I'm starting a dairy-free month today. (This is going to be a MAJOR challenge for me -- I love, love, love cheese, and although my home is dairy-free, I really enjoy having a little cheese now and then, when I dine out.) Wish me luck! If I start moo-ning (har, har) about cheese on here, I apologize. I'll need all the words of encouragement I can get!
What prompted the dairy-free month? Well, a couple of things: I have been eating out WAY too much lately (and thus consuming WAY too much cheese,) my skin is really starting to clear up but it's not where I'd like it to be, and I have mysteriously gained five pounds. So, goodbye out-food (for the most part -- I also need to cut back on spending,) and good-bye to my beloved cheese.
I was, after all, born and raised in Wisconsin. A daughter of America's Dairyland does not part easily with her beloved fromage.
Man, I'm punchy right now.
5 comments:
I tried to give up dairy for Lent. I've been having major skin issues and have heard that dairy can aggrivate it. I thought the cheese would be the hardest, but in fact, it wasn't so bad. It was trying to find something to go in my coffee that I found most challenging. Nothing seemed to taste good. Well, my skin is still a mess and the experiment didn't yield the results I'd hoped. Maybe you'll have better luck.
I was vegetarian most of my life. Then, 6-7 years ago, while making a grilled cheese (my favorite food of my whole non-vegan life), I decided to give it up. For many reasons. Try reading up on some dairy studies, you will really want to give it up.
It was very hard for me at first, and I missed that cheesey flavor and craved it. The cravings subside. Try eating other salty foods, or nutritional yeast (which very much resembles cheese). I've only had fake cheese one time and it was nasty so I have no desire to replace cheese (or meat). Take it slow. Good luck.
Carrie, when I first went to a dairy-free kitchen, I used Silk soy coffee creamer. I liked it, but I know several people who think it has an after taste. (I don't use it any more -- some time around Christmas, I started taking my coffee black. I just woke up one day and didn't need the cream any more! Weird.)
Leslie, grilled cheese sandwiches (with tomato soup) are about my all time most favorite thing in the world! However, I also like grilled tofu sandwiches (I take a "steak" of marinated, pan-fried tofu, slice it thinly, and arrange it on bread with a bit of Vegenaise, tomato, and spinach, then cook the sandwich like a traditional grilled cheese.) The texture of the tofu in this sandwich reminds me of fresh mozzarella, so I don't really miss the cheese at all. Mmm! Man -- and I'm out of tofu. A grilled tofu sandwich is starting to sound really good!
Good luck! Remember, soy milk is your friend! And you already do Vegenaise : )
Ah, I already have a dairy-free kitchen . . . it's reading labels and making better choices when I am away from home, including the snacks we feed the kidlets at work. Tricky!
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