OMG squee. I found a vegan, yes 100% VEGAN (NO CASEIN) CHEESE ALTERNATIVE! It's called Vegan Gourmet (www.imearthkind.com)...I bought the Monteray Jack and the Cheddar varieties at my local store, who so graciously and luckily began carrying it...I made fondue! It was actually good! Score one for the veg*ns!
I'm actually uberly proud of myself; I went shopping today at the health food store (feel free to prostrate yourself in reverence), and I got a ton of veggie foods! And, for the first time in about a month, my shopping cart was 100% vegan! Well, except for one thing, the vegetarian french onion soup had honey in it, but the veganosity of that is debatable....so yeah, "strict" vegan cart today--no casein for me this week! It's full-throttle veganism in my kitchen again!
Today, while shopping, I was astounded by the amount of good eats there, most of which were veg*n. Maybe it was because I went on a day I usually don't go, and caught the fresh stock day, or maybe it was because I didn't rush through on ant-autopilot as I usually do, but I was so overwhelmed by the good food around me. It was then that I had an epiphany; I realized how easy veganism really is, at least in your own kitchen--it's not a diet of limitations, I don't feel restricted whatsoever. People often see veganism as a set of "no" rules--NO MEAT, NO CHEESE, NO EGGS, NO THIS OR THAT! But it's not like that; it's one of the most positive philosophies out there, rooting for vitality and clarity of heart when most other dietary philosophies are seated in stagnancy. At this point, veganism seems to be the only way for me to live; what other diet would I fare better on? I have such a plethora of fresh, delicious fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, spices, herbs, and other foods around me. I have cuisine from China, Japan, England, India, Vietnam, Mexico, Spain, even the American Mid and Southwest...what am I missing out on again? Oh yes, the participation in the abuse and exploitation of our kindred spirits, the other animals occupying the earth with us. Well, I think I'll pass on that one, thanks. Give me seitan over steak any day =)
