Occasionally, I made dinner plates that were literally from out of a catalog. I felt like a true vegan then. But when I didn’t have time to do that, I would eat whatever was there that didn’t contain animal products. I soon became sick of eating oatmeal, and during the first two weeks my weight began to drop. I started feeling unhealthy and my stomach aches were getting worse. I wasn’t taking any vitamins, (which I should have) and my feelings towards veganism were not optimistic. I viewed it to be something that people should do as a last resort, not as an option.

            I started looking up books at that point, when I felt like my project was pointless. I needed to understand why people chose to become vegan. The first time I tried to go to the library, I was let down by the librarian who told me that there were no vegan books available. It took me a couple of days to realize that the library isn’t the only means of retrieving books. I went to Barns and Noble, and from then on my project changed. The book that really helped me to understand veganism was “Becoming Vegan”. It was the first book that I opened up which pertained to my project, and happed to be the perfect on for me to read. I found out many facts about animal abuse and American consumerism. It opened my eyes to all the cruel acts that go on.

            I read cook books as well, and that really opened my appetite to vegan foods. My very first experience with going to a vegan restaurant wasn’t the best. I went to Sipz Café and ordered their Tom Yum soup. They place looked cozy and big at the same time. There are huge cartoon fish paintings all over the back wall of the restaurant. I liked the environment almost immediately as I walked through the entrance. We were seated in the back and handed menus that had a picture of a Thai stature on the front. My family and I ordered the Tom Yum soup, and it really was delicious. The contents were all vegetables, with soy chicken.

            Once we left and got into the car, my arms felt as though they were on fire. It is hard for me to describe the way I felt, but I knew that I was experiencing a reaction from the food. I got an allergic reaction.

            That wasn’t the best memory that I have, but it is the most vivid. I know now that I am allergic to soy chicken. I went to Nature’s Express as well, and enjoyed a simple muffin from there. There is one thing that stood out to me when I went to Nature’s Express. Everyone who worked there had a greenish tone to their skin, and they had beards. They were all male workers during the time that I was there, and from what I saw they all had tattoos of vegetables on their arms. It was interesting.

            Overall, I learned a lot from doing this project. I know what it feels like to avoid something for a cause. I was never put in that kind of a situation before. I can now say that I know what it feels like.

Tom Yum Soup

I was trying to decide whether I got food poisoned, or got an allergic reaction today. Either way, I felt sick. My arms felt an immediate reaction as they started going numb. Well, so it seemed. My face and whole body started feeling exceedingly warm, and a bit tingly. I do not know how to describe the sensation. It was a bad feeling, though. My arms felt as though they were stuck between bristles. It felt awkward to move them, but at the same time it felt worse to just let them be. 

My family and I went to Sipz Fuzion Café and we ordered Tom Yum soup. The soup contained vegetables and hot spicy peppers, but the only thing that stood out from the soup dish was the soy chicken. The taste of the soy chicken wasn’t that great, but the soup overall tasted delicious. It had the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Once we left the Café, the reaction took place quickly. 

I usually break out in red spots when I have an allergic reaction, but nothing like the sensation that I described above has ever happened. I asked to come home immediately because my stomach started feeling sick. About an hour after we came home, I started to feel better. My dad figured that it was a minor reaction compared to what could have happened. That is why we didn’t rush to the hospital. I am happy that we didn’t. Well, I guess I am allergic to soy chicken. Never again am I to eat it. 

I am glad that this is my last blog. To be honest, I am ready to go back to my usual diet. This is not the life I would choose to live if I had other options. Always watching what I eat and wondering if I am breaking the rules… it just doesn’t seem right to me.

Somehow I found a way to make up the blog that I missed. I was going through them to see which one I hadn’t done, then I realized that today is the twenty-ninth, and I am on my twenty-ninth blog. I am relieved.

“Raw Food for Real People” by Rod Rotohdi is an interesting vegan book. The author kind of seems like a peace maker. “It offers a way of nourishing ourselves that delivers vibrant health and vitality. It also takes into account the emotional comfort we derive from food that satisfies both body and spirit. Rod’s food philosophy provides a guide to conscious eating for real people”. That was an excerpt from the starting pages of the book. One thing I don’t understand is the term “real” people. So, are the rest of us not real?

It kind of bothers me when I read books and the author makes it seem like doing anything other than what they approve of is abnormal or not as good. I mean, in my opinion, I was a well human being before I started this project. I understand that there are certain aspects that make vegans more caring and healthier than non vegans, but it’s not like I wasn’t well before doing this. They all seem to be very opinionated and set on the fact that going vegan is the way to go.

I guess I am starting to support that mentality now that I have done all of this research, but a friend told me that if you aren’t vegan all the way and try to hold the title of a vegan, you are as good as kicked out of the community. This was not a person that I interviewed who told me that. I understand their passion for saving animals, but why think of us as animal killers? We’re not the ones who killed them! I mean, yes we are supporting it by eating animals and providing a reason to kill more of them. We aren’t doing it to kill them though. It was just for the pleasure of eating meat.

A book that really caught my attention the other day was titled: “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Cooking” written by Beverly Cynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano. For some reason, all the “Idiot’s Guide” books make me want to read them. By saying this, I am not proclaiming my thoughts of being an idiot. I just think it’s a catchy title. Also, it’s obvious that in those books, they lay out exactly what they mean by using simple context and vocabulary.

Anyways, something that I found in this book is actually a dish that I have been eating al my life. I grew up eating tabouli, and it was actually my favorite dish until I discovered my mother’s bean stew. I will include the recipe for tabouli in my portfolio since it’s my favorite dish. My mother also includes some chopped onions to add to the flavor. I eat tabouli by creating a lettuce wrap. I put a small amount of tabouli inside a piece of leuutce, then wrap the lettuce and eat it.

The idea is similar to that of the lettuce wrap at P. F. Chang’s. The contents of tabouli are much healthier though. This is because the one at P. F. Chang’s includes meat and a fattening sauce. My mom and I made tabouli today, and I enjoyed eating it as much as I am enjoying writing about it right now. I was glad to see that one of my all time favorite dishes counts as a popular vegan dish.

I eat salad every night for dinner. I always have, and I’m pretty sure I always will. I guess that is just something you get used to enjoying once you’ve had it every day. One thing that I miss eating though is sushi. Sushi is one of my favorite things to eat. Before they changed owners, I always went to Sushi Fix off La Costa Avenue. They have the best California hand rolls, even though that doesn’t count as real sushi. They also have great spicy tuna rolls that I used to indulge upon. The second that this project is over, I’m heading strait for a sushi house.

Okay, it is the day after Thanksgiving, and almost time for my project to come to an end. I read a book called “Student’s go Vegan” in Barns and Noble. It was a vegan cookbook and it jumps right into recipes. “Twice-Baked Potato stuffed with Broccoli” looks scrumptious.

We have so much left over food from last night’s feast. Unfortunately, the majority of the left over food is turkey. I wish we had some more stuffing, but it seemed to be the crowd’s favorite. There is some cooked corn on the bottom drawer of our fridge, but I don’t feel like eating plain corn. I used to spread butter on top of my corn and cook it in the oven. It tasted the best that way. I learned not too long ago that Brazilian’s eat their corn with sour cream and a special sauce. I went to a Brazilian festival and saw that almost everyone had corn and sauce in their hands. I wanted to get it, but then thought about the amount of fat that the corn probably possessed. That thought alone stopped me from getting it.

I mentioned that story above because I just realized that I was a pretty picky eater before this project. I avoided extra fat on foods, and no matter how good it smelled or looked, if it was fattening I would avoid it. I have to say that this fear of becoming fat comes from my sister and my mother. I have kind of paranoia of becoming fat, and if I know that there is a food that will contribute to me being fat then I will avoid it. I guess it is good for the long run, but to be completely honest my reasoning for becoming a vegan (if I were to ever really consider doing it) would be the reasons that are stated in the book “This Crazy Vegan Life”.

Potatoes

Today is Thanksgiving. All of my relatives are coming over at around 1:00 p.m. and I am very excited for tonight’s dinner. I decided not to even bother with a tofu turkey. For some reason, I don’t even feel like eating turkey today. Instead, I have asked to help make all of the side dished, and my mom agreed to do it my style. I am saving my appetite for tonight, so I am just going to eat a plain bagel until dinner.

We had ten people over today. We had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner and I got to cook all of the side dishes with my mom and uncle. It was a lot of fun. First off, we steamed broccoli and had this delicious olive oil and sesame sauce to go with it. Next, we steamed asparagus and squeezed lemon juice on top. I added salt and pepper on top to add to the flavor. Season salt and grinded red pepper also adds and nice spicy flavor to it. I helped my uncle create the stuffing as well. We made it with corn, chopped onions, parsley, and vegan sausages that I bought from the store, several different spices, olive oil, bread crumbs, and steamed white rice. It turned out to be very tasty. We also made out own cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and wheat rolls were on the table as well.

I ate everything on the table except for the yogurt dish that my mom made, and the turkey of course. The sausage was a good supplement. Mr. Greenslate suggested that I try them, but I said “no way” in class when he suggested it. I am actually really happy that I tried them, and the taste is actually pretty good. I am starting to see why it is possible for people to stay vegan. There are many incentives to it, and the replacement food is actually pretty tasty.

Well, I had a great thanksgiving and I was happy that everyone enjoyed the meal. Food is a huge part of our lives. I am starting to understand the quote “you are what you eat”.

I read this book today called “This Crazy Vegan Life” written by Christina Pirello. Her style of writing was a bit different from those which I have read in past vegan books. She incorporated a different look on why people should become vegan. Especially when comparing to the book “Becoming Vegan”. This book is more practical. Her style of writing is informal and relatable. One excerpt from the book that I would like to share in my blog is the following. “I don’t have time for al the preparation and cooking that veggies need. Puh-leeze! If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one, I could retire… we’re not splitting the atom here, we’re steaming broccoli.”

Christina Pirello writes with more oomph and tries to make it easy for the reader to join in on becoming vegan. She listed the positive outcomes of following what she recommends in her book. 1. Lose weight 2. Get fit 3. Get healthy 4. Look young 5. Age magnificently 6. Be nice to the planet 7. Fundamentally rethink your life

When comparing with the other books, just be reading the first page of this book I could tell that it was meant for people who are not just concerned with animal rights. Most of the books that I have read so far contain facts and information regarding animal cruelty and slaughterhouses. This book however jumped right into typical human concerns such as health, weight, and looks. I think that most readers appreciate that she included those aspects of going vegan, and not just what is happening to animals.

Today I weighed myself and I am 114 pounds. I didn’t think it would be possible to gain weight from this project, but I guess my body managed. I have been compensating for my lack of usual diet by eating more, so I guess it makes sense that I gained a little weight. I don’t see how else I would keep up my energy.

My Sweet Vegan

Vitamins are a very important part of the vegan diet. I read about it in “Becoming Vegan”. The authors said that the most important vitamin to be taking is vitamin B12. They call it the “vital vitamin”. It is cobalamin (mineral cobalt) and helps reproduce red blood cells that are produced in bone marrow.

The book gave a list of important vitamins to be taking, and told what each one of them does. Vitamin B is essential because it is abundant in grains and legumes. Vitamins A & C contain vegetables and fruits. Vitamin E contains plant oils (leafy greens), and E contains nuts and seeds.

The book says that riboflavin (vitamin B2) might be a concern for vegans because a major source of the nutrient is milk. Nutritionists were concerned with the vitamin, but also say that many vegan foods contain riboflavin. They also now have riboflavin-fortified soy and grain milks for people to take without worrying. The recommended intakes for B12 are 2.4 micrograms per day.

I checked out some vegan cookbooks that I found on the same shelf, and the pictures were very appealing. One of the books was titled “My Sweet Vegan” by Hannah Kaminsk. When going through this vegan dessert book, I found a recipe for a dessert called “Graham Flour Fig Scones”. It looked absolutely delicious. The ingredients were given, and it actually looks really easy to make. My mother frequently makes fig jam, so I am used to and love the taste of figs. There are several books similar to the one that I picked up. I just got the one with the most appealing cover picture.  

One of the books that I picked up also included a vegan food pyramid. I am going to include one in my portfolio, but I also took a picture of the one in to book. Unfortunately, it’s not in high resolution because I took it off my phone’s camera.

Sipz Cafe menu

I did my interview with Aj Tadayon today and he was very insightful. He informed me that there is such a thing called “vegan culture”. I was interested in hearing what he had to say about it, because I did not include anything about vegan culture in my interview. Apparently there is vegan music, and vegan communities. To be honest, I really had no idea that vegan music existed. He told me about this band called “Cattle Decapitation” and how in their music video, they incorporate gruesome clips and images of animal cruelty. I was tempted at first to go on youtube.com and search for this music video, but I have a weak stomach and I don’t want to end up sick from watching it. Point is, I get it. There are many things that go on behind closed doors and we, as the public are not exposed to it. Markets keep it all behind closed doors to sell their products, but after researching facts I now know what goes on.

He told me that his parents were not supportive of him becoming a vegan. I actually understand his parent’s reaction. My parents were also the same way. When I first proposed the idea to them and told them that it was just for a thirty day project, they didn’t object. However, the second day into my project, they said “no way!” and basically flipped out. I continued, because it was important for my school grade and I had a plan to finish my project. I guess meat eating is also a cultural thing.

I asked him if he had lost any weight from going vegan, and he told me that it was his main physical change. He said that he switched from vegan to vegetarian though because it gave him some of his energy back. I understand the lack of energy part. I really started feeling weak, but for some reason, that went away when i started eating more.

Parsley

Today is the first official day of Thanksgiving break. I am so excited for this week because besides doing these blogs, I have no homework. I can sleep as late as I would like, and wake up without an alarm clock. There is one major reason why I am excited for this break, though. I can eat on my own time. It was getting to be very stressful having to skip lunch sometimes because I had no time to pack something quick like a snack bar. I am really sick of eating fruits for lunch. I know there are all sorts of recipes to follow up on, but I really have no time n the morning to pack some great vegan lunch.

I do want to write more about the information that I collected from the book that I have taken interest in, “Becoming Vegan”. Here is another animal fact that I did not know: “male checks (from laying hens) killed per year by suffocation, gas, or grinding in the U.S.: 200 million.” Back at my old elementary school, we had our own miniature farm. I went to a private school called Country Montessori and we kept all sorts of animals on school grounds. We had goats, rabbits, chickens, a pet snake, a gecko, and even pet rats. I wasn’t aware of the type of treatment that these animals receive.

From the book: approximately 0.73 billion tons of solid sewage waste comes from North American Humans. Now that has got to be one of the most disturbing facts of all. To think that we are the ones who are killing and stinking up the earth all at once.

Besides reading, I went to my grandparent’s house today where my grandmother cooked one of my favorite dishes. It is a bean stew, and I told her not to cook it with butter. She looked at me like I was crazy at first, then she took out a separate pot and put all the essentials in it. She told me to cook it however I would like. I miss her stew. I guess olive oil isn’t that bad once you get used to it.