I'm new and at witts end.

[mycatspot]

This is the first time I've tried to use this mentor program, so I hope I am doing it correctly.

I have been a vegetarian for a year, but the vegan leap is insurmountable. I've managed to keep eggs out of the house but the milk and cheese are just too hard.

I am a traditional English tea drinker (and tea teacher) which requires milk. You cannot imagine how awful soy or rice milk tastes in tea. For me, giving up English tea for life is hard to even think about. And Burritos and pizza without cheese? Ugh.

I feel like I'm on one of those awful diets where you punish yourself for liking food. It almost seems self abusive--like women friends I know who diet all the time and food becomes "an enemy."

I've read vegan books, I understand the awful situations in the dairy industry. I've tried many soy products but they are so time consuming to prepare (even tofu). I'm an eat out of the fridge/ sandwich/finger food/ sort of person. I think if someone cooked and handed me a plate of vegan food every day I'd happily eat it, but if it depends on me doing food prep all the time--it just ain't gonna happen.

Like one of those people who signs up to join the gym and never returns to do exercise, I think I need one of those personal trainers- in "veganism". One day I'm all excited to be a vegan for life, the next day I'm eating a cheese burrito and feeling guilty (but loving every minute)

ok, enough about ME already!

from "Mycatspot"

[tammy]

Hi there ..

I think for many aspiring vegans, dairy is one of the hardest food categories to relinquish.

But from a health perspective and from an ethical perspective (as you know from your reading) there are so many wonderful benefits that I think you just need to be patient with yourself and also invest the time into finding new foods and recipes that you enjoy.

While there are many vegan foods that are similar and "taste like" animal foods, I think it is unfair to the vegan products to say that they are "substitutes" for animal-based foods since sometimes the tastes can be pretty dissimilar. Although there are wonderful improvements being made all the time to vegan foods, if we expect them to taste or behave like their animal-based foods, I think we will be disappointed.

I've also gotten into sandwiches lately - as you say, very quick to make and easy, too!

Here's what I keep on hand to make my sandwiches:
- whole wheat bread
- avocados
- a vegan sandwich spread (i use nayonaise)
- vegan sandwich slices like the yves or tofurky turkey slices
- lettuce (i buy prewashed lettuce)
- onions
- margarine (i love the organic/non-hydrogenated Earth Balance)

Then I just assemble them according to what I feel like. I'll also sometimes just have peanut butter & jelly.

As far as milk in tea or coffee, I don't really drink either but I vaguely recall overhearing discussions and I know that some brands do blend better than others. Have you tried Silk? I know Starbucks is using that in their coffee so I think it must blend really well. It tastes GREAT. They have a SILK creamer version and it's really really good. Have you tried it?

One of my *favorite* cookbooks is The Saucy Vegetarian by Joanne Stepaniak. It's full of no-cook sauces that are wonderful to put on top of grains, pastas, vegetables, beans .. how simple is that!

Okay .. this is a long reply .. maybe you can give us an update as to how everything is going and if you have more specific questions?

There is a Vegan Food Party in SF on 4/22 (see the Bay Area Veg event calendar at http://BayAreaVeg.org ) and it's a great opportunity to meet like-minded folks and try new foods & recipes. It's potluck style and you can even "animal test" new recipes on hungry volunteers

Tammy