oooh there's a distinctive whiff of patchouli around here! dirty hippies! haha!! (takes one to know one, right? )
didn't find anything exciting at the op shops. It's been a while since I found anything fabulous, but in this neighbourhood there's kitsch-vultures on every corner! I don't stand a chance.
About the stevia... I personally don't like the texture of it. Or the taste. But I grew up in the middle of a sugar cane field (in a family of dirty feral hippies!!), so it's almost in the blood. That, or some nasty agricultural chemicals! The mad cane farmer who owned the property sprayed his crop once without telling us, and we had to pull up the whole permaculture garden that we got most of our food from. I commend anyone able to go sugar-free these days. And I wish maple syrup wasn't so expensive...
There was soy cheese at my local Coles today, but last time I tried it, it made me gag. There are some better ones available, but I haven't had time to look for them!
Um... I really should go make dinner. I'm admittedly unsure about how to do anything with tofu that doesn't involve soy sauce or any other seasonings. I can have lime, parsley, saffron, garlic and chives. oh woe... kill me now!
Hope its okay for me to join this fabulous thread!!!
I am a vegetarian, I am not vegan, I have been vegetarian for 15 almost 16 years, the main reason I am a vego is becuase I hate the what meat is, I hate Animals being killed for our consumption, but I also get that its the way most humans live and I still cook meat for my husband and our children, my main reason for not making my kids vegetarian is because I am not a very good vegie I dont eat the 'right' things and have been aneimic a few times in the past, so I dont really trust myself to make the right decissions for them diet wise etc, and my husband well there is no way I could ever convert him LOL
I have a little bit of a vent, hubby and I have been together for 10 years now and still I get invited to his familys house and they often just dont make anything for me, they know full well I am a vego but choose to just let me have bread and salad, I was invited the other day by my SIL and usually she is great but was not happy with me over not attending her dd bday party the day before, she went out of her way to invite me and then when I got there she only had this really gross looking salad and meat lasagne nothing else at all,
I was roapable, and I made it known for a change as I am just sick of it, surely after 10 years they could either make sure there is something or let me know to bring something, as I always will without any fuss at all as I dont expect people to bend over backward just for me,
does anyone else have issues like this with family??? my family are fine as my mum is a vego too, so there is always plenty but to me I think this was really rude and I am just fed up, you know one christmas dinner all they had for me was plain white reg bread and a tub of KFC colslaw ( oh and that was to be shared too ) , I kid you not I am totally serious, I was gutted, I am always really kind to them too so its not a personality thing they are just plain rude.
am I just being silly or what I just dont know what to make of it anymore, any sugestions???
thanks
oh and bare with me I will go back and read through but it may take me a bit to get thorugh it LOL
Hi there Elle It's a shame when people are so rude, I'm surprised that they don't feel bad inviting a guest over and not having anything for them to eat? I would suggest taking your own food from now on, I'm sure they will find something to whindge about by you taking your own food BUT you can smile and nicely tell them "you never really have anything for me and I was sick of being hungry when I come over... I thought you would't mind seeing it seems to be such a hassel" dh and I don't really have any worries, we are usually happy with salad (dh likes no dressing), we will either take our own meal or take some healthy home made organic spelt bread and have salad with it... We know the places which wont have any food for us so it's better to just take our own HTH is some small way
I love taking my own food along to things, escpecially when I know that whoever's house it is is a mediocre cook and whatever I produce is nicer. I usually make sure it's something really aromatic or stunning looking, and just unveil it and be all smug
Have just been at the Ekka today - we met Melinda of Melinda's gluten free/vegan cake mixes fame. We started to hero worship her, and she was so flattered she gave us a free packet of poppyseed crackers, which are SO nice! We ate them with some chutney that we bought while we watched the woodchopping. Got right into the kitsch show thing. So much fun.
Elle - I totally know where you're coming from! It's even harder when you have to explain it in another language. DP's family in Lebanon think I'm a freak, but it's pretty easy to over-eat there and still be vego. Not so easy in France, tho, as they're a very meat-centric culture. I carry an international vegetarian card in my wallet now, with "I'm a vegetarian, what can you recommend?" in about 20 different languages, and pictures of animals and eggs crossed out on it!
Here in suburban Oz it's a different story, and people just don't seem to know or care about where their food comes from, and will eat anything out of a packet and expect you to do the same.
I would be making an effort, for your own health too, to make some really nutritious and delicious vego food (it's not that hard - really!), and take some with you next time you have to visit. Make enough for everyone to try it at least, but don't mention that it's vegetarian. Vegetarian does NOT equal bread and salad. At least not their notion of it.
Just my opinion (and I have a few of them... ) but I always get some smug satisfaction out of eating something fabulous that I've brought along to one of those situations, because my food is a pleasure, not just badly cooked meat.
ETA - snuggly, we posted at the same time! I can't remember the last Ekka I went to, but I wish I had one of them kewpie dolls on a stick... that smugness is hard to beat, hey? When you lift the lid on something really awesome, and then don't have to share it!
Welcome Elle!! My jaw dropped reading your post. 10 years, wtf?! Thats harsh about the coleslaw, thats just messed up. Im positive you will get some inspiration from this thread to cook some great meals for yourself and stuff for your family too.
Oh DD giving us hell, be back tmrw to finish post**
Where was I..? Elle- We are pretty lucky actually, anywhere we go we are generally catered for pretty well with our friends, but it must be a generation thing I dont know but DPs folks took a fair while to come around. His mum has learnt to cook a vego pasta bake so she makes that one meal everytime we eat there, so thats definately better than nothing...And better than damn iceberg lettuce salad and white bread. Which is EXACTLY what I was offered to eat in the birth suite after I had DD. "I just pushed this baby out and to regenerise you give me THIS" Anyway, thats another story
Snuggly- Oh I bet you had a blast at the ekka! Im envious! Did you go on any of the rides? I love the ekka, havnt been in forever though.
NaNa- Devo about the no spices! At least you can have garlic right? What about tofu marinated in garlic and chilli paste and pan fried with somethingorather? Have you noticed much of an improvement in your DS?
Made a lentil and eggplant masala for dinner, was nice. Just slap dash but tasty.
Oh Cherished, Delish recipie, might make that one tmrw night!
garlic, yes, but no chilli... I cheated and used a dash of soy sauce. I just couldn't help it!! I don't know how much of an effect a few drops of soy sauce is going to have on DS anyway, but I'm hoping it's negligible. Seriously, it's so boring! Hanging out for a couple more weeks before we start the challenges. Where to begin?
DS is definitely calmer, though I think the Chinese herbs I'm giving him are definitely helping that too. He's cutting two molars ATM, so the ammonia-stinky nappies combined with the cabbage/garlic sulphurous smell.... it is TOO MUCH!! Made my eyes water! But he's not irritable or excessively clingy or grizzly, so that's great. Compared to the last two molars he got, when he was just atrocious (and we were staying with DP's family - boy were they glad to see us leave! ).
I cooked up some roasted swedes tonight, with honey and poppyseeds. It was actually better than I expected (I have not-so-fond memories of my nanna's cooking of swedes!). And cannellini and green beans sauteed with saffron and garlic. Definitely edible, but DP still preferred to cook his own dinner... oh well!
hehe thanks girls, I really appreciate your replies, I am relieved to know that I am not just being a bit of a B****, I was offended and do feel that from now on I will take my own with me if I go there again, I know this offends them as I have done this in the past and they were not very happy about it, but truly if they are having a lovly meal then why cant I, its not that I dont like salad I really love it but on a cold winters night when everyone else is enjoying a yummy hot meal I kinda want that too, and its especially awful when you are expecting something yummy and get nothing much at all, just felt so let down,
anywho, thanks again for the advice, I am posative I will gain alot from this thread, so thanks girls, i look forward to chatting some more when I have some spare time, which seems to be a luxury here atm LOL
Hi girls, just wanted to share what I had for lunch today, Snug bug it was very similar to your Moroccan Apricot dish with chic peas...
Onion, garlic, ginger, red wine covered & simmer for 5 min, add cinnamon, cumin, salt, chilli & paprika stir and cook for another minute... add tofu, sweet pot, dried apricots & water and simmer until pot is soft, than I added lemon juice, raisins and chic peas. I served with chopped almonds on top, couscous and yummo salad on the side and dh & I shared a beer :P
Last edited by Cherished; August 10th, 2009 at 04:10 PM.
Oh Yum yum yum yum yum! You can come over and make that for me anytime Cherished
NaNa thts good to hear that the diet is actually making a difference in your DS. Geez Im not looking forward to molars, the first 3 were bad enough.
Not much going on here as usual, hope your all having a good night
Hooray for sharing beers with your DH cherished! I have been loving doing stuff like that lately - we are like a pair of teenagers! By the way, chicken, empty your mailbox, my msg is bouncing.
Have not cooked anything inspiring for a while, so not much to add!
Sorry SungBug, my mailbox was full with that message I sent to 'myself' hahaah I'm such a looser btw I looooove your sig!
Aliash I'm gonna get that book think it will be a while before I have any kids to read it to .... not even pg! but that doesn't matter I have already bought heaps of books!
AFM I am SLOSHED on 1 glass of the most scrumptious organic red wine! I don't think I will even be able to cook dh any dinner yeah I'm doing the doh sign but I am really laughing out loud right now aaaaahhhhh HAHAHAHA ok so I come onto this thread to tell you guys that I bought some tofutti today and if I hadn't have had home made pizza for dinner last night I would try it out tonight! I will let you all know what I think of it
Good morning everyone... Well I pulled up really well today and feel great Today I am making some of these yummo almond crackers which I just love, They are great with cheese, sundried tomatoes, dips etc and later today I am going to eat them with basil pesto and some more of that yummo organic red wine!
almond crackers
about 100g of finely ground almonds, 1/2tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp italian herb mix, 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or chill powder, freshly ground black pepper and 4-6 tsp of water.
preheat over to 180C and put a tray in the oven to heat it up
mix all ingredients and add 4tsp of cold water (you want the mix more dry than wet but if it's too dry to work with add a tiny bit more water)
put mix onto a sheet of baking paper, make a rectangle shape with it
Put another piece of baking paper on top of the mix and roll out with a rolling pin as thin as you can
Cut into the size crackers you want (mine makes a couple dozen I guess, about the size of regular rice crackers (maybe a bit smaller)
take off top piece of baking paper and place the cracker onto the heated up tray in the over for 7-9 minutes until they are golden brown an crisp. I check them at about 5 mins, some can already be getting brown aroudn the edges so I take them out of the over to cool on a wire rack and leave the rest in the over for a couple more mins... "warning" they burn easily so keep your eye on them
Mine stay crisp in a container for a few days (if they last that long without being eaten!) I love to make them for entertaining ahead of time because they keep well and are yummo
Those crackers sound ace - and how funny are you, posting while you're plastered!
Hey, for a totally easy dip, I stick some tofutti cream cheese in a bowl, dollop a bit of mango chutney on top, and dot some coriander leaves over it.
Also this week, I made a red lentil puree, and stirred some flaxseed oil through it. I've been keeping it in the fridge, and use it on toast, OR, stir some kind of chutney through it (I'm a bit of a chutney fiend at the mo) and eat it with rice cakes. Nom.
1.Pre-heat oven to 200?C.
2.Heat frying pan until hot and add butter.
3.Fry onion, McCormick Bush Spices with Mountain Pepper, potato, sweet potato, turnip and Swede for five minutes or until soft.
4.Allow to cool slightly while baking pastry.
5.On the bottom a greased pie dish place one sheet of pastry and bake for ten minutes or until pastry has risen and slightly browned.
6.Crumble fetta into vegetable mixture and mix through. Place mixture into pie dish and top with the remaining sheet of pastry. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.
7.Allow to cool slightly before serving.
DS had it with tommy sauce, DH with sweet chilli & I with relish
Thanks so much Kaz, I've never made anything with bush spices... I'm gonna cook this one this week
I made my yum winter bean and veg stew today for lunch with my light and fluffy organic spelt loaf that I make, have I posted the recipe for that stew before? If anyones interested let me know it'd be a good one for your slow cookers
)
It's a shame when people are so rude, I'm surprised that they don't feel bad inviting a guest over and not having anything for them to eat? I would suggest taking your own food from now on, I'm sure they will find something to whindge about by you taking your own food 
BUT you can smile and nicely tell them "you never really have anything for me and I was sick of being hungry when I come over... I thought you would't mind seeing it seems to be such a hassel" 
dh and I don't really have any worries, we are usually happy with salad (dh likes no dressing), we will either take our own meal or take some healthy home made organic spelt bread and have salad with it... We know the places which wont have any food for us so it's better to just take our own HTH is some small way 
yeah I'm doing the doh sign but I am really laughing out loud right now 
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