Being a Vegan in a Meat-eating Family

No, it's not easy.  My teenage daughter pokes fun at me (it's all in fun, yes, but she's so darned picky and she hates veggies.  I suppose if that's her extent of rebellion, I should be happy!).  My husband misses the days when I cooked with meat (although he does like some of my new dishes and is quite supportive, even when he does feel a little deprived).  My boys are a little more supportive than my daughter, but the entire family (except for yours truly!) enjoys the occasional (shudder) White Castle burger.  And when we go to grandma's (my mother)?  They bemoan to her about how I've abused them with tomatoes and cauliflower, bell peppers and wild rice...

All joking aside, it's easier now than it was when I first converted.  My carnivorous family eats meat a few days/nights a week (I teach at our local community college two nights a week, so they can cook animal flesh to their hearts' delight without a look or word from me); when I cook, they know there won't be any animal protein at all.  And seriously...there's a lot less complaining now than there was at the beginning.  In fact, the family's beginning to like a few of the dishes I make.  When I made "Chipotle-clone" burritos, for example, they chowed down!  (We don't have a Chipotle in our town, or we'd probably eat there A LOT!  We hunt them down whenever we have to head to the big city.)  As I perfect my new versions of my old favorites, they're beginning to enjoy as I learn from my mistakes.  For example, I've made and re-made spaghetti sauce and chili, experimenting with herbs and spices and different veggies, figuring out how to make the perfect meatless version.  The last time I made chili, there wasn't a drop left.  All I had to do was add fresh jalapenos (not many), and voila!  (Is that proper chef etiquette to use three languages in the same sentence?)

So if any of you are lonely vegans like I was, take heart.  If you can get clever, you can keep them eating with you.  I'm not a huge tofu fan (but I will eat it on occasion), so it's not like the food I make for my meat-eating family is "strange" or "yucky."  They like tortillas.  They like pasta.  They like lettuce, tomatoes, and watermelon.  I just have to show them that I don't need meat or dairy to make a delicious, hearty meal.  And I get better and more versatile every day.

One last thing...I was never a huge mushroom fan (I liked the flavor but hated actually chewing on them).  Now I can't get them enough.  Isn't that crazy?  And now eating a piece of steak grosses me out.  Funny how things change!