Flippantly Vague Musings of a Quirky Vegan

It's a Nate's Night!


Tonight, Claren (the eat-everything kid) wanted meatless meatball sub sandwiches, so I popped open a bag of Nate's Meatless Meatballs in Classic Flavor. I totally snagged the idea for this sandwich from a May 23rd post on this blog. And just as Jennifer says, they ARE spooky good. I also bought a bag of Chicken Style Meatless Nuggets also by Nate's, which I had never tried before, but figured that since the meatballs were so good, the chicken nuggets would be too. I put a few in the oven for Aislyn (the picky one), who did not want a sub, and a few more for me and Claren to taste test, as I simmered the meatballs in some marinara sauce.


Here is Claren enjoying her sub sandwich. She looks grumpy, but is actually quite overjoyed at the delicious-ness of her food. She is such a good little eater (except when she chews her carrots for 30 minutes before she decides to swallow them....that drives me nutty!).


Here is an artistic photo of the chicken style nuggets, which you may have noticed are not shaped anything like the other nuggets we have purchased...but I guess if they named them "Chicken Style Balls", well, that would be just too creepy. I really just wanted to show off my cute little bunny platter. Isn't it adorable???











This is Aislyn being dramatic about her first bite of her nugget. This is how she looks each time we try something new. And yes, it is annoying. She also has developed a strange and somewhat Darth Vader-ish sound that eminates from the back of her mouth when she eats, thanks to the new expander and bands that the orthodontist put in a few weeks ago. The sound is like a sink disposal mating with a vacuum. It's not pleasant.

This is her after a few bites, and after adding some ketchup to dip it in. She decided she liked them, but not enough to eat the rest of them. Sheesh. Note the farm placemat: Now, this is probably not a good vegan placemat, but I assure you the farm animals depicted are not raised for food consumption and are very well cared for! I only buy happy non-food farm animal pictures!!! Hee hee.


Claren and I liked the chicken nuggets, but they do need to be dipped in a sauce or added to marinara like the meatballs. And boy do they look meaty when you cut them open, they are stringy just like real chicken, which may or may not be off-putting, depending on your view of vegan food.

Now, I have a serious question to post. I have been vegan since early February, and I did it mainly for animal rights reasons. I have always been an extremely sensitive person, so I am not surprised at how personally I take it when I see other people consume meat. I have learned so so so much in the last few months about animal cruelty/factory farms/etc., and I have really become so very sad and angry at the rest of the world about the lack of compassion to animals. I recently read an article called I'm so vegan it hurts, and I really relate to how hard it is to deal with the meat-eating, milk-drinking population. But, the problem is that I have had some serious issues lately with my husband, who is totally and unabashedly omnivorous. He is a wonderful man, extremely supportive of my veganism, and never has any ill intent. His heart is full of love, but I don't think he is ready (or may never be) to make the change. Now, I have been wondering what a relationship like ours will go through in the future....I am the one who changed. I am the one who has made an entire life shift, as we all know that veganism is a lifestyle, not just what we eat or don't eat. It encompasses everything we do and think about...what we wear, what we shampoo our hair with, what to eat, what companies to buy from, what stores and restaurants we choose to patronize, what entertainment we seek out...and for many vegans, who we socialize with. Now, since I am the one who changed, and he has stayed the same, does this mean an eventual end to our relationship? I am willing to do anything to keep our relationship intact, but I need guidance and advice from those vegans out there that have gone through this. How do we stay sane? How do you stay happily married to a meat-eater? I am searching for balance in my life, and the strength to not let my veganism get in the way of relationships. Guide me, oh blog-o-sphere!