Vegan Challenge: I'm only human!

Although the challenge wasn’t impossible and was pretty fun, I had my ups and downs.  As with any challenging obstacle, the thought of cheating crosses your mind at least once, even if it’s, “I will not cheat!” we’re still thinking about the prospect.  We’re only human!  So I will use this post to admit my biggest weaknesses throughout my 30-day trial.  Before I continue I would just like to point out a few of my extreme strengths:

1. My boss brought cupcakes to work one day and I didn’t even lick the frosting. 

2. Every time my staff meal came with sour cream on top, I always scooped it off, even if it meant wasting a little of the food it was touching.

3. I stayed in one night when all my friends were together having chicken wings (and I love chicken wings...and my friends, of course).

4. I was not a sneaky cheater; it was always done in the presence of others and I made them well aware of what was happening, usually with a long monologue and rhetorical statements and questions like, "Does it really matter if I have one bite?"

Ok, so on to the bamboozlement!  I split my cheating into two categories: Shameless and Shameful.  "Shameless" doesn't mean I'm exactly proud of these cheats, it was still cheating, but that I can back them up with really good reasons for my actions.  "Shameful", however, I have no good reasons, I just gave in.

Alex's Shameless, No-Regrets Cheats

Taste of Pearl – I paid $60 to sample 17 local restaurants and by god, I was going to get my money’s worth!

Chicken (just a bite) – I had just learned that my dear old, sweet dog was being put down in a matter of hours (she was very sick and it was for the best).  I did it for Rudy.  She would have wanted it that way. 

Guinness – Did you know they use fish bladders in the brewing process?  Me neither.

Alex's Shameful, But Still No-Regrets, Cheats

Nacho Cheese from Taco Bell – it was a Mad Cow Craving no substitute could satisfy.

Black Bean Burger (made with eggs) – I knew the ingredients and I got it anyway out of spite (this was about two weeks in).

Movie Theater Popcorn – the bag was passed, my hand commandeered my brain, I didn’t even realize until later when I was washing the greasy butter off my fingers what I had done.

 

Guinness – after my shameless first beer when I learned about the fish bladders, I had a shameful second one...

 Marshmallows – remember my Jurassic Park candy logo?  Do you know how long that took?  Anyone would have caved! 

Overall, I would say I very much enjoyed the vegan challenge.  For only 30 days, I think the most difficult part was grocery shopping and knowing what substitutes and their brands to buy.  I had plenty of help and support with recipes, eating out, and dinner parties.  The challenge was fun and it’s inspired me to incorporate more veganism into my daily life.  Meat and dairy will become less prominent in my diet, but won’t be totally eliminated.  Let’s face it: I love my cheeseburgers....and pizza....and nachos….I just love to eat everything!

Vegan Challenge: Top 4 Restaurant Adventures

A sign explaining their "meats"

1. Native Foods 

I stumbled upon this vegan gem totally by chance one day. I went with a friend who thought it was simply an organic, all-natural fast-food restaurant so it'd be easy for me to find something to eat. It was my first time dining out during the challenge and I sensed a bit of dread. I was afraid to read an amazing menu and have to settle for a boring salad. Instead of picking up a menu, I went straight to the counter and asked what a vegan like me could order for lunch. The guy looked at me a little warily and said hesitantly, "everything" while handing me the menu. He wasn't kidding. They make all of their own meat and dairy substitutes from scratch, even their tempeh (fermented soy beans) and "cheese". They don't even put quotations around their alternatives because everything on the menu is 100% plant-based. Everything!

I ordered the Baja Blackened Tacos made with tempeh and a spicy, "creamy chipotle surfer sauce." It was really delicious. The tempeh was sliced very thin, and soft, almost the texture of a scrambled egg. The crunchy vegetables piled high on top with a warm, homemade corn tortilla wrapped around we're enough to complete the dish, but the surfer sauce's heat was what brought it all home.

Baja Blackened Tacos

2. Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant 

I came here after sampling their vegan crab cakes at a local event in downtown Boulder. They were so good! They actually tasted like seafood which came from the wakame seaweed mixed inside.

I came for happy hour so ordered a couple small plates: the raw peanut salad with veggies sliced thinly to resemble noodles, and a raw beet ravioli. I LOVE beets so I was a fan of the ravioli, very fresh and simple, and still tasty.

The best part about this restaurant is their produce comes from their own personal farm located about 30 minutes away. They don't use any pesticides and new fruits and vegetables are brought in each morning to be used that day.

I left a little hungry because I tried to save money ordering tiny raw appetizers, and I regretted not trying their famous Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, so I will definitely be going back, even if it means a splurge of the wallet.

Clockwise from top left: the cool atmosphere of Leaf; raw beet ravioli; raw peanut salad.

3. Cantina Laredo

I came here for happy hour with some girlfriends for their giant margaritas, but also some dinner. Alas, as with most American-Mexican joints, the happy hour menu was completely meat- and cheese-centric. Now, I'm not going to rave about the food here; it was good, but pretty standard. I am, however, going to acclaim the service. When I explained to our server that I was vegan, he immediately pulled out their full menu and said they could make me something from there in a happy hour size. I went with the avocado and artichoke enchiladas smothered with a tomatillo salsa. It even came with rice and beans and he still only charged me half price. 

Avocado and artichoke enchiladas

4. Nepal Cuisine 

On Mondays, this place (only a stone's throw away from my house) has a vegan buffet. No questions or explaining myself here, I could eat everything!  I love curry, so everything was delicious, but my favorite part was the rice pudding. I wasn't a fan the last time I tried rice pudding, but topped with some cinnamon and fruit, it was amazing!        

My loaded plate from the vegan buffet and delicious rice pudding!

Next: "Vegan Challenge: I'm Only Human!"

Vegan Challenge: Mad Cow Cravings

I predicted I would be missing cheeseburgers and bacon-wrapped hotdogs (they're real and they're incredible), but my actual hankerings weren't what I expected.  Here are my top six cravings:

1. Butter

This one surprised me because I've never been a huge butter person before, pretty much only used it in baking. However, the first morning I woke up to eat breakfast during the challenge, all I wanted was buttery toast.

2. French Toast

I think the last time I had French toast was over two years ago, yet this craving lasted me the whole first week. And how about that, French toast is best with...

3. Butter

Yup, still there.

4. Nacho Cheese

Not real cheese, but the fake, congealed, bright-orange goo they put on chips and call nachos at carnivals, baseball games, or, much more accessible, Taco Bell. This craving haunted me in my dreams.

5. Honey

This wasn't exactly a craving, but more a desire. I missed out on a seasonal orange blossom honey Braggot ale, a honey-chipotle dressing, and had to sacrifice my favorite Chai latte sweetened with honey...for 30 whole days!!

6. Butter

I seriously couldn't wait to get my hands on some butter. I was a little concerned.

Next: "Vegan Challenge: Top 4 Restaurant Adventures"

Vegan Challenge: The Dreaded Dinner Party

For me, being invited to a dinner party is a chance to catch a glimpse into other people's idea of good food (and their medicine cabinets - don't judge, we all do it.) For the new boyfriend or girlfriend, it's a nail-biting date; for in-laws, it's untimely; for grandkids, it's "What's in the jello?"; for co-workers, it's just more work...you get my drift. There's usually a love-hate thing going on with dinner parties where we kind of hate being invited, but we love free food. However, for a vegan, it's a nightmare.

Fortunately for me, I have really amazing friends. Both times I attended dinner at a friend's, my hosts more than compensated for my dietary restrictions. At each dinner, the bulk of the recipe was 100% vegan with just a few moderations, like omitting the cheese in a quinoa-stuffed pepper, or substituting tofu for beef in Vietnamese pho, in only my portions.

My block of tofu next to delicious, thinly sliced beef.

I did turn down a couple pizza parties and one chicken wing extravaganza, but I definitely lucked out in being able to attend dinners AND eat with everyone. I'm not sure exactly what it'd be like to be invited to dinner and not be able to eat. Oh wait, yes I do: horrible! I wonder if vegans just bring along their own meal, or eat before they go, or just stay home, just in case there's nothing they can eat. The whole point of a dinner party is to create a sense of community by breaking bread at the table together, no? I imagine there'd be a sense of ostracism when it comes to being vegan, or having any limiting diet, at a dinner party. For the few times I turned down party invitations, or couldn't share some plates at a restaurant, or when closing at work and my boss has made everyone cheesy fries or pulled pork nachos, I felt very frustrated. Not just because I couldn't eat the food, but because I couldn't join in with everyone. My extroverted personality is part of the reason I need to belong, but when it comes to food, I even more feel that desire to be a part of something special. When you can and will eat anything, the world is your oyster (mmm, oysters), and you can find a place almost anywhere.

This challenge has really opened my eyes to the idea that food really does create a common ground among our differences. When a group of people are eating together, it doesn't make us all the same or share similar beliefs, but it does mimic a feeling of a family, or less extreme, a club or society. Even just eating at a restaurant, everyone is sitting at different tables and eating different food, but they're still all sharing the same experience of eating out.

So if a group of people all eating different food at a restaurant can find a common ground, why as a vegan am I always feeling on the outside? I think it's because I often feel singled out. I'm constantly explaining - once people hear what I order at a restaurant or when I say no to something - that I'm eating a vegan diet to which most people's incredulous response is, "Why?" I then go further into detail about my 30-day vegan challenge and most people's incredulity turns to acceptance and sometimes admiration. I'm not really sure if it's because the diet is temporary or they really are impressed by veganism. A vegan couple I met immediately responded to my choice with, "Good for you!" At the time it made me really proud and glad they hadn't responded like most people did, but later when I thought about it more, I decided it was kind of weird. I mean, if someone told me they were gluten-free, I wouldn't congratulate them for their choice, or in some cases, their allergy. I then came to the conclusion that the question of "why" doesn't really bother me. In fact, I enjoy explaining the challenge and talking about all I've learned. It's actually inspired me to ask people more why they're choosing what to eat. We choose our beliefs and we talk about those all the time, so why not ask and talk about our food choices more? We might learn something about each other,or, better yet, discover something new and delicious to eat!

Next: "Vegan Challenge: Mad Cow Cravings"

Vegan Challenge: Happy Cow Haiku

Gentle through and through.

Big brown eyes, bigger belly.

Happy cow, say "Moo!"

Next: "Vegan Challenge: The Dreaded Dinner Party"

Vegan Challenge: Molten Peanut Butter Frosting

Earth Day was last week and I was so excited to finally make a world-themed cake I'd been dreaming about for weeks. Of course, before I get into the cake itself, I want to mention some interesting facts I learned about the holiday. The concept was first conceived in the 1970s in response to environmental awareness on American college campuses. The date of April 22 was settled upon because it was the most convenient for college students: after spring break and before finals. It was only an American holiday until the 90s, but is now celebrated, on the same day, in almost 200 countries. There is even an Earth Day anthem set to the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."

So if there's an anthem, there should definitely be a cake. I can't say from where exactly this cake's inspiration came from. When I was first thinking of themed Earth Day food I wanted to do cupcakes again like my Walking Dead brain cupcakes, but with each cupcake representing a different country. However, who has the time and space to create 300 cupcakes? It would have been un-Earth Day of me to leave any countries out. And only seven cupcakes representing continents is just not enough pastry. So I settled on a cake, but not just your average rectangular baked good.

I started by mixing up batter enough to make two separate 9x13" cakes. One chocolate and one "veganilla" (has that term been coined yet?).

I mixed the two batters together in an attempt to marble the cakes, but it was a lot more difficult than I had imagined. You can tell my second attempt on the right was a little more skilled than my first attempt on the left.

At this point I dropped a little chocolate better on the counter and it landed in a questionable shape that confirmed I really had no idea what I was doing.

While the cakes were baking I made a creamy peanut butter frosting mixed with bits of crunched up Oreo cookies (that's right, Oreos are vegan!). This frosting would go between the cake layers, and I made a vanilla frosting to go on top, which was dyed blue to mimic Kevin Costner's "Waterworld."

Can you see where this is going yet or did I throw you off with Kevin Costner? I used a very ingenious tool to etch some guidelines in the blue frosting and then filled in the shapes with the same vanilla frosting dyed green. And then...

Voila! My tribute to the world! Where Florida is bigger than Mexico and the Arctic is off the grid. Nothing personal to any of those places. I mean I do hate cold weather, but polar bears are my spirit animal. It was simply that I didn't save any white frosting for a snowy continent, and most flat world maps also leave Antarctica amiss, so I was just following protocol. Anyway, back to the cake...

All in all, my cake contained six delicious layers. You have the igneous marbled layers, separated by molten peanut butter-Oreo layers, followed by a chocolate crust, and topped with a soft vanilla surface. Now do you get the idea?

The cake was "muy delicioso" if you only had a couple bites at a time. It was incredibly rich and sweet. While I'm not a fan of the oiliness of vegan frosting since the base is a lot of shortening and/or margarine, I do like that it always stays very soft, maintaining a whipped texture that I love.

Happy Earth Day and, in as many world languages as I know, goodbye, adios, arrivederci, anyeongee gey se oh, au revoir, aloha, aufweidershen, g'day mate....ok, that was pushing it, but not bad, eh?

Next: "Vegan Challenge: Happy Cow Haiku"

Vegan Challenge: An Ode to Chickens

Run, chicken, run

With your head a none

It’s not much fun

Run, chicken, run

So keep your head

You’re not yet dead

Run, chicken, run

No cages around

To keep you bound

Run, chicken, run

One egg a day

Then out to play

Run, chicken, run

Grass and grain

No steroids or pain

Run, chicken, run

Feathers and plumes

Life’s not doomed

Run, chicken, run

Not very smart

But being chicken’s an art

So run, chicken, run

Next: "Vegan Challenge: Molten Peanut Butter Frosting"

Vegan Challenge: Hosting Dinner

About once a week some friends and I take turns hosting each other for dinner.  We aptly call it “Monday Night Dinner.”  Some of our most stand-out dishes include Alaskan salmon, pho with thinly sliced beef, and most recently, steak and cheesy potatoes.  So when it was my turn to host during my vegan challenge, I was pretty nervous.  I almost hoped my friends would forget I was forsaking meat and cheese and I could just trick them into thinking this was just like any other meal.  They all came in with their vegan jokes, however, so I knew I wasn’t going to be pulling any wool over any eyes. 

Fortunately, I live in Boulder, CO: the land of dietary restrictions including veganism, gluten-free, and granola-loving hipsters.  It wasn’t hard to find some help.  A vegetarian co-worker, formerly a strict vegan, had a stash of favorite vegan recipes that he shared with me.  One of his favorites was a Rustic Bread and Eggplant Lasagna.  It has layers of tomato sauce, but instead of noodles in between, there’s sourdough bread, and instead of meat and cheese, you’ll find roasted eggplant.  Topped with breadcrumbs and fresh basil, it was a beautiful and tasty dish. 

Although it's called lasagna, I'm not sure we really missed the noodles and meat because the dish was so unique and flavorful.  Still, for my non-vegan friends, and to settle my dinner-hosting nerves, I had the Parmesan cheese and seasonings prominently displayed. 

They dabbled in the cheese (who wouldn’t?), but overall, we all really enjoyed it. 

I will say, the sourdough bread added quite the sour element, almost overpowering to me.  If I make this again, I might try it with another hearty herbed loaf.  Or I’ll just wait a couple weeks and use noodles and hamburger meat...who am I kidding? 

Next: "Vegan Challenge: An Ode to Chickens"

Vegan Challenge: I Draw the Line at Yeast!

One week in and the vegan diet has been treating me well.  I unintentionally dropped three pounds, not necessarily due to not eating any cheese, but because I stopped snacking on junk food or doing late-night fridge raids.  While my body has been responding well, my sub-conscious has developed a snide side I never knew existed.  I feel like I'm constantly thinking of and being reminded of all the food I'm not allowed to eat.  It's like someone gave me a coloring book, but took away more than half the crayons.  Grocery shopping has been a little more exhausting because I have to read the ingredients of everything.  It took me 20 minutes to find a loaf of bread I could eat as well as afford.  Why do I have to pay twice as much for fake sour cream?  

I decided that during my 30-day challenge I was going to be a strict vegan when it comes to food (winter is almost over and I'm taking full advantage of my leather boots before I put them back in storage), so I decided to go as far down as bee's honey.  I got off my brew pub job early today so stuck around to order a new Braggot ale we have on tap, which is a hybrid of beer and mead.  My careful co-worker reminded me that the beer was made with honey, and then continued with the idea that since yeast is technically "alive", some vegans don't consider it on their animal-free menu.  She had me on the honey, but I draw the line at yeast!

Next: "Vegan Challenge: Hosting Dinner"

The Vegan Challenge: Cold "Tofurky"

It all started with movie night at home.  I decided to forego my usual cheesy chick flick or horror cult classic (don’t ask) and choose something more educational, or in this case “vegucational” because I went with the documentary, Vegucated.  The movie follows three New York City omnivores through a six-week vegan challenge.  I did end up getting a mix of my favorite movie genres: there were plenty of gory images, literally involving chicks.  Less

How can you hate these little guys?

than 30 minutes in I was sobbing and calling my mother, blubbering, “Did you know what they do to cute baby pigs?  I’ll never eat bacon again!”  Her immediate response was, “Turn it off.”  So I did, but it only takes a spark to light a fire, right?

Even though I only saw a small part of Vegucated it raised a lot of questions, so I set to work on doing some research.  I always thought veganism was a newer, even trendy, concept, but boy, was I wrong.  The word “vegan” was first coined in the early 20^th century, and it meant practically the same then as it does now.  Further research led to some jarring facts: factory farms bribe the government with millions of dollars a year to keep the animals we eat (cows, pigs, chickens) from being protected by law and treated more humanely; the most toxic form of the poison arsenic is used in chicken feed to promote faster growth; and the average American consumes about half a ton of cheese in their lifetime (America!).  Now, I had to take everything with a grain of salt because of course documentaries like Vegucated and other vegan-promoting resources were only going to tell me the benefits of eating vegan and the horrible things that can happen if you don’t.  It’s on the same line as sex education classes when we were younger: abstinence or STD. Eat vegan or get cancer. 

It’s not all so black and white.  As with any lifestyle different from the “American norm”, there seems to be a ton of controversy revolving around veganism.  Why is there so much judgment and misunderstanding spawning from what we’re choosing to put in our mouths?  This question led me to Jonathan Fields’ blog post "Belief Without Compassion".  In a nutshell, the post is a response to a notable figure in the health and vegan world choosing to return to an omnivorous diet.  Her choice to step out of the vegan closet was met with an explosion of reactions, positive and negative alike, but Fields’ point is that what a lot of us are missing is compassion.

I’ll admit that it’s extremely hard not to be judgmental when you encounter a belief different from your own.  I especially have a lot of opinions when it comes to food.  It’s difficult for me to immediately find compassion when people won't try new things, or refuse to look at the dessert menu, or order a small salad inside the greatest burger joint west of the Mississippi.  When someone would tell me they were vegan, I would always think, "Why?"  Not because I was interested in their choice, but because I didn't understand why anyone would want to limit themselves so extremely, which is how I've always thought about veganism: limiting oneself.

"Gourmet, Meatless, and Delicious!"

So now I want to “vegucate” myself and partake in a 30-day vegan challenge.  I want to see if it’s as limiting as I’ve always perceived it, if and how others find compassion in my choice, and if I notice any health benefits in the short time frame.  I’ve researched the healthy way to make the change and have been slowly transitioning for the past six weeks, but now I’m going cold turkey, or cold “Tofurky”, to be more vegan-friendly.  I’m not going to lie, I’m a little apprehensive, especially since I just brought up turkey, which coincidentally goes great with a slice of cheese, some bacon, and mayonnaise (is it bad that I’m already hungry?), but I think this is going to be a great learning experience!  

Next: "Vegan Challenge: I Draw the Line at Yeast!"