I love my doctor, the shame of it is, that everyone else loves him too, so it takes forever to see him.  I had to schedule my appointment a month in advance, and when I got to his office there was an hour and a half wait.  He notoriously runs behind because he likes to spend time with patients and provide good care.

He came into the office and asked what was new?  I told him a lot was new.  I was upfront about going vegan, and he was actually a little confused about a vegan was.  Though he didn’t mind when I told him I don’t eat any animal products.  He agreed with me that we should check my absorption of my major vitamins to make sure I’m getting what I need.

He also said he thought whatever I was doing was working for me, and was amazed that I hadn’t really lost any weight since my last visit, in reality I did I gained 7lbs and lost 7lbs, but that I looked healthier and slimmer than my last visit.  The only complaint I had was night time allergies.

This was a happy appointment because in the past I have struggled with migraines, and flareups of some other medical conditions I have.  This was the first time in a year or so that things were going well.

It all started with an incident on Sunday involving a burrito and sour cream, and continues into this morning with stinging hands.  I was tired and lazy, and thus not careful when cutting up my hot peppers.   Also yesterday I had to run to the grocery store on my way to work because I didn’t have any food prepared for lunch and dinner (I work 12 hours on Mondays).  My kitchen is a mess, I am incredibly behind on dishes, and nearly out of food, and don’t know when I’m going to get a chance to go shopping.

I’ve read experiences of people going vegan where it all sounds like that, and there is no joy.  I’ve had a lousy couple of days when it comes to food, however, it has not gotten me down.  Probably because I made awesome vegan stroganoff over the weekend, and had a kick ass week full of recipes last week.

I’ve learned throughout this whole experience that so much of it requires good perspective and planning.  I’m beginning to think that the ten years I spent working towards being successfully vegan were worthwhile.  Because in those ten years I learned the basics of cooking, about nutrition, about alternative food stuffs.  It got to the point where I knew so much about being vegan that it would have been ridiculous for me to continue to not be one.

It’s hard then, for me to advise people who are having trouble, because I went vegan from a different place in life than most.  I picked a natural stopping place for dairy, so I don’t crave that much, I knew many of rights and wrongs of preparing food.  I know what to tell these new vegans, in terms of how to make shopping easier, how to make cooking easier, but the emotion level of it?  I simply don’t understand, and I wish I did.  All I’ve got to say to them is, hang in there, and learn as much as you can in the meantime.

Today we decided to head over to my parents’ house. Along the way I knew I would be hungry so we stopped by David’s Natural Market to pick up some bulgar and some lunch. It was kind of a sad homecoming, I used to work there, and when I did the cafe was nearly completely vegan. I had a rough time finding something I could eat there and had to order my food without bread because the only options were whole wheat, which usually contain honey. However, their soups were vegan, and were very delicious. David’s continues to have a very large selection of foodstuffs, though the staff these days don’t seem to be as knowledgeable, though the management is largely the same.

I got a new winter coat today, picture to come, it isn’t anything special, and comes from JC Penney’s. So the labor practices are somewhat questionable. The coat is mostly synthetic (though I prefer cotton), and is very nice looking but practical. It also has a removable lining, and is of course, vegan. It was on sale for $80, which is pretty good for a new versatile, completely machine washable winter coat. Since I lack photos, here is one. I know I could do better, but this was what was feasible this time around. I’ve been searching the union and fair trade companies on the internet and haven’t found anything comparable to this.

Then we went and got new glasses, that actually match our plates, and also I got some bar mops for the kitchen, several different kinds. I am hoping to phase out paper towels completely, but I know that will take awhile. I will soon also be making my own laundry detergent using Dr Bronner’s, Borax, and washing soda (equal parts). I’ve already switched to using citrus cleaner in the kitchen, and it has been working really well. Not only are these products vegan, and not tested on animals, they are also better for the environment which I think is important as well. I say it in nearly every post so I will stop the spiel there.

When we got home I hit the kitchen and started making Seitan and Portabello Stroganoff, from a recipe I got from Vegan with a Vengeance. It came out 110% delicious. Today was also the day we decided to do Thanksgiving at my parent’s house and I will be making a ton of vegan dishes to contribute to the meal. Over the past few weeks I have become so confident in my cooking abilities. I am now tackling more complex recipes, and feeling comfortable making some adjustments. Considering that I started this process barely able to cook at all, I think I am living proof that cooking is a learned skill just like everything else. I don’t think I will ever be a cooking genius, but in a short period of time I feel like I’ve become confident.

Today I consumed at least three servings of fruit, in about three minutes, without chewing a single bite.  After work I want a tasty snack, and all that was available to me was the 7-11.  Tropicana, which I’m not terribly fond of ended up providing me with a fruit smoothie and pure orange juice (most likely from concentrate).  Though something to keep an eye out on with the smoothies, see carmine is all natural, unlike red 40.  AND carmine comes from beetles, unlike red 40.  This is one of those instances where the all natural route becomes a cruel route.

Not to mention I don’t like to eat things with high fructose corn syrup or dye anyways, I find it disturbing.  Such ingredients also wreck my skin and make me feel gross.  Being vegan is not an excuse to eat processed crap just because it’s vegan, no matter what PETA says.  I use veganism as a means to know what is going into my body, and eating purer foods.

I still eat potato chips, but only the kind where the ingredients read potatoes, *insert veggie oil here*, and salt.  Because I am sick of this confusing, so processed it makes my head hurt to find out where it comes from, crap.  Same with juices and candies, though candy usually disappoints me with mysterious sugar-like ingredients.

However, since going vegan and increasing the amount of fruit I eat has decreased my desire to eat sweets.  I can’t remember the last time I ate something that contains high fructose corn syrup.  I’ve had chocolate a handful of times.  I am eating better, and it’s an indirect consequence of me eating more ethically.  I know it’s not good for the environment, and possibly not even vegan to eat highly processed crap like high fructose corn syrup, so I don’t consume it.  Veganism to me is not just about animals, it’s about the environment and people as well.  Not to mention that people are indeed animals.

Being vegan (to me) means making a conscientious effort to recycle, it means making the effort to buy from companies that don’t use sweat shop labor, it means promoting unions, buying eco-friendly products, it is all a part of one big package.  Because what kind of world will we have if we have liberated animals but everything else is falling a part?

I have several recipes I want to prepare this week that require wholesome grains, like barley and bulgar wheat, and I am going out of my mind trying to find them. Yesterday, I had forgotten to put bulgar wheat on my list, but I knew to look for barley. After a tedius time searching Whole Foods I found the empty rack that was supposed to contain barley, they were out of it.

Today I went armed with my shopping list to the local Giant, figuring that barley and bulgar wheat would not be difficult to find. Was I ever wrong, I left with only the barley which was in small boxes stored somewhere with the rice. I couldn’t find it, my husband found the barley when after we scoured the aisle together for five minutes.

When I inquired about the bulgar wheat I was told it was in a completely different aisle than the barley and I spent at least five minutes searching aisle 11 with the cookies, and there was no bulgar wheat to be found. Finally I gave up on the bulgar wheat and decided to call the local natural food store in the morning.

I didn’t know what this weekend was going to hold for me.  All I knew was that I was going to be camping with 400 of my closest friends, and with 12 of my best friends.  I loaded the cooler before departing with 6 huge vats of food, three things of hummus, and some scones.

Before I go into what happened while I was there, let me describe Playa del Fuego, PDF.  PDF creates it’s own reality, there is no commerce aloud, art is abundant, and anything goes.  I think that most people change in some way when they enter the gates, because the standard laws of society for the most part, cease to apply.  Things usually return to normal upon leaving, but a glimmer of the experience often remains.

I wasn’t too worried about staying vegan, as I don’t really get cravings for non-vegan food, however I realized during my last night of the event that I was no longer thinking about being vegan, I was just vegan.  Boxes of foodstuffs were causally picked up to see whether or not I could eat them, without the vegan chorus singing in my head.

People also loved the food I made, and there will be many e-mails sent with the titles of the cookbooks I used, and links to recipes.  And to my knowledge no one added dairy cheese to any of the dishes, they were consumed and enjoyed for what they were.   People walking on the path outside our camp also came in to see what we were eating, and they were fed too.

I think after four days of being immersed in my food, and me reassuring them that none of it had been hard to make, that my friends started looking at my veganism differently.  I was pretty much just like everyone else when it came to food that weekend.  I wasn’t seen as limiting myself in anyway.

One very cool thing was that there was no meat in our camp, and usually the only dishes present were vegan ones, with the occasional cheese here and there.  We also had tons of coffee and we creamed everyone’s coffee with soy milk, or they had to make due and drink it black.

The trip marked a transitioning point for me, being vegan is a way of life for me now, it isn’t something I’m constantly working to maintain or striving for.   I just know what to do now to stay cruelty free.

I spent the entire day cooking.  I made two different types of wraps (tofu and falafel), three kinds of hummus, black bean salad, slightly screwed up pad thai, tahini green bean salad, mushroom risotto, orange scones, and probably something I’m forgetting.

On top of that I have been gathering up all my vegan cosmetics, and body care items, and clothes, and shoes, and art supplies.   I still have a page long list of things I need to pack, and I need to clean the kitchen before I can get out of here.

This trip is going to be fantastic, and for me at least, it’s going to be entirely vegan.

One interesting thing to note, from breaking in my new shoes I got a little infection on my left big toe, I scrubbed it with some Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil Soap and let it air out a bit, and the infection looks like it has cleared.

First,  I’ve received some very touching comments in the past few days from fellow new vegans who have said this blog has helped them go vegan or stay vegan.  That is really awesome, because that’s the primary reason why this blog is here, and I want to thank those individuals for letting me know, and encourage them to start writing too, the more the merrier.

I think one of my coworkers still hasn’t completely caught on about the whole vegan thing and calls it “health food” even though when she asks why I can eat something, I answer honestly and say there’re animals in it.  For the moment it is almost amusing, but I know that sentiment won’t last long.

I’m also kinda confused and amazed at the number of people I know who have been willing to cook for me, or who immediately start rattling off vegan recipes they know.  It’s awkward, though it’s a step up from deadly silence, or outright hostility.  Though it still makes me uncomfortable, possibly because I see myself in it.  Since I’ve know what a vegan was I’ve felt the need to make an appeal to them.  Now I’m the vegan in the situation and it’s weird.

I’ve been hungry constantly the past few days, with no discernible reason why.  I’m eating like crazy.  Tonight I broke into my playa stash and devoured the better half of a jar of salsa.  I have a feeling that this has something to do with being female, and that I am going to be unpleasanty surprise in the next few hours or days.

I am bracing myself for the cooking extravaganza that is going to start tomorrow night.  I have about 5 dishes to prepare for my trip to Playa del Fuego, I want to live in luxury while I’m there, and only touch a stove to reheat my food throughout the entire event.  For the most part I’m doing tried and true recipes.  The mushroom risotto, pad thai, black bean salad, moroccan tagine, and a new green bean salad I’m trying out.  There will of course be tons of hummus.

One of my biggest concerns is going to be keeping myself caffeinated while camping, we’re going to have a generator, but preparing coffee even with a coffee maker in the middle of a field is a little bit more tedious.  I really want to avoid sodas, they are so bad for you, and high fructose corn syrup makes me paranoid.  I’m convinced that it’s not vegan.

Anyways, after the 4th I may only be able to make brief posts until I return on the 8th.  I will have my palm, phone, and keyboard on the trip.  I may not have cell service though.  I also may not care, or have time

Wednesday night was disappointing, I went to a vegan meetup at Baltimore’s only vegan restaurant. There are over a 150 people enrolled in the meetup, though only 9 had said yes. Still, it would be an evening with some vegans right? Wrong.

There were 3 vegans (including myself), and the rest were vegetarians and vegetarians (who eat fish). Last time I checked fish had a face. It was a huge disappointment because I wanted to talk about good vegan finds, and all about being vegan, and vegetarians when vegans do this get all guilty looking or outright offended.

So much for the vegan meetup, but there was a screw-up with my order the Yabba Pot was very apologetic though. However, this gave me the time to talk one on one with the meetup organizer, who also head’s up Baltimore’s chapter of Earth Save.  We sparred a bit on welfarist versus abolitionist viewpoints.  It was nice to have a face to face chat about veganism, even if we didn’t agree.

The Happy Cow paints a grim picture for restaurant dining in Baltimore, MD. It is quite close to accurate, I only know of three vegan friendly venues in Baltimore, and they list two of them. There are in fact three: The Yabba Pot of Charles Village, Red Emma’s Bookstore/Coffeehouse of Mount Vernon, and Liquid Earth of Fell’s Point.

The Yabba Pot is located 2433 St Paul St and is a vegan restaurant. I’ve retyped this section of this entry trying to find a way to describe them and their food, but keep failing. The best I can say is that the food is very savory and delicious. Most of the items are out on heating trays, though they make some in the back. They have things like curried spinach, and jerk califlower, and other vegan treats. They also have a wide array of fresh juices.

Moving south, Red Emma’s Bookstore/Coffeehouse If the name Red Emma’s didn’t tip you off it’s a radical bunch. But the food! Vegan items are vegan, and vegetarian items are vegetarian. There is no need to ask for substitutes or for things to be removed from sandwiches or wraps. There are two cheese sandwiches, cream cheese, and milk. However, there is also tofutti, soy milk and a lot of menu options that are already vegan. There is also no extra charge for soy products, which I have termed the vegan tax.

All the way down in Fell’s Point Liquid Earth is vegetarian, however for vegans it gets a little tricky. If I remember nearly all their menu items need to be modified, there is a vegan tax for vegan cheese, and there is honey in a lot of the juices. Everything can be ordered vegan, and I trust that the delivered product is vegan, but getting to that point can be a little tedious. I do like them anyways though, they only except cash, and ingredients are fresh. Liquid Earth doesn’t appear to have a website of their own but they are located at 1626 Aliceanna St. Baltimore, MD.