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Sirus The Virus

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 12, 2005
582
0
Texas
Who on here is a vegan or vegetarian? And what are you eating for Thanksgiving? I'm a vegetarian headed towards vegan, I'm eating a vegan nut roast with dressing. How long and why are you a vegetarian?
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,728
281
San Francisco, CA
I haven't eaten Beef for several years (mostly for health reasons). ...Does that count for anything?

And, errrrrr, I'll be eating turkey for Thanksgiving. :D :eek:

...Actually, turkey is really my least favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. Who needs meat when there's mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread, veggies, and pumpkin pie?


If anyone wants a quick, makeshift recipe for veggie gravy, I made some the other day...
1 cup water
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 vegetable bullion cubes
---Boil water, dissolve bullion cubes, add butter, and combine flour slowly until you have the right consistency. Then add spices as you see fit. (In all honesty, it was somewhat bland, but it's the best I could come up with at the time. Try it before you ruin your thanksgiving meal. :p )
 

adrianblaine

macrumors 65816
Oct 12, 2006
1,156
0
Pasadena, CA
I grew up as a vegetarian. I didn't have meat until I was probably around 14 or 15. I'm also starting to head back that direction...

For thanksgiving we used to make mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, and stuffing made without the bird. I'm sure there were other things, but it was quite awhile ago.
 

adrianblaine

macrumors 65816
Oct 12, 2006
1,156
0
Pasadena, CA

atthecross

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2007
279
1
haven't eaten anything with a face since 1995, no political or social reasons (if we were not supposed to eat animals, they wouldn't be made out of meat)

Will be eating all the side dishes on Thanksgiving Day
 

Iscariot

macrumors 68030
Aug 16, 2007
2,627
3
Toronteazy
Vegan for 5 years. Maybe longer? I can't remember if I started in my 20s or not. My reasons are mostly biological after a careful study of our anatomy, but my other primary reasons are to reduce my environmental footprint and to promote organic and sustainable farming by voting with my dollar.

As a Canadian, Thanksgiving has already come and gone. This year I celebrated it twice, the first time back home with my family, where I made a chickpea casserole, potato and leek soup and a tomato spice cake with vanilla frosting. The second time my friend hosted a small party in his penthouse, and he and his sister took care of all the cooking. They made two excellent vegan dishes, a very nice butternut squash roast and this great tomato casserole.

Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving!
 

canadagrad

macrumors newbie
Nov 10, 2007
21
0
Hey. Ive been vegan for about a decade but Ive been lucky: there is a health food store where I used to live that cooked up "tofuturkies" every thanksgiving that were amazing. All seasoned tofu in a little loaf pan with stuffing in the middle. Soo good. Back when I still ate some dairy I got the turkey gravy in those little packets made by ClubHouse and they're totally vegetarian.

I tried to cook one once, but failed rather miserably. Maybe Ill get creative and try again. I found a neat website http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/579094.htm) but Ive been too lazy to try to make anything this elaborate. Anyhow, there are links on the side, like the holiday and christmas ones, that have free recipes.

Looking at that web page now Im thinking two things: Im hungry, and maybe Ill try to make something afterall.

I just hate going to all the trouble only to have the recipe totally backfire!

Let me know if you try anything good :)

And now that I think about it, Ive not met any vegetarians that went veggie just because of health reasons.
I think you just need to do some research into how meat actually gets from the farm to the table to be turned vegetarian or vegan.

Oh, and back in the day when I listened to The Smiths a lot (ok, I still do) I couldnt get the song Meat is Murder out of my head!

And while Ive learned in the past 5 years or so not to make faces when out for dinner with meat eating friends I cant keep myself from making the odd comment when it comes to veal or fois gras. Ugh!
 

Kamera RAWr

macrumors 65816
May 15, 2007
1,022
0
Sitting on a rig somewhere
I can see how people become vegetarians or vegans, but for me, meat just tastes too damn good. So many wonderful things you can do with beef and chicken. Not trying to get flamed here, just posting my opinion. I have a lot of respect for those who can commit to being vegetarians and vegans. Don't know if I'll ever be able to jump on that bandwagon though. :eek:
 

Henri Gaudier

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2005
526
0
France
Hello Sirus,

I've been vegetarian for nearly 30 years and latterly vegan for a few. I've seen US films refer to "going home for thanks giving" but what is it exactly? Is it some kind of harvest festival? As for the meal - am I right in assuming that you're new to this discipline? Our home is full of vegan/veggie cook books that we've slowly built up over the years and as such we've now got lots of favourites to choose from for Christmas etc. Stick with it. You'll soon find lots of your own favourites too that will make celebratory meals a breeze for you.

Sorry to hear about the bad news Canadagrad - Smith's music is murder! What you need is the one bedevilling me this morning - why I've got it I don't know - do you remember Star Trekkin? "It's life Jim but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it. It's life Jim but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it!" Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
 

Iscariot

macrumors 68030
Aug 16, 2007
2,627
3
Toronteazy
And now that I think about it, Ive not met any vegetarians that went veggie just because of health reasons.
I think you just need to do some research into how meat actually gets from the farm to the table to be turned vegetarian or vegan.

Oh, and back in the day when I listened to The Smiths a lot (ok, I still do) I couldnt get the song Meat is Murder out of my head!

And while Ive learned in the past 5 years or so not to make faces when out for dinner with meat eating friends I cant keep myself from making the odd comment when it comes to veal or fois gras. Ugh!

Canadagrad, where abouts in Canada do you live (if you still live there)? I know a few vegetarian organizations here and there, and I can hook you up with some of the haps, so to speak.

This goes for any vegetarians in the Toronto area, as well.
 

it5five

macrumors 65816
May 31, 2006
1,219
1
New York
Been a vegetarian for a few years now.

Seeing as I work on Thanksgiving, I will be eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich with some chips or something on my lunch break.

If I didn't work though, I'd just eat the side-dishes.

Green beans = delicious
 

it5five

macrumors 65816
May 31, 2006
1,219
1
New York
Now I'm going to have to pick some up and cook myself some potatoes and green beans with dinner after I get home from work.
 

MattyB

macrumors newbie
Nov 6, 2003
13
0
UK
Even if you like meat...

...does it matter? I like driving very fast, but I don't do it because I know I could hurt someone.

OK, admittedly I only slow down around schools ;-)

Vegan for eight years. I don't think it's unusual in the Mac community which seems to have a high proportion of geniuses, left-handers, ethical eaters and alternative sexualities.

I can't offer absolute proof of that, just the results of a straw poll.

All I can say is that I'm delighted to be associated with such a splendid array of positive misbehavors. I just made up misbehavors; good band name.

I'm in England so we don't celebrate Thanksgiving (or, obviously independence day, and yes, I am drinking tea as I write) but turkey is traditional at Christmas (goose is also popular and has the added benefit of being a shorthand term for the pinching of a person's bottom) so there is a similar problem.

Stunt turkeys are great, but you do need to sauté them. Fry them if you are less competent. As with real turkey and chicken, it's what you cook them in that makes the flavour.

I just eat as many side dishes as I can. I am particularly fond of roast potatoes.

I think I might put my decorations up...

BTW, thanks Arn for the moderated forum, I once made the mistake of saying I didn't do leather on the supposedly Mac-centric diyplanner.com and was insulted constantly for days. Very personal stuff. I'm giving the site owner a little time to resolve the matter, then I start having some fun!

m2b8.com
 

bartelby

macrumors Core
Jun 16, 2004
19,795
34
I was vegetarian for 8 years (vegan for about a year of that). I switch back to being an omnivore due to health reasons.
 

MattyB

macrumors newbie
Nov 6, 2003
13
0
UK
Advice

I was vegetarian for 8 years (vegan for about a year of that). I switch back to being an omnivore due to health reasons.

I've coached a few people in this matter before and have found that every case is a result of incorrect assumptions by healthcare professionals.

While there are things you have to take care of, such as B12 and Omega 3, there has never been a problem that stood-up to scrutiny. I would advise looking at a few fora...

For the record; I am not a doctor!

If you find you have been poorly advised it is important to raise the issue with the professional concerned, there have been some dreadful instances of poor advice causing chop-dodgers to abandon ethical beliefs.

Good luck

m2b8.com
 

bartelby

macrumors Core
Jun 16, 2004
19,795
34
I've coached a few people in this matter before and have found that every case is a result of incorrect assumptions by healthcare professionals.

While there are things you have to take care of, such as B12 and Omega 3, there has never been a problem that stood-up to scrutiny. I would advise looking at a few fora...

So having a prefectly good vegetarian diet yet being 1.5 stone (21lbs) underweight and ill a lot of the time was a good thing?

When I was a veggie my girlfriend (at the time) was a nutritionist, so she kept a very close eye on what I ate.


The assumption that a veggie/vegan diet is great for everyone is also incorrect.

If this was not the case it seems strange that once I started eating meat and fish again I was a healthy weight and was rarely ill and felt a lot better in myself.

As for ethics. My health was more important.
 

dcv

macrumors G3
May 24, 2005
8,021
1
Yep... veggie for 20 years; strict vegan for 5 of those years. What am I eating for Thanksgiving? Is that this Thursday? Dunno... maybe I'll have some veggie sausage, yum.
 
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