Hooray for new vegetarians!

This post is dedicated to my friend Ged, who is, as of the new year, giving vegetarianism a shot. In honor of his decision, this is going to be a totally awesome post, which may include lolbunnies, my own brief guide to vegetarianism, and food porn from the new vegetarian hisownself. Ready? Here goes:

First:

Okay, I actually don't like saying that I can't have something, because it's not true. I can eat whatever I want, even cheezburgrz, I just choose not to because ethically, hassing cheezburgrz isn't cool. But I love bunnies and vegetarians, and Ged loves lolcats, so whatevs.

Second: Abbie's supershort handbook for new vegetarians and vegans:

Item One: Take it one day at a time. You will never last if you think things like "Omigod, I will never eat bacon again." Instead, think "I will not eat bacon today."

Item Two: Believe that it gets easier. You will find that as you find new favorite foods, you won't miss the old ones.

Item Three: Cook dammit. You will get bored and frustrated if you live on garden salads, hummus, and veggie burgers. Go get yourself one of the cookbooks I mention over and over on this blog, or check out the links to the right.

Item Four: Don't give up or beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon. Changing the way you eat will be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do, but it may also be one of the most challenging. Reward yourself for your progress (For instance, treating yourself to your favorite vegetarian meal if you pass up your favorite meat dish) rather than get down on yourself for slipping up.

Item Five: Be a good ambassador. Don't whine about what you miss, or how hard it is making the switch. Also, be patient and polite with those that still eat meat, even if they are neither of those things with you. Making vegetarians seem like whiny, deprived jerks only hurts the cause. If you need to vent, go to a vegetarian/vegan forum, or hell, email me.

Item Six: Remember why you made the decision in the first place. Animal products are so prevalent in the world that it can sometimes be difficult to keep your reasons in the front of your mind. Films like Earthlings, a documentary about our relationships with animals for food, clothing, entertainment, medicine, and companionship, contain vivid imagery that can help you keep your arguments fresh.

Third: Food porn!

Ged borrowed my copy of Veganomicon, and made Rumnog Pecan Cookies, which he porned beautifully. Lookie:




Just gorgeous.