Consumption Issues: Torfurky

Neigh or yay? Tofurky? Have any of you tried it? I was at Trader Joes shopping for typical Veg Head food: veggie burgers, tofu, peanut butter, vegetables and fruit too, when I came across a suspicious looking food item. TOFURKY.

 What IS it exactly? Does it actually taste like lunch meat? Or is it comparable to Bologna, odd and alien?


With regards to vegetarian food, today was my first day EVER eating a Veggie Burger. Actually, it was extremely edible. And healthy as far as I know.

A few jokes from my dad about trying out vegetarianism. He is about as close to a carnivore as one can possible be. But that's alright, I've learned to overcome him.

Alright! Almost a full week of being vegetarian and I don't even crave meat!

Veg Head Gear: Make Yourself Up Pretty

So, I found out that Veg Heads have some adorable little t-shirts. Now not only can you BE a vegetarian, but you can also WEAR a shirt to advertise it. 


And boy, are they cute. They're made out of organic materials and they support peta2.


Aren't they sweet?

Here's a close up on the picture.

Order one today! And spread the word.

Go to http://www.zazzle.com/have_you_hugged_a_vegetarian_today_tshirt-235934202588014965

Restaurants: Beating the System

Day 2 of being a vegetarian. The end is so near! Just kidding, there is no end as far as I can see. So here is a problem that I was faced with today. RESTAURANTS.


Where in the world do Veg Heads go out to eat?


Lucky for me, I found the Bangkok Village. I live in Naperville, IL and we have a small downtown area with lots and lots of restaurants. The Bangkok Village is a small, but super cozy Thai food place. 


I usually get the Basil Beef there, but...beef is now off-limits. So instead, I scoured the intensive seafood menu and ordered the Pad Delight. It was amazing. Combined of translucent bean pasta, veggies and lots of different seafood, it was the perfect way to work around not being able to eat meat. 


Even though, my food was a huge accomplishment, I was still wondering about what other good vegetarian food there was to eat in Naperville. I found out that there a quite a few, so I made a list of my favorites for you!


Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in Naperville, IL


1. Bangkok Village (super yum)
2. Mongolian Barbeque (don't be fooled, you can leave meat out of your stir-fry)
3. The Pita Pit (they have the BEST pita sandwiches)
4. Noodles and Company (and it's cheap too! Get the Pesto Cavatappi)

So, my parents both work in the city, so we go down there a lot. My favorite reason to go down there is for dinner and a show (go see Billy Elliot before it leaves! It blew my mind). I got to thinking about what restaurants for vegetarians are like in Chicago. Here's a list of the best!


Best Veg Head-Friendly Restaurants in Naperville, IL


1. Mana Food Bar
2. Green Zebra (really good, but an ouch in the wallet)
3. RAW (pizza! and apparently amazingly good pizza)
4. Karyn's on Green
5. Life on Mars (order the coconut greens!!)
6. The Chicago Diner (get the Sweet Potato Quesadillas, to die for!)


If you're ever feeling a little antsy and you want to get out and try some new food, try some of these out! It's only been two days, and I've already realized that finding restaurants when you can't eat meat, is quite a task. 


So be spontaneous! Go on an adventure! Get out there and get eatin'.

Day 1: The Beginning

Alright then, fellow Veg Heads! Today is officially my first full day of being a vegetarian.


Recap: I am not eating any meat for 30 days. Now 29 days. 


This morning was easy, as I'm sure it will be often. I just stuck to your ol' average toast. And I did put a little Nutella on it. I have no idea who created that wonderful stuff, but they really knew what they were doing. 


Lunch was a little wonky. I had a friend over and we decided to make some grilled cheese sandwiches. Pretty safe and simple, but then Em decided to be all fancy with hers and add in a few slices of ham. And I really wanted some of that ham. It's funny how you don't even notice how much you eat meat until you give it up. It was all okay though because I compensated by spicing up my grilled cheese with some fresh basil and tomatoes. It ended up being really good, and I am definitely eating that again.


Dinner was a success! I went into an old cookbook and tried to find some peaceful, easy vegetarian recipes. I found a sort of veggie/bean mix that was meant to stand alone, but that I put over some noodles. 


I got some really nice feedback from the bro and 'rents, so if you ever want to try out the recipe, I say go for it. SUCCESS! 


Vegetable Toss-Up


2 teaspoons olive oil
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 chopped onion
cayenne
fresh basil (chopped)
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
salt & pepper
1 large chopped tomato
half-can of tomato sauce
1 can of red kidney beans (protein!)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)


Cut up all the vegetables, and heat the olive oil in a pan. Toss in the red & green peppers, the onion and the garlic. Stir evenly until the vegetables are soft. Then slowly add in all the other ingredients, pausing when needed until the mix begins to form a clumpy sauce. Then let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.


Add spices according to taste.


P.S. I would put this over some pasta or rice, because it isn't a full meal standing alone.


Enjoy my first vegetarian recipe!

FIRST DAY SUCCESS :)

Vegetarian Findings

Did you know that there are magazines and websites specifically for vegetarians? Well apparently, there are! Woah.

I was extremely impressed, and not so surprised, that there are actually magazines and websites for Veg Heads! This is quite a fabulous invention, if I may say so myself. My favorite website is vegetariantimes.com.

They have this awesome tab where you can go to, to find vegetarian recipes! It's truly fantastic.

Go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/ to satisfy all of your craziest cravings and munchies.

Eat and Live Healthy :)

The Transformation to a Carrot

Yes, many of you may be reading this, puzzled, asking yourselves why in the world someone might want to become a carrot. All I have to say is, technically, I'm not becoming a carrot. I'm becoming a vegetarian. Same difference. Now you're probably thinking that becoming a veg head makes a lot more sense then becoming a carrot. If that thought ran through your mind, congrats, you're right, it does.

It took me a while, and a lot of looking at my dear friend, Abbey, and realizing that perhaps, becoming a vegetarian was the right path for me. I'm not gonna pretend that I know anything about being a vegetarian, but honestly, how many of us really do? But anyhow, I have decided to venture into the unknown, and attempt the impossible. Actually it's completely possible. I'm going to shut up now.

The problem is that I don't know if I'm going to be able to BE a vegetarian. What if a week in I long for the hot, steamy taste of meat. Or what if everyone starts to look like a hamburger? Rather than assume that I'm insane, I'd much rather test this thing out. Try being a vegetarian for a reasonable amount of time, and then see how I do. Maybe I'll fail, maybe I'll realize that being a carrot really is my destiny. Who knows? All I know is that I plan to stay committed.

So, here's the meaty plan:

Spend 30 days, 30 nights, being a vegetarian. That means no meat of any kind. (But I'm not going to go crazy and cut out fish or dairy. I honestly cannot live without ice cream).

After 30 days, I'll see how I've done, and be able to interpret if being a vegetable is really my calling in life. I mean, I'm only 15.

Ha! Here goes for a first post. God, who would read this? I'm such a carrot.