Last weeks Dinner and Game Night

I was just thinking, I completely forgot to share a wonderful experience I had last Sunday. On New Years Eve, I spent the night with some close friends at a small get together. We all shared snacks, toasted our champagne and watched the ball drop- excited for the new year to come.

That same night, I had shared with my friends my Challenge for the New Year. They thought I was crazy, as they knew I was a big fan of Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip and Fresh Mozzerella and Tomato Sandwiches; however, I told them that I had been researching and that I was prepared and confident that I could master this challenge. They asked a lot of questions regarding the differences between vegetarians and vegans, and what I could and could not eat and why I was doing this. They were respectfully curious and eager to learn, but still, they were very unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the idea of nixing all animal products and bi products all together.

At the end of the night, as we were leaving, we all decided that we would get together the next Sunday as well and have a dinner night. My friends all insisted that we have a Vegan Dinner and Game Night, so that was the plan.

The whole week I was graced with text messages with questions about my lifestyle and what I could and could not digest. Some questions as simple as "You can eat rice, right?" I was excited to see what everyone was going to make and almost expected that someone slip up and add some parmesan cheese, or butter or something. I know how hard it is to try to be an almost-perfect vegan, and sometimes you can still purchase something that has an animal bi-product, so with just a week to prepare and learn, I went into the dinner night, expecting to consume at least a smidge of animal bi-product from the cuisine.

To my excitement and surprise, my friends were more than prepared. They even kept the recipes they had used and the containers of food they used so I could check the ingredients. My friends made a delicious Vegetable Lasagna with tofu-ricotta (let me tell you, it tasted JUST like ricotta), some grilled asparagus with roasted garlic, A bountiful green salad, and a fluffy Mushroom Risotto. All Completely Vegan! Tony and I contributed our favorite recipe for Eggplant Balls, which taste like a combination of a meatball and eggplant parm all in a little ball of joy. For dessert we had a refreshing and colorful Fruit Salad!

I felt so completely honored and touched by how my friends went out of their way to learn about my lifestyle and contribute into it. It was one of the most solid, tangible forms of friendship I had ever experienced and I am grateful to have such a supporting group of friends. We ended the night with an intense round of Apples to Apples- which has become our new found favorite game, and ended our night with leftovers to take home.

I hope that if any of you are thinking about moving towards a more vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, that you are met with love and support the same way I have.

Peace.