Social Vegan!

Quinoa and Black Beans

Choosing to live your life as vegan is a huge commitment!  It affects what you eat, where you can eat, what you can buy, and how you manage parties, Holidays, and social events.  It is also an emotional  journey that I never expected I would take.  

As a child, I hadn't even heard about vegan ism and I LOVED Kentucky Fried Chicken and often ate it at my maw maw's house after church.  As an adult, that used to be my go to meal after a camping trip.  Most people would have referred to me as a huge carnivore when I started eating for my blood type ( a book I read once) and it involved serious animal protein.

Then the events of the year 1998 happened.  I had been eating large amounts of meat and working out at the gym for an hour to an hour and a half every morning.  My dad; who had been a smoker since he was 18 years old and joined the navy; was dying of emphysema and could no longer leave the home without oxygen and was attached to a oxygen tank at the home 24 hours a day with a 30 foot hose.  We knew my dad was dying, but the exact time was unknown.

The morning of February 4th, 1998 I received a phone call from my brother telling me that daddy was in the hospital emergency room and it didn't look good.  Instead of getting ready for work; I found myself preparing to go into my parent's home; not knowing what the outcome would be.  My dad died before I even left the house that morning and while driving into Hickory to attend the visitation and funeral; I started coughing.  I was told two weeks later that I did in fact have whooping cough.  The next several months were spent out of work, struggling to keep my breath and avoid respiratory distress, and sitting up in the recliner because I had pulled muscles away from my ribs while coughing and couldn't lie down.

When I finally recovered from that illness, I was left weak, unable to breath, and disconnected to my body.  I tried working out again; but it was too traumatic.  So, I chose instead, to try yoga. Something I could decide how fast I went and what I could do.  Yoga was so healing for me because I could affirm what I could do and wherever I was; was exactly okay.  As I explored yoga I also explored my diet and realized that for me at that time, the my choice to live in compassion became very important.  I read a book entitled:  Vegan, The New Ethics of Eating by Erik Marcus. That book changed my life.  I read the book in one week, and stopped eating meat right then and there.  My partner suggested I not go all Vegan right away.  I chose a vegetarian path for the next ten years which which was difficult enough in social situations.  But, as my consciousness continued to rise and my love for animals and for my own body, I chose to take the next step and go all in and embrace the vegan lifestyle.  This means that I do not eat any animals, animal by products (cheese, butter, milk) or wear/buy leather products or anything that an animal has had to die for.

Imagine going out to eat with friends or showing up to pot lucks and trying to make a Thanksgiving dinner without animals or anything animals make!  It has been a challenge; but I have found amazing cook books and I love to cook; so through this journey I have been able to eat well and feel great about my choices.  I've been able to find tofurky and vegan stuffing and amazing products that give me the taste and texture of "chicken" without hurting any chickens.  

When I go to restaurants I challenge my waiter and the chef to whip up vegan alternative dishes from the menu and I've always been delighted with what they choose.  I bring my own dish to pot lucks and parties to make sure I have something to eat, and my friends, sister,  and mother in law are always choosing things to cook that is "Midge friendly."  Gotta love that!  Just last night I spent a great evening with friends and took along an amazing Quinoa and Black Bean dish that I want to share with you!  ENJOY and know that when your heart is in the right place a path opens to take you where you need to go!  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RelatedRecipes