So, since this is a veggie club. Maybe we can share some recipes or something?

At the moment I have some food in the oven roasting.

I take 1 yellow squash. I peel it, seed it, and chop it into 1 inch thick strips
I do the same with a green Zuchini (sp?) I put them in a glass cake pan and put braggs aminos, oregano, and some canola and olive oil on them. Then I bake till they are soft and tender at about 350 F. Next I am going to let them cool, chop them some more and add them to pasta with a garlic butter sauce. I use organic roasted garlic (about 1 tablespoon) and 1 Tablespoon melted Earth Balance. Add some salt and toss with 1 serving of whole wheat pasta. Of course, I only use 1 cup of the chopped veggies. I can use the rest another time! They are awesome for sandwiches with a thick slice of tomato and a creamy bean spread like hummus. Hmmmmmm...

I love pasta dishes. Sometime I eat them with chopsticks!

Name: Shane
Age: 18
Height: 5'7 - 5'7.5
Current Weight: 134.5lbs
Goal Weight: 120-125 lbs
Vegetarian since: on-and-off since I was 14 and recently went vegan.
Weight Loss Plan Began: tomorrow :] Oct 14 07
Hobbies/Work: I like to dance in my room, but once I didnt close the door all the way and my mom saw me and I haven't been able to dance without the fear of being discovered since.. cooking, reading, The Office, I like frisbee but noone else does and its not exactly a one-player sport.., talking online, natureish things like hikes and canoeing and stuff, a little of everything really..

Yeess.. I'm a vegan, and I want to lose 10-15lbs, depending on if I lose 10 and decide 5 more pounds of fat could be done away with. I have a pretty slim frame, which is both a gift and a curse. A curse if you've ever known what it's like to be flat ;_; I thought gaining weight would give me soft womanly curves but I just end up looking plain soft. So basically now I just wanna tone up. Well I start an exercise routine, drinking lots of water, and proper eating habits tomorrow so wish me luck!

Name: Kelly
Age: 20
Height: 5'7.5"
Current Weight: 149
Goal Weight: 125
Vegetarian since: June 2007 - My family switched last spring so when I came home for the summer I became Vegetarian by default. I got to school and ate meat for about a week before learning enough in my food industry class about meat production to know I'm going to be sticking to my vegetarian diet from now on.
Weight Loss Plan Began: today
Hobbies/Work: Audiology student. Babysitting is currently my only source of income, during the summer I work with produce. Lately I've been doing a lot of going out with my friends, reading, ignoring the fact that I'm a senior and have to graduate

Many of you probably know about this, but vegetariantimes.com has an excellent collection of recipes. Its my favorite site to browse!

So, how many of you like tofu?

At first I didn't know what to do with it. Now that I can bend and shape it to my will.. *muahahahaa* I can't get enough of it.

I love tofu! There hasn't really been any bending or shaping involved yet.. but I've mastered the art of frying it. In garlic and herbs is so good

So far I've used it in pasta making, ice cream, dips, cakes, and drinks.

This stuff is so versatile. I can't really stand it plain. I do like it baked with Hot sauce and garlic butter. hmmm...

Hey,

I'm Tamara. I'm 30, though closer to 31. I've been vegetarian since I was 11 and vegan since I was 16. I find factory farming utterly disgusting on every level and want no part of it.

I eat a ton of soy, though not entirely by choice. Since I'm vegan, it's about the best protein source I can find. I eat tofu and soy protein powder every day. The protein powder takes some getting used to, and I really don't want to continue to eat as much as I eat now when I'm down to my goal.

I'm an excellent baker of all things vegan, especially gourmet cakes. I've not made a cake in months though.

At this point I'm about 3/4 raw and I don't consume anything heavily processed, with the exception of about 3 diet cokes a week. I know it's terrible for me, but I drink about a gallon of water a day, so I don't think those diet cokes will kill me. I'd love to share recipes at some point, but I'm not really doing "recipes" right now. Most of my foods are raw, and those that are cooked are whole. I count calories religiously and weigh all my food, so making things with multiple ingredients just complicates matters.

I run, ride my bike, and read. I used to write a fair amount, but lately I don't have anything to say. Oh, and I hang out with my dogs and my boyfriend a lot. I also go to see bands sometimes, but not that often. Lately most of my social activities have been revolving around doing outdoor/physical activities. A lot of my social activities used to revolve around food. Not so much anymore, thankfully.

Ganygreenbean: Prior to the advent of the Tofurkey or the Un-turkey, my dad made me a killer tofu-turkey. It took him hours and hours. Fortunately for him, the Tofurkey came out the following year. After that one tofu-turkey, he said he'd never make another one because making it was "back-breaking kitchen labor." Anyway, your comment reminded me of the tofu-turkey, because you basically take a whole ton of tofu, mash it up really well so it's almost a paste, and then press it into a bowl. Then you end up with this giant tofu dome, which you then braise, stuff, and roast. And then you can add "legs" using wooden skewers. If I can find the recipe, I'll pm it to you.

Tamara

I love tofu, though I haven't exactly mastered using it, I definitely need some more practice. I have recently had a love affair with the seasoned baked tofu. Its great for chopping up a bit and throwing into a wrap or stir fry. My next conquest is a tofu scramble. There is this great vegetarian cafe near my school that has a tofu breakfast scramble to die for. I'm still trying to figure out the spice combination but I'm determined to figure it out.

As far as protein powder is concerned, what is everyone's favorite?

Hi

Im not a vegetarian, but I hope to be, I really believe it is the way to go.. I'm not here yet but I'm on my way..



Name: Catherine
Age: 25
Height: 5'4
Current Weight: 100kg
Goal Weight: 75Kg
Vegetarian since: Not a vegetarian, yet that is
Hobbies/Work: SAHM, I study admin/computers at home, I love reading and Music

I've been a vegetarian for a little over a year now, primarily because I decided I'd rather consume my fats in chocolate and butter than through chicken. I have a problem feeling full and feel that I've turned into a carboholic in the past year. I never eat pasta, but could eat bread and rice everyday. Help. Here are my stats:

26/F
5'7"
Currently 186 lbs
Goal weight is 140 lbs

yay theres more of us!

ive been veggie for 13 ist years and vegan for 5 months!!

i absolutley ADORE tofu. theres so much you can do with it. ill list some another time the one thing that pisses me off is when you say your vegan people that say "err what DO you eat" well. all the nice foods, all the natural foods!! PROPER food not junk food rubbish. i found since i turned vegan i eat MORE food and a greater variety. and feel a lot better for it too.

im vegan cos ... well. i dont wanna go on about it but factory farming...you can guess the rest of the story. the idea of encouraging it, or taking part in it, goes against my ethics. even when i turned veggie at around age 8 i wanted to be vegan ||(my best mate in school was born and bred vegan her mum explained all to me) i saw a programme about chicken and ever since then, ive never eaten meat. i wanted to be vegan but many things stopped me, like health issues with my kidneys, being a bit young and not having backing from parents or enough knowledge. but now im ready for it and its the best decision ive made!!

Name: sarah
Age: 21
Height: 5 foot 7
Current Weight: umm 70kg what ever that is
Goal Weight: not sure, wanna get rid of my belly then its all good.
Vegetarian since: around 12-13 years ago
Weight Loss Plan Began: didnt really start one to be honest, just started excercising more.
Hobbies/Work: uni student studying music, when im not at uni i am a music producer/DJ which is pretty sweet! travelling about different cities every weekend playing music i love. when im not doing music, i juggle, make canvasses, relax, go backpacking a lot abroad. ummm think thats about it

oh yeah and scrambled tofu? heres how i have it...

lightly fry some red onion and mushroom, add the tofu, fly until browning, add a bit of paprika, some soy sauce and pepper. add salt if you want but i dont use salt in food. taste well nice with spinach, leek and carrot salad with pitta breads to stuff it in. also add some chopped tomatos for a sweeter flavour.

this is my favourte tofu recepie, it took quite a few goes to get it tasteing real good but once you get the hang of it damn its good

Ooh that tofu scramble sounds excellent, I'm going to have to try that soon.

Readytolose34: I totally know what you mean about having trouble feeling full. Here are my "tricks" -
* Eat a really big salad (just a little dressing). It puts a lot of volume in your stomach to fill you up without adding many calories. Food like tomatoes and cucumbers are also good to fill you up because of the high water content.
* Drink a huge glass of water a half hour before eating (or whenever you're craving something)
* apples and pears are great and take a while to eat so the fullness can register
* plan out portions ahead of time and then brush your teeth right after
* sugarfree gum
* if you need flavor, drink tea
* If you want carbs, mix all sorts of veggies into your rice/pasta so if you can eat more for the same amount of pasta
* using fitday really helps me to plan my day in a way that is more nutritionally balanced

Name: monica
Age: 21
Height: 5'5"
Highest Weight: 185
Starting Weight: 165
Current Weight: 165
Goal Weight: 130
Vegetarian since: jan 1st 2006
Weight Loss Plan Began: today
Hobbies/Work: i got finished school and got my esthetics licience
i want to loose weight for alot of different reasons
1. health/energy ( i take anxiety attacks and excerise helps)
2. feel better about myself
3. to get busy while my boyfriends gone, he recently left for the gulf
4. to suprise him when he gets home
...im not a full vegetarian i must confess though hope thats ok.
i do eat seafood and animal products (eggs, milk, etc)
just not red meat, chicken and stuff like that.
i dont really have any friends that are interested in sticking to a program with me so im hoping to find some friends on here for support

Name:Mariah!
Age: 17
Height: 5'3"
Current Weight: 158 (around there atleast)
Goal Weight: 125 (at first)
Vegetarian since: Aug. 18, 2006 (haha)
Weight Loss Plan Began: I've never stuck to a plan before. It's been almost a year since I've "decided" it would be nice to lose weight. I've gained.
Hobbies/Work: I dance, and want to be slimmer for my recital in May. I love speaking german, and will study there for a year after I graduate from high school. When I go to college, it will be for engineering. I work at Wendys! lol

I've never had tofu that has sat well with me.