i've been trying to go thru the forum, but the eye strain is getting to me. my apologies if these are repeat questions.

as much as i just want to start fresh, i can't afford it. i read alicia's book outloud for both me and my hubby. and when i read about the milk part, we instantly gave it up.
that was easy...
but giving up things with milk, a little more difficult. especially since we have so much in our pantry.

same with sugar. gave up the powdery white stuff, but still.... alot  of things in the pantry that contain it.

plus, other than the leftovers in the fridge (that we don't know what to do with), we have givin up meat.

so i'm wondering, in everyone elses transition, how did you do it without feeling guilty or wasting money?
what non-dairy milks are good for what things, is there one that tastes close enough to regular milk to drink in a glass?

i recently discovered, before i got alicia's book, that i like nutella. is there anything similar that doesn't have the milk and sugar?

sliced cheese?

i know i have more questions, but i think i've written enough for now. hee hee

i like to cook, and i love lookin at recipes. if anyone has any they wouldn't mind  sharing, send me some? :)

i am happy to be starting my journey with all of you! thank you in advance for any much needed advice :)
thank you

♥ carrie ♥

It is totally possible to do vegan without breaking the bank. I wouldn't feel bad about using up what you have, at least the things that will go bad quickly, because wasting it isn't great for the animals either.  Make it your goal to finish it all off this week while adding grains and vegetable dishes.
When I was going through my pantry, I collected the things that I didn't want to eat anymore, but might someday in a moment of weakness and put them all on the top shelf out of sight. I figure that one day I might let myself have some dorritos and mac n cheese, be disgusted, and get back on the wagon. Knowing that they're there and I have the choice is actually kind of comforting, and I haven't fallen off the wagon yet.

I actually went to the grocery last night to look at some stuff from Alicia's book and piece together what I could afford.  My advice to you is just do what you can.  Some things can be expensive and others I am surprised at how little extra it costs to buy organic. 
For your milk- I have only ever tried Silk soy milk.  Vanilla for cereal and plain for cooking.  I just bought some Rice milk so I will let you know how I like it!
Cheese-  They make vegan sliced cheese!  The have them at whole foods.  I've not tried the sliced but I've had shredded veggie cheese and vegie parm cheese and they are good.  Its a lot better than I thought they would be!

As for what you have in your pantry now go ahead and use it like Niki said.  Maybe you can add in some veggies or just use your imagination.  You don't have to give everything up overnight (eventhough you might feel like you want to).  I bought a lot of organic veggies and good stuff that I'm so excited to try.  I got organic Bak choy and Daikon (spell??) they were both VERY cheap!  I was amazed! 
Good luck, once I get some recipes I'd be happy to share! 

my hubby and i went to winco last night. we hit the bulk area and got a variety of some beans and grains and some yummy veggies. the only sad part is they don't sale organic :(
last night i made the baby bok choy with the ume vinegraitte with some tri color cous cous.... WOW! that was yummy! filling too :)

 

transitioning slowly help! if you have an international market you can get some of the ingredients pretty cheap (tahini, some produce, oils, nori,etc). vegan gourmet cheese is the best i have tasted. i use rice milk typically but if you need a thicker milk for a recipe try soy or hemp. almond tastes great if you want to drink it straight!! we are on  a budget (one income household) and try not to buy too many specialty items we eat simply, eat what's on sale and use coupons.
i was a kaleidoscope

I'm just getting started too and it's so exciting!  Same as Carrie, I really would love to jump in 100% right now and throw out all the "nasty" stuff I currently have.  But I feel that's not only a waste of money, but disrespectful in a way to just throw away stuff.  So my plan is to use as much as I can of what I currently have, but just from here on out, buy only the "good stuff."  I did buy stuff to make 2 of Alicia's recipes this week and they were awesome!  Giving up sugar will be the hardest for me, so I was thrilled to see the dessert recipes in the book!  I'll probably try one this weekend!  :-)

Its nice to hear about others transitioning experiences... it let's me know my thoughts are relatively normal; I get "guilty" for eating certain things, the difficulty of trial and error to see how all these new foods taste and cook up, and the expense part of it all....  Also, I am having some of the same difficulties with the milk and sugar; it seems as if it is in everything!!  I think the actual milk is getting easier to do without but I have always eaten a lot of yogurt and cheese....that's my stumbling block!!  One step at a time I suppose....

I think you're going to be okay Carrie. What you have on your side is passion to try new things, and believe me, that can take you very far. Just go slowly - if you can't find organic, try your best to buy whole foods, like you're doing already. I know it can seem overwhelming at first, but just take your time and be patient with yourself and your hubby. I went from eating all animal products to going vegan in a matter of a few years, and I'd say the first month was the toughest. But once you get past the transition, your life will improve ten-fold, I promise. Going vegan has been one of the best choices I've ever made. Just keep educating yourself, trying new things, and when all else fails, canned beans, nuts, grains in bulk are relatively cheap, easy, and healthy ways to start you on your path.

And Sarah - everything you wrote is a great example of how to go vegan slowly. Yay for all of you making these big, awesome steps in your lives!

- Lindsay, www.kissmyvegan.blogspot.com

Carrie,
there is a natural brand peanut butter that is made with cocoa in it and it tastes very similar to nutella. i think it is also milk free if i remember correctly (i know you can get it at whole foods and ukrops) it also comes in cinnamon swirl and white chocolate my kids love the stuff! we just dont really make sandwhiches much since they are in school and get the school lunches mostly. they make their lunches in the summer with it though. there is a picture of a monkey on the front of the jar and the label is blue and white i believe. hope this helps at least some! also as far as milk - my kids adore the almond milk from silk and i am using a lot of the Eden brand vegan products also the vegan cheese i got mozerella and cheddar!

thank you so much everyone :)
its great to get so many responses to my questions. my hubby and i have tried 3 different kinds of milk and i think almond breeze tastes the best. now to just find it unsweetened, hee hee.

giving up the table salt, white sugar, meat, and actual milk were all surprisingly easy.

had a yummy salad the other day. baby spring mix with some left over tri color cous cous, follow your heart cheddar, and topped with some craisins. probably shouldn't have added the craisins, but it was so yummy! i gobbled it up :)

thank you all for your suggestions and advice! i really do appreciate all of your help with this transition :)

Almond milk is awesome as well as Rice Dream vanilla rice milk-but has lots of sugar in it!  Not sure if you like or have tried collard greens, but they are so good in a cook salad and super cheap (i bought a big bunch for less than $.80!)  I was also scared to try the meat substitutes, but seitan is delicious and versatile and I bought some for about $4.00 at whole foods, but I'm sure you can make your own for less.  I'm going on my third week vegan in a one income household and have found it to be less expensive than the way we were eating before, and the benefits outweigh the cost in a big way! Good luck and congrats on your new lifestyle!

I'm getting back on my feet financially and pose the same concerns you have. I'm using up my cow's milk and when it's gone will switch to milk alternatives. My blender comes with recipes to make your own rice milk, etc., can't wait to try those. It looks like a recipe with water, rice, and agave or vanilla. I can't drink cow's milk after reading the book. Has to be in something else like cereal. I no longer call it cow's milk. I call "P&B" (short for pus & blood).  There's noone to give old food to, so I'm using it up rather than waste. But I vegan it up, eg. stuff bell pepper with beefy mac. Open toast w/swiss, roasted mushrooms, and wholegrain bread. The swiss is nonvegan but it's between healthy picks. Used up some cereal today, felt heavy after, then realized the reason I couldn't keep my eyes open was because there must have been a lot of processed sugar in it. So I made a mental note to buy whole grain cereal, like oat. I'm using up my nonvegan foods, and it's fueling the reasons I want to go completely vegan. If all else fails, I can always fill a grocery bag for the homeless shelter down the street. Ask a local church if they have a food bank or know of a church that does. The day I went vegan, I'm calling it my vegan birthday, but there's nonvegan foods at home to use up. While I'm using up these foods, I still acknowledge the date I made the conscious switch. It's a mental thing. If you turn 30, you're still 30, even if you still lie and say you're 29. I turned vegan, and eventhough I'm using up my nonvegan foods, I'm still in my heart, a vegan.

i am having a hard time with being vegan and my family not. noone in my family is vegan - they all eat meat and drink dairy and the like... worst is i hvae to cook it for them and it really bothers me... i had to go shopping today and buy them meats for dinner and i almost vomited. i cant ask for my husband to help as he just deployed to Iraq... i asked my boys if they want to go vegetarian and only my middle is for it... the other two are like i need my milk and i need my meat - ugh! i cant force it on them that isnt fair and my husband would freak out anyway... so although i have to do these things i am still also a vegan and have begun to change over my personal care items to vegan items and slowly putting vegan foods into the meals even if i still have to use some nonvegan at least it is a little... i actually made a chili from scratch and i used TVP as the meat and none of the boys noticed!

Try Alicia's recipes they are really great, instead of trying to substitute cow's milk for other milk or cow's cheese for soy cheese.  BTW soy cheese usually contains casein which is a milk product. Start eating vegan and the cravings for dairy will disappear and you will feel so much better. I am trying to stay awayfrom processed food even if it is vegan. Buy whole foods. Check out my blog for more great recipes that will make you 'scream' for joy!!   :)

sherri, i totally agree about the whole milk thing. lucky for me and my husband we didn't have much of it left when we read that so it wasn't so bad. we just gave it to my friends. i've been telling everyone i know about the P&B thing.... sadly it doesn't detour them away from it.
i read in another forum that someone mixes original fiber one, with kashi 7 whole grain puffs. i didn't like either of those cereals before, but now.... i think they are sooo yummy :) my hubby likes it too!

susan, i know what you're saying with that. altho, i don't live with anyone else other than my hubby and this was a conscience decision on both our parts. but my friends are always telling me about eatin meatball subs, and i take my mom to the store and watch her buy meat. she says she could probably go without it, but she doesn't think my dad would.
i told her thats why you don't tell him, and just make the food a different way, like you did....

i went to the grocery store the other night to check something called fried chic'n (vegetarian) but it has something in it i won't eat, i can't remember right now tho. BUT.... the same brand has canned wheat protein that looks like taco meat! i made some spaghetti for dinner that night and put that in the sauce, it was actually pretty yummy. and bonus, no heavy belly feeling afterwards! and double bonus, its marked vegan on the can! =D
i think it would make great taco meat. i'm not sure, cuz i'm at work so have no way of looking but i think its called veg~burger by linda luna? or something....
it would be found by the canned tuna and stuff like that. i'll check when i get home and let you know what it is for sure.