Fun In The Kitchen
Alright I admit it. I totally enjoy cooking. Many times when I enter my domain (yes that’s what I call it) I have no idea what I’m going to make but the end results turns out very good. It should I’ve been cooking since I was four. Thirty three years later I’m still enjoying cooking. Today was different I actually made a vegetarian dish <gasps>. No I didn’t eat it.
I’m still ok and the vegan police didn’t come to take me away for committing that sin. :razz: What did I make? It was an Asian dish. It was a vegetable stir fry. I made two versions one was Vegan the other vegetarian. Nope, it wasn’t the americanized vegetable stir fry either. I’m not too fond of that.
Why did I make a vegetarian version? I have one relative who thinks that all stir fries must have eggs. I wish I had taken pictures before I served that meal. Why? There isn’t any leftovers everything was inhaled. I have greedy relatives. I have to admit the vegetable stir fry was pretty darn good. My daughter and I ate the vegan version. Other family members sampled both. Where did the eggs come from? My neighbor they have chickens.
Guess what my auntie tried the vegan version and realized that she could eat her stir fry without eggs. Well duh I *knew* that but in her head she did not think she could. Why did she try it? Everyone else raved how delicious it was, and being nosy she had to try it for herself. :razz:
Raw Cocoa Nibs
What was for dessert? A raw dessert, fruit sorbet, and a baked dessert, German chocolate cake. Yes I made the frosting. I keep raw cocoa nibs on hand. Sorry no pictures of those lovely desserts since they are gone also. Didn’t I tell you my family is greedy? If they had their way they would be eating at my place several times weekly. :razz:
What I’ve Learned
At times, people make inaccurate assumptions about things they don’t understand. In my aunt’s case, she needed something “familiar”. Hearing the word “vegan” was something she did not think she would like. I provided her with a vegetarian dish. She was happy. I guess you could say today’s meal was a healthy intervention.
You see my aunt’s doctor has told her she needs to change her eating habits but like many people I’ve encountered although she wants to she’s not sure how to go about making a change. She’s overwhelmed. It can be hard to make changes to your eating lifestyle. I’m willing to work with her and yes that includes healthier ways to prepare meals that contain animals.
Shocked? You shouldn’t be. I’m vegan and my reasons for being vegan are two fold I honestly cannot see myself eating animals, and I know I can be healthy without them however I’m not about to make someone feel bad about the choices they make. I don’t think I’m better or more compassionate because I don’t eat animals. Guess what? I would do more harm by attacking a person based on what they choose to eat and some of them might not be open to trying my food if condemned their food choices.
I won’t be making those dishes but I’ll give her meal plans on how she can make her meals healthier in time more vegetables will be included. At this time She’s not willing to make that transition to diet that consists of mainly vegetables even though that is what her doctor has suggested. Knowing how she is I realize she needs to take baby steps to reach her goal. I’m more than willing to help her achieve them.
Over the past several years I’ve encountered many people like my aunt. They are in poor health, and they desperately want to change their eating habits but they are unsure of how to accomplish it. It leaves them frustrated and sometimes the best intentions are just not good enough they lapse back into old habits. Without someone who is supportive and willing to serve as a guide when it comes to making healthy choices why should we be surprised if they fall back into old eating habits. At times we all need mentors.
I’ve encountered many people that automatically assume that people don’t want to change their lifestyles, and I always shake my head unless you’ve interacted with every single person that is facing this issue why in the world would you make such an assumption? You can’t.
Question: Do you enjoy cooking or uncooking? What is one of your favorite dishes?
[tags]vegetable stir fry, vegan, vegetarian, asian cuisine, German chocolate cake, fruit sorbet[/tags]
on October 11th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
I love cooking!!!!!!!! my favorite dish? HOMEMADE CHIILI :P
on October 11th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
For the most part, I do not like cooking. But every now and then, I get a wild hair and decide I want to cook something. I guess I would have to say my favorite dish is probably chicken & dumplings, though I absolutely HATE making the dumplings. However, as much as I hate to make them, I don’t like them if they aren’t homemade. LOL
Oh, wait, I like to bbq on the grill. Does that count as cooking? ;-)
on October 11th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
I love to cook. I especially like to bake. I have the best bread recipe. No milk or eggs. Just flour, salt, oil, yeast and water! And its so good! I also love to experiment. I make lots of things that have no names. lol Just start tossing things together and see what comes of it. :)
on October 11th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Kaylee,
I love chilli! :-) You should post your recipe.
DragonLady,
All is fair in cooking so yes barbecue is included. :-)
Calamity,
LOL you sound like myself I don;t follow recipes and I don’t have names for whatever I come up with. :razz:
on October 11th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
GOOD IDEA I MAY :P
on October 11th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Beautiful blog and beautiful post. I’m a lacto vegetarian. I’m always happy to see vegan/vegetarian people around blogging.
on October 11th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I love this post!!! The food sounds great as always! I totally agree with your comments about “hurting” more than “helping” the veg cause with how people treat others…I love to find out others are veg too but just because most people aren’t doesn’t mean I will hound them about it and upset them…you know what I mean!
:)
on October 12th, 2007 at 2:19 am
I love to cook but probably not as much as I would love to eat at your house.
Jeeze Opal…I think I’m going to have to come and stay with you soon. Reading your blog daily is making me very hungry.
I cooked a vegetarian roast this week (soy). It was delicious. My meat lovin’ Aussie husband also loved it. He has been so good - doing the vegetarian thing with me and only eating meat and fatty foods when he’s away from me.
on October 12th, 2007 at 4:06 am
I love this post and let me just say that chilli rocks! :cool:
my very best friend who is considering to refinance her home will surely be happy when I’ll tell her that I found a vegetarian blogger
on October 12th, 2007 at 5:07 am
[...] My wonderful friend Opal, the Vegan Momma loves vegetarian cuisine! Read her post on vegetarian cooking! [...]
on October 12th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Hi Opal! This post is making me drool. I love vegetarian cuisine. You must be one great cook :smile:
You should use the all in one seo plug in if it is. I analyzed the code on your site and there is no meta description.
There are no designated keywords either. I use the rankquest tool bar to do seo analysis. Check it out if you want. It would be very beneficial for your site to have descriptive meta-tags! :grin:
Bobby Revell’s last blog post..Ethical Theories of Social Networking
on October 12th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Kaylee,
I cannot wait to see it. :-)
Siddha,
Welcome thanks for stopping by and yes it’s always nice to meet another veggie. I don’t know too many in real life so online is where I make my veggie connections.
Harmonia,
Yes, I do. I haven’t been able to log onto your website. I’m trying to remember my info, lol.
Julienne,
I agree chili does rock. I make it in large batches, freeze it and serve it when I don’t have time to cook. :-)
Bobby,
Yes I’m actually a very good cook. :-) It’s something that I always seem to do even when I’m on vacation.
Thanks Bobby for taking the time to look. I forgot that I was not including that information. I’ll start correcting that. I have it installed, and it’s activated but I always forget to do that. :-) Thanks so much. You definitely go above and beyond as a blogger. I really respect that. Thanks again!
on October 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I love your viewpoint and I totally agree that it is better to not come off as superior just because you have made the choice to be vegan. I think you win more people over to your way of thinking that way, rather than alienating them. You are so intuitive! Great post and that dish does look delicious.
teeni’s last blog post..The PIF Drawing for Teeni?s Trivia
on October 12th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Well, I have you as veganmomma - I hope you can log in sometime soon…I know you are busy…so whenever…Have a great weekend!
on October 12th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Nice new comment editing feature, btw,,,the count down…neat!
on October 12th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I’m waiting for a new madeup recipe to finish cooking right as I type!
Me and my partner just made a pastry and then filled it with a lentils/red peppers/blackbeans/tofu and vegetable stock mix.
I have absolutelyy no idea how it will taste!
I have been vegetarian for almost 7 years now. Occasionally I have slipped and eaten meat (mostly whilst very very drunk) and i’m hypocritical in the fact that I will eat fish sometimes and I wear leather.
My reasons are simple. I hate the way animals are farmed.
on October 12th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
teeni,
Don’t you wish that everyone had that point of view? A lot of the problems we face would cease to exist. A lot can be said for keeping an open mind to things you don’t understand. I learned that lesson early perhaps one day I’ll write about it here.
Harmonia,
Yes, the name I remember the password is the problem. Trying to remember which email I used is the problem. I have several email addresses. I might have to create another account something I did not want to do.
Forest Parks,
That sounds delightful you should write how it turns out. None of us are perfect and you are doing a lot by not consuming animals regularly.
I’m with you. I never liked the factory farm industry. Every year around thanksgiving it seems that a news anchor will be seen at one of the turkey farms here in Maryland.
I look at the taped coverage of the turkeys packed on top of each other in their “free range” setting and think, “Why aren’t people appalled that these creatures really don’t have any space to run, eat comfortably, or even play?” Yes birds are capable of playing. As a child we had chickens and turkeys. It was cute to watch them.
on October 14th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
[...] Opal Tribble wrote an interesting post today on Fun In The KitchenHere’s a quick excerptIt should I’ve been cooking since I was four. Thirty three years later I’m still enjoying cooking. Today was different I actually made a vegetarian dish . No didn’t eat it. I’m still ok and the vegan police didn’t come to take me … [...]
on April 6th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
i love cooking..every time i cook i will invent new recipes and my kids love it so much