my vegan transition...

my progression from vegetarianism to full-on veganism was a long time in the happening, but as a result of reading a lot of heart-wrenching articles and viewing a plethora of horrific graphics on animal welfare over the past few months i was forced to stop procrastinating - reality could no longer be denied - i couldn't fool myself anymore with the blinkered belief that the organic milk, cheese and free range egg industries meant humanely treated animals compared to the cruelty perpetrated by battery farms, feed lots and the overstocked and under-regulated farming industry in general - nor could i disregard the fact that even if there was some semblance of humane treatment (a rarity, mostly a fallacy!!), in the end the animals are still slaughtered for human consumption.

it's been remarkably easy (for the most part) - i have't had a drastic change in my eating habits - a lot of my menu was already vegan  (you just can't go past a yummy chickpea and/or vegie curry - it just gets served minus the yoghurt dip these days!!) - and animal liberation has been  integral to my personal politics for decades...

but yes, there are some things i miss, like the animal-rennet-free cheeses i enjoyed - and no, soy cheese just doesn't 'cut it' - you would think soy cheese was just that wouldn't you? alas you still have to read the labels because a lot of the soy cheeses contain casein or calcium caseinate, a milk protein used to give the 'cheese' texture!!! i tried the non-dairy 'tofutti' the other day - i could only get the american-style soy slices but that was rather disgusting - maybe the bright orangey colour turned me off a bit when it was melted - maybe the mozzerella slices might be better if i can find them!!! but then it does come from america, home of cheese in a can!!!!! 

surprisingly i found that i quite enjoy a good soy latte - but that depends on the 'barista's' competence - if they make horrible coffee it doesn't matter what 'milk' they use, they're just crap coffee makers!!! and it needs to be hot (when did lukewarm coffee become 'the norm'???) some say it depends on the brand of soy used, but i've had the same brand from different outlets and they've all tasted different - some good, some bad!!! i don't mind the nutty flavour but no, i couldn't just have a glass - i can only have it as a latte!!!! rice milk is not too bad as a replacement in a cup of tea or instant coffee (not as strong as soy!!) and it's quite okay with cereal (oooh, maybe i'm putting more sugar on the cereal though!!!!) - and i've just tried a vanilla soy milk which is quite yummy!!

i'm going to try out a cake recipe this weekend that a work colleague gave me... a very simple recipe - 1 cup flour, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup raw sugar, 1 cup milk (soy, rice - whatever you prefer - you could probably replace some of the liquid with orange, lemon or lime juice for a tangy flavour) and that's it... he adds a whole grated nutmeg nut to his - guess you could also use cinnamon, or mixed spice... hope it turns out as yummy as michael g's!!!!!

unfortunately peoples attitudes are one of the hardest things to deal with - cynicism, sarcasm, being looked on as an absolute weirdo, the belief by some that it's 'just a phase', others who believe it's 'just a diet' - yes, some people do follow vegetarian or vegan dietary practices purely for health reasons, but that doesn't make them vegetarian or vegan, it just means they eat vegetarian or vegan food!!! i am well over hearing the phrase "I used to be vegetarian/vegan but..." i've heard it many times over the years but i'm not sure how people expect me to react to it - am i meant to feel understanding of, or comraderie with, a perceived 'shared experience'? sorry, i don't - all i can say to a comment like that is "if you weren't 'doing it for the animals' you weren't vegetarian or vegan - they're lifestyle choices, not just eating regimes!!!"


these same attitudes have existed much of my vegetarian life so nothing has changed on that front - however people do find vegetarianism easier to comprehend than veganism... perhaps that has something to do with veganism being a philosophy, a way of life, a political stand, a belief in animal liberation...

if you have a vegan friend that you want to share a bottle of wine with, why not try a bottle of  ishtar from balthazar of the barossa vineyard...

i was looking for a bottle to share with a friend and just couldn't go past a wine named after "a Babylonian Goddess of Love and War – the chief goddess in the pantheon of Babylonian Gods and Goddesses"!!

with no mention on the bottle of the fining agents used, i emailed the winery - run by a womon named Anita Bowen - and received a very prompt reply, which read in part...




"... appreciate your enquiry, as I am very aware of dietary issues around wine, given my list of severe food allergies. NO, I don’t use any animal products (fish, milk or egg derived) as I don’t use any fining agents in making my wines. The only addition I make is a minimum amount of sulphur dioxide to prevent oxidization/spoilage..."

no longer sharing life and space with a partner who was a long term alcoholic has definitely changed the way i drink these days - i very rarely buy alcohol to have at home, but if i do it's usually when socialising with friends (that's also rarely these days!) - so it's nice to be able to say when i drink now, it's for the taste and pleasure - not just to 'get pissed,' and not because being pissed is the only way to share time with an alcoholic partner...