Okay, I love holidays. Except for the "I eat different things than everyone in my family" part. My family members are accomodating, but it still sucks. While I have foods to eat, those foods aren't incorporated into the overall meal. Instead, they make "special" food just for me. I don't know why they sign on for more work like this. For example, instead of just making mashed potatoes with soymilk for everyone, the cook will take out some potatoes and make me my own batch of mashed potatoes with soymilk. Then the cook will make everyone else's mashed potatoes with dairy milk. WHY?! Who wouldn't think to just veganize dishes? It can be done! And the dishes would be healthier!
While I appreciate the consideration that people give, I am letting all of you know who may have a family member with different dietary guidelines, the nicest thing you can do is incorporate that into the meal for everyone. Having a dish that falls outside these guidelines, like in this case a turkey, is fine. But no matter what the dietary restriction, there is a lot of food that can be made. Why not incorporate those foods into your meal so that everyone can share food and feel the same? Make several dishes that are delicious that everyone can eat. Don't make the person bring his or her own food. While I would be happy to bring a dish to share, it's awkward to bring something just for yourself. For example, for Thanksgiving I offered to bring all of the desserts. I just called to confirm, and found that other desserts had been purchased, and I just needed to bring something for myself. This sends a few messages: 1. my vegan desserts were deemed to be not good enough. In fact, STORE BOUGHT pies would be better. Dude, the fact that they bought store bought pies when I said I'd bake some was a slap in the face. 2. I need to just take care of myself.
To help those of you who don't have first-hand knowledge of being a food pariah, here are some tips.
Ways you can accomodate dietary restrictions well:
1. Plan a meal that falls within the restrictions that everyone can enjoy. My sister once did this phenomenally. She had the whole family work together to make an amazing soup. Everyone shared the same meal, loved the food, and I was able to feel like part of the group. No matter what the restriction, there is an amazing meal that you can make. Take this as an opportunity to try something new!
2. Make enough parts of the meal to fall within the restrictions so that everyone can enjoy the majority of the same dishes. Recently we went to a friend's house for a spaghetti dinner. I was able to have the main dish, just choosing to not put parmesan on top. I skipped the garlic bread(butter) and dessert(butter, probably milk), but I never felt out of place. I had eaten the salad and the main course. It was enough food for me, and it wasn't awkward and I didn't feel singled out.
3. If something can be altered slightly so that everyone can eat it, make the alteration. I'm not asking you to go out and buy vegan butter or anything. Leave the cheese off of salad or pasta and let people put it on themselves. Use oil instead of butter. Use mashed bananas, applesauce, or ground flaxseed in place of eggs. For diabetics, use a natural sweetener like maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar in the place of white sugar. In the case of veganism, making that alteration makes the food healthier. Plus you might find that you like it better! Finding alterations or subsitutions is just a google search away. Taking a small portion and altering it for the one person with the restriction doesn't go over well. While it's better than nothing, it still makes the person feel different and not part of the group.
Let me put a disclaimer that I am not stating this to upset people, merely to inform. I remember being one of those "eat anything" people, and I didn't even consider other people's dietary considerations. Now, with my experience, no matter what the dietary restriction, I would make a meal to accomodate all guests. I could and would make a gluten-free meal, a meal that follows Jain principles, a nut-free meal, or anything else needed. The only thing I would NOT do is provide food to which I am morally opposed, such as meat. But I don't think people are morally opposed to mashed potatoes with soymilk.
Food, and eating together, is such a large part of community. I never realized how big of a deal it would be to me to not be a part of that. I don't even feel like I'm doing the experience justice with my explanation. I wish I could think of a comparable situation.
Perhaps it's like being in a foreign country where you don't speak the language. Even if you have the most considerate person translating for you, it's not the same as understanding the language and being a part of the conversation. I imagine you'd rather everyone spoke the language you understand, even if they don't speak it well. The kind translator is the cook who makes one-person portions that fit the restrictions. Everyone speaking the language is the meal being adjusted to fit the restrictions. Even if it's not an amazing meal, the effort taken to make the experience a shared one will be much appreciated.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Yardhouse=Fail
Sorry to digress from my normal posts, but I feel I must use this platform to get righteous and indignant.
Last night we went to Yardhouse Restaurant for a friend's 21st birthday. For those we don't know, Yardhouse is a restaurant/bar that has a wide selection of beers on tap. The friend, we'll call him "A" was turning 21 at midnight.
I won't bore you with all the details of the evening, the only important part is that they wouldn't serve him a drink when he turned 21 at midnight! This is NOT because he was too drunk, either. It was because the restaurant has a policy that someone must be 21 during the business day, which after midnight is the day prior. What kind of bs is that?! He was legally old enough to drink and the restaurant wouldn't serve him. That, plus the bad service and small portions, leads me to say I am not going to Yardhouse again. And I drink a lot of beer, so my business could have been sizable. Take that stupid Yardhouse!
And the rant is now over. :-)
Last night we went to Yardhouse Restaurant for a friend's 21st birthday. For those we don't know, Yardhouse is a restaurant/bar that has a wide selection of beers on tap. The friend, we'll call him "A" was turning 21 at midnight.
I won't bore you with all the details of the evening, the only important part is that they wouldn't serve him a drink when he turned 21 at midnight! This is NOT because he was too drunk, either. It was because the restaurant has a policy that someone must be 21 during the business day, which after midnight is the day prior. What kind of bs is that?! He was legally old enough to drink and the restaurant wouldn't serve him. That, plus the bad service and small portions, leads me to say I am not going to Yardhouse again. And I drink a lot of beer, so my business could have been sizable. Take that stupid Yardhouse!
And the rant is now over. :-)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Better Late Than Never...
I was tagged by Ashley of Sound of Silent for a survey. I don't think she realized just how special she made me feel by tagging me! Yay! So by popular request, or at least Ashley's request, here is my survey:
1. What books are on your favorite shelf?
The Harry Potter series, Mrs. Dalloway, and photo albums. I'm kind of a minimalist, and I have moved a lot, so books are usually not kept. The ones I do hang on to are the either ones I will re-read, or ones with hardcore emotional significance. The HP books get re-read a lot, Mrs. Dalloway was a life changer. I hated it at first- now I love it.
2. What DVDs are on your favorite shelf?
So we are super cool and we have all our DVDs in an external hard drive. Meaning we don't have DVDs at all, just data :-) I have to be proud of our technological advances- they're all thanks to my husband. Of our movies, my favorites are the Star Wars movies, all of them. I can watch them over and over. Recently I've wanted to watch WallE, which i haven't seen since it came out. Overall I have a very low tolerance for violence or disturbing thoughts (ex: Clockwork Orange) in movies. That stuff sticks in my mind and bothers me for weeks. Will Smith's I Am Legend gave me nightmares. So I stick to the stuff that isn't obsence. If we start a movie that is too much for me, I stop it and I will not watch any more. I feel that it is important to actively consider what I'm putting into my mind. Watching disturbing stuff conditions people to think it is okay. And I'm not okay with that.
3. What are your two favorite cookbooks?
Diet for a Small Planet- this one's old, but good! It has the best carrot and onion soup recipe. I love homemade soup.
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman. This book is a great resource for how to make all the basics: potatoes, baked beans, black beans, and hundreds of other things. I love that it has several options associated with one basic recipe, so you can choose the option that your family would like most, or do like I do and choose the one that matches whatever ingredients/seasonings you already own.
4. Select 1-3 recipes you will cook for your special guests
I'm currently planning a holiday dinner with friends, so here is what I plan to make. I try to use seasonal food, so you'll notice a lot of root vegetables.
Appetizer: crackers with olive tapenade
Soup Course: Carrot and onion soup
Main Course: mixed green salad, baked sweet potatoes, lentil roast with cranberry sauce, roasted garlic and french bread, and some other TBD vegetable
Dessert: pumpkin pie or brownies and vegan ice cream
5. What will we be drinking that's available?
Rice nog, Champagne, Whatever Trader Joe's white/red wine we currently have, or pumpkin beer (it's a holiday favorite around here)
5 Random Facts:
1. I can't stand tile countertops. I'm now living in my second place with them, and they're just impossible to clean! Food gets stuck in the grout when I try to wipe off the counters. Then the grout gets stained. There's just no winning with tile.
2. I'm an obsessive cleaner and organizer (see Fact #1 for proof)
3. I can fall asleep just about anywhere. Once I fell asleep while getting a filling at the dentist.
4. I'm loving the tv show Modern Family. I think it's hilarious.
5. I like to sew. I love being able to make useful stuff like curtains and pillows.
1. What books are on your favorite shelf?
The Harry Potter series, Mrs. Dalloway, and photo albums. I'm kind of a minimalist, and I have moved a lot, so books are usually not kept. The ones I do hang on to are the either ones I will re-read, or ones with hardcore emotional significance. The HP books get re-read a lot, Mrs. Dalloway was a life changer. I hated it at first- now I love it.
2. What DVDs are on your favorite shelf?
So we are super cool and we have all our DVDs in an external hard drive. Meaning we don't have DVDs at all, just data :-) I have to be proud of our technological advances- they're all thanks to my husband. Of our movies, my favorites are the Star Wars movies, all of them. I can watch them over and over. Recently I've wanted to watch WallE, which i haven't seen since it came out. Overall I have a very low tolerance for violence or disturbing thoughts (ex: Clockwork Orange) in movies. That stuff sticks in my mind and bothers me for weeks. Will Smith's I Am Legend gave me nightmares. So I stick to the stuff that isn't obsence. If we start a movie that is too much for me, I stop it and I will not watch any more. I feel that it is important to actively consider what I'm putting into my mind. Watching disturbing stuff conditions people to think it is okay. And I'm not okay with that.
3. What are your two favorite cookbooks?
Diet for a Small Planet- this one's old, but good! It has the best carrot and onion soup recipe. I love homemade soup.
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman. This book is a great resource for how to make all the basics: potatoes, baked beans, black beans, and hundreds of other things. I love that it has several options associated with one basic recipe, so you can choose the option that your family would like most, or do like I do and choose the one that matches whatever ingredients/seasonings you already own.
4. Select 1-3 recipes you will cook for your special guests
I'm currently planning a holiday dinner with friends, so here is what I plan to make. I try to use seasonal food, so you'll notice a lot of root vegetables.
Appetizer: crackers with olive tapenade
Soup Course: Carrot and onion soup
Main Course: mixed green salad, baked sweet potatoes, lentil roast with cranberry sauce, roasted garlic and french bread, and some other TBD vegetable
Dessert: pumpkin pie or brownies and vegan ice cream
5. What will we be drinking that's available?
Rice nog, Champagne, Whatever Trader Joe's white/red wine we currently have, or pumpkin beer (it's a holiday favorite around here)
5 Random Facts:
1. I can't stand tile countertops. I'm now living in my second place with them, and they're just impossible to clean! Food gets stuck in the grout when I try to wipe off the counters. Then the grout gets stained. There's just no winning with tile.
2. I'm an obsessive cleaner and organizer (see Fact #1 for proof)
3. I can fall asleep just about anywhere. Once I fell asleep while getting a filling at the dentist.
4. I'm loving the tv show Modern Family. I think it's hilarious.
5. I like to sew. I love being able to make useful stuff like curtains and pillows.
That's it! Now you know me a bit better, I hope.
17. Write a letter to my Congressperson
DONE
Well, it was an email, not a letter. But that counts. Yesterday I was so upset that the Senate voted to discuss the latest iteration of a health care reform bill, I emailed both my CA senators. I told them both that I do not support any aspect of the health care reform ideas being discussed in Congress, etc....
Emailing them was suprisingly easy. A google search took me to a U.S. Senate contact information page, which included links to each of their websites. I perused the sites to learn about the senators' stance on health care, and then I was email each of them from their sites.
So go contact your senators now! Make sure they're respresenting you!
Well, it was an email, not a letter. But that counts. Yesterday I was so upset that the Senate voted to discuss the latest iteration of a health care reform bill, I emailed both my CA senators. I told them both that I do not support any aspect of the health care reform ideas being discussed in Congress, etc....
Emailing them was suprisingly easy. A google search took me to a U.S. Senate contact information page, which included links to each of their websites. I perused the sites to learn about the senators' stance on health care, and then I was email each of them from their sites.
So go contact your senators now! Make sure they're respresenting you!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
I'm Alive!
Sorry for the long time, no posts. I was in Hawaii for 12 days! The rest of the absence was due to getting ready, and then catching up on life when I got back. Now I finally have a few moments to blog! Yay!
Well, Hawaii was very nice, of course. I missed my little dog, though, and I worried about everything I still had going on at home. It's hard to go on vacation when you have a bunch of open projects like I do. While it was nice to get away, I must admit that more than once I wished I was taking that time to just work on projects and catch up! I'm a freak, I know.
I think I'll tell you more about the trip later, but for now here's a picture of just one of the many empty, gorgeous beaches we visited on the lovely island of Kauai:
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