Darn you Martha Stewart...

and PETA. Uggh. I swear nothing can tear at my tear ducts as hard as PETA add campaigns. Why do I even watch?

What people do to animals is so sickening.

Don't get me wrong I think PETA is very extreme on a lot of animal issues (like they don't think you should keep animals as pets). But my god they are the only ones exposing all of the terrible things that happen in the fur trade as well as some of the horrible things that go on when animals are factory raised for mass food production.

There is a fur store in Chagrin Falls and every time I pass it I feel physically ill. Why is it that this makes me ill but I still eat meat, drink dairy, etc.?

Maybe I need to just live up to what I value and take the dive like Su. I would never eat a cat so why is it acceptable for me to eat a cow or chicken?

Are there any couples out there who have one vegan and one meat eater? How do you make dinners work? How do you make vegan meals period and still stay physically active? Where do you get your protein from? I have a feeling I am allergic to soy as I get a migraine every time I order Tofu from Tea House Noodles so I don't think that will be a good meat substitute for me.

Uggh this is going to involve planning.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Check out the Moosewood Cookbooks...awesome ideas that are for vegetarians...all taste awesome, and have some good plans for protien enhancement. You could add meat to a smaller portion (or bigger!) for David...that's what Phil and I do...

Casey said...

Elizabeth...

I decided to follow the route of Free-Range meat consumption only, and I try to be animal concious with my other lifestyle decisions. I has reduced my diet to being nearly all Vegetarian, but there are some times when I get to treat my belly. I have NO problems consuming animals for nuriousment. What I have a problem with is the rampant abuse of animals in the "meat" industry. My system is far from perfect, but it makes my concious a little lighter knowing(hoping) that I am eating a once happy animal. A less drastic alternative.....

Anonymous said...

Kosher food is an option as well: the animals are at least killed humanely and with little pain as possible. My mom has been into organic stuff lately, which tastes even better than the normal stuff. "Happy cows" that are allowed to play in the fields with their peers taste better than regular cows. It's a little more expensive, but more humane.
-kartiya

Anonymous said...

I'd love to give up eating meat, but it just tastes so good. But mostly it's the easiest, quickest way for me to get the protein I need. That, and from Casey.

I've toured a slaughterhouse before, and while it's true that, if I had to kill animal myself to eat it, I'd be a vegetarian faster than you can say "where does the conveyor belt with the guts go?," I still don't personally have a problem with eating small quantities of meat for nourishment.

I'm probably going to hell for that.

-daryl

Anonymous said...

Speaking as a veggie (12+ years and running!) it's hard at first, but you learn to adapt. I have a lot of great vegetarian cookbooks with tasty and varied recipes. I can't always afford to use some of the fancier ingrediants, but there are ways to improvise. You can find good recipes online as well. Lately I've been eating a lot of the "fake meat" products that are available to keep my protein up, and I'm finding that I do have more energy (good thing since I'm so damn busy!)
As far as making meals - boy, that'll be fun considering where Dave works! :) When I still lived at home I just either prepared my meals seperately or my mom would keep a portion of whatever she was making meat/animal product free. it's really not hard if you do a little planning ahead.
Anyway, that was a super long comment! Good luck!
(And I agree on your PETA stance. I need to start a less extreme animal rights group or something)

Anonymous said...

There is a beautiful new cookbook in the latest Servv International (a very good free trade organization) catalog that I'm keen on getting called Global Vegetarian Cooking (or something like that...). I'll get it and let you know, but there are so many countries with wonderful and interesting food that is mainly vegetarian, it is much more fun & easy to live a vegetarian lifestyle with such variety and color.

It isn't too hard to have a meat eater and a vegetarian in the house, really. When I cook, I make vegetarian meals. With variety, the meat-eater won't miss the meat. Neil is pretty good about eating "happy meat", too, which doesn't tend to bug me much.

Protein is found in many more places than just meat & soy... beans & nuts are great sources. You just have to remember to eat them. :) If you're going vegan you won't eat dairy, but I still eat cheese and milk for protein, especially during this pregnancy.

Check out some cookbooks and stuff. It's a far more safe, non-violent, and wonderful way to live.

:)anne

E-Speed said...

Wow guys. Thanks for all of the advice. I will seriously be thinking this all over.

While it may not be possible for me to go completely vegetarian (very hard when you are married to someone who works at a butcher block) I do feel strongly about this and want to make an effort to act on my values.