Hi. I'm new

[Nik]

Hi, everyone. This is my first week as a vegan and I feel I'm doing pretty well. I don't feel deprived at all, and I actually feel more full than ever. I'm posting to ask how many grams of protein I should consume each day? I believe today I have counted 35 grams of protein in my diet, just from the packages that my foods came in. I don't know how much would be in the oranges, pears, and vegetables that I ate, however. Are there any books or websites that I should start looking at? I'm so pathetic that I have bookmarked every site that sells vegan brownies, but only one that lists nutritional information! I'll get better, though, I promise. I just want to be sure to do this right. I don't know if it matters when it comes to recommended protein amounts, but I'm 23, female, and get a decent amount of exercise. Thanks so much.

Nik

[Erin Pavlina]

Don't worry so much about protein. As long as you're eating a healthy diet, not full of junk, and getting enough calories, you'll get enough protein.

My best recommendation for people starting out is to read Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. A fantastic book! Here's a link to more info on the book.

http://www.vegfamily.com/book-reviews/becoming-vegan.htm

of more concern to new vegans is Omega 3 and B12. Do you have reliable sources of those in your diet?

[Nik]

Thank you so much for replying to my post. I was getting B-12 from my daily vitamin, which I stopped taking because it contained gelatin and stearic acid. Can you recommend foods rich in Omega 3 and B-12? I'm going to definitely get the book. There are so many books out there and it's hard to choose, but I've read these boards and everyone on here seems very intelligent when it comes to nutrition, so I will definitely take your advice.

Nik

[Erin Pavlina]

B12 foods include nutritional yeast, tempeh, some tofu, meat analogs, and fortified beverages like soy milks, rice milks, etc.

Omega 3's come from flax oil, hemp oil, canola oil. The book you're getting will have a more complete list.

If you're looking for a good vegan vitamin, I like Kid Bear vitamins. They are vegan, gummy bear type things for kids, but they are for adults too. I love them. Taste great, no swallowing, you get to chew. www.kidbear.com.

[Nik]

Thank you again! I just bookmarked the site so I can order my Kid Bears tomorrow. Do I take just one bear, or double the dose since I'm older? I'm so excited. I was heart broken to toss my vitamins, but so shocked that they contained the ingredients that they did.

Nik

[Erin Pavlina]

You'll chew 4 daily. They're very tasty, like I said. :)

You should also try the Gummi Bears from Edward and Sons. Those are fabulous!

[CarlaJ]

Hi Nik. Welcome!

I'm 23 too and have been vegan for 5months now. I also felt SO full when I started (I was l/o for 6 years) eating vegan. I could only eat super small amounts at a time. That goes away eventually.. unfortunatley :rolleyes: Also, my stomach felt "sensitive", almost naseuous for a few weeks. Luckily, this also passed.

I take a Vegan Vitamin I found at a health food store. I'll check the name of it, although those gummy bear vitamins sound really good!

A little advice- I ate SO healthy for the first few months until I realized....

There are organic/vegan chocolate chips at my local Kroger that I put in the freezer and take a few every now and then when I get a craving for something sweet. I'd suggest something like that. I also buy Newman's own Cookies once in a while. They taste just like Oreo's!

Also, I couldn't live without my blue corn chips and salsa!

Amy's (can find at Kroger) makes vegan microwave dinners that are great. Her bean and rice burrito and vegan pot pies are great. I grab one when I visit a friend or go to my family's house in case they don't have anything I can eat.

Good Luck!

Carla

[Mohavae]

Hi All!
Congratulations Nik on becoming a vegan! I have too, recently become a vegan, and I am also 23! I have as many questions and concerns as you. One being is this cheese from Follow Your Heart as good as everyone claims? I know it may be a silly question but I am a HUGE cheese fan. Does it really taste like dairy cheese?

Also, Erin I love and take heed of all the wonderful advice you give. I plan on picking up your book. It should help a great deal with feeding my 8 month old twins!

Thank you all for the the great advice I know you are going to have for me.:)

[Erin Pavlina]

Hi Mohavae,

Let me tell you all about the Follow Your Heart Cheese. It won't taste good cold. But melted... it's the best vegan cheese I've ever had. The mozarella is so good. I use it to make pizzas on french bread and lasagna. When this stuff reaches the melting point, it turns a little bit liquidy and then bubbles up. I even like that it burns a little on top when I've left it in the broiler too long.

All I can say is that when I make a slice of pizza bread for myself, I almost always have to go back and make another one as soon as I'm done. If your store doesn't carry it, ask them to contact Follow Your Heart and get it in the store. A lot of veg restaurants are using the cheese now too. Good stuff!

[reb_granger]

Apparently, some Pizza Hut outlets are going to introduce a soy cheese pizza! They're going to advertise it as low-fat pizza, I suppose (50% less fat or something). But the cheese will contain casein :(

PeTA's encouraging those who are not strict vegans to try the pizza. If anyone does, pls post a review!

Wish they would start using Angel's cheese!

[Nik]

Thank you all for posting! I just ate four Airheads while trying to avoid a chocolate brownie. I had an easy time finding all of the vegan cheeses and things at the grocery, but not sweets. I'm going nuts waiting for the ones I ordered online to come in. I don't even think I'm really craving sweets, it's just knowing that now I'm "not supposed to have it" and it's making me want it. You know, I have been feeling a bit nauseous too but I wasn't sure if it was related to my new eating habits. I'm glad I'm not the only one. My stomach is becoming very sensitive to everything. Is it true that if you're vegan for a while and you accidentally ingest meat, you'll get sick? I've heard a few stories like that and it makes me nervous to eat in a restaurant. Can someone tell me what casein is? I wish I could find a good vegan pizza. I'm going to make my first one on my own this weekend, but it's so easy just to order one. It's also more fun when it comes in the pizza box, for some reason. You know, things are hard in the beginning, but when I think about the wonderful change that it will be for my body and values, it's definitely worth it, don't you think? So great to meet all of you! I have to work on figuring out how to make a profile for myself on here.

Nik

[Erin Pavlina]

Hi Nik,

We order pizza all the time, we just order without cheese. You can get a pizza with all the veggies and just get it without cheese. About 10% of the time we order, they make a mistake and bring it with cheese, but they take it back and bring new ones. There are several pizza places that have vegan crusts and sauces. Just dig around a little in your area and you'll find them.

I got very sick when I accidentally ate beans that had pork in them at a restaurant who swore their beans were vegetarian. After I got terribly sick I asked someone if there was pork in the beans. he said, "yes." I said, "Why didn't you say so when I asked if the beans were vegetarian?" he said, "pork IS vegetarian...." Lordy!

And if you're looking for great chocolate brownies, you will think you've died and gone to vegan heaven if you get some at www.allisonsgourmet.com. Her brownies are probably the best vegan brownie in existence. Yum!

[reb_granger]

Hi Nik,

You might want to try Newman-O's. They're yummy and taste very similar to Oreos.

There's a thread running on the 'Recipes' forum about a prepackaged vegan cheese pizza that's reportedly delicious. It's called Tofutti, and it can be heated up in the oven for a quick, junk-foody meal. :)

Casein, by the way, is a dairy derivative. It's added to many non-vegan soy cheeses to make them meltable and stretchy. The good news is that there *are* good-tasting casein-free cheeses available (Tofutti, Vegan Gourmet etc.)

Oh, and I also experienced stomach sensitivity when I first turned vegan. I'm not sure if it was diet related, but as vegan food is generally pretty bulky and high in fibre, I would think that my system might have been trying to adjust to my new style of eating. Don't worry, it will go away! :) Eat small meals at regular intervals, indulge in some vegan snacks if you can and just enjoy this whole new way of eating!

[reb_granger]

Oh, I didn't see that CarlaJ had already recommended Newman-O's. :)

Also, Fisher Chef's Naturals is supposed to have a 'white almond bark' that tastes just like white chocolate. I've heard that, if you mix it with dark chocolate, you'll end up with vegan milk chocolate! It should be available at Walmart and other large stores.

[Mohavae]

Thanks Erin! I'm going to try the Follow Your Heart cheese.

Do they ship across the US?

[Nik]

Well, I just had my first pizza with all veggies and no cheese. I have to say, I'm not disappointed at all! It was great, and it gave me that "fast food junk" feeling that I need sometimes. I'm definitely going to look for the white almond bark and the cookies.

My stomach has been so sensitive today I didn't know if I would be able to enjoy my pizza, but I chugged down a ton of water and it's feeling better now. When I look at how I used to eat and how I'm eating now, I can certainly see why my tummy would be a little upset and confused. I wasn't taking in a lot of meat, but I ate a lot of cheeses and different dairy products. You know, I was looking at allisonsgourmet.com, and her brownies and cookies look amazing! Maybe I'll get some for myself for Valentine's Day.

I can't believe someone thought that pork was vegetarian! I mean, come on! Pork has always freaked me out anyway. I have never even been able to eat those little bacon bits or anything. Perhaps because my grandfather was a farmer and raised pigs, and then had them for breakfast. Ugh.

I know I keep saying it, but thank you all so much for helping me out. I'm the only person that I know that's vegan, and now I don't feel so alone and out of place. Thank you!

Nik

[Erin Pavlina]

You're welcome, Nik. It's kind of nice to hear your experiences as you transition. Reminds me of when I went vegan and all I learned.

Glad you liked the pizza!

[vegmom2]

Hi, I just joined and have been going through all the posts--AWESOME info. I always order my pizza without cheese and just get extra sauce for dipping. I buy vegetarian dumplings from a chinese superstore but donn't know if the actual dumpling is vegan--only lists ingredients inside--anyone know?? Also i love rice rolls i buy from the farmers market with bean sprouts, cabbage, rice vermicelli, green onion and fresh beans all in a roll served with a peanut thai sauce--yummy. Anyway, just great to be here amongst like minded souls!!:)

[vegmom2]

Just wanted to say hi to Nik too and everyone of course as i have been vegetarian for a year now and working on vegan. I get scared with my kids sometimes as they are not big veggie eaters--love fruit smoothies though!! Nik, i also know no vegans so this site seems great for support.

[Nik]

VegMom2-
Aren't these boards great? I never expected to get all of the replies that I did on here. It's a great place to come and it's helping me to pass up all of the "bad" stuff and be strong in my convictions while I'm starting out.

I just discovered bean sprouts a few days ago. Delicious, and you can add them to so much! I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm finding vegan meals much easier to make than any others meals I've tackled in the past. I've wanted to make my own rice rolls but I can't figure out what kind of bread to use. Does anyone know what it's called? We don't have very diverse food stores here, so does anyone know what it's really called, and then maybe a substitute I could find easily?

You know, the other day I was just thinking about how hard it would be to turn my kitty into a vegetarian (when I finally get one, I have to wait until I move), so I can't imagine how difficult it would be to try to raise vegan children. I don't have any children, but I work with them and they all know exactly what they want and what is right for them! They become so strong-willed at incredibly early ages. Good luck! I know these boards will help you.

Nik

[Emily]

I've been vegan since 15. I'll be 18 in march. I thought you might be interested in knowing that I'm from Ottawa. I think I read on another post that you will be visiting there. If you need any help or want to chat email me! medievalpagan@hotmail.com

*cheers*

Emily

[vegmom2]

Just to reply to you Nik on the rice rolls, the ones i get at the farmers market actually use rice paper (made out of rice and water) that you can get at a specialty chinese store. They are less that $2 for at least 50 and are circular and hard and you just soak them in tap hot water for a minute till they soften then in go your fillings as i mentioned b4. In PETA they had a recipe for them similiar to the one i mentioned but used hoisin sauce instead of the peanut thai sauce. I bought them again today at the farmers market along with some vegan spring rolls and some fresh pita, red pepper hummous and salsa. YUM!! Too bad its just saturdays!! I make my own rice rolls as well but the peanut thai sauce i got on the internet is not as good as the one at the market. Thanks for the welcome!!! It is hard when you are starting out and as i am making it a conviction to stick to it 100% it will get hard again for me. My biggest shocker was how some of my friends took it, to the point of actually losing one friendship--not much of a friendship though!! I was really surprised.

[vegmom2]

Wasn't me who is going to Ottawa but nice to see other Canadians aboard!!! Nice to see you starting your vegan lifestyle so young. I think that is where the canadian PETA office is--i support them annually and love getting there magazine.:) Shelley

[Nik]

Hi, guys. It's me who's going to Ottawa. I have an internship there in the summer. I actually just got my office assignment in Parliament today. Woo hoo!

VegMom, thank you for the rice paper info. I'm guessing this is the same as what they use when you go to a Mongolian bbq and you pick your ingredients and then they give you rice and the very thin, round bread to work with? That's my favorite thing in the world to eat. Where in Canada are you? I was saying on the other board that I'm not Canadian, but I would like to call myself an Honorary Canadian. I hope to move there after school and I feel I've been a billion times, mostly to Calgary. It's so depressing to leave such a beautiful country at the end of every trip. You know, when I told my friends I had become a vegan, they just looked at me like I was nuts. They like to tease me about it (especially my boyfriend), but I haven't had any real problems from any of them. I'm so sorry that your friend took it so hard. The hardest part for me is not preaching to them! They know the truths about the way that they live, and it's my job to just be a good friend and keep my mouth shut and let them live their own lives. Easier said than done, that's for sure.

Wow, Emily, congratulations on choosing to be vegan at an age where everyone around you is munching on chocolate bars and hamburgers! I will definitely be e-mailing you about Ottawa. We are housed at the University there, so any information you can give me about that area would be fantastic.

Nik

[vegmom2]

Sorry Nik, not the same stuff, although that sounds great i am not sure what that bread would be--the one i mean is translucent and very thin and not a bread at all--I hear you on the friend thing--most just advise me that i am not getting enough of anything good for me--esp. without the dairy--i think just being vegetarian would be easier but people don't want to accept the dairy and egg part. I also do not preach--but its hard when my cousin's kid who is just over 1 is sick constantly and has ear infections and they almost did an ear operation on her to put in or take out something for drainage--good lord, just lose the dairy i say--to myself of course!! So it was just the one that said " Good Lord, what on earth will you eat?? I can't have you over for supper now!!" and that was the end of that. Shelley

[Nik]

No no, that's definitely it! It's so thin and when you wrap your food in it, it tears every time. I just call it bread because I have no idea what it should be called. I love the stuff! It's white or off-white in color, but you can almost see through it, right? Yum, I'm hungry. I feel silly because I asked you where you're from and it says so right there under your name. Duh. I love Edmonton! I know what you mean about the dairy and eggs. I can't count the number of times I've heard, "But it doesn't hurt the cow to give milk!" Um, most of the time it does. "But we are SUPPOSED to drink milk!" Oh, really? Sometimes I just want them to leave me alone. And I can't stand when people ask what I use as substitutes (soy milk, veggie burger patties, etc.) and they make faces like they are disgusted and act like I must never enjoy a meal when they haven't even tried it!

Nik

[reb_granger]

Hi vegmom2!

Congratulations on your decision to make a move to a more compassionate and healthy lifestyle!

I deduced from an earlier post of yours that you're fond of chocolate and ice-cream. Well, how about trying vegan versions?! ;) Perhaps you might want to read Erin's product reviews at

http://vegfamily.com/product-reviews/index.htm

Really, my mouth waters every time I read her description of Soy Dream ice-cream!

I must say, though, that I'm surprised you've not had a hard time giving up cheese. It took me about a year to renounce the stuff, and from what I know, several other vegans have also experienced a similar addiction to it. The withdrawal symptoms were terrible for me!

To Nik: It's actually not advisable to put cats on a vegetarian diet, because cats are natural carnivores, and nutritionally require meat. Personally, I'm not comfortable with the idea of feeding my pets meat, which is why I've chosen not to have cats at all. I have two adorable little chickens (they follow me around and cuddle up with me whenever they're allowed to!). :D

But if you'd like herbivorous pets, rabbits are cute, cute, cute! So are guinea pigs. BUT BIRDS ARE THE CUTEST!!! Okie, sorry, I'm a bird-lover, so I had to make that loud and clear. :D

And regarding absurd things that people say ("But it doesn't hurt the cow to give milk!" etc etc), if you read the thread "Omnis say the darndest things" on the General Chat forum, you'll have a good laugh!

Enjoy yourselves!
Rebecca

[vegmom2]

Hey Nik and Rebecca,
yes Nik that is definitely the stuff!! I thought it just broke apart for me--i'm glad i'm not the only one to have the veggies fall all over my plate and make a mess as i pick it up with my fingers to dip--really not a pretty sight i'm sure:D !! So you've been to Edmonton?? I can't remember where you are from...
And yes Rebecca i will have to look at that web site and check out some stuff--again for some reason i've rationalized that ice cream and choc. is ok because it 'kill' the animals whereas cheese coming from veals stomachs after they are killed just turned me off so that was easy for me--if i had other, even ONE other vegan around--i would definitely not touch the stuff--and i am as of this month--committing myself to NO more period--i think this board alone will be the support i need. I also try and buy and use animal free everything and it is a task as i know you all know--like joanne stepaniuk and otherssay, is that it really is a philosophy about life and not just a diet so to speak. It affects everything we do daily and all choices we make. It breaks my heart to hear of my friends taking their kids to the circus (animal) when they come and i hope our city will soon ban them--it is on their agenda but from what i've read they are not taking it seriously. Shelley

[molly]

Rebecca, I have a really stupid question for you. How do you keep a pet bird? My husband once mentioned he'd like to have a bird, but my instant reaction was absolutely not, I will not have a caged animal. Do you just keep flightless birds? Obviously I am pretty ignorant about pets other than the standard cats & dogs everyone has around here. I'm just curious about the environment you have to create for them.

[Nik]

VegMom - please tell me more about cheese coming from their stomachs. I honestly had not heard that before, and I think if I know all about it, it will help me to stay away from the cheese. How do you feel about the casein in soy cheeses and such? Will you eat that? I'm kind of torn on that one. I haven't eaten any yet, though. I actually put some on a veggie taco today and then took it back off. I just couldn't do it without knowing more about it. Oh, and I'm from Kentucky! But I visit Calgary nearly every other month because my boyfriend lives there. I'll never forget the time I was in Edmonton and a drunk hockey fan yelled "moo! moo!" at me as I walked away because I had on a Flames jersey. You know, the whole cow town thing. I was laughing too hard to get mad. I mean, he was pretty drunk and pathetic.

You know, of all the pets out there, I have never considered getting a bird. I'm interested to know how you keep them, as well. I'm a sucker for any animal, and having one that I don't have to feed meat will be really great for me. I've heard they are a big commitment, though.

Nik

[vegmom2]

well its been awhile since i've read it but the rennet that goes into making most cheeses comes from baby calves stomachs--i'm sure i'm right on that one...i think i got that from www.earthsave.org which i'm sure you are familiar with--that was the website that changed my life last dec 31st 2001--my start of vegetarianism:D it was ironic it happened to be that day but at least its easy to remember. I was doing research on homeschooling which led me to non vaccinations which somehow led me there and then BOOM I was awakened and could never turn back!! Although everyone thinks it is just a thing/fad/phase i am going through but they are wrong and i think they know that now. Is your boyfriend onside with you?? You said you would like to live in Canada? What is Kentucky like or at least where you are from in K.?? Shelley

[reb_granger]

Hi Molly and Nik,

My birds actually fall under the category of rescued animals. I definitely don't like caging birds - they're free-roaming animals and need their exercise. I used to have parakeets who used to fly around my room, perch at my dressing table for hours, eat from my plate, and hop back into their cage when they were tired. I had to cage them at night, because they would get panic-stricken if left loose in the dark. In the morning, when they were ready to come out for their daily exercise, they would communicate their desire to me by jumping around in the cage and making lots of noise until I let them out.

I rescued a baby African grey once, and he didn't even need to be caged. He would ride on my shoulder when I went out on grocery trips, but there was once when a barking dog scared him so much that he flew away in fright. After that, I always had to chain him to my arm when he insisted on coming out with me (yeah, he actually insisted by screeching and refusing to let go of me). He never protested, though.

My chickens run free all day long, but I have to cage them whenever I leave the house, because they do try to follow me out the gateway. In fact, whenever Snowflake sees me getting ready to leave, she reaches the car before I do!

But I'm going to be very honest here. Keeping a bird requires an infinite amount of commitment, especially if you intend not to keep the bird caged. Anxiety is inevitable - I used to get nightmares that the neighbor's cat was eating my birds for dinner. One of my parakeets once flew out of the window and landed in the hedge near the fence. After that she didn't know what to do, so she just sat there trembling until my fiance managed to rescue her.

Birds may not be suitable companion animals for everyone. African greys can commit suicide if they feel neglected, and they do need constant attention.

Nik, if you feel birds are not for you, then you might want to consider adopting a rabbit if you'd like a herbivorous companion. Rabbits definitely require a huge measure of commitment (as do all pets), but from my experience at least, the stress factor is considerably smaller than what one would experience with birds.

By the way, I'm glad you like bean sprouts! I love them, too! :D I generally add them to Chinese-style 'ham' fried rice - they provide a nice, juicy crunch!

[duckie1978]

Make your own junk food!! As much as I would love to buy junk food from vegan suppliers, it is way too expensive. Make your own brownies and cookies from scratch, it is a lot of fun and cheaper. There are a ton of egg substitutes on the markets, plus soy and rice milks come in liquid and powder forms. Vegan chocolate is a bad thing!! I have a terrible sweet tooth so I make cookies or cake every few weeks.

As for cheese, I liked the Tofutti frozen pizzas but I have grown so accustomed to cheeseless pizza that I prefer it. My husband loved it though. We usually make our own pizzas with the gimme lean sausage, black olive and red peppers. It is awesome!

If you really want to buy something awesome, go to the Delicious Choices web page and buy a cheesecake! My husband and I splurged and wow did it taste awesome. I had to double check the ingredients because it was so creamy and good. I even liked the Bananna almond and I hate banannas.

[Nik]

Vegmom- My boyfriend is what he calls "a vegetarian most of the time." He's been feeling really guilty lately, though. I know it's just a matter of time before he gives in. He doesn't want to part with his pizza. That's his only excuse. He won't even agree to try a vegan pizza. Men! Kentucky is, well, nothing like Edmonton or Calgary! I live in a town of only 30,000 people and it's horrible if you're looking for vegan food. It's in the Appalachian Mountains and the people here are very conservative and guarded from the rest of the world. You either get out of here and never look back, or grow old here and get used to it. I saw that there is someone on here from Virginia, so she will definitely know what I am talking about if she's from a smaller city. I have been wanting to move to Calgary for 5 loooooong years! But immigration is so difficult that I'm going to have to finish my college here to have more points so that I meet the points requirement to immigrate. (Say you get 10 pts. for speaking French, 5 for being of a certain age, 10 for having your degree, etc.). But I'm waitng patiently and spending a ton on plane tickets to visit until I can finally make the move. So now you know my life story! Feel free to tell me yours!

Reb- I think you are doing a wonderful thing by keeping your baby birdies. I'll never forget the African Grey that our vet used to have. She had him for so long and he was so intelligent and entertaining, but he let you know when he was unhappy and when he wanted to play. Such a wonderful, amazing animal. Do you keep your chickens inside? When you first said that you had chickens I thought it was so funny (ha ha, not strange) and the more I think about it, the more I think that I might want a chicken! Do you have to keep them in cages at all? Do you get them when they are babies and then raise them? I'm fascinated by you and your pets!

Duckie- Cute name! I cannot believe you bought a cheesecake. That just sounds like heaven to me right now. You're right about things being too expensive to order online. It was $20 for a handful of items. If I can talk myself into not eating the entire batch of whatever I make, I will definitely try that. I keep thinking, "But it's a healthy cookie! I can eat as many as I want!" I wish! How do you make your brownies?

Okay, since we all keep talking on this same thread, I have to ask. What do you all do for a living? I can't believe there are so many nice people on these boards. I want to know more about you! I'm a student during the day and a dance instructor in the evenings. I guess you could say I'm a student all night, too, because I've been up until 5 am the past four nights doing homework! My major is political science and communications, and I have no idea what I want to do in life, but I know I want to help people and animals. I just have to pick a job, I guess. Okay, your turn!

Nik

[vegmom2]

Living
I am a SAHM to my to boys, debating a 3rd. I do research on the internet on simple living, veganism, co-housing and real estate. I just lost my grandfather last month so i have been researching life after death as my mom (his daughter ) died at 43 back in 91 and she communicates with me via dimes--long story but i'll share sometime if anyone would like--so i find that very exhilirating and gives me a sense of peace about death. I was in sales b4 kids and me and my husband just sold an acreage (3 acres in the country) and gave up a successful cabinetmaking business, to move to the city (Edmonton) to try city life and fixing up houses. We are currently fixing up our house to sell by June. Then we don't know. I was thinking maybe rent this and go try fixing up a house in Kelowna BC. I want to homeschool and love not working and planning my days. I take the boys to the library once/twice per week, we play outside, look at real estate, and play hot wheels ALOT!! I miss the nature of my acreage though so i am not sure what to do next as house prices here and in Calgary are going through the roof as Alberta is going through a boom. We can't afford the $300 000 cdn.acreages close to town. I love to talk to friends, love people and their stories in general and have 2 australian sheperds that are about 10 and 11 yrs. old. I am 34 and would like to work out more and have always wanted to take dance!! What dance do you do Nik? I did train in Karate for 5 yrs and loved it and have cycle toured Alberta and BC with just my bike and gear and a friend. I have been to Europe, Jamaica, Bahamas, Maui and BC and throughout Alberta, also Montana, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Idaho. Before kids i rock climbed and mountain biked extensively--now i just try and get on my treadmill!! I am taking a japenese drumming course in march and have considered taking a 2 yr correspondance nutrition course out of Ontario, Canada so that i could be a nutritionist--based on natural, whole, living foods--sounds very interesting. I would also like to get back into karate or tai chi. Shelley

[reb_granger]

Hi Nik!

I rescued Snowflake when she was a two-week old chick. I had to spend 24 hours a day with her - seriously. Chicks spend all their time with their mother, and Snowflake thought I was her mother, so she would spend all her time snuggling up cozily to me, snoozing on my lap, exploring my body, perching on my shoulder and head and chasing after me if she thought I was going to leave her. I had to take her with me wherever I went, and she would ride happily on my shoulder. When she grew too heavy for my shoulder, I had to take her around in a cage.

She's a chicken now, but if she didn't have the company of Dragonfly (the other rescued chicken), she would never have grown up, I think! She still enjoys cuddling up with me whenever she gets the opportunity.

Dragonfly would also follow me around, but she's grown up to be more of a loner. She enjoys sitting on a tree and staring at passers-by. But she loves being tickled under the beak! :)

Actually, as far as I'm concerned, they're still babies!

I don't encourage the birds to wander into the house, but they insist on coming in all the same. Snowflake taps the door with her beak till she's let in. I put them in their cage only at night, but I used to cage them more often when they were smaller, because, as I said, they used to follow me around, and I was terrified that I might step on the little darlings.

Well really, you mustn't get me started on my chickens, or you will find it very hard to make me stop! :D I love bragging about them!

[reb_granger]

Oh, and I do still have to cage my chickens when I leave the house, or they will happily follow me (especially Snowflake). :)

[duckie1978]

Thanks for the compliement, duckie is actually a nickname some friends gave me a while back because my name is Dawn and they always thought of Donald Duck. I needed a nickname for pledging and everyone else had one so they gave me mine. Needless to say only the nickname stuck. I gave up pledging the sorority and my friends (they weren't the best of friends anyways) when I made some priority changes in my life.

I love hearing about other peoples lives!! I don't know many vegans or vegetarians and it gets frustrating. My husband is not vegan nor will he ever be according to him. He has a really weird food "allergy" though. (I call it an allergy because no one is able to tell him what is really wrong.) About a year before we met, he suddenly stopped being able to eat dairy products, most meats and tomatoes. He was miserable and then he met me :0) I got him hooked on Tofutti cream cheese and we started to date from there. It was hard at first to go out or make dinner because of our eating styles, mostly salads at first. Together we both have a ton of medical probelms, we really shouldn't have kids-we will pass down some crappy genes. Since then his food "allergy" has improved a bit, he still can't eat dairy (even with those lactate pills) or fatty foods, but he can eat a little chicken or seafood without getting too sick. He is so resistant to change it is unbelieveable! But he makes me very happy so we just don't discuss "controversial" topics anymore because neither of us will budge.

I am a graduate student right now, I go to Union College in Schenectady, NY. I am in a Masters program for Teaching. I plan on teaching English in high school for a while and then go back for my PhD in Museum Practices. (I have a BA in Art History also) I always want to know what other vegans do too because the lifestyle is so expensive. I mean I go to school full time, year round for another year and cant work so all of my income is from student loans. (My husband is also going to school full time) It is rough because we have to really make sure that what we buy is healthy but also within our budget. We hardly ever buy organic produce because it is so expensive. If we buy processed foods they are usually organic because they are vegan so that helps. When we moved out here we thought there would be a ton of veggie friendly places because it is near Albany, NY. Boy were we wrong! I have only just now found a co-op that sells bulk tvp and nutrional yeast but it is 30 minutes away and that is too far for my husband-he can be such a pain some times. (we only have one car and it is a standard, which i cant drive) There is only one veggie restaurant but it is only open m-f at lunch! ugh anyways, that is what I do for a living for now. I cant wait until my husband starts working because he will make a ton and we can afford to buy all organic food (actually I really want to grow my own food) and stuff. Being a vegan is definately a costly lifestyle, but the benefits far outweight the cost in my book.

[duckie1978]

Nik! I forgot about the brownies! Here is a recipe that I used to make brownies the last time I made them. It was by far the best one I have used. I have not tried it yet with whole wheat pastry flour only white flour. Also I never use salt but I included what the recipe called for. I only made it once and still plan to adapt it more. It is from the Nestle people:

1 2/3 c sugar
3/4 c butter substitute (I use the spectrum spreads)
2 tbsp water (not including the water for the egg replacer)
2 egg substitutes (I used the ener-g egg replacer)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 c flour (I used white-sorry)
3/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt (1/4 tsp according to the recipe)
3/4 c nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven 350 F degrees, grease a 13 in by 9 in pan.
Mix sugar, butter substitute, and water in bowl. Mix in egg substitute and vanilla. In seperate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa together. Add to sugar mixture. Add nuts if you want to and spread into greased pan.
Bake for 18-25 minutes.
It makes about 2 dozen brownies, or a dozen really large ones :0)

When I made this with my husband he added chocolate chips and it made it almost too chocolatey. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. I just found a recipe for vegan cheesecake using the tofutti cream cheese!!! I can't wait to try it, I love cheesecake!!

[CarlaJ]

Hi Nik,

I am 23 years old and live in Michigan. Dearborn right now. Not a bad place, but very industrialized w/ Ford Motor Company. I'm moving to a nice town on the river though in March. I'm so excited. Not a lot of vegetarian restraunts, but really cool antique shops, aromatherpy shops, coffee houses all within a mile. I love those independently owned shops locals own. The place is filled with them! I'm excited about not having to drive everywhere I go. Pretty much all I need is within a mile of me. This will also be the first time I've lived on my own (w/out roommates).

My life consists of school and work. I work full time as an administrative assistant during the day. I take yoga and college classes at night. I'll also be becoming a mentor for a kid starting in March when I'm in my new place. I'm VERY excited about that.

Also, I'm going to school for Special Elementary Education. I plan on specializing in learning disabilities and hearing impairment. I love kids and love sign language. I'd also like to have yoga classes for kids w/ "behavioral problems".

I love my family. I have the best father anyone could even dream of. Our mom left suddenly when we were little and my dad's been amazing! My dad is supportive, sensitive, and proud of everything I do. He LOVES that I'm a vegan and even bought me vegan vitamins and my first container of Earth Balance butter!

Ok, enough rambling. That about sums it up for me.

P.S. I desperatly wish I was a ballerina. Someone told me once that I looked like a ballerina and it made my life. Silly, huh?
Problem is I have weak ankles and I'm such a klutz!
:rolleyes:

Love,
Carla

[Nik]

CarlaJ- I am also a yoga nut! I was injured dancing about a year and a half ago and they made yoga part of my physical therapy. I started out really slowly and couldn't even move into the up-dog because my back was hurting so much, but now I love to try anything. I can't go a day without it! I love that you are working with children with disabilities. You know, I never had any siblings and I wasn't around kids that much, so when I started teaching dance I really wasn't that into it because I thought kids were weird. Now I'm in love with every little dancer that I have. Who knew that someone as simple as their ballet teacher could touch their lives? It's amazing. I have been reading about dance classes being taught to children with disabilities, and I'm really thinking about doing it. I will have to learn ASL first, but I think it would be so amazing and rewarding. Please tell me more about what you do. Right now I'm stuck between my love of dance and wanting to get a "real" job, so I'd love to hear about your experiences with teaching. I have found that I've turned into a better teacher than dancer, mostly because I can let myself go and just be silly with the kids while also treating them like adults. Nothing makes my 4 year olds happier than being called "Ladies" and being made to use their manners. Oh, and nothing is stopping you from being a ballerina now! I am approached by so many adults (much older than you and I!) who want to take private classes, and before you know it they're twirling around in tutus! I, also, am a very clumsy person. If I don't have ballet slippers on, I'm running into walls and falling down all the time!

Duckie - Thank you sooooo much for the brownie recipe! I went to the grocery store last night to gather the ingredients, and can you believe we do not have an egg substitute in this entire horrible town I live in? All I could find were Egg Beaters. How annoying! I don't want to sound like the novice cook that I am, but is there anything I can use instead of eggs? I'm so glad you have a BA in Art History, because I have heard that this girl I'm living and working with for my upcoming internship is an Art History major and wants to work for a museum. I really want to be able to talk to her about her interests since I'm stuck with her all day long, but I don't know anything about Art History. They said we are partnered because I am into Performing Arts, but that is so different.

Reb - I had a dream that I had a pet flamingo, and I know that had to be because I keep thinking about you and all of your birds! I loved my Flamingo in my dream. It was big and it would nuzzle me with its beak. Maybe that means I need to get a bird!

VegMom - First of all, I am so sorry about your grandfather. My boyfriend (of 5 years, so I suppose he's much more than that) lost his father in October and I felt like I lost a piece of me, as well. He was a wonderful man and he died at 82. Needless to say, he had his son late in life. I also lost my grandmother last year, so I can understand your pain. For some reason she always seemed like she would live forever. Please tell me more about the dimes. I am so fascinated. Our old house that I grew up in was haunted. I am so close to my mother that the idea of losing her makes me literally ill. She's still young so I shouldn't be worried, but I would love to hear how you found peace by communicating with your mother. Oh, you must take dance! I teach ballet and jazz, but my specialty is jazz. I don't have the right kind of arch and my hips won't turn out completely so I will never be a ballerina, but I love ballet and could do it all day long. Dance has really helped me to find a balance in life and it helps me to forget everything that is going on around me. I love just hearing the music and moving and not even thinking at all. There is nothing more peaceful for me. I took a Nutrition course for an elective last semester and it was harder than all of my government courses combined! I'm just really bad at remembering so many facts and definitions and converting things into calories. I got through it with a B, but I wanted an A! My aunt is a Nutritionist and she just loves it. She works at a Veteran's Center and she also teaches Nutrition for a college. I say go for it. You will probably love it! And you have to tell me about the places you have traveled to. My boyfriend and I have been planning our honeymoon and we're stuck on either Europe or somewhere warm and sunny. We're not even officially engaged, either. It's just one of those "yes, we know we'll be together so where do you want to go?" We're weird. Odds are we'll just try to save money and end up in Montreal or Quebec City, but it's nice to dream of Europe or a tropical beach!

Okay, I know this is the longest post ever and I apologize for that, but if you've read this far please take the time to give me your thoughts on something. Last night my friend and I were having a discussion about where we can go out to eat and what I will eat, and she asked me about french fries, like streak fries. I didn't know how to answer her. I've heard stories about french fries being cooked in animal oils. Is there any way to know for sure, or do you just stay away from them all together because they're so greasy and bad for you?

Nik - who wants to know how to put the little smileys in the post itself

[Erin Pavlina]

Hi Nik,

For replacing eggs, most vegans use Ener-G Egg Replacer. It is powder that comes in a box and you mix it with water to use in baking and cooking just like eggs.

You can probably buy it online at one of the vegan retailers like VeganEssentials.com.

As for fries... great question. Most fries I've encountered in restaurants are vegan. At least their ingredients are vegan and they are cooked in veggie oil.

Sometimes fries are cooked in teh same oil and like chicken or fish, but there is supposed to be different oil for cooking those things. Some restaurants adhere to this policy and some don't.

When I am in a restaurant and I want to order fries, if I can see what's going on in the cooking area, I can get a pretty good idea of how stringent they are about keepign their oils separate.

But, in most restaurnats, you won't be able to see the cooking area.

It comes down toa question of purity for most people. I know a lot of vegans who will order fries and eat them even if there is a chance they were cooked in the same oil as meat. They are not overly concerned. I know other vegans who won't even eat vegan foods in an omni restuarnat for fear of contamination.

So you have to figure out where you want to draw the line.

My personal opinion is that I do the best I can when I'm out to eat. I never eat anythign I know contains non-vegan ingredients, but I will eat food that shares a grill with meat, hoping it has not come into contact...

[duckie1978]

hey there! a good egg subsitute that I used before I found the EnerG egg replacer is cornstarch. Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water for each egg needed. make sure you mix the cornstarch and water in a little cup or bowl first to dissolve it. I have not tried it with the brownies but i usually use it in cookie recipes. it works well for for most baked things but some times it doesn't which is why i have been using the EnerG stuff more. I have also read in an Ashram cookbook I have to use liquid lecithin, 1 tsp-1tbsp for each egg, like if the recipe calls for a large egg use 1 tbsp. but i haven't tried it because you cant really get it at a regular grocery store.

on the art history-ask me anything you need to know, i love art. and I always get people asking me if i paint or sculpt when i tell them i study art history. i am like no if i painted i would have gotten a studio art degree. i mean i love to paint but i am no van gogh (who was a vegetarian :0) ) Art is so interesting when you study the artists and their lives in connection to their work and the movements. I could go on and on, but anyways let me know how the cornstarch works, but try to get to a health food store to get the EnerG stuff because it works like a charm plus they have a ton of cool recipes on the box.

ps I love yoga too. i have just started practicing it and cant get enough of it :0)

[duckie1978]

oh yea, my husband just reminded me. reduce the butter a bit because ours came out a bit oily, we might have used too much oil greasing the pan though.

[CarlaJ]

Nik,

Honestly I don't have a lot of experience with teaching special education yet, because I am still in school. The experience I do have comes from my younger sister (9) who has had epilepsy since she was 3mo old and learning difficulties as a result, deaf friends (to help improve my ASL), I worked at a day care for a couple of years, I volunteer with the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and countless years of babysitting.

"Who knew that someone as simple as their ballet teacher could touch their lives? It's amazing"

It IS amazing, and I wouldn't doubt it for a second. You can change a child's life from even one meeting. That's why I'm really excited about the mentoring program. I'll get paired up with a child who has problems (either w/ behavior or family) and have a chance to help them just by being there for them. Kids, especially little girls, think we're so cool and admire us at this age. They take what we say to heart, so this is the perfect time to touch your littler dancer's lives.

About the yoga, I've read that yoga is sometimes used to "calm" children who supposedly have ADHD without medication. I was thinking how much it would help my sister. She has struggled with balance and stability due to her seizures and medication. I thought that classes would probably help children like her as well. So that's where I got the idea. I'm plan on learning a LOT more about yoga before starting something like that. I figure I'll try to do it wherever I get a teaching job in the future.

Smilies- Just click on them. They're just to the left of your message when you're posting a reply.

:rolleyes: <- My favorite one!

French Fries- I eat them sometimes when I go out. I love the french fries at Olga's! I'm pretty sure Wendy's fries them in a seperate oil too.

Carla

[Deborah Barrass]

Could you tell me the manufacturer of "Follow Your Heart Cheese" ??

I'll ask my local health store if they can get hold of it - sounds good !

Thanks, Deborah Barrass

[Erin Pavlina]

Go to www.imearthkind.com

Or call Follow Your Heart directly at (818) 348-3240

[vegmom2]

Hi Nik!!!

So do you think a 34 yr. old could learn jazz?? Your old house was haunted?? You are lucky to have a great rel. with your mother--i get lonely at times with no parents and only a grandma left who has her hands full with family concerns so i don't burden her further. No support for veg. stuff either, except here--i hate always being the strong one and the different one--and your post probably is the longest:D although i can write alot too but i am glad i am not the only one--crying child gotta run--will share dimes maybe on personal email so as not to bore the others with non-vegan issues.:)

[Nik]

Okay, guys...my face is breaking out. For some reason I thought veganism would make my skin better. Any ideas on what it could be? It's not like an allergic reaction, more like pimples under the skin, (Yuck, is this gross for you?) and I can't remember anything different I've eaten lately, except 4 vegan brownies on Thursday. YUM! Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe I stressed too much over whether or not those fries I ate the other day were cooked in vegetable oil!

VegMom - Professional jazz dancers hit their prime in their late twenties and all of my favorites are right around 35, so not only could you learn jazz dancing, you could hop right up on stage!

Okay, I have to tell you all this story and then I'm off to bed. I was on the phone with my best friend and while talking to me, she was also talking to her husband in the background. He was teasing her for spending $300 on clothes in one shopping trip. So she said, "But you spent $200 on a cow and $100 on a pig!" and he said, "Yes, but we cooked and ate both of those together!" to which I said, "Um, excuse me?" That's right. They bought a cow and pig, kept them at someone's farm, fed them, even named them, and then ate them. I'm not judging her because it's her choice to eat what she wants, but it just kind of stunned me. I didn't know they would do such a thing!

Sleepy time now. I'll have to try to not have nightmares about those poor animals. They named them Brownie and Blackie!

Nik

[reb_granger]

Oh dear, Nik, what a sad story! :( I'd be horribly stunned, too. Maybe more than stunned...

And regarding those pimples, don't worry, it could just be a hormonal change that your body's going through. The problem with embedded pimples is that they take an awful lot of time to go away! But they aren't very obvious, are they, if they're beneath the skin? I used to get such pimples too, and in fact my skin still does break out sporadically. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with one's diet, but perhaps reducing one's fat intake would be a good thing for one's overall health. Then again, I have no right to advise you, because my diet is *very* high in fat!

[HoneyNBen]

What is Stearic Acid? I saw it was in some vitamins and they were tossed due to geletin and the stearic acid. I don't believe I've ever heard or seen it before! :)

[HoneyNBen]

When I went vegan I started getting pimples. What's up with that? I didn't even get them when I was a teenager. Correction... I got a few, but now? I'm an adult! Hello? What's with the pimples? I thought it was due to my body detoxing, but?... Any remedies?

[durkfx]

Nik-
You made me laugh when I read your post about being the only vegan you know! Us too!

We actually know a handful of vegetarians. They're all overweight like us.

We're (my husband and I) are hoping to join the ranks of some of the others here who lost weight easily once going vegan. I've got 20 and my husband 25-30 pounds to lose. Mostly I feel we need to get back to devoting more time to our own aerobic health and workouts. Our priorities haven't been ourselves since having our first child almost 6 years ago.

This brings me to a question: Does anyone have a vegan child with high cholesterol? My 5yo is not overweight and is very active, but her cholesterol is 184? I don't want her to lose weight on our vegan diet change, so I'm letting her continue to eat high fat foods: (soy) yogurt, cheese, milk, beans, tofu. But now that I'm thinking about it I wonder if this will keep her cholesterol high or even worse, raise it?

I'm going to try Dr. Jay Gordon. Her pediatrician isn't too reassuring or helpful.

Sorry for the rambling!

[durkfx]

My mom has very recently learned that the vitamins I've been taking and feeding to my children from the health food store that say USP on them are bad for us!

She started researching whole food vitamins and discovered Seasilver. I've got their pamphlet and we've been taking it for a few days now.

Does anyone know of this? Can you tell me more if so?

Thanks!