Wow, everything looked great!! I'm glad you guys had a great holiday!!

That looks delicious! I read your book while away in Puerto Rico for Thanksgiving with my meat loving boyfriend's family. I have been a "pescatarian" for three years now and your book inspired me to make the leap to full vegan/macro. Being on vacation is tough, especially with someone else's family and not wanting to be a high maintenance burden. But I found a local natural foods market and made grilled and roasted zucchini, onions and cauliflower with a garden burger for my TG feast. It was great and all the midwest meat lovers loved my veggies! They were all gone fast!Now back in LA, I have embarked on the journey to reach superhero status. I went shopping yesterday and wrote a blog about all of my purchases with pictures on my blog www.mrkate.com http://www.mrkate.com/2009/12/02/the-dark-and-leafy-side/Thank you for inspiring me with your book and this website. I'll keep you posted. kind xo's - kate

Good luck with rehearsals!  Maybe there are less flirts on the site because they all decide to be vegans shortly after flirting?  I know I was only a flirt for as long as I absolutely needed to be (a week or 2).  I am definitely thankful for you, your book and this website this holiday season.  You've truely enlightened my life!  Thank you.

Aliiiiicia, I hug you!! Always there with the inspiration and the reminder of gratitude - THAT is what gets me from day to day - realizing all there is to be thankful for. I am thankful for precious you, and all my precious Kind Lifers, family, friends, health,  a million reasons to wake up each morning, bounty even in very lean, difficult times (you gotta just know where to look and then you realize it's everywhere! :)...and your peanut butter cups...darnit - LOL!  Okay okay, I'm thankful for the collards, too, that's more supahhero... ;)

Soooo, you asked for it, my Thanksgiving was waaaarm, simple and awesome. - and it's kinda extended and hooked up with my birthday, I'm so blessed. Had Thanksgiving dinner at my bro's - yuuuuummy sweet taters with kinda vanilla flavoring to them, thin crunchy little green beans with sauteed sweet onion and a little tomato, traditional bread dressing with the celery and onion and all, punkin' pie....mmmmmmmmmm....   I bowed out of the turkey of course (I'm the only veg in my family, but they're very supportive, thank goodness)...first time I didn't miss it at all, I gotta say - had you and the KLers all up in my head and heart - LOL! 

So keeping the holiday going, my friend and I went to see "New Moon" on Sunday - the sucker for sweeping romance in me was waaaaaaay satisfied and loved it.  And get this - my brother and partner-in-crime in Star Wars geekness calls me to tell me he scored tix to the very awesome "Star Wars in Concert" here in Chicago for us - am I a lucky, beloved sis or what?? 

I gotta tell ya, the first priority in my mind is to wallow in copious amounts of gratitude and figure out ways to pass it on!

I'm sooooo excited for you and your play - oh my gosh, I hope NY treats you beautifully - I was in theatre and there ain't nothin' like it, is there??!!  You'll have to keep us posted!

Alicia, thank you so much for writing your book and building this website! I know everyone says this, but you truly are incredibly inspiring and positive and you have definitely changed my life. I have been flirting with the idea of being a vegetarian for a few years, then after reading your book I decided to go for it. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be! As for being a vegan, I am taking baby steps, or *flirting* with it! I know down the road I will be one, but as of right now, I don't drink milk, eat yogurt, and I very rarely eat cheese [the cheese is difficult to kick :( ] I feel that a lot of things are made/cooked with eggs, milk, & butter and it's tough for me to always cook and prepare food before hand, hence my flirting with being a vegan. But I know that I will get used to the new way of preparing and eating my food, and hopefully I will be able to become fully committed one day (: I have showed your book to a lot of people and they have really enjoyed it! So far I have made your lentil stew, cupcakes (SOO good!!), artichoke/mushroom/& leek crostini, kabocha squash soup, and for thanksgiving I made Nishime and strawberry kanten. Everything is SOOOO delicious! I am soo so so so very excited to make more food (: I wanted to try the cure-all tea, but umeboshi plums are very expensive. Are there any budget-friendly substitutes to umeboshi plums? I did try the kukicha tea and have it a few times a week (: Didn't mean to ramble so much! Anyway, I am definitely 100% vegetarian and *flirting* with being a vegan, and I still love coming to your website and reading all of your updates and what everyone else has discussed (: I love your book so very much, I literally carry it around with me wherever I go, haha. Thanks for everything!!!!

Alicia, your Thanksgiving meal looks like it was delicious! My husband and I had a superhero thanksgiving that included seitan "turkey" loaves, green been casserole, sweet potato casserole, and (your) pumpkin pie! You can see the spread at our vegan blog. http://alexandscottadventuresinveganism.wordpress.com

Also, I wanted to say thank you for the eco holiday shopping and wrapping tips. I think I'm going to get my sister a set of the ecotools brushes and a makeup bag for her holiday gift!

Hope you're enjoying this quirky NY weather...Have fun rehearsing for your play!

Alicia,

Thanksgiving Day was when my husband and I decided to go vegan! (Though he may decide to just be vegetarian--not sure he can give up cheese! lol) We had been talking about it for a few days, and just decided to go for it.  I just finished your book, and I think it is wonderful.  I like that you're so casual and non-judgmental...and you really know the facts! Thank you for writing such a great book.  I am vegan --moving towards Superhero status--(once I finish those darn Field Roast sausages--yum!)...and the first week, I lost about 3 lbs, and feel great!  I'm anxious to really dig in, and try more of your recipes in the book.

Does anyone have suggestions for detoxing after the holidays? I am finding it difficult to stop eating sugar (i.e. my body is craving cookies every night after dinner).

Also, how do people deal with eating green leafy vegetables like kale and bok choy on the go? I usually bring lunch to work and want a way to bring good veggies with me.

Hi Alicia,

Flirter here - It's almost been a month since I bought your book and gave up meat (gave it up after reading half the book that evening) and I haven't looked back. 

I do plan on becomeing Vegan, but for now I'm taking it one day at a time.  There are days I wake up feeling overwhelmed, but I just remind myself to take it one day at a time.  I've even started to tell people I gave up meat now that I've been doing it long enough to know it's something I can easily continue. 

I'm getting pretty good eating out too - went out yesterday and had vegan at a Mexican restaurant.  It was so easy and yummy too! 

What I love about your website is I don't feel judged for not being a vegan.  Other forum's out there for vegetarians & Vegans seem to be so mean and judgemental.  I think that is what made me feel like I could do this after reading your book.  You were so kind and not judgemental.  You made me feel like I could be a flirter and that it was a good thing (unlike how you feel when you read other books).

Keep up the great work.  Your Thanksgiving spread looks fabulous.  While my family ate turkey, I felt great knowing I didn't and I had so much food to eat without it. 

Hi Alicia,

I've been vegetarian for over a year and finished your book recently. I loved it! It was so packed with fantastic information that covered every question I could've asked.

I never had a desire to try out being vegan until I read your book. Animal cruelty is a big reason why I stopped eating meat and I didn't realize how much cruelty was still involved in dairy and eggs. I have not had an egg since I finished your book over a month ago. I replaced my butter with Earth Balance and I love it! The only thing I'm finding hard to give up is cheese. Right now I'm mixing half soy cheese and half regular to get used to it and I hope to phase it out completely. I have tried Cashew cream cheese but am finding it hard to get a hold of where I live.

I love that you have made going Vegan about a journey and that you remind people to use up what they have first; not to be wasteful. I'm switching to all eco-friendly makeup and bath products once I use up what I have too. Your eco-brushes are on my Christmas list.

Happy Holidays!

ps - I am OBSESSED with your peanut butter cups and caesar salad dressing! Sooo good!

Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving with us! 

This was my first vegan Thanksgiving, and I spent it with my fiancee's family.  They were all intrigued by my decision to follow a vegan diet, which was nice.  But it was really funny and weird to try to explain to her Aunt why I decided to go vegan at the same time that her 6 year old daughter was eating a big yogurt pack right next to me!  

I talked about all the thing I had read on the topic and then finished with a simple "It's bad for you" in general terms.  To which her daughter immediately said "Yogurt's bad for you?!".  haha. 

I'm still finding it a bit hard for me to get my point across on why I'm going vegan when people ask --- I want them to know the facts and be comfortable with the decision, but sometimes people look at you like you're being preachy or you're a nutball for doing it.  I'm sure it will get easier the more times I do it and find a way to say it in the right way. 

But a fantastic first vegan Thanksgiving for me, hope everyone else had a blast as well!

I had flirted with becoming vegetarian for 3-4 years and after reading yours and Dr. T. Colin Campbell's books one month ago, I went straight to vegan!  It's been going very well...I'm still learning but I haven't struggled too much with cravings and my 'detox' from white flours, sugars, and processed foods wasn't too scary (I already consumed only scant amounts of meat and dairy).  I stressed a little about Thanksgiving but it turned out lovely...I'm (by far) the only health-conscious eater on both sides of my family and I wasn't hosting the meal, so I was a bit concerned.  I offered to bring some of the traditional side dishes though and tweaked them to be vegan -- no one even noticed!  They commented that everything tasted great.  I passed up the turkey and sugary cranberry sauce, and amidst all the hustle and bustle no one even noticed.  I was left to enjoy my healthy veggies in peace and was so grateful that for the first time, I didn't guilt myself or let myself feel pressured to eat something I knew wasn't right for me.

In my first month following your advice, I am feeling fantastic!  I have lost a few pounds and someone (who doesn't know about my transition) commented just today that my skin looked great and my eyes were sparkly!  Last night I was feeling a bit hungry and wanted to make sure I had a healthy snack...I was thrilled to find one more head of baby bok choy in the produce crisper (I had thought it was gone).  If you had told me even a few months ago I would be so excited to find some bok choy, I would have said you were nuts!  So thank you for such a wonderful book and also for hosting such a great community and support system!

Everything is cool Alicia.  I run the gamut between superhero and non-vegan but more vegan than not.  
I made vegan burritos for Thanksgiving .   Actually I had them for lunch and just the beans and rice for dinner but anyway.  
After reading your book I was having steamed kale and leaks, apple slices and brown rice or bean soup for breakfast for a while there.  Now I just eat the kale raw whenever.  
I'm glad you made it to NY safely and I hope you have a good time there.  I hope you're not sad without your family and Christopher but I guess they can visit with you.  
Your book and this site has been a big help to many people.  You're doing very good.
I think it would be fun to do a Skype or video chat with you and some of the members here.  Just a spontaneous thought that I haven't thought through totally so...anyway. 
Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving with us.

Love the spread!  It's beautiful!  I originally wrote on here that I was going to flirt a bit, but do you know what?  I've been pretty much vegan (even a bit of superhero) for almost a month!  I can count the times on one hand that I've eaten meat/egg/dairy (really almost all of these times was cheese).  I feel pretty great!
My 1 year old son and I just ate the baby bok choy with ume vinaigrette and brown rice for dinner tonight...I had made him his own plate of yams and apples, but he actually loved what I was eating - vinaigrette and all...funny kid!

Thanks for all of your inspiration and dedication to your cause!!!! xx