vegan cheese: I am the only one out of three in my home who is objecting to eating meat, and very soon to switch to vegan. The only problem is when the three of us are preparing our meals. I would like to be as low maintenance as possible when these meals are being cooked. Example, just the other day, my fiancee's mother prepared potatoes with cheese, and it was delicious...but in the future I would like to try the same recipe with VEGAN cheese atop it. Is making extra dishes the only solution? Both roomies hate soy, and are very vocal about this. They don't really care about how their meats or dairy are prepared...as long as it tastes good. I don't want to make them jump through hoops to share a meal with me. Is there any special method of some kind I could use when cooking? When baking or cooking, I will sometimes sneak in my fake animal products, and they can't tell the difference. But if they were to find out about it, I would either recieve an "no, I don't want that ingredient," or jump in and add their milk, butter, ham, whatever...and in that instance they are clearly just trying to help me cook, and it's kind of them. But I don't know what to do. I don't want to preach or press these values on them, but I'm finally back to being able to afford the grocieries I couldn't before, when paying out of pocket, and once I hit the ground rolling, I do NOT want to slip up and backtrack by settling for something I'm trying not to eat. I don't know what to do. I'm starting to get stressed. My mother in law has moved in and I have been doing things differently from other people for a long time now...I recycle, make my own cleaners and soaps, use natural products, and sometimes go organic when I can. She doesn't understand these things, she lives off of meat, and whatever is cheap. I understand she likes to save money, but cheap personal care products and other generic things just don't work for me. But she always has some unnecessary advice to give [commenting on my slightly pricier purchases for virtually no reason], or this LOOK that says I made a bad decision of some kind... She has also been making numerous and increasingly annoying mistakes with the recycling [throwing cardboard in the trash...I know she's lived 50 years without doing the recycling...but it's not that hard. I've explained where things are meant to go]... Anyway. I know the above got a little off topic, but veganism, I am sure, will have numerous complications. What can I do? I'm sorry my question is so odd...I did my best to phrase it well. But I miss having a kitchen where I can call most of the shots without interfering in anyone else's eating. Also, what do I do if invited to dinner where I KNOW no vegan cuisine will be served? This is in regards to a friend who I don't even want to bother bringing this up to...the first time I mentioned my goal to be vegan to her, she was very rude to me about it. I know she was teasing, but I wasn't laughing at her little jokes she cracked. She has also informed me that "animals don't have feelings" and that she's glad I'm not a treehugger. So I don't like the idea of discussing this issue with her. To be honest, I know longer care what she thinks about the issue, I don't want to hear any type of opinion about the animal kingdom from her at all. She's very insensitive and uneducated on this issue...and I'm talking about a chemical engineering student. She's quite intelligent, but somehow has her head up her a$$ when it comes to this subject. But I don't want to hurt her feelings when she offers to cook for me. Same goes for other friends, though this one friend is the only one who has gone that far with her ridicule. What do I do? I'm very stressed.|||Take turns, a week each, that way your boyfriend and his mother can eat what is prepared and you can fix something different, or eat what you can of their meal and supplement your diet.|||well i had a teacher that was in your shoes she simply used her stuff and gave the outher people what they wanted. HONESTLY I WOULD KICK HER OUT.|||Meat hater? Why do you have to hate?|||I'm a vegetarian and my 2 kids and husband are not. I just prepare a separate meal for myself. I don't even talk about it. I just do my thing. Tonight I'm making them tacos. I will prepare some vegetable protein crumbles in a different skillet and we will all eat together. Mine is just modified. I always dread going to people's houses to eat because I feel like a weirdo. I don't like it when people focus on my weird eating habits. I think the best thing to do is eat before you go so you're not starving and uncomfortable. And bring a dish so that you can at least know you can eat that. If people make a big deal out of it just politely say, it's okay, don't sweat it. I usually just say, hey, I'm the one who chose this lifestyle. It's not your burden to bear. If you like organic products. I sell them:) I sell Shaklee. It's a company that sells various cleaning products and hygiene and vitamins. Nothing is tested on animals and its the first environmentally neutral company ever:) This is my website amandasaracino.myshaklee.com There is a soy protein shake called Cinch I drink. We sell it. Sometimes if I just don't feel like making 2 dinners I will have that instead.|||"Is there any special method of some kind I could use when cooking? When baking or cooking, I will sometimes sneak in my fake animal products, and they can't tell the difference." Now if they threw in meat into one of your dishes, you'd raise Cain complaining about it. As far as your dilemma goes, use Worcestershire sauce on dishes, that is a good flavor enhancer, yet it does have anchovies in it.|||make meal together as much as possible, but separate when recipe calls for meat/vegan making. e.g. if making pasta, separate vegan into smaller saucepan so that a vegan friendy topping can be added. or make everythin vegan and then separate to add meat to the separate pot|||I see that you're in some tough situations. In general it sounds like you try to not be a hassle to others, and that's fine, but it also sounds like you need to stand your ground more. Your friend should be aware that you don't eat meat and if she has a problem with it, well, I personally wouldn't go eat at her house, then. Your mother-in-law shouldn't have a problem with what products you buy, it's your money. As for the cooking, if there's anything that everyone can agree to eat that day that is veg'n friendly, take advantage. There's also certain meals you can do the initial cooking for and then separate a portion for yourself to flavor and mix in the additives, such as pasta, stews, mashed potatoes, etc. Also, don't be stressed over it, just roll with however the day goes, some days it will be easier to live the veggie life with the omni's around, other days there will be struggles, but you get through 'em. Take it one day at a time. You don't have to apologize for the way you choose to live your life. Be proud and don't worry about what others think of it.|||Being a vegan isn't an easy choice to choose to live as but im sure there are plenty of vegan people who can give you good advice in how you can life that way. I have lived with a family member who was a vegetarian (who ate fish) and whenever she visited I tried to cook meals that both could eat.Spaghetti bol with my recipe is easy to make for both as i use onion, carrot, zucchini, mushroom, tomato and garlic and add meat for the meat lovers. An even easier version would be for you to cook some onions and tomato and cream and tofu. If they want to eat a steak then you cook up a mushroom with some type of nuts. I believe there are some vegetarian meat like foods around like quern and probably other things which could be handy to cook if your in a hurry but like any meal it is best if you make it from scratch. Money is a factor when cooking a meal as most people live to a strict budget but if you love food so much and want to spend a lot of money on vegan food then go for it. But other people wont necessarily do the same and you may have to be happy with a potato with some cheese on it and a few nuts for protein. I suggest you join a vegan support group who can give you the help you need in becoming a vegan and how to live like one without having to take out a second mortgage or grow all your own fruit and vegetables.|||In regards to being invited to someone's home and worrying about not having a non-vegan option, I would say that you should either 1. invite them to your home first if possible and cook vegan food so that they know you are vegan or 2. call the host/hostess up and politely request to help them out by bringing a dish of your own.