For the bulk of my life I have been surrounded by pretty hard core carnivores. I myself have never enjoyed the visual of something on my plate with a bone attached and blood dripping out of it. I recall being pretty young and not wanting to eat steak or pork chops and my mother cutting the meat off and saying “there”, not understanding the fat was not the issue, it was the visual and taste of it all. I have tried a bite of steak later on in life to see if my memory of just not liking it was still true and yes it was.
I spent the bulk of my 46 years only eating chicken, turkey or ground beef. Although, I will admit I have had plenty of meals with these items in it that I enjoyed, I do not miss it. Over a year ago, I decided to switch to vegan or plant based food and I feel better. It’s hard to explain, but it seemed to have made a difference in my general feeling of health.
What I do miss, is cheese. Oh cheese my old dear friend. I once worked in a deli when I was younger and could nibble on the varieties throughout the day. Cracking barrels of fresh feta, a little sliver of blue cheese here and there, it was a good time. During this past year I have dabbled trying various faux cheeses and they just do not hit the same. This isn’t the end of the world and perhaps a blessing in disguise. I think one of the main reasons I had been feeling better is due to eating more and more whole foods and less processed.
A discovery I have made, thanks to all the beauties out there sharing their recipes, is cashew “cheese”. Although, it is not cheese, it can be a delightful spread and a bit of a new addiction! I am truly enjoying making different varieties and adding it to my sourdough toast. Given it is garden season, I have been topping the spread with kale and herbs from my garden. So yummy!
I understand this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it truly gives me joy to sit down and eat this!! The older I get the more and more I find appreciation in the simple things 🙂