Eating Animals: Part 2 - The Foodie Debate

What is a foodie? Wikipedia says it's “an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink.” Merriam-Webster defines "foodie" as “a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads.” I didn't use the term "foodie" to describe myself until late in college, when I first discovered cooking (in other words, when I first discovered the Food Network). Junior and senior year, I had three girlfriends (S, A and J) who also considered themselves foodies, and we regularly got together to throw potlucks, try new restaurants, or simply just discuss our love for food. The funny thing is, S is a vegetarian and A doesn’t eat pork (J and I, however, ate just about anything). S and A's dietary restrictions never really got in the way, but J and I often wondered how they could live without experiencing the sweet and succulent joy that is pork. (For the record, I LOVE pork. It's the meat I miss the most.) I mean, I used to make fun of S all the time for being a vegetarian! (She KNEW I was kidding, and because she's got such a great attitude and sense of humor, she often played along. This is why I love you, S.)

Here's the thing: I never thought you could truly be a foodie if you didn't eat meat. I believe the same to be true for people who don't enjoy vegetables, dark chocolate, stinky cheese and red wine. That's pretty stupid and snotty of me, yes, but I'm just being honest here (and hypocritical b/c there are definitely some things I refuse to eat – helloooo, tripe). So when I made the decision to cut out meat, the first thought that popped into my head was, “But how can I call myself a foodie if I don’t eat meat?!” If that’s not bad enough, if I throw out eggs, cheese, and seafood, then WHAT does that make me? Can one be a vegan and still be a foodie? I don’t know. I do know, however, that many of you will say yes. And that’s why I’m writing this.

My identity as a foodie is at stake. My ability to throw successful dinner parties for my friends in Austin (who, for the record, are nowhere near vegetarian or vegan) is in danger. What will people think? Will they still invite me to dinner? And WHAT about Ina? Yes, I’m talkin bout THE Barefoot Contessa! She’s, like, my foodie idol! I love her recipes because they are simple, fresh, decadent and DELICIOUS. Can I betray her like that? What about all the food blogs I follow? What about Gourmet and Bon Appetit and even Cooking Light? Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain? I mean, I am all about Clueless, but Alicia, we have no food history (YET).

Last night I couldn’t stop thinking about food. YAY guacamole is vegan! Darn, queso is definitely not. Tex-Mex is going to be tough. Asian, however, is a good option for a vegan diet. Italian? Fuhgettaboutit! Tuna melts? OUT. Lobster bisque? OUT. What the hell can I eat??

Finally, right before I drifted off to sleep, I decided to shutup and RELAX. I can still be a foodie, damn it! A foodie is anyone who loves and appreciates good food, whatever that food may (or may not) contain. I will, however, need to re-teach myself how to cook. Lasagna, bolognese and cornbread casserole can no longer be my go-to’s (probably a good thing seeing as how those are all heart attacks waiting to happen). I’m going to have to do my research, be creative, and keep an open mind. It’s not that vegan recipes don’t sound good to me; they just don’t sound satisfying. But what do I know? I haven’t tried enough to make that call.

So instead of being thoroughly depressed, I’ve decided to get really REALLY excited. And thanks to you all, I’m getting oodles of great ideas, recipes, tips and tricks. This weekend I plan to spend a LONG time studying the aisles of Whole Foods. The Kind Diet is on its way. Even my MOM is being supportive (this woman was less than thrilled to learn about my new vegetarian diet when I returned from Londy)! Together we brainstormed about which of my fave Korean dishes we could veganize. Bibimbap without the meat and egg? Definitely not the same, but STILL delicious (as long as it's SPICY)!

My sister thinks I’m nuts, but I know she’ll happily oblige to my dietary needs when I visit. My real-life friends? Well, I don’t know. Matty and I will most definitely have to re-think Nachos Thursday. Tomorrow night I’m dining with foodie friends in town for a wedding, and we’re doing tex-mex. Huh. And what about my potential trip to NY this Spring? No Lombardi’s pizza for moi.

It’s not going to be easy. Not everyone will be thrilled. But I’m doing this for me, and despite all my questions and concerns and panic attacks, I’m tres happy about it. And if my social life has to suffer because of it, SO BE IT!

Terribly sorry for the rambling. Um… thoughts??

Things I'm Loving: Hump Day Edition

It's Hump Day, so I thought, what is more appropriate than a completely random Things I'm Loving list? Makes sense, no? Enjoy! ;)

1. Party Pink Lips

{image: knightcat}

2. Learn a New Language Shower Curtain (i'm partial to the French version, but Spanish is probably more appropriate considering i know zero espanol, and i live in TX)



3. Kell On Earth - As Crystal commented, it's no RZP, but it definitely satiates my appetite for behind-the-scenes fashion reality tv.



4. Sultry Bangs - Everytime I think I want to grow out my bangs, I see a pic like this and completely change my mind.


{image: nicolerichie.celebuzz.com}

5. The amazing feedback I'm getting from this post. I'm learning so much, and I *so* appreciate the support - you have no idea. Also? I'm loving guacamole. Because last night I realized it is vegan-friendly, and that made me really happy (especially after I heartbreakingly realized that queso is definitely not.)

Eating Animals: Part One

First, a DISCLAIMER: This is going to be one in a series of many blog posts in which I will discuss my thoughts and opinions on all things vegetarian and vegan. I am not, in any way, attacking your choices, decisions, and/or lifestyle. I happily ate all kinds of pig, cow, shrimp, lobster, etc. for 20+ years, and so I completely respect your decision to eat, or not to eat, animals. Please do not take offense to anything I write. If you know me, then you know that offending you is my very last intention. As far as this topic goes, I am navigating uncharted waters. It's difficult and emotional and think-y (yes, that's a word in my world) and I'm just trying to sort this all out, albeit publicly. Please respect that.

PHEW, that being said, let's get on with it, shall we? I have not finished Eating Animals, but I'm pretty darn close. After bringing this book on a few solo lunch dates, I quickly realized that it's the kind of book best read home alone in close proximity to a box of tissues and a trash receptacle. I am equal parts horrified (read: nauseous) and saddened (read: hysterical sobs) by the information Foer presents, which is remarkable considering I already knew 80% of it. It's good to be reminded.

Many months ago, I decided to stop eating meat. I gave in over the Holidays to my Mom's scrumptious pork and beef - inspired Korean dishes, but it left me feeling heavy and gross. So again, I gave up meat. But I never gave up seafood. Or eggs. Or dairy. And certainly not leather or honey. I always believed that factory farming was the devil, but eating the meat provided by Farmer Joe with his green pastures and happy cows was okay. I used to think fish and lobster could not feel pain. I used to think I could live without cheese (this is still debatable). All this is changing.

Beginning March 1, I am jumping on on the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart bandwagon. My reasons are two-fold:

1. Conscience - Knowing what happens, not only in factory farms, but in slaughterhouses (yes even the ones used by humane farmers, mostly b/c they have very little selection and therefore very little choice) kills me. I can't bear the thought of another animal experiencing that much pain for my unnecessary benefit. That being said, I can't imagine a life without migas for breakfast, cream in my coffee, and cheese in/on/under just about everything. But I'll never know if I don't try, right?

2. Health - I've heard many of the health benefits from a vegan diet (and yes, I've also heard of the many dangers of a vegan diet so don't worry, I know), one of which is increased energy. And I'm tired of being so TIRED all the time (and yes, I know that exercise and a variety of other things can and will help me with this). Also? I'm tired of mucus, which I'm sad to say, is dairy's close friend. I want to see if a vegan diet will do all the things I've heard it can do. For me.

March 1 is still 13 days away, but as a way to ease myself in, I'm trying to make more vegan choices now. Last night, I cooked the only vegan meal I currently know how to cook and actually enjoy. This morning, I used soy creamer in my coffee, which admittedly was better than I expected, but was NOT in ANY WAY FORM OR FASHION the same as cream. It's just not. For lunch, I sadly requested "no tzatziki" from the greek joint next door. But... I did eat a slice of King Cake today (I'm Cajun, I had to!).

OOH - that reminds me. Sugar. Apparently a lotta vegans don't eat sugar. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Thoughts?

Also, what's the deal with honey? Bad because it exploits the bees? I'm not sure how I feel about that either.

AHHH soo many questions! So many arguments on both sides, good and bad, reasonable and ridiculous. This is HARD.

Can you tell that I'm struggling? Because I am.

Anyway, I digress. The point of this post is to let you know that: (1) On March 1, I will be attempting a vegan diet for 21-days; and (2) I'm scared.

That's all. Thoughts???

Oh and one more thing - Foer talks about eating meat, but what about dairy and cheese and leather and all that stuff? Can any of you recommend an Eating Animals/FOOD, Inc. - esque book or article about all that?

{image from here}

Signing Off

Bonjour, mes amies. TGIF, n'est ce pas? This week passed rather quickly in my world, and I'm not complaining.

What're you up to ce weekend? Moi, I'm going to be signing off for the weekend. No blogging, no tweeting... I may even turn off my crackberry (which I never do). I think it'll be nice. Rest & rejuvenation - those are my words for the weekend. What are your words?

{Image from flickr}

Things I'm Loving: LUSH Edition

I know for a fact that many of you are avid LUSH fans, as I see tweets about your fabulous LUSH baths all the time! I'm relatively new to LUSH, but have been immensely enjoying bath time since I snagged a few of their fab products. Voila a list of my current faves:

1. DREAMTIME BATH MELT



Made of cocoa butter and infused with lavender and chamomile, this is the perfect pre-bed bath treat. I like it because it's uber moisturizing, smells good, and can be broken into 2 pieces for twice the relaxation!

dreamtime bath melt - $5.65


2. THE COMFORTER BUBBLE BAR

How can I not love this product? It is hot pink and white swirled goodness! And it's HUGE compared to most LUSH bath products. Bubble bars bring out the inner kid in all of us. To use, simply crumble under running bath water and VOILA - bubbles galore! This fun treat leaves your bathwater a funtabulous candy pink, AND because of its size, one bar could probably last you 5 baths (which is good b/c it's kinda pricey!).

the comforter bubble bar - $8.75


3. CERIDWEN'S CAULDRON BATH MELT



Described as a "magical mélange of skin-softening butters, soothing oatmeal and the bewitchingly clean fragrance of tangerine, sandalwood, lavender and frankincense," I couldn't help but pick up this bath melt on my last trip to LUSH. Oatmeal is particularly known for soothing dry, itchy skin, and so I knew we'd be a perfect fit. It's kind of pricey (as most LUSH items are), but you can always break it into 2 pieces (notice a trend...?).

ceridwen's cauldron bath melt - $7.95


4. BUTTERBALL BATH BOMB



I'm probably going to get shot for what I'm about to say, but I'm not the biggest fan of LUSH's bath bombs. Don't get me wrong, the idea of them is fun. Fizzy delights that you throw into the tub? Sounds great! But most of them come with lots of other STUFF like flowers and confetti and glitter, and while that sounds fun, it's not so pleasant post-bath when you have to clean the tub. Also, most bath bombs I've tried have irritated and dried out my skin. ALSO? They are expensive and can only be used once. That being said, I have found one that I rather enjoy. The butterball contains cocoa butter, smells of vanilla musk and ylang-ylang, and doesn't have any other annoying particles that could clog up your drain.

butterball bath bomb - $4.85


5. OATIFIX FRESH FACE MASK



Last but not least, I thought I'd throw in a non-bath related item. I picked up the Oatifix Fresh face mask on my last trip to Dallas (we don't have LUSH in Austin - le sad) and finally got around to using it last week. HEAVEN! First, it smells like a cookie, and it took all my strength not to lick my face. It's meant to clean and soften dry and sensitive skin (aka moi) and contains yummies like oatmeal, ground almonds, vanilla bean and bananas. YUM.

(for some reason, i couldn't find it on the US website, so here's the link to the UK website)

Oatifix Fresh Face Mask - 6.45 British Pounds (Note: I got it for about $5 - $6)

LUSH has oodles of other great products including, but not limited to, moisturizers (face and body), soaps (face and body), toners, shampoos, deodorants, etc. I have yet to try any of them, but when I do, I'll let you know how they fare. For now, enjoy bath time, lovelies!!

2010 To Do List

I'm adding another Anti-New Year's Resolution to my list (which you can learn more about here): take more photos.


I've been majorly slacking in this area, despite having multiple digital cameras and a shiny pink Holga. (And this Friday, I'm adding another one to my mix... stay tuned.) But with my recent venture into visual journaling (more on that later), and the fact that I live in a rad town with lots of cool photo-ops, I've decided I need to get serious about it. So that's on my 2010 To Do List.

Also? More road trips. I'm planning a trip to Marfa with Matty (could not be more excited!!!), and I foresee a solo road trip in my future as well. You know how I love my alone time.

Oh and one more - I'm going to start drinking tea out of my fabulous tea cup collection. Did you know I had a fabulous tea cup collection? Yup - it all started with this Easter Tea Party I threw for my Londy roommates (for the record, my apartment looks nothing like that anymore). I may have gone un peu nuts @ Anthropologie... But since then, those gorgeous babies have been collecting dust in a kitchen cabinet. Not anymore, friends. Not anymore.



It's the little things, you know? I'm trying to find beauty and pleasure in the little things.

{Image credits: flickr and elizabeth bunsen}

Not-So-Happy Monday

I'm in a funk. I woke up exhausted. It's dark and persistently rainy outside (which I would normally welcome if i could stay in bed all day). For the last three days I've had an annoying ache in the lower arch/heel part of my right foot, and this morning it was downright painful to walk. I forgot my watch. And earrings. My eyeliner smudged. And I'm just... tired. I crave solitude, a big bed, comforting tea, & melancholy music (like the new Beach House album - fantastico). Oh and no responsibilities!

What to do when you are uber crabby, have zero energy, and don't have the luxury of sulking in bed in a frothy white tutu?

Go away, funk.

{image credit: Anna Gay}