I don’t even know you anymore!
I think I am having a bit of an identity crisis today. Yes I am a vegan. Yes I live gluten-free to support my husband. Yes I make mistakes. Yes I’ve eaten something non-vegan by mistake.
Something has changed in the past year. It’s probably partly to do with living abroad for six months and having no choice but to be less strict with veganism. But now that I am back in Canada my perspective of vegan and me has changed.
Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
What I considered my ‘Vegan Training Manual’ was a book called Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I wrote about this book in one of my first blog posts here. I kind of thought they were awesome and knew it all. I thought they had this vegan thing down and knew how to entertain me while I was learning all about it.
Guess what? I’ve changed my mind.
Last weekend I got a few books out of the library. (I’m on a budget and rather than buying books at will, I’ve dusted off the ol’ library card and made a few withdrawls.) I found Skinny Bitch and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, along with a few other vegan baking and cookbooks and the newest Stephanie Plum in paperback.
I have read Skinny Bitch before so yeah maybe that has something to do with why I felt it was boring this time around. But mostly what I was left with, was something … uninspired. And reading Skinny Bitch in the Kitch was lame. There’s no other word for it. If I wanted to be a supermarket pre-made vegan junkie then why would I ever need to pick up a cookbook?!?! Seriously, they had a recipe for burgers … pre-made vegan patty, whole wheat bun and veg. Not rocket science – no recipe required girls.
So, how I was previously chanting their wisdom and ability to change lives … now I feel just … meh.
I think I figured out what it is. They’re great for beginners. They’re a good fit for early adopters. But before long, you’ll outgrow them and need to move on. That’s what I did.
Well, that’s all I got to say about that!
Hey I just found your website! and mainly because I have the skinny bitch books next to me. I Think they are an awesome starting block. I’m pretty sure those woman would be an encyclopaedia of ingredients to make everything from scratch. But I think if they listed every ingredient to home make everything, then people would be get overwhelmed and not bother reading it. It’s still a very positive thing she has started, and I wish so many people I love would just read it. I now add and replace things in her recipes since I have to eat wheat, soy and hi GI sugar free! I’m going to check out your stuff
x
Hey Inari, You make an excellent point. The Skinny Bitch books are excellent for starting out. They helped me a ton to understand the ins and outs of a plant-based diet without being too overwhelming. They’re also super easy to read because they write like people talk. If reading books might be out of the question for your loved ones, might I suggest asking them to watch Forks Over Knives with you? Levi was gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free but still had some meat in his diet. After watching the health effects of meat in our diets presented by Forks Over Knives he made the switch immediately and has never felt better. It’s not a “beat you over the head” style documentary. It’s well presented and factual. There are no gory slaughterhouse scenes to ‘shock’ people into becoming a vegan. Just interesting food for thought that might hit home with your loved ones.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Cheers!
Just picked up Skinny Bitch in the Kitch and was very disappointed as a gluten free vegan.