Guest guest Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 I've been a member of this group for a while now... probably a year... I've been hesitant to introduce myself because I'm not 100% vegetarian. I was lacto-ovo vegetarian for several months a few years ago - ironically when I was driving for Steak Out (for those that don't have one in thier area it's like a pizza delivery place but steak, chicken and salads instead). Convience problems put a stop to that... It can be hard to find veggie products on the go or prepackaged. I mostly eat veggie or fish now.... weaning myself off chicken and have no desire for beef... I had some small pieces of ham during the holidays but that's the last of that.... I try to buy organic whenever I can. I stopped buying frozen tv dinners a few months ago after realizing how much salt they pile in that stuff... My biggest problem facing me as a semi-vegetarian is my in-laws... I'm the only one in the family who doesn't eat beef and if it's not beef in thier meals it's chicken or pork. The only seafood my mother-in-law eats is shrimp on occaision - and that seems to be only when she goes to Red Lobster... Apparently it's just not a meal unless it's based around meat. She's also diabetic so she's been told to watch her carbs - like a hawk it seems - her instructions seem to say she has to count all her carbs including fiber - unlike most low carb diets. This weekend she's inviting us over for dinner - cube steak, black eyed peas and cornbread - that one's easy: pass on the steak and load up on peas and conbread and whatever sides.. but when it's a one pot meal like spaghetti (meat sauce of course) or chili (with beef of course) it's hard to avoid... if I offer to bring a salad I'm the only one who eats it besides my husband who'll grab some along with what his mom made. She seems insulted if I don't want to eat what she cooks, and I can't really ask her to cook something special just for me since everyone else likes the meat... I've been married to her son for 7 years now.... and been reducing my meat intake for the last 3 years or so and still haven't figured out how to compromise with my mother-in-law without insulting her. As for the rest of my intro, I'm 29, living in Alabama, no kids (so far unable to have kids), I love spicy food - especially Indian, Thai, Mediterranean and Mexican. My grandmother was from germany and I grew up loving german food - but Rouladden (rolled beef) was my favorite and now out of the question, bratwurst only if I get veggie brats, and no more pork = no more schnitzle. - but on that note I just found a recipe for vegetarian rouladden!!! whoohoo! - there is hope for a no-meat german! I resolve this year to actually read posts in this group maybe that'll help me wean off my salmon addiction and go totally veggie again! Blessed Be and Happy New Year! Kristina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 A read through Jeremy Rifkin's book " Beyond Beef " and John Robbins' (Diet for a New America)should quickly and easily change anyone's mind about eating dead flesh! Cheers and a Happy Healthy New Year! Craig, www.craigtompkins.singingteacher.net - " redphenyx " <redphenyx Thursday, December 29, 2005 9:57 PM Much Delayed Hello > I've been a member of this group for a while now... probably a year... > I've been hesitant to introduce myself because I'm not 100% > vegetarian. I was lacto-ovo vegetarian for several months a few > years ago - ironically when I was driving for Steak Out (for those > that don't have one in thier area it's like a pizza delivery place but > steak, chicken and salads instead). Convience problems put a stop to > that... It can be hard to find veggie products on the go or > prepackaged. I mostly eat veggie or fish now.... weaning myself off > chicken and have no desire for beef... I had some small pieces of ham > during the holidays but that's the last of that.... I try to buy > organic whenever I can. I stopped buying frozen tv dinners a few > months ago after realizing how much salt they pile in that stuff... > > My biggest problem facing me as a semi-vegetarian is my in-laws... > I'm the only one in the family who doesn't eat beef and if it's not > beef in thier meals it's chicken or pork. The only seafood my > mother-in-law eats is shrimp on occaision - and that seems to be only > when she goes to Red Lobster... Apparently it's just not a meal > unless it's based around meat. She's also diabetic so she's been told > to watch her carbs - like a hawk it seems - her instructions seem to > say she has to count all her carbs including fiber - unlike most low > carb diets. This weekend she's inviting us over for dinner - cube > steak, black eyed peas and cornbread - that one's easy: pass on the > steak and load up on peas and conbread and whatever sides.. but when > it's a one pot meal like spaghetti (meat sauce of course) or chili > (with beef of course) it's hard to avoid... if I offer to bring a > salad I'm the only one who eats it besides my husband who'll grab some > along with what his mom made. She seems insulted if I don't want to > eat what she cooks, and I can't really ask her to cook something > special just for me since everyone else likes the meat... I've been > married to her son for 7 years now.... and been reducing my meat > intake for the last 3 years or so and still haven't figured out how to > compromise with my mother-in-law without insulting her. > > As for the rest of my intro, I'm 29, living in Alabama, no kids (so > far unable to have kids), I love spicy food - especially Indian, Thai, > Mediterranean and Mexican. My grandmother was from germany and I grew > up loving german food - but Rouladden (rolled beef) was my favorite > and now out of the question, bratwurst only if I get veggie brats, and > no more pork = no more schnitzle. - but on that note I just found a > recipe for vegetarian rouladden!!! whoohoo! - there is hope for a > no-meat german! > > I resolve this year to actually read posts in this group maybe > that'll help me wean off my salmon addiction and go totally veggie > again! > > Blessed Be and Happy New Year! > Kristina > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 Craig Tompkins wrote: >A read through Jeremy Rifkin's book " Beyond Beef " and John Robbins' (Diet >for a New America)should quickly and easily change anyone's mind about >eating dead flesh! >Cheers and a Happy Healthy New Year! >Craig, >www.craigtompkins.singingteacher.net > > Actually hearing about mad cow disease was enough to make me drop beef for good... but my mother-in-law is stubborn and old fashioned in a lot of ways...(she is a good person and nice, just stubborn!) and I think my husband is addicted to meat. Even though my parents are meat eaters, they never really put meat in their spaghetti sauce unless it was meatballs or italian sausage, and that wasn't all the time. I learned to make spaghetti sauce their way (which also includes a good dose of red and black pepper). My husband insists it needs meat Personally I think ground beef in spaghetti and in chili makes it greasy and heavy. My homemade chili has plenty of substance and protein with all the beans I put in it. Spaghetti doesn't need it at all in my opinion. I'm fortunate though my husband is not afraid of tofu. He'll eat what I cook meat or not... my dilema is getting around the meat based meals without insulting my mother-in-law. Kristina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 Hello there, Kristina! Nice to hear from you. You say - > I've been a member of this group for a while now... probably a year... > I've been hesitant to introduce myself because I'm not 100% > vegetarian. That's right - you joined back on 3 January 2004 :-) And at last we get to meet you! Welcome . Don't worry about not being '100% vegetarian' - we have quite a few nonvegetarians on , and we are happy to have you here. Just remember not to post recipes containing me*t and remember that we don't discuss me*t (whether it walks, hops, wriggles, runs, flies, swims or just sits there minding its own business). > I was lacto-ovo vegetarian for several months a few > years ago . . . So you know how to do it? Great - why not just take the Big Step and go back to that way of eating? Come on, you can do it!!! We'll help, okay? Just sing out for recipes and ideas and we'll rally round. > My biggest problem facing me as a semi-vegetarian is my in-laws... Yup, that can be a problem all right. But you might as well be a real vegetarian - it might even be easier. If you eat some animal flesh and not others (and your mil knows you used to eat them all) then it makes it harder to say No. But if you just announce that you are now vegetarian there is no argument - well, maybe for a while, but at least you'll have the virtue of consistency. For some reason consistency speaks to irrational people :-) > if I offer to bring a > salad I'm the only one who eats it besides my husband who'll grab some > along with what his mom made. No problem there - all the more for you and your dh! LOL >She seems insulted if I don't want to > eat what she cooks And yes, they usually act insulted if you don't eat their food. But it isn't necessarily about the *food* or who has cooked it - it's about your values or habits being different from hers. I know you know that, but you need to remind yourself now and then. Tell her it's against your (new concept of) your religion or philosophical construct or whatever - she'll still be annoyed, but she now would have to attack on another level. As for compromising with her without insulting her, it's she who must come to an understanding of you - not the other way around :-) You're doing fine! > I just found a > recipe for vegetarian rouladden!!! whoohoo! - there is hope for a > no-meat german! But of course! Lots of wonderful recipes out there. When you try that recipe, be sure to let us know and send us your version of the recipe - if it's a spicy version :-) We're always delighted to get new tried and true recipes! Yum! > I resolve this year to actually read posts in this group maybe > that'll help me wean off my salmon addiction and go totally veggie > again! We could turn you off f*sh bigtime, but I think that's enough for one post LOL But yes, why not try reading our posts - we have a wonderful group (more than 800 strong) of people on this list who are an absolute delight - from all over the world, with all different backgrounds, different reasons for being vegetarian or vegan, different cooking skills and different ideas for wonderful spicy vegetarian food. I feel blessed to know you all. Welcome again - and I'm so glad you have stopped lurking! Chat again soon? Best love, Pat (owner and general dogsbody) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 redphenyx <redphenyx wrote: >snip> I've been married to her son for 7 years now.... and been reducing my meat intake for the last 3 years or so and still haven't figured out how to compromise with my mother-in-law without insulting her. As for the rest of my intro, I'm 29, living in Alabama, no kids (so far unable to have kids) >snip> Hi, Maybe you could tell her you've been wondering if the hormones in meat has something to do with no grandkids yet so are going vegetarian and would she help with the rest of the family accepting the change? or develop an allergy to meat. really, don't know if it was the meat or the chemicals/hormones in them but the bodies reaction every time I ate meat was a big factor in becoming veggie. (severe nausea, pain, vomiting), Dr couldn't find anything wrong, said I must be allergic to meat! He was joking but I think that was the right diagnosis! peace, Angela who I am is fine, it's just this body that's disabled! middle age = that time of life when we realize yesterday's sex, drugs and rock and roll are todays memories, prescriptions and golden oldies! for Good - Make a difference this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.