Guest guest Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Easter is soon approaching and it's our first holiday as vegetarians. Traditionally our family has ham and ravilois for Easter dinner. Also, our family recipe for meat sauce contains Italian sausage and steak meat. I have tried out the MorningStar Farms meat and really like it, can't tell the difference. Do they have " ham " that tastes real? What about " sausage " ? Also, I've told my mom that we're transitioning to vegetarian diets, but she still insists on feeding the kids meat when they're with her. She will be cooking the meal this year and I don't want to offend her by bringing dishes for my family to eat and her cooking a vegetarian meal is not an option. I haven't told the rest of my family, and I don't think that my sis and her bf will be so understanding. (They live in CA's central valley where livestock production is a way of life.) The bf is especially rude and prone to bad jokes and deep insults. For DH's family meal, it won't be so tricky, his mom always cooks way too much food and there's tons of people, so no one will notice four people not eating meat. What do I do? How do I keep from hurting mom's feelings but stand my ground on doing what's best for my family? Liz _______________ Get a FREE Web site, company branded e-mail and more from Microsoft Office Live! http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Holidays are always very difficult when you first become a vegetarian. I have not eaten meat since 1976. One thing that I did not try to do was make my children follow my vegetarian ways except at home. My older son was 15 and my younger son was 4 so you can see that my older son had already established his way of life. Since I remarried 14 years ago, my mother-in-law was very offended that I did not eat meat, so I just ate my protein at home before I came to her house and ate the starches, vegetables, and desserts that were offered and said nothing. My husband [a meat eater] was very embarrassed by his mother's refusal to ever have anything that I could eat as a main dish, but we worked around it. If someone accidentally serves you meat, say nothing and just eat everything around it and leave the meat on your plate. Help out with the meal so that you are busy and not focused on eating. Focus on engaging others in conversation so you slowly eat your vegetables and potatoes. I avoid discussing vegetarianism. If there are dogs around they really appreciate vegetarians accidentally " dropping " a few crumbs :-) Kathleen Eureka CA > Easter is soon approaching and it's our first holiday as vegetarians. > Traditionally our family has ham and ravilois for Easter dinner. Also, our > family recipe for meat sauce contains Italian sausage and steak meat. I have > tried out the MorningStar Farms meat and really like it, can't tell the > difference. Do they have " ham " that tastes real? What about " sausage " ? > > Also, I've told my mom that we're transitioning to vegetarian diets, but she > still insists on feeding the kids meat when they're with her. She will be > cooking the meal this year and I don't want to offend her by bringing d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Liz, Does your mom have any special recipes that just happen to be vegetarian, such as a great salad or a meatless casseole? If so, perhaps you could ask that she make that particular dish - or if she seems pressed for time, ask for the recipe and offer to make it. Then she will understand how you value her homecooked meals. As for the inlaws... I have a hard time with that. My mother-in-law is so understanding, but her Easter specialty is lamb. In my family, I don't think anyone cares what I eat or don't eat, but they worry that my 14 yo daughter is missing out on important nutrients. The funny thing about that is that her diet is much healthier than theirs! Good luck with the holiday thing. I feel like I need advise in that area as well. best regards, Aisling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Liz: I get this. My family is now supportive but in the beginning was hostile at times. I would get the eye rolls when I would refuse to eat the stuffing cooked in the turkey, or even when it contained turkey broth and was cooked in a dish! My advice would be to call your mom and offer to bring a dish (ideally, something that is not obviously vegetarian but which you all can eat if everything else is laced with meat). I always did this, and if someone was offended, they never said so outright. Otherwise, I subsisted on rolls, corn, and mashed potatoes (so long as I knew there was not chicken stock in them). Then I would go home and stuff my face. You are not being rude by not eating everything that is served. You are not going to stand up and berate everyone on the ills of a carnivorous diet or refuse to attend outright if meat is served. You are merely not eating certain dishes in a discreet way. (Of course, in years past I would get nonstop haranging, but they have since gotten bored with the subject!). Funny...my sister's boyfriend/now husband was also one of the worst. But my vegetarianism was only one of his many targets. As far as the kids are concerned, I would be livid if someone fed mine meat, but they have never eaten meat and have no desire to. One year, we took the entire family to a local gourmet vegan restaurant for Thanksgiving. Curiously, I felt lonely and sad, even among vegetarians. So now I eat with the family! Jen - Elizabeth Jackson Tuesday, March 20, 2007 9:59 PM Easter " meats " and family confrontations Easter is soon approaching and it's our first holiday as vegetarians. Traditionally our family has ham and ravilois for Easter dinner. Also, our family recipe for meat sauce contains Italian sausage and steak meat. I have tried out the MorningStar Farms meat and really like it, can't tell the difference. Do they have " ham " that tastes real? What about " sausage " ? Also, I've told my mom that we're transitioning to vegetarian diets, but she still insists on feeding the kids meat when they're with her. She will be cooking the meal this year and I don't want to offend her by bringing dishes for my family to eat and her cooking a vegetarian meal is not an option. I haven't told the rest of my family, and I don't think that my sis and her bf will be so understanding. (They live in CA's central valley where livestock production is a way of life.) The bf is especially rude and prone to bad jokes and deep insults. For DH's family meal, it won't be so tricky, his mom always cooks way too much food and there's tons of people, so no one will notice four people not eating meat. What do I do? How do I keep from hurting mom's feelings but stand my ground on doing what's best for my family? Liz ________ Get a FREE Web site, company branded e-mail and more from Microsoft Office Live! http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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