Getting ready

Well, Christmas has come and gone and now it's the countdown to the New Year.  And with that, the countdown to the start of my vegan challenge on Jan. 1, 2012.

I'm actually getting really excited. With my love of cooking being as strong as it is, experimenting with vegan items I currently consume in new and different ways plus exploring a whole new line of vegan substitute items is really starting to get my creative juices flowing. And that's just it - something like this can only push you creatively, motivating you to try new things. And that's always a good thing.

And so this past weekend I ventured into the grocery store and made my first purchases on vegan substitutes.

First vegan substitute purchases!

I got vanilla and plain-flavored soy and almond milks. I have tried vanilla-flavored rice milk and really enjoyed it, though I found it a little on the thin, "runny" side. But I wouldn't mind it on cereal or just to drink plain; after all, I now use skim milk, which isn't known for being neither rich nor creamy.

I got vital wheat gluten, as I plan to make my own seitan. That should be fun and interesting.  I got TVP to try on chili and spaghetti sauce.  I got a tub of extra firm tofu for stir frys and such. I will really enjoy that one, as I was married to a Chinese man for almost 8 years and was exposed to just about every incarnation of tofu known to man during that time, including in China. I really enjoy it. Tempeh I'm not sure about, but I'll look up some recipes and try it. I'm nuts about trying new ingredients!

I've already used agave nectar in both plain and honey-flavored incarnations and enjoyed it. So I got some more of both, plus added maple-flavored agave as well (have you SEEN how much a bottle of pure maple syrup (Nirvana! Liquid Gold!) costs these days???)

I got the 'Smart Balance' buttery spread and noticed that not all their versions are vegan, so I have to watch which one to get. As for cheeses, I've heard so many good things about Daiya cheese that I figured my homemade margherita pizzas won't be complete without it - got mozzarella flavored for starters. We'll see how the American-flavored vegan sliced cheese goes on sandwiches and over veggie burgers.

Lastly, though not pictured here, I found that some of the cereals on Kashi's line are vegan, so I got the Toasted Berry Crumble. That should go well with one of my vanilla-flavored milks.

Still on the list are coconut and hemp milk, vegan coffee creamer, nutritional yeast, agar flakes/vegan "Jello", evaporated cane juice, vegan yogurt, some sort of vegan breakfast patty (I think Morning Star makes some), vegan multivitamin supplements... and any other interesting things I may run into along the way!!