I went Vegan on May 20th, 2006 after being vegetarian since 2002. So in total I haven't eaten any animal's dead carcass in 11 years. Go me!
It wasn't always this way my devoted blog readers (I think I have one follower)...
I grew up the way any typical scottish-canadian-nova scotianish girl would. Steak, potatoes, spare ribs, fish sticks and Mr Noodles..I don't think I even tried broccoli until I was 17 and moved out on my own. Our house rarely had any fruits or vegetables. I tried brussels sprouts for the first time last month.
It's not that we were sheltered or unloved but it wasn't the age of the internet or Oprah going Vegan. Dr. Oz wasn't in my mom's living room to tell her that she was poisoning her children. We wanted a cheeseburger? Damn right we got one.
Initially I had become a vegetarian due to a very unpleasant experience with a chicken wing or perhaps it was to rebel against my family's conventional ways. I was a fairly hormonal thirteen year old. This was also the same year I started working at Burger King, which definitely isn't a highlight of my life. I remember greasy burger after greasy burger and not being able to wash the grime off no matter how many showers I took.
I wasn't a "ethical" vegetarian at all. I had no problem downing an extra-large milkshake or eating a triple cheese pizza. My BFF Matt and I used to go to Pizza Hut and max out our stomach capacity at the all you can eat lunch buffet. Occasionally this led to (almost) barfing in the parking lot.
Other than my dogs, I can't say I really cared that much about animals. I never once even thought about where food came from and how it got to my plate.
At 16 I started doing a co-op at an alternative clothing store and the owner was this sweetest little goth girl named Tara. She had been vegan for like 100 years and I thought she was just the coolest person. Tara and I became friends and she invited me to come with her to Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York during the May long weekend. *Fun fact - Tara is now my maid of honor and my female best friend.
We still really love french fries.
Farm Sanctuary was both a bittersweet experience. I met the sweetest animals that also happened to be missing limbs, ears and beaks. The saddest part was that they didn't seem to hate humans despite all the horrible things we did to them. I also met "Zoop" who was a goat with three legs (the fourth froze off because he was left in a shed in the middle of January), I don't know why I loved that goat so much but he made me cry my eyes out in the middle of a field.
I just couldn't do it anymore. I quit eating all animal products, it was that simple for me. I didn't care about how good the cheese crust stuffed pizza was or how much I enjoyed a glass of cold chocolate milk. My taste-buds were no longer more valid than an animals life. And don't be fooled people, the milk/egg industry is the same industry as where meat comes from.
I often get asked if I miss meat. I think it would be a lie if I said "No, never gross!". I do think meat is definitely revolting when I realize that it's literally a chunk of flesh...but I did/do love the taste. I dedicate at least 75% of my cooking to try to emulate meat and dairy because I miss the taste. There is no disputing that ice cream is delicious and cheddar cheese was the shit but there are SO many vegan alternatives out there now. Which is awesome (and also not awesome for my thighs and ass).
So there you go, my one follower, you can go Vegan too! If I can do it, I promise that anyone can.
xo Breton
*Just a heads up, I don't think I'm "fat". I just like the shock value of the name and it's sort of humorous to me in a self-deprecating kind of way.
And just for fun...a photo of me when I was 17 and just getting into the pin-up look.
