Veggie holiday :)

I have no issue with a vegan meal. I do sort of have an issue with a vegan meal which "trys" to be a non-vegan meal.

I'm good with serving all vegan vegetables (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, root veggies, carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, etc.) BUT, I'm not going to make them seem, or taste, like meat. I love veggies, all manner of them. In fact, I can't think of a single veggies I don't like.........but I don't like ANY of them made to taste like something they aren't!

If I have a vegan coming over for Thanksgiving dinner, I will make sure to make lots of nice veggies for that person (and anyone else), BUT, I'm NOT going to make a vegan Thanksgiving dinner just for one or two people!!

I will put as much effort and joy into cooking the vegan dishes as I do the meat dishes. I will celebrate those dishes just as much as the meat, and I will enjoy them just as much as well. HOWEVER, I don't, and never will, feel the need to bend over and cater to vegans as if they are the only ones there.

P.S. I make some of the best carrots ever, and everyone loves them. But I still eat ham, turkey and prime rib!

My .02

I've had a few of the new Impossible Burger at Burger King, and they taste exactly like a regular hamburger.

Yes, I buy my fake meet products at the store. Regular people might like the Morningstar bbq ribs. I've been on a Brussels Sprouts kick at home recently; cut in 1/2 in microwave then pan-fried with garlic and vinegar + salt.

Otherwise, being veg is great. Cooking all of the ethnic foods; Chinese, Italian or Mexican.....all are fine w/o meat. Not a big deal.

a reply to: Skorpiogurl

I love vegetables but have problems with some of their assorted plant defense system chemistries. Especially oxylates and lectins. The lectin like chemistries, albunims, in meats do not bother me that much. I do make sure to cook the egg whites good though and I do eat my meats at least medium well and do not have much problems with those. But milk lectin like chemistries give me problems. Lactose intolerance is not much of a problem for me but the swelling and fever from milk can be a problem.

I really studied oxylates about nine years ago after getting kidney stones. I learned that the pain in my back I experienced for many years was not actually the back bone half of the time. It was kidney stones. Having back damage in the same general area as the kidneys can cause some misdiagnosis. Thirty two years ago I really messed up my back from falling off scaffold and I inappropriately blamed all my back problems in one of the effected area on the back. I think a lot of guys are doing the same thing. Moderate kidney pain comes from that. I have cut down my oxylate consumption down over seventy percent, choosing veggies now that are lower in oxylates, it really helped with the kidneys.

Here is a video I thought did a fair job explaining complications caused by oxylates in veggies. If you eat a lot of potatoes, they stimulate calcium absorption but also have oxylates and can cause spur pains all over, little crystals in the muscles. They contain calcitrol which is the active form of vitamin D, most nightshade veggies contain this, they start growing without the aid of the sun. This video is long and a women tries to explain how she screwed up, she has a degree in nutrition and overate veggies and in the long run she wound up with oxylate buildup. I have not verified all of what they are saying is correct in this video, it will take me a couple of days of research to verify the correlations of oxylates to all the diseases they mention. I have read research over the years that verified some of their conclusions but did not go that far in depth as she has done. I always try to verify people's conclusions and know people have varying enzyme quantities they produce, so I cannot say everything on the video is correct. Some of the conclusions are correct though. Here is the link. If you are a vegan, consider if some of the things she mentions applies to you or people you know. articles.mercola.com... =20191110Z1&et_cid=DM388477&et_rid=747039337

a reply to: Skorpiogurl

Hmm i had a tofurkey last year and if wasn't that good. Maybe i really well done one might be good...

Too much tofu and stuffing didn't seem to go together well.

a reply to: rickymouse

Hmm interesting.. I wonder if the effects of high oxalates only effect a small amount of people.. Especially because there are tons of vegans eating high oxalate diets who aren't passing kidney stones eacch month.

There has got to be a mechanism in the body that counter acts high oxalates. Otherwise, many vegans would be suffering from oxalate related conditions.

a reply to: rickymouse
My entire diet pretty much consist of foods that are high in Oxalate except for cereals. But I make sure to get enough calcium through other sources and I make sure all of my numbers are right where they should be.

a reply to: blueman12

Most people aren't bothered by high oxalate foods but there are exceptions. I know a couple of people who had to go on a low oxalate diet!

a reply to: blueman12

I am not a fan of Tofurkey products except for their smoky maple tempeh, I love that on salads or in a wrap! yum! The other brand I like is Gardein. Not all of their items are great but most of the ones I've tried are quite delicious!

a reply to: rickymouse

And thanks for the video - I plan to watch it later on!

a reply to: Skorpiogurl

The tempeh sounds good. Might try that.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I'm working on a CarSquashKin recipe for you. It's carrots, rolled in a squash, stuffed in a pumpkin.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I'll stick with Turducken, thanks.

Actually, I do grilled/smoked turkeys, brined of course.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Yours doesn't have a double-meaning name.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I couldn't agree more.
I'll never understand how ego(taste) gets in the way when people decide to go plant-based. I kind of feel like most, not all, but most of the people that move from animal products to meat replacement products are only doing it because they want to jump on the bandwagon or they THINK its a fad! Meanwhile vegetarians and vegans have been around since 500 BC. Some fad! It drives me crazy because it's not like you can just turn it on and off or go from eating steak one day and 100% plants the next! It takes time, patience and education. Believe me, if I wanted to eat/taste steak I'd have a steak. Like I said, I do it for my own personal reasons none of which are anyone's business. One time this year I ate a Beyond burger simply because I went to a summer party and was offered one by my most gracious host. No way was I going to refuse and you know what? It was hard for me to eat it because it so closely resembled meat! I do avoid replacements for all of the reasons I stated in another post. Every once in a very great while I'll have something but yeah - I prefer straight up veggies!

originally posted by: Skorpiogurl
a reply to: blueman12

Most people aren't bothered by high oxalate foods but there are exceptions. I know a couple of people who had to go on a low oxalate diet!

It takes years for the crystals to become a problem in muscles and joints and in the circulatory system We do have enzymes that help to break them down, but only a small amount of people make enough to counteract large consumption of oxylates. The whole middle can tolerate moderate consumption of oxylates but only like seven percent of people if I remember right have a problem with even moderate amounts.

It used to be rare for people to get kidney stones, but once people started consuming more higher oxylate foods, the rate has gone up almost ten fold from what I read at a medical site. Since it takes years to actually become chronic, people won't even associate their problems with changes they put into effect ten years ago. A lot of metabolic problems stem from long term alterations, our body stores enough B12 to last for five years usually, so it can take many years of deficiency in the diet before B12 deficiency actually shows it's fangs.

a reply to: rickymouse

Makes perfect sense.

I haven't tried making my own vegan "celebration roast", but last year I prepared both the Tofurkey and Field Roast products. I didn't follow the instructions on either one due to various reasons and I didn't have exactly the proper pans that I should have used, but they both turned out pretty good despite the Field Roast being a bit hard on the bottom. I did slather them with a ton of other stuff - gravy, spuds, dressing, cranberries, etc. But I would trade all of that for a slice of vegan pumpkin pie. Again, I haven't tried making one for myself, but our local PCC markets keep them in stock this time of year and I practically inhale them (after blanketing them with coconut whip).

Field Roast is based here in Seattle, their burgers are my favorite- I just wish they were less expensive. Perhaps more people would give them a chance if plant-based alternatives were easier to afford than those derived from animals.

originally posted by: Skorpiogurl
a reply to: rickymouse

Makes perfect sense.

You can eliminate the higher oxylate foods from your diet and probably not have a problem. The majority of people can eat moderate oxylates. But consuming a pile of high oxylate foods like spinach, beets, almond, soy, and others can lead to complications. Here is a link that kind of explains some problems with oxylates. my.clevelandclinic.org...

The problem is that the nutrition fad people concentrate on a few properties of foods while the bad properties of those foods are ignored. Many of the foods touted as super food can lead to problems that should have been addressed in the information. A lot of raw cruciferous veggies can cause those with reduced thyroid function or iodine deficiencies in their diet to have serious problems. Yet the main stream nutrition experts touted them as super foods. They push soy too as a good thing when it is not.

I study food chemistry and I feel some of the people with degrees are partially insane, parrotting things they are told by people who profit from deceiving others.

originally posted by: FlyingFox
I've been on a Brussels Sprouts kick at home recently....

I want a divorce.

a reply to: rickymouse

Agree! I find that almost all of the nutritional advice out there, especially the ones attached to fads like keto, Atkins, paleo, low/no carb, no sugar, it's a load of crap. Anytime there is money to be made you can count on the information being skewed!