Now I won't say that veganism is easy, I'm sure it's hard even for those with the resources; however, I will say that living north of Panama City, Florida gives me an even bigger challenge. This is a totally new concept to me and it seems that 85% of the grocery stores in this area are organically and plant-based challenged. I have also been told by a friend of mine (who sells commercial produce) that the farmer's market sometimes has folks that come down from Alabama and Georgia, peddling commercially grown products as their own "backyard produce." I'm sure this is not the case with all the old timers there, but I can't help but be slightly judgmental and skeptical after being thrown that kind of information from someone I believe to be a very reliable source.
I have checked out online shopping venues like Off the Vine, but I find that I'm not sure where this produce comes from, who certifies it besides the USDA (thanks Skinny Bitch for that unsettling tidbit), and I feel a little nervous about ordering food off the computer (yeah, blame that on small town-ism). I am still getting used to the prices of organic vs. pesticide/chemical bathed fruits and veggies, but I think OtV is pretty comparable.
In my time perusing other sites for edible recipes for a new convert that won't completely gag a junk food and sweet tea addicted husband and that will also appeal to a two year old raised on corn dogs and cookies, I mainly stuck to the major sites before. I think this was the downfall last time because the recipe I found for seitan was AWFUL and inedible unless you coated it with something and pretended it was supposed to taste like boiled rubber tires or fatty chicken skin. I managed to find a recipe that I would like to try in the next few days (for myself first) on a site I am infatuated with at the moment. But for now, I will list some do's and don't's and just general tips for Southerners with fried chicken taste buds who are thinking about coming over to the light side:
- DON'T go into your kitchen and throw out all of your food to change over to 'new food.' I have done this before. Although it sounds good on paper, I don't think trashing hundreds of your hard earned dollars because the labels don't say "Organic" is a smart move, unless you are trashing Twinkies and Coke. (yes, in the South it's called Coke, not soda, not pop, you know what it is) You have been eating non-organic for years probably, just figure out how to incorporate the healthful foods you already have into other dishes containing more fruits and veggies. When you run out, buy the organic version, or simply trade the item off for a completely different one.
- DO transition slowly if necessary. If you want to buy some basics like organic chickpeas (these are also called garbanzo beans), limes, black beans, avocados, and the like, go for it. Just use what you have in your cabinets for as long as you can and renew with the new organics when you grocery shop again.
- DON'T expect everyone in your household to be on board with it. I have to cook separate meals for my husband and daughter right now because they are not accustomed to the new tastes and don't care for meatless anything.
- DON'T expect vegan cereals, nut butters, and breads (sprouted grain breads) to taste like Sugar Smacks, Jif, or soft white bread. They aren't terrible, but they are not going to be what you are used to. If you need sweetener, look for raw (turbinado) sugar or stevia next to the sugar at the store. Agave nectar works well too, but remember these are not going to taste the same or sweeten at the same level as regular white granulated sugar.
- DO READ THE REVIEWS ON RECIPES! A lot of times this will tell you whether the recipe is tasty or if the readers had to add a slew of different ingredients to make the dish taste good. If you are not familiar with spices, seasonings, and vegan alternatives, I would find another recipe. This is coming from someone who has wasted a lot of money (and time!!) on long cooking, many ingredient dishes that turned out awful (homemade vegan meatless cheese-less lasagna with roasted cauliflower and nutritional yeast with cashews-WORST EVER). If you have the budget and are experienced enough to know when to add cumin and when to add cilantro, go for it! Otherwise, stick to the 4 and 5 stars.
- NUTRITIONAL YEAST is terrible. A lot of long-time vegans will tell you this makes dishes taste 'cheesy', no. I beg to differ. It makes dishes taste like you dusted them with powdered ass butter. This was one of the peeves of mine, but I won't blame anyone because I guess when you are without cheese for so long maybe you forget how heavenly delicious the stuff is. Vegan cheese tastes like nothing. It doesn't taste like cheese. It tastes like a slice of yellow dried paste. Give the cheese up. It will be hard to do. Trust me.
- DON'T be afraid to try new things! The first time I seen the word "quinoa" I asked my husband what quinn-oh-uh was. It's actually pronounced keen-wah, and it's a type of grain. Weird little thing too, it's in a little pod and when it cooks, the outside busts open and this little chewy opaque 'fish eye' comes out. It's actually delicious though, like a type of rice almost.
- GET OFF THE CAFFEINE! It's hard, but once you do it and stay off of it for a few days after the headaches stop, you realize how much clearer you think and how energized a simple piece of fruit or cup of fruit juice makes you feel (don't go overboard with the juice please). There are decaffeinated teas to drink, and best for you is water of course. Don't go jacking up your water with Crystal Light either. Chemicals in a pouch. Think about it. What did you add to water to make lemonade as a kid? Lemons and sugar. None of those are in that 1/2oz single serve pack. It's only chemicals modified to taste like sugar and lemons. I mean, antifreeze supposedly tastes like syrup, but if an animal drinks it, what happens? Yuck. If you don't want to buy bottled water, get a good filter. I live out in the boondocks with a deep well in an aquifer (literally my water when I fill my garden tub is Gatorade blue), so I can survive on that. If you live in Pensacola, I would ADVISE bottled water even if you are on city/county resources.
So, that's my basic list. Tomorrow I'm going to try to write about the local resources we have here at the local supermarkets (Publix, Winn Dixie, Wal Mart, and a few others). Till then, don't be afraid to explore the non-commercialized vegan sites!! :)
