing to have here! What I personally need to do is come up with a list of something that is fast so that when I am at the incredible hunger stage that I don’t resort to whatever is quickest at hand! Maybe we can have a list of vegetarian and vegan friendly foods?

There is one thing I have noticed in the past 9 days. Aside from gaining 9 pounds (hey, I thought I would lose weight!) is that I have been hungry non-stop… which is probably the reason for the gain in the first place! I know this is because of a change in the way of eating with less protein = less full = more hunger = 9 pound gain! That gain can also be explained in that I had stopped taking my diuretic this week and tried to opt for a reduced-salt intake. I don’t think this really worked out so I’ve re-started the diuretic for a few more weeks and will try reducing it again.  So, what does this all mean? (Big breath!)

I think I need to step back and take a look at the ‘big picture’. I have to ask myself a few questions…. What kind of vegetarian do I want to be? Well, what kinds are there!!??!! Thanks to answers.com, here’s what I’ve found out.

Pescatarian : The word “pescatarian” is occasionally used to describe those who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Although the word is not commonly used, more and more people are adopting this kind of diet, usually for health reasons or as a stepping stone to a fully vegetarian diet.

Flexitarian/Semi-vegetarian: You don’t have to be vegetarian to love vegetarian food! “Flexitarian” is a term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat.

Vegetarian (Lacto-ovo-vegetarian) : When most people think of vegetarians, they think of lacto-ovo-vegetarians. People who do not eat beef, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish or animal flesh of any kind, but do eat eggs and dairy products are lacto-ovo vegetarians (“lacto” comes from the Latin for milk, and “ovo” for egg).

• Lacto-vegetarian is used to describe a vegetarian who does not eat eggs, but does eat dairy products.

• Ovo-vegetarian refers to people who do not eat meat or dairy products but do eat eggs.

Vegan : Vegans do not eat meat of any kind and also do not eat eggs, dairy products, or processed foods containing these or other animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin. Many vegans also refrain from eating foods that are made using animal products that may not contain animal products in the finished process, such as sugar and some wines. There is some debate as to whether certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet.

Raw vegan/Raw food diet: A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). “Raw foodists” believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body.

Macrobiotic: The macrobiotic diet, revered by some for its healthy and healing qualities, includes unprocessed vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and allows the occasional consumption of fish. Sugar and refined oils are avoided. Perhaps the most unique qualifier of the macrobiotic diet is its emphasis on the consumption of Asian vegetables, such as daikon, and sea vegetables, such as seaweed.

(Thanks answers.com, hehe)

Okay - so - from that, I’ve decided I’m aiming for the lacto-ovo vegetarian (and I can always change my mind later, right??). That means no chicken and um, duh, obviously no bacon either!

Now - to what michelle said - Do I go cold to-furkey or the slower approach? I think this here may be answered by your type of personality. I feel I am a bit of what I would call, a “self-defeatist”…. meaning that if I don’t do it right, I’ll get discouraged and then just toss the idea out the window altogether. So, eating chicken on a regular basis would be enough to make me feeling guilty and feel like I’m going nowhere fast…. which is what I am feeling after 9 days. While I realise it’s just a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things, I do know that it’s not what I pictured myself doing. What did I picture myself doing? Well - I pictured myself being a successful vegetarian and I’m not exactly feeling that way right now. Yes, I am hard on myself in certain things but as the title of the blog is, Go Big or Go Veg! I really want to “go big” and do it right. I really dislike doing things over and over again ending up with the same result. So — have you figured out what my answer is now? Indeed, it’s cold tofurkey time!

That means now I have to be prepared and really work on that aspect. If I end up eating chicken sometime? No big deal… it’s not the end of the world but I do want to go through each day knowing I tried my best and that really is what counts! So, I’m going to go digging around and start working on the core list of foods to have around!

Thanks for reading my long (and rambling) but very helpful (to me) in deciding what to do with myself entry!!

there are really two ways you can approach going veg: the quick, “cold turkey” (or cold tofurky!) approach, or the slower, transitioning approach.

in the cold turkey approach, you basically give up eating all meat immediately, becoming vegetarian overnight. some people like diving right in and doing things this way (this is how i did it), which is great, but it requires alot of learning as you go. some people jump right from omni to vegan, while others go from omni to veg to vegan (and some don’t go vegan at all, it all depends on your personal ethics and choices).

there are a few ways to go about the slower approach. some people start by giving up red meat. others start adding one or two vegetarian meals each week, until they build up a good vegetarian menu. this could take weeks or months, with the final result being a meat-free diet.

either way you approach things, here are a few handy hints. first, make a list of all the naturally veg meals that you currently make (mac n’ cheese, stir fries, spaghetti and marina sauce, etc). think about what you’ll eat for all your meals, plus snacks. you’ll be surprised how many things you will be able to list! (perhaps we should start a list here too!). once you have a repertoire of easy veggie meals, it will be much faster to cook something up, rather than wondering what to cook for supper each day.

then think of some meals that are easily veggie-convertible (tacos, Shepard’s pie, chili, etc are easily made with veg “ground meat” or lentils or other beans). there are many meals that can be easily made veg by either using a substitute, or just leaving the meat out… and they will still taste great!

then think about whether other veggie “meats” would help in your transition (veg dogs, veg burgers, veg deli slices). some people really like using these fake meats (and many taste very good too, depending on the brand… you may have to try a few brands to find ones that you enjoy). other people don’t like how processed these foods are, and so they use them sparingly, or just don’t use them at all. i personally don’t mind using them (in a healthy, well balanced diet, i wouldn’t rely on them) … they can be especially helpful if you find yourself missing the taste of meat.

next, try incorporating some new foods into your diet. you could try a new fruit or vegetable every week. or try something that you may not have tried before, like tofu, tempeh, or quinoa! i recommend trying new things in small amounts, so that if you don’t care for something, not very much food will be wasted. you may have to try a new food in a bunch of different ways until you find a way that you enjoy. some foods (like tofu) can be an acquired taste, so don’t worry if you don’t like everything that you try.

finally, purchasing a great veg cookbook will expand your cooking horizons. many libraries carry vegetarian cookbooks that you can borrow.  there are also loads of great veg recipe sites online. in an upcoming post, i’ll list a bunch of cookbooks and sites that i have found particularly helpful to me. in the beginning, i found it very helpful to make just half of a new recipe, or invited people over to try a new recipe with me, until i found great recipes that i really enjoyed.

any way that you go veg is great! it will take some time and patience to get used to your new life style, but it is well worth it!

Hi, I’m Michelle, and I am a new contributor to this site!

Quick bio: I’m (nearly!) 30, I’m married, I have 3 kids (6 yr old, 4 yr old and newborn). I have been vegetarian for 14 years now, with the last 2 years being vegan. My kids are all vegan, but my husband is omni. I’m in Southern Ontario. I’m big on whole grains, whole foods, and unrefined sugars.

I hope I can offer some resources and support as a long time vegetarian. I can also help answer questions about veg pregnancy, breastfeeding, and raising veggie kids. S if you have any questions, ask away!

I’m not sure what the official “vegetarian stance” is on frankenfruit — fruit that is mixed and moddled with to create a new fruit that has characteristics of one another.

Today’s Frankenfruit is brought to you by Martin!

From the same store that doesn’t sell the basic fruits and vegetables one would normally see, we did find something called Grapples!

Indeed, Grapples. Half-grape, half-apple.  

Doing the pre-inspection, Martin smells, touches and fondles (in a non-perv way) the fruit… smells like a grape…. looks like an apple…..

…and squishes more than one would imagine an apple could squish and exhibits more wrinkles than one would expect an apple could wrinkle! (Unless it’s a rotten apple but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t rotten!) Sorry for the fuzzy picture, the batteries were starting to die on me!

And then the big munch! Note the wrinkled face for a wrinkled fruit! The fruit was devoured and tasted of grape with the texture and look of an apple. He enjoyed it and at $5.00 for 4 Grapples, it won’t become a standard in our fridge though it may make a return appearance if they actually stick around long enough for us to buy again in the (distant) future! I’m going to try mine out tomorrow for my lunch! Mmmmmmm…. they smell good at least! Reminds me of the Grape Water that Aquafina sells. I’ll let you know if Martin mutates any time in the near future as a result of consumption….

When I say if I can be vegetarian, then anyone can — I really mean it! Even those who claim they can not cook!

First day of my new-found vegetarianism, I decided to make a stuffed pita dish for dinner. It was quick (less than 5 minutes for prep AND cooking time!) and painless!

First step….

I used about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a non-stick frying pan. Non-stick is really great — not only for the non-stickyness of your food to the pan but when it comes to dishes too. Maybe I should have called this site, “The Lazy Vegetarian”?

Next, I took some mushrooms, some onions and some pre-cut garlic (which I recently discovered, saves pressing garlic in a pinch!) The bottles are available in either the cooking oil section (for some reason?) and/or the organic section. It is $2.00 for a jar that contains roughly the equivant of 2-eggs worth of garlic, already pre-cut or pre-minced (2 choices). I like the chunky garlic because it spreads better though the minced could come in handy if you are making a paste or something. Oh yea, I also added some brocolli which I didn’t take a picture of… Anyways, onwards!

Next ,while that is cooking (takes about 3-4 minutes) I get out the Raita sauce which is pretty much cucumber in a creamy dressing. It reminds me a bit of a ranch dip but fresher tasting without as much aftertaste. You could also use Hummus which is chickepeas ground up and you can get in a variety of flavours such as plain or garlic. (I bought the garlic one). You could also probably use some ceasar or ranch dressing if you needed to.

So, I spread that yummy goodness onto a pita bread. Note to self: Buy the pre-cut ones next time. You could also use a fajita wrap also…..  (Don’t forget to check the stove!)

Finally, stuff all that stir-fried stuff into your pita and serve with something else if you like — we had some salad left over to eat so I added that with 2 tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing. Additional ideas of things you could put into the stirfry are bean-sprouts, alfalfa sprouts (which my store doesn’t stock but will touch on that subject later when I talk about rural living and vegetarianism)…. some grated carrots (would cook faster that way), ginger (which I’m personally not fond of) and perhaps even some rice if you have some kicking around!

So - to summarize:

Pita Vegetalé

• Cook 5 mins. in a pan the following:
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil 
  • 1/2 cup of broccoli
  • 1/2 cup of mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup of onions
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic
  • Any other spice you desire!
• Prepare the following:
  • 1 Pita bread 
  • 2 tablespoons of Raita (or other spread such as hummus) 
• Now - stuff the pan items into the pita and enjoy!