That's really awesome that you have such support.  I'd been meaning to ask if M was doing this too with you. 

When I went vegetarian, I hadn't really studied up and didn't know what I was doing.  Actually, I went vegetarian mid-taco.  I was 14, and had never really liked the taste of meat.  We'd make burgers as a kid, and I'd only want half a burger.  I didn't care for steak or pork.  I hated fish.  Poultry was OK, but I don't think I ever loved it enough that I would have even requested a particular type for dinner. 

But one night we were having tacos.  And it just finally didn't taste good at all anymore, so I got up and threw my half-eaten taco away and made one without meat.  I announced that I was done and was going to be a vegetarian.  I had my mom's support while the rest of the family mocked me and decided it was just a phase.  However, I didn't know what I should eat and she didn't know what to cook so it ended up just being a lot of meals that just left the meat out.  This was 15 years ago and I was in Montana and the grocery stores just didn't carry tofu, polenta, or soy hot dogs.  There was a lot of meatless tacos, vegetable soup, spaghetti, and pizza in my diet.

Now that I'm older, some bad habits are settled in and my schedule just doesn't allow me to explore cooking for myself the way I'd like to.  I'm not a good cook and basically need to learn from scratch, and I would love to.  I love being in the kitchen.  I still do pizza from scratch, and very rarely a homemade lasagna.  Beyond that, I'm stumped.  I bought some TVP the other day so I can try using that sometime, but I haven't figured out what to make.

Anyhow, I'm way off track.  The point is, you have support and that's so incredibly awesome because I think that's what will make this work for you.  (And honestly, it may start to work for them over time.  After all these years, my mom and her husband are now about 75% vegetarian and what meat they do eat is organic.  Watching me get better about my eating inspired her to look into what she was eating and make changes too.) 

Again, rambling.  I dug out a few links for you that I've saved with veg/vegan foods on there.  I haven't had the time to really make any of it, but someday....

http://www.simple-vegetarian-recipes.com/index.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx  (I think they look SO good, if you ever make them let me know how they turn out)

http://ashleyannabrown.typepad.com/blog/2009/04/vegan-wheat-free-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

http://www.indianfoodsco.com/Classes/VegetarianCuisine.htm

http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/category/meatless

http://www.vegan-food.net/

http://www.theppk.com/

http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/usa/MaryBaltimore.htm

http://www.vegcooking.com/

http://www.veggiemealplans.com/

If you're ever stumped for where to find stuff close by, my go-to place is David's Natural Market in Forest Hill.  It's right on Rock Spring Road near the old C Mart.  They're not huge, but it's really the only place in the area - I hate going all the way to Towson just to go to Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods if I happen to be in the city.

If you still want those cookbooks/magazines, let me know.  I'm off today and could drop them by any time, or any other day before work.  Keep 'em for as long as you want.  I think I'll add both books you've mentioned to my next Amazon shopping list.  I've also got In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma on there, and Animal Vegetable Mineral is on my nightstand.  Somehow, reading about food and how and what we eat is really interesting.

Enjoy your dinner tonight!!

I have been going to davids for a long time. Just picking up things here and there. I went there last weekend though to try some stuff out. they have a pretty good selection

 

they are building a wegmans in abingdon. Im keeping my fingers crossed that it will have a good selection.

 

I would love to get that stuff from you. I sent you an email, did you get it?

 

Thanks for the websites. I will check them all out. the ppk one is the girl who wrote the book I am reading now. Some great recipes. A lot to learn though. I wish there was a vegan cooking class we could take.

 

I did find out that PF changs has a veggie section on their menu as well as the mexican place in bel air.

 

I have never been so proud of a decision in my life. I have never liked meat, I dont know why it took me this long. I guess I was just scared. Im not looking forward to giving up all my leather purses tho. Sigh.

 

Yea, M is doing it too. She is amazing. Im the luckiest girl in the world!!!!

 

 

David's is actually where I got the egg replacer, FYI.  I don't think I've been to a Wegman's yet... do they usually have a pretty good veggie selection?

And I didn't get an email.  You used the yankeebird@gmail address?  I checked through my spam folder too but didn't see it there either.  Maybe send it again to my Yahoo - yankeebird_mt@yahoo.com  and see if that works.

If you mean La Tolteca, I love that place.  I always get the L.  In fact, that sounds really good and may have solved the "what do I want for dinner" question I've been pondering for the last half an hour or so. 

If you ever find a vegan cooking class, let me know!  I would SO do that.  Even though I'm not vegan, if I could cook worth a damn I probably would be, so I'd love to learn how to cook vegan.  Actually, I just googled it, and it looks like they may occasionally do classes at the Yabba Pot.  There's also a 3-hour class this Sunday at the Pierpoint Restaurant - I've never heard of them.  I'd love to find some sort of ongoing class where you do something different every week.

If you're not looking forward to getting rid of your leather stuff, do it gradually.  It doesn't have to be overnight.  I don't think I did.  And once you find alternatives for some of the stuff, it's actually pretty easy.

And you're right - that's amazing that she's doing it with you.  That's incredibly supportive - I can't even get my boyfriend to eat anything I make without meat, let alone actively participate in a veggie/vegan lifestyle.  You've really found someone special. 

By the way, it amuses me a little that you say you never liked meat.  Anytime someone asks why I'm a vegetarian and I explain that's my reason, they just don't get it.  I don't think I've ever known anyone else to say that.  But as someone said to me recently, there's a lot of reasons to be a vegetarian, but really only one not to be - you like the taste of meat.