Even Martha Mentions Us

While skimming through the Martha Stewart website (http://www.marthastewart.com/) I came across something on meat-free recipes and couldn't help but click on it. This is what I found... http://www.wholeliving.com/article/eat-your-veggies . We are not forgotten as vegetarian culture continues to seep into everything else and into the everyday language and culture of the America. Yay!!!

Okay, so sometimes it really is the little things that remind me that we, as vegetarians, are not invisible.

Token Vegetarian

I am a vegetarian which to me means I refrain from eating things that include flesh, blood, or bone. This include meat, meat broths, and gelatin among other things. I am happy to be a vegetarian and content with the lifestyle that I have chosen (or lifestyle that chose me), however I do know that not everyone appreciates it for what it is or for what it is to me. It can be difficult at times when you feel so isolated. My family eats meat, the majority of my friends eat meat... and then there is me, the token vegetarian. I live in a world where my eating habits are considered strange and often times odd. If it weren't clear enough all I have to do is turn on the tv and be bombarded with commercials or tv shows serving cooked flesh. I know it is unreasonable to to feel more a part of the community as a whole, when the higher percentage is not vegetarian or vegan, but sometimes it would be nice to feel a bit more connected. Sometimes it would be nice not to feel so isolated from other vegetarians.

I know there are more out there like me, living a vegetarian lifestyle in a non-veg friendly world. I hope you are each finding your way the best way possible and enjoying the fruits of the lifestyle that is a pert of who we are.

As attributed to Bernie Wilke, in Joanne Stepaniak, 'The Vegan Sourcebook,' 1998: "I've found without question that the best way to lead others to a more plant-based diet is by example - to lead with your fork, not your mouth."

Let's Talk Veggie Burgers

While not necessary to living the veg life there are a ton of different veggie burger brands, flavors, and recipes. For me they are not an everyday thing, but often a convenient addition to my emat-free lifestyle. Surrounded my meat-eaters this is also at times a way to bring what they perceive some element of non-threatening normalcy to the table. It is a versitile food product that can be homemade (check out various online recipe sources, vegetarian/vegan cookbooks, or experiment for yourself), served by itself, along favorite foods, or added to favorite recipes such as chili or tacos. Some porducts are so close to mocking meat they are great for the reluctant vegetarian or even the meat-lover who want. needs to cut back on fats and cholestrol associated with a real burger. The veggie burger is not just for vegetarians, sometimes suggested by doctors for those suffering from heart issues. My personal tastes are in avoidance of the ones that too closely resemble actual meat and lean more towards mushroom flavored, tomato themed burgers, or other tasty flavor combinations. They are easy to prepare on teh stove top, grill, griddle, microwave, oven, or on a table top grill (like a 'George Foreman' brand). Cook them through and add your favorite burger toppers (I love to sautee or grill up some onion or mushrooms to top with a bit of cheese depending on the burger flavor). They are great for quick fix meals, dinner addition, or an afternoon BBQ with friends served along side some fabulous grilled vegetables. I've even been stopped in the grocery store veggie burger section of the freezer to be asked about my favorite flavors and brands. (This was a huge thing for my brother that was with me and witnessed that there are more vegetarians in our smallish college town than just me.)

Check out some of the links before and become educated on the love of veggie burgers. :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veggie_burger
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9685441/
http://www.amyskitchen.com/products/category_view.php?prod_category=1
http://www.gardenburger.com/

In the Words of Neal Barnard: "The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of "real food for real people" you'd better live real close to a real good hospital."

Chinese Food Yumminess

I am a big lover of what a lot of people would call "ethnic foods." Plus, they often offer more options for the vegetarian eater than a lot of the Americana-themed steak houses. I went yesterday to a local Chinese place with my mom and brother for lunch. Not only could I find things to eat, they have a bar full of veggies and noodles that they will grill up for you with whatever sauces you prefer. I find yumminess where-ever I can. Haven't really decided what to cook yet today, although I think I may have had an oatmeal-inspired dream last night

In the words of David Brenner; "A vegetarian is a person who won't eat anything that can have children."

Happy Veggie Day (every day is veggie day)

In the Words of Cloris Leachman: "As soon as I realized that I didn't need meat to survive or to be in good health, I began to see how forlorn it all is. If only we had a different mentality about the drama of the cowboy and the range and all the rest of it. It's a very romantic notion, an entrenched part of American culture, but I've seen, for example, pigs waiting to be slaughtered, and their hysteria and panic was something I shall never forget."