We started growing these lettuces from seed back in mid September. We planted them in the ground late October and they are really looking great now! They are two different types of lettuces: organic mixed lettuce, and organic boston lettuce. The top picture is a close up of the organic mixed greens. I have not harvested them yet, only snacked on a few leaves here and there. I actually need to research the best way to harvest these lettuce leaves. If you know the best way to harvest lettuce I would appreciate any insight you car share with me! I think some of them are ready to be used in a delicious salad! We have also planted pansies around the mail box and various places in the yard. Pansies are a wonderful flower to plant this time of year as they stay bright and colorful through the cold winter months.
I have been vegan for such a long time now that it is easy for me to forget exactly how long. I know it has been about four years now that I have been an exclusive vegan. For a year before that I experimented with it. I absolutely love the way that I eat. I love the way that I feel eating this way as well. I love all of the recipes I have learned and the large variety of food that I can eat! However, I would say that I have two big challenges as a vegan that continually present themselves. The first one is the limited selection of vegan food in my everyday life (unless I prepare it myself). The second one is the social aspect of being a vegan, as food often goes hand in hand with socializing.
Going to a restaurant can be a challenge. I know that this would be different if I lived closer to Atlanta and went there more often, or if I lived in a large city like New York or San Francisco where there is a much larger selection of vegan and raw food restaurants. When selecting a restaurant to go to I typically will check out the restaurants website online and see if they have a menu. I check out the salad section to see what I can get from there and then will also see what else might be available for me to eat on the menu. I am hesitant to get a lot more than a salad with oil and vinegar because I don't know if the cooks are using butter and or milk in their cooking. My top picks for restaurants would be: Chinese or Thai food as I can normally get steamed veggies and rice, Sushi (I love vegetable sushi!), and Mexican (sometimes I can get a salad with guacamole, veggies and salsa on top. Overall, I just wish more restaurants were aware of people on a vegan diet and just had more options available than a salad (which normally is not organic) or steamed veggies.
I have always enjoyed socializing. I love spending time with friends and getting to know new people, it brings a lot of joy to my life! As I mentioned earlier, socializing often revolves around food. In this way being a vegan can be challenging. All of my close friends know that I am a vegan and are very supportive of my diet. I normally will only tell people I am a vegan if I am going to be eating with that person at a restaurant, or at their home. I am hesitant to tell people that I don't know as well that I am a vegan because I don't like having to explain or defend myself. I just recently had a few events that were challenging to me because of my diet.
1. I was invited to a Holiday party at my college campus where I teach part time. The party is a sit down lunch that is catered with a set menu in place. After looking at the menu and realizing there wasn't one thing on there that I could eat I decided to decline my invitation to the party. Looking back I guess I could have contacted the person in charge about this to see if there was something they could offer me but I didn't want to be a burden and again have to explain myself to people who I don't know very well.
2. I was invited to a Holiday Lunch by one of my yoga students that was going to be held at her church. Again, there was a set menu and there was nothing I could eat on the menu. The way I handled this was telling her that I was a vegan and that I loved the invitation but that I would not be able to eat anything offered. She was understanding and asked if she could take me out to eat at a restaurant instead.
3. One of my yoga classes wanted us all to go out to eat to celebrate for the Holidays. I have not told this class I am a vegan and we went to a sports bar for lunch. I scoured the menu trying to find something I could eat. I did find a salad that was topped with cheese and eggs. I asked the waitress to leave off the eggs and cheese. However, when I got my meal there was cheese on top. I felt uncomfortable mentioning this to the waitress because I didn't want to seem difficult. Therefore, I had to try and pick off all the cheese without looking to obvious and find bits of the salad that I could eat. Looking back I probably should have just been upfront about my diet in the first place and suggested a restaurant that might have been more likely to have options available for me.
In conclusion, I hope that this post did not end up sounding too whiny. That was not my intention for the post. I just wanted to share some everyday struggles that I still have, even after being a vegan for quite some time. I think overall, I just wish that there was more selection for prepared vegan food in grocery stores and restaurants as well as more awareness about what a vegan diet is. Can you relate to my struggles and what do you find challenging as a vegan?
I am sorry you are having struggles. I am not sure if those struggles are causing you to rethink your diet or not. I always try to remember that my struggles are NOTHING compared to what the animals face. They have no choices and are forced into a slave-like situation just to produce food that humans don't even need. I also try to remember that I am more forward thinking than society and it's not my problem they haven't yet realize veganism is the way to go. I'll be patient with them to catch up, but not feel like a burden for my beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI often notice some people who are more newly vegan are afraid to speak up for themselves. Perhaps they are not fully confident in the diet or just in general have trouble sticking up for themselves. I have been in a million situations similar as you over the past 12 years. I also have a gluten allergy which makes it even harder. I have a few options: tell the person explicitly what your diet is. If the meal is fixed, eat before and after and go for the company, not for the meal. Trust me no one cares. If they tease you for not eating, they are not a good friend. But often I will tell people what my diet is and sometimes I get amazing adaptions! I think it's better to try to work with the chef than skip it. Always try to bring something to other parties so you have plenty. Even when I go to a regular vegan potluck I have to bring a dessert and main dish if I want to be guaranteed to have something filling to eat. You are not being a bother or a pain if you tell the waiter to do something and they don't do it, they are the bother or pain for not doing their job! I have been in company where my friend won't want them meal to go to waste and she'll grab it to eat but I still feel I deserve my dinner that is free of dairy or whatever animal product. I've been in a steakhouse and found something to eat. Again, it wasn't filling, but the point was the company, not the meal. If you are company with a smaller crowd, that is the perfect time to suggest somewhere you know you can eat at. YOu need to be 2 steps ahead and have researched lots of options. Nowadays you can use the Happy Cow app on your phone or on the web.
I also suggest finding some real-life vegans to socialize with. Not to replace other people, just to have people you can discuss this stuff with and to feel at home in terms of your diet. It will help you feel less isolated.
Bitt,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your advice. A lot of it I am already incorporating and have been for quite some time now. I think my biggest struggle is just being honest with people I don't know well about my diet. I don't like having to explain myself all of the time. Overall, I am happy with my diet but these two things have seemed to pop up a lot lately for me. Happy Holidays!
That looks amazing! I have just discovered your blog and love everything about it already. It's very inspirational. I always wanted to have my own garden and eat the foods that i plant myself, I bet they taste twice as good when you have taken care of them for months and have watched them grow. One of the downsides of living in a big city is that you can't really grow lettuce in the balcony. :) Or at least I can't.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about the troubles you are encountering as a vegan. Where I live, you can usually ask for specific foods on a restaurant's menu to be modified to some extent, in order to meet your eating habits. For example you can ask them to remove animal products from a specific meal during preparation, and they usually will.
I absolutely can agree with most of what you are saying! Currently, (temporarily) I reside in Eastern, Kentucky. Need more be said? Even in the larger cities Lexington and Louisville a few hours away I still can't find one. As you said San Fransisco is loaded with them, so when I visit my boyfriend I LOVE trying different restaurants because the first things the waiters ask when you walk in is "Do you have a special diet?" I was blown away! They expect people to be picky there and since it is my health involved, I feel no shame in speaking up. Even now I feel pride when I tell waitresses I am vegan, because then I get to TEACH them about it. And we both feel great. It is awkward when they don't understand and the chef comes out to ask for a clarification thought! :)
ReplyDeleteHowever, I usually don't decline food outings, although there have been a few times I have. If it is a house party, one solution would be to create and bring your own dish! I don't like passing up my two favorite things: Food and Friends.
Thankfully there is a Kroger near by the is nice stock with well-priced produce and a great organic/vegan section. Which I absolutely didn't expect being in the middle of nowhere farm town cow eating people!
Yet, I still find myself buying the same "go-to" basic substance foods, not much variety with out creating it myself. Only, I haven't really got to experimenting with vegan or raw decadent dishes.
I should though... Any easy one I should try? PS there is not a veggie I don't like! So that won't hinder the recipe.
-Bethany
The Soulful Vegan
Antonia,
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you visiting my blog! It is neat to be able to grow food and I can't wait to make a salad with the lettuces!
Soulful Vegan,
Yes, I normally always bring dishes with me if I am going to a friends party etc, just to make sure I have something I know I can eat. You should definitely try out some raw or vegan desserts. They are wonderful!
As soon as I get out of Kentucky My plan is to cook and love my food and try going more RAW! (if my budget allows it-I am quite the eater!)Vegan Muffins might make a great Christmas Breakfast for my family!
ReplyDeleteI definitely can relate. It is very tiresome when feeling busy or stressed to always have to prepare your own food. Of course, I forget that for many years almost everyone had to prepare their own food, and going to a restaurant was an event reserved only for very special occasions. I also have celiac disease - add that to eating vegan, and the options are super limited. There is one small place that caters to people with food allergies, and does have vegan offerings, BUT, the problem is that it costs about double what it would cost me to get a sandwich anywhere else. I can prepare my own gluten-free and vegan food - and the ingredients are somewhat more expensive (and healthier too, I realize) but not double the expense. I really just don't go out to eat at all these days.
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to stick with our values, yes, but in the western, urban world, many of us experience isolation, even if we aren't trying to eat a special diet. I don't think you are whining at all, just honestly sharing your challenges. It helps others of us out here going through the same challenges to be reminded that we aren't the only ones. Thanks, April. Oh, and the lettuce looks gorgeous!
Soulful Vegan,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to answer your most important question! What dessert would I recommend that is easy and delicious? I would say vegan chocolate pudding! It is made from avocado, honey, and unsweetened chocolate powder. 1 avocado, 2 tbsp chocolate powder, 2 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup of water. Put all of this in the blender until smooth and creamy and enjoy!
Mindy,
Thanks for the response! I just feel it would be nice if the rest of the world caught up a bit and at least offered more options for special diets. I am glad you didn't think I was whining! Just trying to be honest!
As I am reading this old article of yours, and I realize that you don't eat egg and cheese. I think you could just be specific and tell people. If they don't like it, then they will not become a good friend anyway.
ReplyDelete