Kitchen Garden Forum

Lizzie
My sister and I became a veggie from the age of about 4 (i.e. before we went to school). Now this was pretty exceptional in the late '50s and early '60s but one of the many things for which I still love my mother is that she just accepted it. She and my father remained meat eaters and they still enjoy it.
However, she coped in a very sensible way. Meat dishes were cooked and vegetables were done separately. We had cheese and a grater on the table. Often there might well be a vegetarian dish which everyone would eat.
My sister and I were happy, my parents were happy and both my sister and I remain vegetarian to this day.

I am sorry that I fail to see your point of view but I think you have to respect other people's choices. Neither my sister nor I have have asked those with whom we live to change their diet, nor made our selection based on their diet, it's just pot luck. None of them have been veggitarians.

Hi Stephen

I'm not asking for anyone to change their diet. I'm simply asking for some give and take.

My son has never really eaten meat since a baby cos he doesn't like it.Fair enough. He'll eat everything else (accept fish cos he doesn't like that either)

You try doing this for over 10 years day in and day out yourself, and then tell me that, after a while, it really starts to get on your *&^&**

Dear Lizzie, i can imagine how a three course meal in your house, would turn into six items.

Vegtable or Oxtail soup.

Vegetable Lasagne or Roast beef.

Fruit salad or Mince pies.

Sorry about the Mince pies, but i was grabbing at straws at this point.

The 'I'm no good at ...' excuse is a mighty fine one, employed by many a lazy sod who'd rather be waited on (I'm not referring to your 12 year old).

Have you considered becoming a very bad cook...

What's wrong with a vegetarian meal with a nicely grilled chop on top?

Lizzie and others, my daughter decided at age 12 out of conscience that she would no longer eat meat . Sue managed to cater for this by cooking veggie meals on occasions and on others substituting nut cutlets for Mira when the rest of us had meat. [When asked what he wanted, my son Ben insisted on answering "I want dead animal", especially when Mira was within earshot.]

During school holidays and when home from university, Mira would sometimes cook her own meals [and thus ours too], and became quite proficient - on those occasions we would eat her cooking. I think it ended up as a sort of give-and-take situation, although in term-time we didn't feel it right to get her to do her own cooking.

mike

I do think it's rather unfair that you are being forced down a route you don't want to take, almost by default. Providing different meals for different tastes can end up being a nightmare if it's an ongoing process and it can sometimes feel like you're being held to ransom if somebody is making all the demands yet not prepared to do some of the cooking themselves. My OH and I are not vegetarians but often we feel like eating different foods and just simply cook our own choices. Perhaps every so often you just have days where you announce what you are going to serve and if people don't like it, they can cook their own. Apart from anything else, it's good self sufficiency training for children.

Strange, I seem to recall certain foods I wouldn't eat when I was single and at home. Funny I seem to recall this all altered when I was called up for National Service in 1951, I found suddenly my taste buds altered and I would eat anything. I wonder why. Shallotman

I didn't learn to drive as my Dad didn't have a car when we got married money was tight so again I missed out, as the children grew up it became more difficult living in a rural location, so the deal was I would learn to drive and hubby would learn to cook, it didn't happen now 15 years on I have bought him Cook with Jamie and he now cooks on Saturday as his moan was I hadn't the ingredients he wanted now he has to sort himself so after 35 years I have won a partial victory, he could always manage the frying pan but I prefer to eat healthier !!! we have the occassional veggie meal mut I must admit we are meat eaters we have good butchers here, had a beautiful free range chicken for just little over £5 fed us 2 + daughter and 2 year old grandaughter for a roast dinner then chicken and leek pie with bacon bits so we are lucky. Maybe keep a supply of chops etc in the freezer and try to get them to cook for you with the meat as a side dish, Good luck. I think if it was me I would go on strike and just cook for myself for a week or 3 til they got the message

Starvation can be wonderful incentive to becoming a good cook

I recall long ago someone staying with me (we were around 10), my mother cooked dinner and we had to wash up. My friend said "I don't do washing up 'cos the food bits make me sick". My mother gave her a bucket, told her to throw up in that and then get on with the dishes.

CHANTAL. Your Mother must have been related to my old Sargent-Major, you couldn't get anything over him.

She wasn't really like that, usually. I can remember her saying to me that she was doing my friend a favour as she'd have to wash up in later life (no dishwashers then) when she didn't have anyone stupid enough to do it for her. My friend's mum was chuffed to bits. My friend didn't visit again though...

Mum was great about teaching us when we were kids. She always maintained that you could do the most disgusting jobs so long as you laughed about it. To this day I can't see a blocked drain without getting the giggles

My granddaughter is 9years old and when she comes to stay with us for the weekend, which is every other weekend she eats what we eat. My brother in law has a sheep farm, we have never been able to tell her that on the Sundays when we are having a roast it is lamb she is eating. We just say that we are having roast meat. We once told her that we were having roast lamb quite a few years ago and she got so upset we have never told her again. She will eat roast chicken and roast beef and pork and not bat an eyelid. We have been through a phase when she would not eat orange veggies like sweet potatoes or carrots or butternut squash but since we have been growing our own she eats them. Dont know what will happen when the penny drops because we both really like lamb. She will probably become vegetarian. That will be up to her though I dont think she will get very far with her mother.

I did go on strike last year. I went off to Dublin with a friend for the weekend leaving them to it. Before I left, I neglected to tell them that I hadn't do a shop and i'd buggered off with the food money (I pay for all the food, plus, I needed the extra spends)

I was in the hotel foyer (5* gaff with my broken case, hastily repaired with gaffer tape ) when I got a phone call "Where's the food?"

"In the supermarket"

"Why didn't you shop?"

"Couldn't be arsed.....sorry gotta go. The cooker is the thing that has flames out the metal thingies, opposite the fridge"

I then went to a very very nice restaurant in Temple Bar and I believe they had egg and chips whilst I feasted on a nice rare sirloin.

Maybe an all out industrial action is called for. After all, Mr Grock reckoned he could do the shopping better thatn Grock, so she let him Maybe I should take a leaf out of Grockies manual. Or maybe, suddenly become very bad at doing this cooking malarchy

Hi Stephen,
To quote Heyjude who has nailed the problem:

"I think being a veggie is a matter of choice. You have the right to make that choice but it is NOT the moral high ground. We find people are pretty kind to veggies but carnivores have rights as well!"

Now when your parents come for a meal do you cook meat for them? If you do not therein lies the problem. It may not be a problem in your case but in Lizzies case it apparently is.
It is a case of all take and no give!
Vegetarians always take but never give!
Over the years we have had all manner of discussion about Vegetarianism and Veganism on this forum and even one person who vehemently disliked the word 'Veggy' and as I remember got exceedingly arsey and went off in a huff never to be heard of again.
Remember that you are a vegetarian from your choice and not a saint.
Carnivores respect vegetarians and pamper to their needs but it is not reciprocated by vegetarians.
Why?
JB.