Homestyle Vegetarian Breakfast at Home

Sometime it happens that you've been out late with friends and want the smothered type breakfast type foods that you remembered from your meat eating days. It is possible without giving up your veg-friendly ways. I don't to miss those late night, early morning trips to an all night truck stop or other all-night food stop it's way to make yourself at home (plus you get to know excatly what goes into it and exactly what you want). I've been doing it for years, whether after a long night out or just a late night meal at home. My one brother doesn't eat sausage and it became an occasional late night tradition when we were both scavaging the hosue pondering something homie to bite into... without sausage.

White gravy smothers yumminess. For potaotes I use whatever is on hand... hash browns, fried potatoes (either from fresh potaoes, canned or frozen), french fries, tater tots, or whatever you have on hand prepared in skillet, oven, or in a fryer. Start with with two tablespoons of a seasoned flour (I prefer to use a brand called Kentucky Kernel Flour, we almost always have it one hand and use it for coatings and even to base the base for homemade macaroini and cheese as opposed to plain flour). I add a bit of extra seasoning with pepper, a dash of seasoning salt, some parsley, touch of garlic powder, and touch of onion pepper. (Remember, it is all to personal taste.) I melt two tablespoons butter and wisk in the seasoned flour until you've have created a nice base. Add 1 cup of water and whisk until well blended. Season as needed. Let simmer until comes to desired thickness. Cover biscuits or toast and prefered potato food (french fries or hash browns or whatever else) with the gravy. You can serve with a vegetarian sausage like crumble or sausage like patties or links (there are tons of brands out there) and sprinkle with cheese or onion or whatever else you like. It can be served along side eggs (I'm not really an egg fan so I don't, but sometimes my brother does). As with most things you don't have to give up those homestyle meals just because you have give up meat. Yum Yum. (Honestly this is what I fixed about 6:30a when I got home after being out with friends.)

In the Words of Albert Schweitzer: "Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight."

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."

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas! Yes, the big day has arrived and the family has all been gathered around the tree and the table. For years, my family, has had a surf and turf Christmas dinner tradition (steak and seafood)... however, the last five years have included some adjustment for my needs. Generally, I grill a portabella mushroom or merely eat the thigns that have been served along side of my family's own traditions. This year along side the lima beans, corn, salad, homemade fries, dinner rolls, and wine I had a vegan BBQ riblet. It made me happy and was non-threatening to family seated around the dinner table who often seem rather concerned with what is on my plate or going to be on my plate. Last night we had an entertaining Christmas Eve with family, friends, lots of food, and karaoke. (My cousin has absolutely no sense of pitch or musical ability, but he sure isn't afraid to go for his all.)

Christmas traditions in my house are fairly simple... Christmas Eve includes my grandparents, random other family, friends, and whoever else we come across that will be spending the eve alone with finger food and sweets. It has slowly evolved over the years from pizza bites and bagel bites to more. Christmas morning we wake, not as early as it was when my brothers were younger, to swap presents and empty stockings. (My mother still wraps each one of us kids presents in seperate wrapping paper that matches the stuff she wrapped individually in our stockings. It comes from the years when we were little and seperate wrapping paper was so Santa's hansdwriting wasn't used.) We usually eat a late lunch (not uncommon for various people to take naps in between here depending on lateness of the Eve and earliness of the morn) with many of us still in pajama type clothing. It is a comfortable, relaxed sort of day for family. My sister even brought her dog the share the morning and mid-day with my pomeranian and my brother's boxer mix. (They all got new dog beds for Christmas.)

Hoep everyone had the merriest of holidays and got to spend enjoyable time with family, friends, and loved ones.

In the Words of Abraham Lincoln: "I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."

Continuing Christmas Traditions Vegetarian Style

The holidays are fast approaching as food preparation continues. It just wouldn't be impending Christmas without the smell of fresh party mix coming from the oven, however, traditional recipes include worchester sauce, butter or margarine, and spices. This doesn't sound like a problem unless you know and care that traditionally worcester sauce has anchovies in it. I found Wizard's Organic Vegan Worchester sauce at a local grocery store, but it is also available through multiple online resources. Now, I still get my party mix tradition at Christmas time without having to sacrifice my vegetarian ideals. Plus, I can more confidantly give out extra to friends and family knowing that even my vegetarian friends (even if there seem to be so few around here) can eat this without the worries or guilt.

The last couple years have been full of finding new ways and making adaptions in order to preserve traditions that have evolved. in my lifetime and through my family. Party mix is just one of them in a long list of things I don't have to go without. (And nothing says Christmas like eating it warm and fresh from the oven in all of it's savory goodness.)

I am including some links of where I found this brand online.

http://www.veganstore.com/vegan-food-items/sauces,-gravies-and-more/vegan-worcestershire-sauce/Page_1/422.html (this is an online store that i have ordered other items from)

http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WVWS&Category_Code=NP&Product_Count=14

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

In the Words of George Bernard Shaw: "While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?"