Vegging Out

About a year ago I made a conscious decision to become vegetarian. It wasn't a hard decision, as I had been flirting with the idea for years now. I only ate poultry and fish, but soon enough that was too  much for my liking. It was a process. And for me, it took years.

I love eating. I freaking love it. Give me a plate of pasta and I'll devour it. Give me a macaron and I'll disappear it within seconds. I love food. Everyone loves food. It's an intrinsic part of life.

But my palate wasn't letting me eat foods I'd grown up eating. Eggs became unbearable and I couldn't eat my dad's delicious dish of Huevos Rancheros. They're delicious. Trust me, I'm Mexican, and there is nothing better than a well crisped tortilla smothered in homemade salsa topped by a perfect over-easy egg and even more of that delicious salsa mingling in a hot skillet, the sizzling sound of deliciousness teasing your nose and taste buds. It's delicious. But I couldn't eat the egg. One bite of that perfectly cooked, runny and warm egg yolk and I couldn't eat it.

I was actually grossed out.

I mean, I'm Mexican. What was I going to eat? I was left with almost no options. Huevos Rancheros. Tacos de Asada. Al Pastor. Tinga. Milanesa. I mean, nothing.

Well, not really, I soon found out. It's funny how things are when we're focused on something we can't have. Like my favorite foods, for example. I was feeling sorry for myself (but happy for the animals I was no longer eating), and I had to dig and search and dig some more for the foods I was craving. Also, I had many failed food experiments that eventually led to success.

I officially became vegetarian March of 2013. Since then, I have been on the search for delicious, hearty, comforting, filling, wonderful vegetarian food. And I found so many wonderful things I want to share with all of you.

Lately, I've been thinking of cutting out animal byproducts. Dairy. I've been drinking soy milk since I was a kid and I'm so used to it, I never miss dairy milk, but I do eat cheese. And Ice cream. And milk chocolate. And pasta. And Bread! In fact, when I first became vegetarian, my foods mainly consisted of quesadillas and potatoes. It was a learning process. I'm a well versed vegetarian. But now, I'm flirting with veganism.

So now, I'm in search of the best, most satisfying yet healthy and delicious vegan food I can find. It certainly is a roller coaster ride I'm so glad I got on. It's not just about food, though I admit it is my main focal point. I love food, I can't help it. But it is also about living a natural, cruelty-free lifestyle that I am learning to navigate. It's all a big roller coaster ride. A very fulfilling ride.