The Ramblings of a Random Freak

So I decided the other day that I was right starving, and I wanted to use some of the stuff I have in the fridge – now, for the past few months my diet has been mostly vegetarian, although I’m not a good or devout veggie, I have found a few things that provide a good substitute for meat, in typically meat oriented recipes.

I had some tomato wraps, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole and cheese, and a package of Yves Mexican Vegetarian Ground (it’s a ground beef-ish thing – not the same, but still good), so I threw it in a frying pan (just the ground) and heated it up. Also not a bad idea to mix in some salsa with the ground in the frying pan for a little extra sauce if you so desire.

one package will make four soft tacos

in the middle of the wrap, put 1/4 package of the hot mexican ground.

Top with cheese, tomato, lettuce, then a heaping spoon of sour cream and guacamole.  Roll it up

eat.

easy and delicious!

of course, you can leave out the cheese and sour cream – still delicious, and also vegan. There are vegan cheese and sour cream substitutes, but I can’t comment on them since I’ve yet to try them, and they tend to be very expensive. The Vegan community would benefit from reasonably priced substitute type foods – a lot of people simply don’t have the resources to afford expensive faux foods, but they demand those foods in their diet. I love cheese, and the real thing is 1/4 the price of the decent vegan alternative… if they want to get people off the foods they love eating, they really, really need to offer comparable foods at the same kinds of prices.

I have to learn to cook all over again, now that I avoid meat 6 days a week, and dairy 3 days a week – but what I’ve discovered is that the meat and dairy free meals are just as delicious, and on average, a lot healthier too (and not lacking in protein, which was a concern when I first decided to give up meat 6 days a week)

So lately I’ve been looking around for a great veggie burger – I’ve tried a few different ones, and have yet to find one that’s really that good.

The one that shocked me the most (with it’s complete lack of goodness) was Triple O’s – I’ll explain why in a minute.

So here’s my take on burgers in and around Vancouver

Best I’ve had?

Bob’s Burgers and Brew – you have to hop the border for this one… there’s one in Lynden, one at the Birch Bay Outlet mall on the I-5 about 5 minutes south of the border, and one in Sumas, just south of the border (from Abbotsford) – also locations all around Washington. The burgers are thick, juicy and delicious, with a great selection of toppings. With a soft drink, you’re looking at around $30 for two to eat. Also fantastic onion rings, and the portabello mushroom cap meat replacement option is also fantastic.

Jack in the Box has a sirloin steak burger that is better than anything anyone in the lower mainland serves (that I’ve experienced)

I hear people rave about Triple O’s burgers at White Spot, and I don’t get it… it’s not that they’re awful or anything, they’re actually pretty good all around burgers, but they don’t stand out – they’re on par with a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder w/cheese quality wise, and way more expensive. Not that this is a slur – I know from experience that nobody is more fussy about meat quality than McDonald’s, despite rumours to the contrary… the weak link at McDonald’s is bland, not lack of quality. Anyways, White Spot burgers aren’t worth much effort, you’re better off at any other fast food place with reasonable prices. Also, the veggie burger they serve is flavourless to a degree I didn’t think was possible… so bad a dog wouldn’t even eat it, seriously.

Bon’s Off Broadway in Vancouver (on Nanaimo, oddly enough just off Broadway) has one of the most terrifying burgers I’ve ever eaten. When I looked at the menu, I saw how cheap it was and assumed it was going to be very small – I think the double was $4.95… so I went with the double, added cheese, mushrooms and bacon, and when it arrived, it was seriously bigger than my head – thick, juicy patties drooling melted cheese and mushrooms. My stomach hurt for 2 days after this bad boy, because I insisted on finishing it – clearly enough food for 3 meals on one plate. I know better now. It’s a dirty, nasty looking restaurant, and people may be tempted to run, but for burgers, this place can’t be beat in Vancouver.

As far as fast food burgers, I’d suggest Harvey’s – locations in the airport, and Home Depot locations around the lower mainland. It’s the only fast food burger place around that admits their burgers are only around 70% beef – the rest is grain, wheat proteins and other fillers (nothing nasty). They also have a good, if nothing special, veggie burger.

A&W’s Uncle Burger is also fantastic – the sirloin patty is delicious, and it’s topped well. Last time I was there, at the location on Bridgeport in Richmond, they were selling them and supplying cheese and bacon as free add on items – no extra charge.

Fatburger? Don’t bother. They serve a very average burger, on a very average bun, with very average fries or onion rings. Sadly, they do NOT charge average prices – there isn’t a single fast food place anywhere that isn’t at least as good, yet they charge more for just a burger than anyone else does for a combo. Not worth the time or effort. (I’ve tried a few locations, in Canada and the US, and not a single one was worth it). I’d happily go there if I had a coupon for a free meal, and then treat a friend, because at 1/2 price, this place would be priced just about right for what they have to offer. The only place comparably priced for average quality in the “fast food” genre is White Spot, and White spot has better burgers.

Roxy Burger on Granville Street (next door to The Roxy) has fantastic burgers – priced comparably to Fatburger, but something special – thick, juicy, delicious, and served with a large side of fries… highly recommended for anyone who loves a great burger.

anything else I should try? I only eat meat on Sundays, but I’m adventurous on those days – also, I’m looking for a truly great veggie burger.

It’s really, really easy, living in a supermarket world, to ignore the realities that allow us to buy things in such bulk, so easily.

When the only place you’ve seen a steak is Safeway, or Costco, or where it is you shop, it’s really, really hard to picture that steak as a part of a large, healthy animal.

Here’s the thing – we’re not going to convince the world that eating meat is wrong. Not now, and maybe not ever – but if you can simply get the image of where that meat comes from into the collective consciousness of the world?

A lot more people are going to care that what they buy is treated properly.

Animals should be treated as well as pets – as in, they should be allowed the same kindnesses we’d expect that people would give a dog or cat, or horse. They should have ample space to graze, to play, to socialize. They should be fed foods that are good for them. They should have exercise and stimulation.

When a dairy cow has a calf, she should be allowed to feed it until it’s weaned, and then she can go and work providing milk to the machines – as her job. When she’s finished for the day, she should be returned to the fields and allowed time with her calf.

Maybe more people should live a life without the use of animal products, but there’s a smaller step people can take – a start down a path that’s more green, and more healthy, and more environmentally friendly.

The best way to start down that path is to think local – and to be aware of where your food comes from… even familiar – go to the farm, hug a cow, and thank them for providing for you. (be sure to go with the knowledge of the person who runs the farm/ranch)… Some people will see these animals and realize that maybe, just maybe, eating them is not what they want to do anymore. Some people will see these animals, and feel better knowing that what they eat was treated properly in life. And some people are just idiots who won’t care at all.

As long as you’re not the last person, you’re on your way to being more green, and helping to make the world a better place, for all creatures. We all own this planet – not just the humans, the cows, the chickens, the wolves… every creature on this earth has just as much right to a good life as you do. Let’s show them some respect.

I was looking at Vegan meat substitutes, and I’ve tried 4 different varieties of Gardein vegetable protein dishes – and I have to say, so far all both delicious and quite authentic.

So far, the 4 items I’ve tried were awesome.

BBQ Shreds – if nobody told you before you ate it that it was vegan, you’d easily declare it pulled pork – it’d be nice to have a choice of sauces, but it’s delicious.

BBQ Skewers – like BBQ beef? You’ll probably think that’s what you’re eating – but nothing except vegetables died for your eating enjoyment.

Thai Trio – a chicken ball stuffed with veggies, with rice and a delicious thai style sauce. Not quite chicken, but tasty.

Sicilian Trio – same as the Thai, but with Italian style sauce.

The idea of the Trio is a complete meal, ready in a few minutes, and I’d be happy to recommend them to anyone, vegan, vegetarian or omnivore.

I have a pretty decent palette when it comes to food, and while the chicken doesn’t fool me, the beef and pork are bang on… And the clearly not chicken is delicious as well.

Yeah

If someone had told me even a year ago that I’d be trying out a meat free diet, I’d have considered dragging them to the local psych ward… sadly, living in the lower mainland, they closed most of those. I could never in good conscience drop off anyone, regardless of how crazy, off on the corner of Hastings and Main (that’s where most of the people who WERE in long term psych wards are now, thanks to the morons that run our province shutting down programs and facilities to help the mentally ill)

Anyways.

Most days up until the end of April, I had a turkey sandwich for breakfast, and some form of meaty pasta for lunch (the two meals of the day I eat at work most of the time)… the sandwiches were delicious, as was everything else.

I’d been doing this for just over a year – from the time I realized that I couldn’t afford to eat out every day. I still eat out once or twice a month, but that’s it.

Anyways…

When I started my get healthy kick, I realized that one of the things I had to do was improve the quality of my diet, and start getting enough exercise to take advantage of the healthier foods I was eating. I also wanted to be able to go for a walk of almost any distance without needing a break every 3 or 4 blocks, or forcing myself to keep going.

The first thing I did was decided that I’d give up meat 6 days a week, which I’ve done – I allow myself meat 6 or 7 times a month, which is Sundays, and random Pho evenings twice a month… Veggie Pho just isn’t the same. Since I started doing this, I’ve yet to cheat, or have any desire to.

In the sandwiches, I’ve been substituting peppered Tofurkey for Turkey, and it’s pretty delicious… it’s not quite as juicy, but it’s not lacking either.

For dinner, I’ve been eating spaghetti in a marinara sauce with Yves ground mixed in – I find it’s not that tasty by itself, but when you add it to a sauce, the texture is pretty much identical to ground beef.

For snacks, I’ve been eating fruit – oranges and bananas mostly, although I think I’ll add fresh strawberries, blueberries and cherries… I should also add more potatoes

maybe a stew – the ingredients are cheap, and healthy too

http://www.gardein.com/ – these guys have some faux beef/chicken that would go very well in a stew or chili… Their “Trio” Complete meals are pretty delicious as well.

And if I can find someone who carries the “Beef” skewers, I may bring some camping – I’m not going to be going meatless over the camping trip in August, but that doesn’t mean not eating the delicious alternatives as well.

Depending on how well the diet continues over the next few months, and the result of the “Daiya” test (they make Vegan cheeses, that have the right texture, melt, and apparently taste just like the real thing). As a cheese lover, this is a critical thing when it comes to diet. I may try a mostly Vegan diet plan for a few months as a test.

The cheese thing is a huge pain, but it’s worth a try – the only really awful part is cost… I can buy a two pound bag of amazing shredded cheese for $5.99 ($3 a pound)… the Daiya is $41 for a 5lb bag ($8.20 a pound)

But like I said, I’ll try.

I also need to stop buying so much food… I may clean out everything in my kitchen, donate to the food bank, then start buying just enough for a week, every week, and leaving 2-3 months of staples and canned goods. Currently, it’s more like 12 months of dried and staples, and most of it is expiring. There’s really no point in having way more food than you need =/

the money I’ll save by shopping right should be enough to cover the cost of the Daiya

Any suggestions on great places to buy Vegetarian and Vegan foods in the lower mainland would be much appreciated – especially the Gardein products.

No really, cheese – the super delicious, melty, awesome on anything dairy product that goes awesome with almost anything?

I have, on a daily basis, Cheddar Cheese, Asiago Cheese, Cream Cheese, Feta Cheese, Monterey Cheese, Asadero Cheese…

That’s an average day – if you were to take a list of all the foods I absolutely LOVE and rely on for daily nutrition, cheese is easily my #1

No joke.

I’d give up both testicles, some fingers, and a leg before I gave up cheese, that’s how much I love it.

for the record, I wouldn’t give all of that up for 10 billion dollars, tax free.

just to put it in perspective.

it doesn’t bother my tummy, it doesn’t give me gas, it doesn’t cause any digestive issues (which is a small miracle, as an IBS sufferer… most things do… I gave up drinking milk years ago because of that)

For some reason, cheese and my tummy get along great – like… really, really great.

And then I read a bunch of things that actually make giving up dairy make sense.

Not likely.

I already gave up beef, pork, chicken, turkey, sushi, venison… pretty much anything meat

except Sundays – on Sundays, I have NO dietary rules…

except for the whole… try not to inflame your digestive tract rule – that one is pretty much an every day thing

but yeah

I’m not giving up cheese.

I AM going to try out the fancy expensive Vegan cheese that was recommended to me – apparently it’s melty and delicious and awesome on nachos… it’s also way more expensive than cheese (I shop in the US, and generally pay around $2.50lb for cheese… this stuff is more like $12 a pound)

But I want to do my part, ya know?

*sigh*

for now, when I stop at a dairy, I will personally thank the cows for the hardships they endure for my taste buds – same as I thank a pig every time I see one, for all the many many joyous strips of bacon I’ve enjoyed – because everyone should thank the animals for being such good providers… and go out of their way to ensure that those same animals are not the victims of abuse. Fact of the matter is they have short lives, and those short lives should be free of trauma.

Also, I’ve heard rumour that properly treated animals are much more delicious as well.

I was going to post another Dilbert, but todays just weren’t as good as yesterday

I made it back to the gym today, quite proud of myself, and filled my mom in on all the excitement that’s been going on over the last few months – the megaupdate. She thanked me in an e-mail for not scaring her with “could be” type information…

The could be was pretty simple – I was at the gym, doing some exercise… which people tend to do at the gym, and I was feeling a little wheezy, not so pleased… but going… pretty hard… and then my left arm went numb.

Now, from what I’ve heard, this can be indicative of bad things – such as heart problems.

Anyways, the next afternoon I went to the doctor, about my numb arm, and my lost voice (been gone for over 2 months, and counting…) and they did a bunch of blood tests, and an EKG.

I got the results on Monday, and apparently everything is excellent – no nasty bugs, no diabetes, no mono, no strep, and no heart problems… and no explanation for the lost voice, so I have to go see a specialist in June… almost a month from now actually, so if I don’t have my voice back by then, I’ll have been mute for 3 months to the day (June 22nd)

Anyways, I’m back to a 6 day a week gym schedule – I have a fitness evaluation on Monday to see if I’m making any progress with my exercise and vegetarian diet.

Last evaluation, I was sitting at 244lbs, at a chubby but healthy BMI (keep in mind I’m a big guy, with a lot of muscle… dead skinny I’m around 180lbs) – at my last test, I was 2 points south of ideal, and within reach of athletic. That caught me off guard, since I’m pretty far from athletic at the moment, but on the flipside, that’s just talking body fat levels, more than actual fitness levels.

Anyways, wish me luck! After 10 days off the gym on the advice of a doctor, I backslid just a little bit – not too much, but hey, I’m committed to getting better every month, and my goals are long term, so the short term just isn’t as important. I want a strong, healthy heart that will see me through until whatever age I live to, allowing me to continue enjoying life. I never want to be the guy that just sits on the couch because he HAS to – I don’t mind sitting on the couch watching TV, but when I do so, I want to be fit enough I can hop up and run 26km without even thinking about it.

Sedentary is fine, so long as it’s a choice, and I’m fit enough to choose something else too – so even a sedentary day will have an hour or two of exercise to balance out the rest of the day.

The vegetarian thing?

Well, I read a lot about how vegan is THE way to go – because of things like animal cruelty, and because domestic animals contribute to global warming… truth is, I hate animal cruelty as much as anyone – I have nightmares about someone hurting my dog… but at the same time, if an animal raised for food, or dairy production, or egg production, or whatever the case may be – if those animals are treated properly, with respect, and they all SHOULD be (sadly too many are not) how THEY affect the environment is minimal compared to what we as humans do, even at our greenest.

And I honestly, sincerely believe that humans are meant to be omnivores.

While we are certainly capable of surviving on other diets, I’m not so sure we’re meant to – the number one evidence I find to support this is our eyes.

If you take your hands, and feel to the sides of your head, beside your eyes… move them further apart until you feel your temples.

What do you think those are?

I have a theory (and it’s a damned good theory actually) – those are your herbivore eye sockets – or rather, where your eye sockets would be if you were a herbivore.

A carnivorous animal (or an creature designed to eat other animals) has front facing eyes that can see in 3 dimensions, and allow depth perception – the purpose of this is very specific. It makes hunting much easier.

A herbivore ( A creature that eats plants) had side facing eyes, that offer a good all around view, and allow them to see things coming towards them from any direction – the purpose of this is also very specific. It makes seeing hunters approaching much easier. It also doesn’t offer any tools for hunting, but it’s fine for finding plants as sources of food.

IF you were meant to be a herbivore, you wouldn’t be able to drive a car, catch a ball, or do many of the things we take for granted – but you would be able to see behind you.

As it is, I think eating less meat, to this point, has been a good experience, and one I plan to continue… but until I grow eyes in the side of my head? Meat, and animal products will always be an option for me.

And I will always pull for the health and well being of animals – because I also believe that any animal, be they food, pet, or wild, deserves our respect.

So I have a few minor updates on some things I’ve written about previously.

First off, the shoes in the last post – I changed from the lime green laces to black laces – they’re still obnoxious, but it’s not quite as offensive. I like my super bright DC shoes (The DC outlet in New Westminster kinda kicks ass)… I may just develop a shoe habit

Secondly, Triple O’s – The hate is fading. It will never completely subside, because frankly, they charge double what they should for what they sell, considering the quality isn’t any better than say, McDonalds. That being said, cooked properly, they do have edible food – I still have yet to really enjoy a veggie burger, but the last 2 have been much better than the first, and the one before that was tolerable. I’m going for one more on Tuesday, and if it’s half as good as they convinced me it’s going to be, I’ll go every month or two.  Also, out of a bitter twitter post, I’ve managed to get 4 free meals from Triple O’s, so I at least owe them honest and fair consideration. The management I’ve been talking to has been the utmost in professional, and have a fantastic attitude. Their desire to please is, while not in itself a reason to go, it’s a reason to give them a chance, and to offer honest feedback, so they can improve and achieve the standards that they aspire to. If they can consistently provide great food every single time, they’re on the right path.

As for the best love ever – my point of view is being seen in the incorrect light by the responses I’ve seen. I’m trying to look at this from an older brother perspective – seeing someone get hit by a car because they refuse to look left before they cross the street – no matter how many times you say “look left, be careful!”

THUD!

They get hit… of course, it’s not a car/truck/bus, it’s a raging douchebag… disguised as a pretty distraction.

When I like someone as a person, and think they’re good, and generally well meaning – just shallow about how boys look… makes me want to help them. Sad thing is, they always seem to fall into the same trap regardless, no matter the warning (hey, you understand this guy is the same as the last one, right? “No, he’s SO different!”) – for the record, no he isn’t… cut another notch in your bedpost girl.

Same thing can and does happen to guys.

And there are girls who are just out to get laid, and not looking for relationships – I don’t have a problem with them… The entire premise was strictly the girls who are getting repeatedly blindsided for two reasons

1) They want to be in love

2) They need it to be with someone prettier than they are.

so clearly being shallow and desperate is a bad way to be when you’re looking for a relationship. I can vouch for the lame side of being lonely (pretty much the only side), but it’s better than being used.