Going Vegan for a month - Day Four

Tea when I was growing up was always bread, butter and jam followed by cake. Even today I find I miss those days. So on Sundays. when often the a main meal is at lunchtime, I opt for bread and jam! It's a nostalgic thing.

Last evening I really fancied some fruit loaf and a banana. it went down very well, (dairy free spread, of course) followed by...yes, cake!

This morning I found myself craving Corn Flakes. This is getting very worrying! It also reminded me how I always seem to enjoy Corn Flakes more when I'm on holiday. They taste different. No, honestly! Maybe it's a psychological thing like sandwiches always taste better when you either buy them or someone else makes them. Am I the only one who notices these things?  I'm sure I'm not.

Anyway, I had my Corn Flakes. I thought I'd be really good and have them without sugar. They will be sugared next time!

For lunch my hubby made soup. Now, hubby is a great soup maker, even if he does seem to think that cabbage belongs in every recipe! I suggested butternut squash and that's what we had with the addition of a red pepper and some left over green veg from yesterday. It was very tasty too. Afterwards I had two Ryvita's (the deli ones with pumpkins) with dairy free spread.

If I can't come up with anything for tonight there is still half the squash which I can use with other veg and roast it. As I'm feeling a little off colour today (I have the edges of a cold) I might do that.

When I signed the pledge back in July (I think it was all the way back then) the Vegan Society kindly emailed me every day with ideas and recipes over the month. I saved all the emails into a folder which I can now refer to. Being a vegetarian who is largely dairy free I have a certain amount of store cupboard stand-by's.
Here are a few:

Tins of beans (not just baked beans but kidney beans, butter beans etc.)
Lentils (red and green)
Tinned tomatoes
Marmite (great to meat up dishes without the meat)
Tomato puree
Lots of different herbs and spices (my current favourite is Tarragon)
Pasta
Rice
Elby
Cous Cous
Bulgar Wheat
Diary free spread

A word about 'alternatives', as in meat/fish/fowl. I've tried various things over the years. My preferences include unsweetened soya milk (there are other things like rice milk, almond milk and so on. I tried them all until I settled on what I use now). I don't like a lot of meat substitutes. Some can be too dry or taste too much like what I'm trying to avoid. Some went in the bin after one taste! Things have improved over the years though with going vegan I have to re-read all the labels of things. I'm geared up to what is veggie but not vegan. When you cook everything from scratch at least you know for certain what you are eating.

One thing I am missing is my Instant Horlicks. I really wanted one last night. I'll have to check out some other things and see if I can find a replacement that gives me that satisfied feeling before bed.