Why not vegan?
By adhering to that label all the time, I got frustrated by people having to make me entirely separate portions to avoid a pat of butter or dollop of cream, or debating at a farmers market should I not get the spearmint basil iced tea since it has a touch of honey. I also saw no merit in removing the cheese off of vegetarian sandwiches served at company lunches. I don't think animals in factory farms are being helped by these types of decisions.
In fact, I believe because most people don't want to have to deal with such scenaoris, people aren't open to exploring all the wonderful vegan foods.
I hear these phrases ALL the time from vegans: "It's so easy!" "joyous" and you "get so much more than you give up." I just can't help but think some vegans set people up for failure by presenting a lifestyle of ease and perfection, and condemning people who aren't up to their standards. Following any type of diet strictly all the time for life may not be easy. Not everyone lives in New York City where there are countless vegan restaurants, has $7 for vegan marshmallows, has supportive families, or the will-power to turn down communal cheese trays.
I've made peace with myself that I still want to eat certain vegetarian foods. I'm not perfect. I don't think this should be so taboo either. No one wants to hear how morally superior and perfect people think they are. I don't.
Here are some of my imperfections.
After visiting the New York Botanical Garden, I stopped by Brooklyn's Brick Oven Pizzeria in Hackensack, NJ, with my boyfriend and my mom.
To start, a Caeasar salad, $3.95. Talk about out-of-control portions: this fed all three of us!
As did this: eggplant parmigiana, $5.95.
A large pie, $14.50. I ate two slices of this.
Another great weakness: French food. These are from my favorite French cafe, Macaron Cafe.
The capri sandwich, $6.50. Goat cheese, pine nuts, raisins, apples and honey.
Macarons, $1.95 each. Cassis and one of my favorites, honey lavender.
A crepe with apricot preserves, $2.75, with a soy coffee, $2.25.
Blog name change in order? I've thought about it.
The good life, and this blog, is about many things for me: awareness about what you are eating and how it is produced, enjoyment of food, financial empowerment, a cleaner Earth (which is good for all animals), a more positive culture, especially for women, that is not so focused on vanity and youth but instead on wisdom and embracing what God gave us.
But it is also to showcase all the amazing vegan food I eat, the stylish and very affordable vegan fashions you can find at swaps and thrift and consignment shops, and how to incorporate vegan foods whenever we can (i.e, using egg replacers for baking, or pouring almond milk on your cereal).
My vegan path has not been as smooth as I'd hoped, and I'd rather be truthful about challenges and temptations. Ultimately, to me, it's not about "being" a member of a dietary group, but "eating" a certain way as much as possible. The journey is more important to me than a label, so for now, we continue on.
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