Post Punk Kitchen Forum

"did you hear about the study where every time a broccoli was cut, it would scream and then all the other broccoli growing around it would also scream every time the guy who cut the broccoli would come into the room. so yeah, broccoli can feel, too"

What?

I don't know, but someone told me about that once

I think it goes back to the book by Peter Tompkins, Secret Life of Plants. It was popular in the 70s. He also wrote one of the original pyrimidiot books, Secrets of the Great Pyramid.

That's awesome. I would just laugh.

When I was 11 or 12 I had an art teacher who would only let us use leaves that plants had 'shed of their own accord' in our work, because this one time she had heard a recording of plant screaming and it haunted her forever.

Excuse me while I go Google her.

I think I said "ooooooooookay"

Had she been watching Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected, then?

"Also, protein is in almost everything and you don’t need a lot of it. We’re Americans, we eat like angry rats and generally acquire enough food before 10am to last us until the end of the next day."

This made me laugh out loud.

People become instant nutrition experts AND instant scholars of the evolution of mammal dentition. (And of climbing to the top of food chains.)

Veganism cured my asthma! Its magic! But you don't have to be all vegan! Listen to what your body is telling you and if it says eat chicken and fish listen! But sugar is bad!

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7440/how ... again.html

BLECH

I have 2 pet peeves today:
#1: we have free snacks at my office and someone just went to BJs and refilled all the snacks. I found this box of fruit snacks called “healthy” something. all over the box is all these “healthy” buzz words: “healthy” “organic” “real fruit juice” “gluten free” etc you get the picture. I flip it over JUST TO DOUBLE CHECK there is no gelatin. Not only is their gelatin but they actually identify what KIND of animal it came from. It says “gelatin (porcine)” YUM!!!
#2: my mom has been whipped into a frenzy planning my baby shower (no one ever expected me to have kids so she has I think gone a bit insane). For some reason it has spiraled completely out of my control and is turning into a fancy affair despite the fact that I am like the least fancy person on the face of the planet. It’s most likely going to be at the same place I had my WEDDING at and will be catered/buffet. So this is the conversation we had yesterday about food:
Mom: I spoke with the lady at length about making sure you would be served a vegan meal.
Me: sounds great.
Mom: she was nervous at first because she thought I meant we wanted the whole thing catered to be vegan
Me: well that would be my dream
*insert 15 mins of my mom explaining to me that is like pretty much impossible and we would have to hire a VEGAN caterer because a NORMAL caterer cant be expected to do that* (what a sad assumption on a caterer’s skills). Also I never expected/wanted a catered affair
--more misc yacking about baby shower stuff—
Mom: oh and do you want a cake or cupcakes?
Me: well since I wont be able to eat any of it I kind of really don’t care what they have
Mom: oh yeah I guess you cant. HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR

Silly me wanting dessert at my own baby shower…….

I think at that point I would threaten to not show up. I could probably tolerate other people eating non-vegan stuff - sometimes it's just not worth arguing with your family, especially when they doing most of the planning - but no DESSERT? fork that.

Yeah I wouldn't just threaten at this point...I would actually not show up.

My MIL did a shower for me that was mostly omni with vegan chili and hummus for me. And my vegan friends did an all vegan shower that was awesome and I loved it.

Maybe have your friends bring vegan cake or do a separate shower?

Joining the not showing up club. This reminds me of when my family had a birthday party for me (I hate parties) and despite the fact that we have a vegan bakery here that does birthday cakes, they went out and bought a non-vegan cake and all of the food wasn't vegan. So not only did I have to be at a party that I didn't want to be at but I couldn't even eat the food or cake.

Yeah, Lisa must be nicer than me. I'd say I'm not going.

Vegan cake (or cupcakes) are still cake. I say get them for everyone! It's not like you're asking people to eat kale or marmite or something.

she sort of left it at "oh we'll have to bring you something like a cupcake" but im not sure where this mythical cupcake is coming from unless i bake it myself.

i dont think there are any vegan bakeries around here or any bakeries that would make a vegan thing (i dont actually live that close to Boston).

maybe ill just make a damn cake and bring it myself.
*hurrumph*

That stinks! My husband's brother and GF threw a dinner party for us to celebrate our marriage and since he was vegan for 7 years (he isn't any longer) he promised me that he would make sure that we had a nice vegan meal. I offered to help with recipes and was told, No, we know exactly what we're doing, you're going to love this.

They made the sides vegan and the centerpiece was a huge plate of chicken parts. It still makes me sick to think of it. Disembodied but recognizable legs around the rim - yuck! And of course they forgot about dessert, but his GF did think quickly to bake me an apple which was very nice.

I sent a nice thank you note and said that next time, I'd be happy to help them find a recipe that the whole family could enjoy together, and they were offended.

Lisa, are you going to bringing up your baby vegan? Because it seems to me that if you don't make a stand now it's going to get even more difficult down the line, like christenings (if you are doing that), birthday parties and other family occasions. I think if it were me, and wanting to not cause a huge family row, I'd sit my Mum down and say that if she really insists on having this thing catered you'll go along with it but only if there is vegan dessert for all. I would also insist that I knew what my meal was going to be in advance and retain the right to veto the green salad/pasta marinara/fruit plate. And if not, forget the catered event and do something more casual, pot luck style or whatever. And if she is stubborn, I would politely remind her that it is your baby.

This!

Nip it in the bud now, and really if its not even something you wanted and she's going against your wishes and its more about her than you...why even go?

I'm just baffled that anyone would plan a baby shower for a vegan without making sure there was lots of vegan food there (dessert included). I mean, isn't it supposed to be about you? You're the guest of honor and she acts like she's doing you a huge favor even taking you into consideration.

And on the topic of work parties:

This is more a "vegetarian pet peeve" than a "vegan pet peeve". We had our New Year's party for work this week at a Thai restaurant and the person who organized it made sure they could provide a vegan menu. She even double checked on the fish sauce and eggs. So far so good. So there was a sign up sheet for whoever wanted to come and they could indicate their dietary preferences. There would be three vegans there including myself and about eight vegetarians.

So before dinner, someone from the waitstaff came up to me and asked "You're vegan right? So that means no fish." Right. So the food comes out, I'm the only vegan at the table, but there are three vegetarians there. They bring out this lovely plate of vegan appetizers for me, and fish for the vegetarians. When they told the waitress that they didn't eat fish, she was like "but you're just vegetarian. You're not vegan. What do you mean you don't eat fish?" Luckily, they were happy to replace the fish with the same veggie stuff I got, so everyone got to eat, but it's amazing to me how unclear on the concept a lot of people are. I mean, veganism is pretty new over here, so I kind of get that people don't understand that, but the whole "vegetarians eat fish" thing is rampant.

Oh, and the dessert was dairy ice cream and a cream-filled profiterole. I ate the fruit garnish and passed the rest on to a vegetarian colleague.

Lisa, there's a bakery in Worcester called Bean Counter that offers vegan cakes - found it recently while looking around for a baker for my wedding cake. I've never tried anything of theirs but maybe if you mention it to your mom she could get you something (more than a single cupcake)?

I don't think I'd be brave enough to not show up to my own baby shower as others have said, even if my mom was being a pain in the asparagus about the food - that's why I suggested threatening, haha. But I wish you luck in convincing her to take your veganism more seriously!

I am in 100% agreement with these fine people. That is bullshiitake.I live in Worcester and the people who run this place are really nice; I've ordered stuff to take to school a bunch of times, and my (sweet, considerate) niece got me a birthday cake from there last year. (Personally, I think a vegan guest of honor should equal a vegan meal, but apparently I'm CRAZY. The least you and your fetus should be able to expect is dessert at your own shower. Sheesh.)