I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so we ate at Suma Veggie last night, which is a vegan Chinese restaurant in Richardson, TX that's really heavy on the salt and even heavier on meat analogues.

I'm not really sure how I feel about mock meats in general. I don't eat them much because they're typically processed beyond all recognition and loaded with sodium and I try to stick to a diet of mostly whole foods, meaning I don't buy outside of the produce aisle, aside from bulk spices, grains, and legumes. A part of me sees an ethical problem with eating something that even resembles meat, especially since I don't crave it or miss it at all, and I certainly don't want to give any omnivores that may be on the fence the impression that they're going to feel deprived if they just give the shit up already. Some vegans have said that they're a good transitional food, and I have to remind myself that, for a lot of people, going vegan isn't as simple as it is for others.

I was at a house party sort of thing last weekend and met an omnivore who said that she would be vegan, except she's poor. What the hell is that? I'd really like to know what, exactly, she's eating, because when I cut out the crap my grocery bill dropped dramatically. As a friend of mine at a New Year's Eve cocktail party said, GET YOURSELF SOME BEANS AND RICE.

I'm really bothered by some people's notion that going vegan is going to cost them more than an omnivorous diet, and I suppose it could, if you're eating crappy, processed food for which you're covering the cost of processing, packaging, and, most likely, refrigeration.

I shop for my groceries once a week, buying food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two people, 90% or better of it organic, for $100 a week or less. That comes out to less than $5 per person per meal. In the summer, when I can buy most of my food at my local farmers market, the cost of a meal drops below $3, and I know that many vegans are able to cover their food bills with even less. This post over at Vegan FAQ even details a weekly grocery list that can cost less than $25 a week!

So...no more whining!

In other news, vegan superhero Jen just made the Fox City Foxz flat track roller derby league. Go show her some love.

So I'm a big fat liar and I forgot to take pictures of the ratatoulli and sesame glazed asparagus that we ate last night until after it had, well, been eaten. So, in lieu of that, go look at Becca's pictures of what we did for New Year's Eve!

Bound and determined

I will cook tonight, a good, nutrient-dense meal, and I will put my heart into it because I, once again, have someone else to cook for. There's so much soul in cooking, but I can never bring myself to take the time to do it only for myself.

I will make a meal for someone else, and I will photograph it with my crapass camera phone (because I lost the decent camera in the breakup), and I will blog it.

I will reclaim my rightful spot in the kitchen.