I never was a scout but I do believe that preparation often plays a role in one’s success.
That’s why I took a few precautions before heading over the family Easter gathering. I made a decent lunch for hubby and I so that I wouldn’t be as tempted to snack on all the dairy-laden snacks. I made for the first time Gardein’s brand of classic style buffalo wings. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of mock chicken products. I rarely buy them. But I wanted to try something new so I scooped these up the last time I was at Whole Foods. They were easy to prepare… basically just take them out of the package, place in a baking dish and heat in oven (the company’s recommended cooking method) per the directions. I put together a salad and nuked two potatoes in the microwave in the time it took to cook the faux chicken wings.
The verdict? I’m still not a fan of mock chicken products. The texture is never right for me. Too spongey or something. Really turns me off. Hubby won’t be giving up his chicken anytime soon but he did really like the sauce on these, which according to him, makes or breaks a mock meat product… so a thumb’s up from the omnivore.
Then, to survive an omnivorous holiday dinner, I took along a big bowl of salad to pass, and it doubled as my main course. Lots of greens, red leaf and spinach topped with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, red and orange bell peppers, carrots, red onion, celery, Craisins and pine nuts. Also in tow was a package of the orange cake from Amy’s Kitchen. I knew my family would be serving up carrot cake, and I knew I wanted to avoid it, so I brought the vegan orange cake instead. Again, this was the first time I had the product… and I loved it! I love most orange-flavored things to begin with and this was no exception. As a frozen cake, I was a little worried it would be dry once it was thawed, but it turned out to be so moist and yummy! I devoured almost the whole thing (not in one setting though!)… hubby did manage to get a piece and liked it as well.
Thanks for the good news about the Amy’s cake. I’ve seen it at my local grocery the past couple visits but have been afraid to try it! It’s still a little pricey, but perhaps for a special occasion…
That’s what it’s all about… figuring out how to make it work for you. Well done!
I noticed you said that you would be tempted around dairy. Since I read The Kind Diet, which brought me back to veganism late last year, after a 6 year hiatus into pescetarianism, I haven’t looked at diary and egg products the same. Silverstone blatantly calls those foods “nasty.” From the terrible production of the product, to the animal’s suffering, it is plain nasty. I correct my husband EVERYTIME he says (which isn’t often really), “Oh, you can’t have that.” I say, “I can have anything I want; I choose not to have that.” I have a few “nasty images” filed away upstairs to reflect on when a piece of cake looks enticing. More than just the animals, my veganism is about my health, and my body deserving better than mucus-laden, antibiotic riddled, painfully harvested milk. You deserve the same!! Bon Appétit!
It was really good Adrienne. Definitely worth it for a special occasion!
Thanks Autumn. I’ve been staying away from eggs and cut back on dairy for awhile now, but have decided to go the vegan route for what I hope will be for good. Tomorrow will be one full week. I won’t claim to be perfect… it’ll be a journey to adjust my habits and lifestyle but I’m very excited about it, both for my health and for the animals. It’s going to be a switch for me and for hubby but he’s been incredibly supportive thus far… especially when I brought home a box of So Delicious Banana Split Ice “cream” sandwiches! He loved those! LOL
I get around the cake issue a lot of times by volunteering to make it! I have made vegan cakes/cupcakes during the past year for all of my immediate family for holidays and birthdays, to rave reviews, even from some of the more picky, omnivore kids.
There are a couple of books I would recommend for vegan baking: The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and of course, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. The cupcake recipes can easily be used as cakes, if desired. These books really changed the way I bake, and I will never go back to using eggs!