Veganuary

I’m a walking cliche - it’s not even January yet and I’m already suffused with self-loathing. I won’t mention the ‘F’ word, as that would make me a bad feminist, but I’ll just say that I feel like a sack of something squidgy and unpalatable.

Anyways, I’ve decided to try out that Veganuary thingummy people keep going on about, because:

1. Because it seems slightly less painful than giving up booze for a month.
2. Because I’m hoping that my significant other; who feted the idea of the veganuary thing in the first place (albeit half-jokingly), will revert back to being a vegetarian and I won’t have to have stinky meat sausages in my fridge any more.
3. I find vegans a bit annoying and want to challenge my prejudice...
4. Because, OK, I’ll admit it, but not in front of my kids, I’m hoping that I might lose a wee bit of weight.
5. I feel really unhealthy at the moment - our household is currently upholding the fine, family tradition of having hacking coughs & stinking colds at Christmas and I think that turning vegan will force me to shovel in more fruit and veg.
6. Because it will give me something to write about

I’ve been thinking about the things I will miss by trying to go vegan:

1. Butter
2. Chocolate!! Yes - there is dark chocolate, which has no milk, but doesn’t it taste the teensiest bit like munching on a vinyl record? (or is that just me?)
3. Cheese - there is such a thing as vegan cheese, presumably made from orange pith and candle wax but I don't hold out much hope...
4. Honey - honey is lush and it feels like a health food, whereas sugar is like the devil’s dandruff or something, isn’t it? Public enemy no. 1. Will have to check out some syrups.
5. Ice-cream - sorbet just doesn’t cut it. I mean, I don’t eat a lot of the stuff; it’s just nice to know it’s there.
6. Tuna - cos, as I’ve said before I’m not a ‘proper’ vegetarian http://msmuddles.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/national-vegetarian-week.html but I can’t really justify eating fish in my month as a vegan.

So, am trying to think of things which are naturally vegan and not masquerading as anything else - pith in cheese’s clothing or anything like that. This is what I imagine I’ll be eating a lot of:

1. Hummus
2. Guacamole
3. Salsa
4. Put the the three together with some tortilla chips and you’ve got yourself a party!
5. Vegetable curry
6. Vegetable chilli - lots of fresh veg and mixed beans, no fake meat.
7. Peanut butter - too much can be somewhat cloying but it’s an option.
8. Tofu - you have to do an awful lot to this stuff to make it taste of anything.
9. Alcohol! (sans finings and all that shizzle)

I'll let you know how I get on - even if it's just a comparison test for vegan cheeses or the best vegetarian wine and if I decide to implement a permanent change I can buy myself one of those 'Vegan Killjoy' sweatshirts! ;)