Vegan Anniversary
Friday, February 2nd, 2007 at 3:24 pmOne year ago yesterday Dave and I decided to go vegan and have never looked back.
Here’s the vegan anniversary haiku I posted yesterday:
no meat or dairy
anniversary’s today
one year cruelty-free
I wrote HERE last year about what I thought I’d miss once I went vegan. Actually, it was a list of foods that I’d no longer be bingeing on. But fear not! I’ve found a whole new world of foods to binge on.
Here’s a look at the old list of favorites along with its current replacements:
Sunny Doodles —> Vegan Cupcakes
Chicken Francese —> Marinated Fried Tofu
Pecan Pie —> Vegan Pecan Pie
Bacon Cheese Fries —> Fries!
Stuffed Calamari —> Stuffed Mushrooms
Cheese Ravioli —> Tofu Lasagna, Tofu Manicotti
Cheetos —> Golden Oreos
Pasta Alfredo —> Pasta Garlic and Oil
Rice Soup w. grated cheese —> Vegetable Rice Soup
And my all-time favorite food in the entire universe …
Nacho Cheese Doritos
Replaced with the new obsession and love of my life …
Dill Pickle Lays Potato Chips
My personal thanks to Frito Lay and Nabisco for creating Dill Pickle Lays and Golden Oreos, respectively, and for allowing me to maintain my pre-vegan junk-food-enjoying lifestyle.
I’ve had people ask me how can I eat food like Pringles if I’m vegan. They ask because Pringles is high in fat and sodium and is obviously a junk food. Being vegan does NOT mean no junk food; it does NOT mean no desserts. It’s NO meat, dairy, or anything else derived from animals/other living creatures. My decision to go vegan was NOT made because of health reasons (although, a vegan diet with minimal junk food IS very healthy).
With that said, I might as well again answer the question most posed to me: Do you miss eating meat and dairy? My honest answer is, No, I truly don’t.
Especially not meat. Anyone who’s gone vegan or vegetarian can tell you that when you stop eating meat for a prolonged amount of time, your mind rejects the thought of consuming it, and if you do accidentally eat meat, you will be sick.
With dairy, it’s not the exactly the same, there’s no blood or flesh involved — and most times, no smell. But when you choose to give up certain foods for ethical reasons, you no longer look at that particular food the same way. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to give up something because you want to, rather than because you have to, say, for health reasons.
I’m happy with my decision. I wish sometimes that certain people would be, well not necessarily supportive per se, just NOT hostile about it. I don’t expect everyone to do what I’ve done. I’m not of the all-or-nothing mindset. I believe that every little bit counts, so if that means that one day you order a veggie burger instead of a hamburger, I feel that that small notion makes a difference.
With that, I’m off to celebrate with Dave and a bag of Dill Pickle Lays.
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I don’t get why someone would be upset over someone else’s personal choice? I didn’t like it when some punk vegans got on my butt for eating a cheeseburger once, so I can’t get it why people would be hostile when you say you’re a vegan. All that means is that if we ever meet for dinner, we’ll have to carefully choose a restaurant (as Liz and I bonded over bacon cheeseburgers - true love, I suppose!)
Take care and happy anniversary!
Awesome. Happy Vegan Anniversary to you and Dave!
I became a vegetarian on Earth Day, 1986, and am going on 21 years meat-free here in 2007. I don’t regret it, and certainly don’t miss the meat.
Like you, I find it funny when somebody says “how can you be a vegetarian when you eat Oreos” (or some other junk food). My response is always the same… “last time I checked, there weren’t any animal parts in an Oreo!
Congratulations! And did you know your vegan anniversary happens to be on Isa Chandra Moskowitz birthday? Wacky.
(I wish I knew when mine was. I went veg sometime before Thanksgiving in 1992, and vegan sometime in 1996. But I have no idea when. I’m sorta lousy with dates.)
Smed: Yeah, I know people can be militant and rude. When it comes to what food people consume, I don’t think it’s right to harass someone WHILE THEY ARE EATING! I had to sit next to my fur-coat-wearing Aunt during dinner where she ate the veal marsala. Was I happy about it? Not at all. Did I say anything? No. She knows my beliefs. She’s not wearing fur and eating veal to SPITE ME, so I let it go.
Leigh: Thanks so much!!!
Dave2: Where would we be right now without those Oreos?!? When I found your blog, the first entry I saw was the one with Cartoon Dave and the animals followed by Cartoon Dave with slaughtered animals. And you were talking about why you are veg. Right then and there I knew that was a blog for me!!! It’s always nice to meet a fellow veg.
Sharyn: No, I did not know it was the same day as Isa’s birthday. Nice! I usually screw up important dates too, then have to do the investigating to figure it out, like “Hmm… where was I living at the time; so and so was still alive; I was working at this place” etc.
Congratulations Eve!
The first year is the hardest year. I am so proud of you and the amazing strides you’ve made in your vegan baking! It must have been a hard choice for you~ Especially since you were such an accomplished lacto-ovo baker. WAY TO GO! WhoooOOoo!
~Dee
Dee: Thanks, Dee!!! I hope to be a vegan-baker extraordinaire like you one day. I try my best. It was easier to be a lacto-ovo baker, since I had most of my lifetime to practice; vegan baking is harder only because I fear that too much “testing” of my creations will lead to massive weight gain. I need to make friends will a really thin vegan on a weight-gain diet who lives near me. That would be perfect, lol.
LOL, I used to date a really-thin vegan on a weight-gain diet. I kept getting bigger and he stayed the same size! Oh it was infuriating! The real key is to start a nerd-night party like I did. Ten is the perfect size for a batch of cupcakes with no leftovers.
One for you, 11 for them, and no temptation! (Except for the leftover frosting, but it’s everywoman for herself at that point!)
xo, Dee
flavoured lays aren’t vegan. they all use lactose as a flavour enhancer (a milk by-product) only the regular lays are vegan. sorry for breaking the bad news.