On Mondays I will be featuring fellow vegetarian and vegan book people. Today on the blog, I have a really cool vegan author who is sharing a great Q&A on what it's like to be a vegan. We get asked some question that are entertaining, so check them out to learn more! <3
Why I Am A Vegan
I was just becoming a teenager when I went vegetarian, and leaving my teen years when I became vegan. When I went vegetarian it was in large because we had just gotten the internet at home. The idea of eating animals had always bothered me, but I was told you had to. When I got on the internet, I discovered that wasn't true. If I didn't HAVE to eat animals, I didn't really see a point. I grew up with dogs I was very close to, and the idea of eating animals always freaked me out.
I loved cheese. I went through phases where I went a lot of eggs. I had issues with my hormones being out of whack, giving me painful periods and a myriad of other health issues. My gyno suggested I eat less dairy, but I kind of blew that off for a few years before deciding it was something to TRY. I wasn't hopeful about it. The first six months or so, I really missed cheese.
However, about three months into being vegan, I started having normal-ish periods and my hormone issues improved dramatically. That was better than cheese.
After I got over the cheese issue, I eventually found that the idea of eating cheese really grossed me out. I've had a couple of friends who went vegetarian or vegan who found the same thing--three to twelve months after making the change, the alternative sounded like eating mud.
Sometimes people suggest the idea of ""going back"", but the longer I'm vegan, the more reasons I find for being that way. It's such a huge part of who I am at this point that I rarely even think of it as being different from anyone else, to tell you the truth. It's like the color of my eyes or the fact that my feet are too big to buy women's shoes in most stores--it's a part of who I am.
Questions I Get Asked as a Vegan:
Q: What would happen if you ate some meat or cheese right now?
A: I would evaporate.
No, not really. But I would get a bad tummy ache.
Q: Don't you want to try this? I won't tell.
A: I'm good, thanks.
Q: The pizza came out with meat on it. Can't you just pick it off?
A: *sigh* The ""just"" in this sentence makes it out like I'm being difficult for fun or something. I'd just like to eat food, thanks. And this is going to sound gross, but to me, it's a lot like you just pooped on my food and asked me to pick it off. No thanks.
Q: Doesn't it seem like a lot of work just to eat?
A: I've been vegan for a long time, so I don't really notice it. When you first become vegan it can be really annoying trying to figure out what to eat and build up a good list of things you enjoy eating. This is why, as a seasoned vegan, I'm always happy to send people recipe files. Once you get the hang of it, it's just eating.
Q: Do you like animals more than people? (This is usually phrased as a very rude accusation, actually.)
A: I kind of like most animals more than you right now. *makes a face*
The real question people are asking here, I think, is whether I value an animals life more than my own. And the answer is of course not. If I felt like I wasn't a healthy happy vegan I would probably make different choices. My belief all along has been that since I don't have any reason that I NEED to eat animals, or hold them in pens so I can drink their milk, why would I? It's a pretty gross practice, to tell you the truth.
Q: Do you think bad things about me because I eat meat?
A: No. Most vegans I meet don't, either--though some definitely do. Personally, I don't really think a whole lot about what it is you eat, to tell you the truth. I'm busy being excited about what's on my own plate, and discussing more interesting parts of your life with you. As long as you're happy with your eating choices, I don't care, I promise.
My Favorite Vegan Recipe
Vegan Chowder
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced broccoli
- 2.5 TBSP flour
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 and 1/4 cups diced potatoes
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Saute the carrots and broccoli until tender in some oil.
Stir flour, cumin, and ground red pepper into vegetables, cook 1 minute stirring constantly.
Gradually stir in water. Add broth and potato. Bring mixture to a boil stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Add corn and remaining ingredients. Cook until thoroughly heated (10 minutes on simmer).
Alternate suggestions: You can use red peppers, onions, or any other vegetable in place of the broccoli or carrots to mix things up. Frozen peas or green beans are an interesting switch for some of the corn. You can easily double this, though you will want to cook the potatoes for a little bit longer.
• Pub Date: November 24, 2012
• Publisher: Faith McKay
• Format: Paperback/Ebook, 248 pages
• Age Range: Young Adult
Ever since Samantha Winthrop's mother moved them to Lacuna Valley, supposedly in search of better weather, the list of strange questions she has no answers for has been growing out of control.
Does her little sister, Violet, have the ability to make things happen just by "praying" for them? Are Sam's dreams really predicting the future? Is she destined to marry the boy she just met, and what is the mysterious orb that he's guarding? Why does she get the impression that there are dangerous creatures watching from the woods?
While Sam should be focusing on answering those questions, there is one other that makes them seem almost irrelevant: Is her mother planning on killing her and Violet?
Faith McKay writes stories about characters with real world struggles in otherworldly settings. She is the author of PROPHECY GIRL, a story where characters struggle with the idea of having a destiny. In comparison, she feels really lucky that her destiny was to struggle with comma placement and be that awkward lady who points out puns at parties.
Other things to know about Faith… She wears two different colored shoes. She is a survivor of child abuse. She has lived with chronic illness for over a decade. A lot of people don't like her because she laughs too much. It's also the reason a lot of other people do like her, so go figure. She listens to more music than people are probably supposed to. She's a nomad. The word sounds really cool, so a lot of people say it, but she actually lives in an RV with her husband and their pet bunny rabbit, Dorian Gray.
Find Faith:
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