Recent Changes and Some Not So Recent

For nearly 10 years I was vegan and I was happy with it. I suddenly LOVED cooking and creating in the kitchen. Last spring, that was no longer true. I wasn't happy. I was craving and nothing I did seemed to change that. The worst of it was that I was what I was craving; Filet-O-Fish from McDonald's!

I made a compromise with myself one day while I was driving. I wouldn't go to the big McD, but instead I would run to safeway and get some muenster cheese from the deli and a dozen eggs. I went home and made a grilled cheese sandwhich and 2 eggs over medium and I was a sane person again.

It boils down to this. We've fallen on some difficult times. Sometimes we just can't afford to eat well. I make sure the kids have more balanced meals than I manage to provide for myself, but in the end, our economic situation had made veganism an unhealthy choice. There's only so much cheap pasta and cheap sauce one can eat (especially when I shouldn't be eating tomatoes in the first place).

So, like it or lump it, I eat some dairy, though I cannot tolerate straight milk, and eggs. I did finally eat that Fillet-O-Fish one day when I was starving and it was that or an over-sweetened oatmeal and fries. It was okay, I guess. I wish the tartar sauce had been tarter sauce. It just sort of fell flat, which is fine. I'm not beating myself up over it, though I am pretty sure my husband would freak. My kids both eat eggs right now, and seeing as how Alex is 13 and has a say in his food choices and he chose to include eggs, I'm okay with that. My husband is very unhappy that our toddler is eating eggs and some dairy. And I agree that it's not ideal, but I'm not going to lose sleep over a financial reality like this.

However, a majority of our meals are still vegan, though we at the moment are not. I don't know if my eldest child will ever return to veganism, and I am fine with that as long as he's happy and healthy and doesn't have to worry about what he eats. Food should be a happy thing, eating should be an enjoyable experience.