Sunday, October 14, 2012

Big changes in life

I've made a big change in my life--I've decided not only to eat gluten-free (my daughter has celiac disease so we've been pretty much gluten-free around here for the past 10 years but now my stomach seems to be reacting in not-so-nice ways to gluten so I've decided it certainly doesn't hurt me to stay away from it), but also to go vegan. It isn't much of a stretch; I already don't drink milk and while I like eggs and cheese and butter, I don't really feel like I can't live without them. And I'm already vegetarian. It just seems healthier. And I feel more full from eating plants and beans and fruit and some grains than from cheese or other dairy or certainly meat.

The only thing I wish is that I had a garden and lots of my own home-grown veggies. Of course, this being Arizona, I don't know how much I could grow here other than chiles and some beans. I grew some nice cherry tomatoes this spring and some really nice English peas in the winter. But it's really difficult, especially since I'm just renting and I have to grow in pots. 

So I am finding some of the greatest recipes and falling in love with vegan cooking and baking. Some of my favorites Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Veganomicon and Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction, which has low fat vegan recipes, a lot of which are gluten free. There is also Moskowitz's online site, The Post Punk Kitchen.

Then there's Oh She Glows, a fantastic vegan blog. Lots of gluten free stuff there too. And Karina Bland's The Gluten-Free Goddess, one of my favorite go-to blogs. She's got lots of wonderful recipes and a ton of vegan ones too. 

Well, if you have experiences being vegan and gluten-free, please comment here. I'd love to hear from folks, trade recipes, etc. Also, are you vegan for ethical reasons? (That's part of it for me too. I love animals, and I love this planet and frankly, treating animals horribly for food is not only cruel but a waste of space and food that could feed the world.)

More as I discover good tasting ways to bake and eat. I'll post recipes and review books as I come upon them.
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2 comments:

  1. Just me.October 15, 2012 at 10:42 AM

    Vegan I'm not, but ethical omnivore for sure! We don't eat meat we don't either raise ourselves, or know was raised in an ethical and humane manner, same for eggs (we are already dairy-free because of allergies).

    I really don't agree that raising animals for meat wastes food that could feed the world. That's true only if you assume the current factory-farming methods are the only way to raise animals. By nature, ruminants (cows, sheep, goats) are able to eat stuff humans can't (like grass) which grows in places we can't grow stuff for humans to eat. Feeding corn and soy and other concentrates to livestock is very wasteful, and makes their lives miserable, since they have a permanent stomach-ache from not getting the diet they are adapted for (rough forages).

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    Replies
    1. BrookeOctober 15, 2012 at 5:05 PM

      Colleen, I actually completely agree with you. I think the problem IS factory farming and the fact that in the U.S. we consume much more meat than is necessary. And we certainly dishonor the animals, in the way we treat them while alive.

      I know you guys raise your animals ethically and slaughter and eat them ethically as well. I think if more people only purchased from either family farms or made sure they were getting grass-fed beef, we'd have a more balanced environment.

      I certainly don't advocate vegetarianism or veganism for everyone. I do find that it is right for me. But I think anyone who is an omnivore but is ethical about it is working in harmony with our bodies and those animals.

      So eat away! You guys and other ethical omnivores are just another model along with vegetarians and vegans for eating well.

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