Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The worst vegan ever

I have recently tried to become a vegan. I have been a vegetarian for a long time, though up until a year or 2 ago, I would eat some fish, but not anymore. So now that I have been a total vegetarian for a while now, I thought that I would take what seemed to me to be the next logical step and try vegan living. It helps that I work with a couple of vegans who have been helping me with guidance and suggestions. I also thought that I would try and make some improvements in other areas, namely cooking. You see, I don't cook. I really don't cook anything at all besides brown rice, frozen vegetables, and frozen pizzas. I eat a lot of fruit and peanut butter. My thought was that I would try to learn to cook some stuff, and I might as well learn to cook some vegan stuff.

It has been about 6 weeks now, and I have actually been cooking. I have been cooking brown rice, frozen vegetables and tofu. But I have cooked stuff - I even bought cookbooks. And so far I have made 3 recipes. So I have made some progress, but I really suck at being a vegan. Mostly, it is just mindless things. Like going through the Tim Hortons Drive through I just automatically order an extra large with cream. Then, about 3 sips in, I realize, crap, not supposed to have cream in my coffee. After 6 weeks, you think I would remember this more often. Thankfully, the girl who works at the place I get my coffee every morning has started reminding me that I want soy milk in my coffee.

The other day at work, there were cookies in the breakroom and they looked really good. I grabbed one, thinking that it had been so long since I had a cookie, and about 2 bites in, I realized, whoops, not supposed to eat cookies. I am so not a good vegan. And I really, really miss cheese. I love cheese. I really, really love cheese. All kinds of cheese, hard cheese, runny cheese, smelly cheese, cheese pizzas. Soy cheese tastes like ass. I also miss chocolate, creamy, gooey milk chocolate. I can get by because there is chocolate that I can eat, but I am having a little skittles withdrawal. Thank god there is still french fries.

So, I started out saying that I would try the vegan thing for 3 months, and I have been moderately successful. I don't have to change a whole lot of things, just the cream, and the cheese mostly, so I am going to stick it out, but I think I will take Christine's suggestion and aim for about 80% vegan. I can live with black coffee but I might need the occasional cheese and skittle fix, so i might aim to be, like the 3rd worst vegan.