HELP!!! Mac-n-cheese

EquiPro · Jul 24, 2003

OK - I am going to level with you guys because I have nightmares of this being a problem, me keeping it a secret, and ending up munching down a huge prime rib. 
I have been Vegan for about 5 months now. I went cold turkey, and have, over the past months, worked out all of my consumption of animal products, even the honey issue, and my attitude towards eating fresh gathers eggs from hens who run around this farm and roost in the trees. I have had no problems with this at all. 
BUT 
I do have a problem with Macaroni and Cheese. I am not around it very often, but when I am, I can't resist eating some. This goes against every single feel that I have - ethically and mentally. Usually it isn't much of an issue, because it isn't here at home. However, in the past week, it has come by me 3 times, and I haven't been able to stop myself. My daughter likes to M-n-C when we go out to this buffet occassionally. Usually, it is one of the few things of which she eats the whole thing. However, on Tuesday night, she just didn't want it. I couldn't get out of the fast enough, and I DID eat a few bites. It didn't even taste good. 
Then, unbenounced to me, my husband bought home KFC (damn him) and got MnC as one of the sides. I threw it out, but not before I had eaten some. $H:T!!!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/mad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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MnC is a big comfort food for me, and has always been one of my greatest downfalls. I just don't know what to do about it. From what I can tell, there is no decent substitute, and, besides, I really don't want to eat it at all. It's not healthy, and it doesn't sit well with me. ;( 
Please, please help. What do you do when confronted with a fatal food? I'm not talking about eating a bite of cake at a birthday or a mini milkyway at Holloween, I am talking about a food that is everywhere that you can't seem to ignore. It calls to you. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/mad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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BTW, I like ALL MnC. The good the bad and the orange. I also tend to be a perfectionist. However, this goes against all that I believe and am trying to accomplish. I can keep it out of the house, but I would really like it to be a non issue, like all the other stuff that I don't care to eat. 
HELP!!!!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/bigcry.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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oneness · Jul 24, 2003

I am moving this to the Vegetarian and Vegan Forum. i think you will get a better response there.

muppetcow · Jul 24, 2003

Most importantly--DON'T beat yourself up if you slip and eat some mac and cheese once in a while. No one can be perfect all the time. 
Try making a vegan version with nutritional yeast. I do this a lot and it usually helps ease my cravings. My recipe is at home--if I remember, I'll post it later.

Christy · Jul 25, 2003

I like the Amy's frozen kind - regular or with soy cheese. I love mac&cheese, too, and have been tempted to get the old Kraft in the blue box kind (but didn't).

majake · Jul 25, 2003

mac and chreese, yumm. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/hungry.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":hungry:"> It looks like the old kind you use to eat in the tall thin box, but its not.

epski · Jul 25, 2003

I don't like Mac and Chreese, though I haven't tried all the varieties. I make my own by buying elbow macaroni, cooking it, then melting in Vegan Gourmet Nacho or Cheddar Cheese Alternative. 
I'm not sure if you have that in your area (<a href="http://www.imearthkind.com/Availability.htm" target="_blank">http://www.imearthkind.com/Availability.htm</a>), but maybe they can send it from their website: <a href="http://www.imearthkind.com/Ordering%20Information.htm" target="_blank">http://www.imearthkind.com/Ordering%20Information.htm</a>

EquiPro · Jul 25, 2003

I'm going to look into the nutritional yeast thing. I guess that my thoughts are more like this: 
I am sure that each person must come up against a food that is tough for them now and then. How do you handle it? Do you eat some, and then regret it? (As I have so far). Do you try to find a vegan analog or replacement? Or do you somehow learn to give it up....knowing that that the temptation might always be there. This seems to be the only wall I have found so far (I thought it was eggs, but then epski said something that made so much sense to me, that I haven't eaten them since, and it doesn't bother me). I don't want to eat real Mac n Cheese anymore. I just don't want it. It is part of my old self, not my new self. 
Thanks so much for the all the advise so far. 
I really prefer to not get into Vegan cheese, just because I am happy without the cheese thing at all. I was very surprised by my interest in this food, actually. Weird. I would have thought that a steak would be more tempting, but it hasn't been.

EquiPro · Jul 25, 2003

Yes, muppetcow, could you post that recipe? That would be great.

GhostUser · Jul 25, 2003

Not sure if this'll help at all, just want to point it out: If someone doesn't finish the mac n cheese, there's no point in throwing it out. All that means is that a cow suffered to make milk for no good reason. If it is going to be thrown out, you might as well eat it or make someone else eat it or save it. Just don't throw out. That doesn't make anything better. 
-Eric

Quizeen · Jul 25, 2003

I can totally relate to this. I have problems with sweets, and sometimes with cheese when I go to Mexico (god I love the queso Chilhuahua they carry at the Comercial Mexicana, you can't get it in the US thank heavens). I've found that with foods you don't have to be around often you end up mellowing out on eventually. You've only been a vegan for months, Equipro, so you're still working stuff out. There' s no need to worry about it. After a while you will most likely find that you don't feel so compelled to have any mac n cheese when it's around, and it might make you feel so ill anyway that you really won't be tempted. That's how it's worked for me in the long run. I've slipped up plenty <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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EquiPro · Jul 25, 2003

Thanks, Quizeen. I really appreciate that info. 
I have really considered the issues that RedViking brings to the table, but I can't go there. I really doesn't make any difference at all if I eat any meat. As one individual who eats out a lot, whether I order meat or not really makes no difference in the suffering whatsoever. BUT, I don't want to consume animal products anymore. I don't want to be a part of the process. So justifying eating it, doesn't help me at all to get to the emotional place that I am working to achieve. 
I can deal with the fact that I have consumed a piece of birthday cake that knew had eggs, milk sugar and whatever. I have found that I have truly begun to lose my taste for those items. Perhaps, as you say, Mac-n-Cheese will follow that path. Your post, Quizeen, gives me hope that it WILL come to pass.

borealis · Jul 25, 2003

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally posted by EquiPro 
I am sure that each person must come up against a food that is tough for them now and then. How do you handle it? Do you eat some, and then regret it? (As I have so far). Do you try to find a vegan analog or replacement? Or do you somehow learn to give it up....knowing that that the temptation might always be there.</div>
</div>
 
So far the only thing that has tempted me really bad is McDonald's french fries. How I used to love their crispy, greasy goodness. I dwelt on the thought of McD's fries for several days, then finally decided I was going to get some. But on my way there, I talked myself out of it. I just kept thinking about the beef fat, and the poor dead cows that it oozed out of. And then I wasn't so hungry for the damn things after all. 
I went and got Wendy's fries instead, and they weren't as good (they never are) but they satisfied the craving... for now. Who knows when the insidious McD cravings will start again?

kpickell · Jul 25, 2003

Heh, funny you bring this up, as the only cheese I've eaten in the past several months is Kraft Mac & Cheese. I don't live on the stuff like I used to before going veg*n, but I do still occassionally buy it. I love the stuff, but only buy it rarely because I generally try to avoid most dairy products.

RGR · Jul 25, 2003

I used to be a cheese addict, but the recipe below really assuaged my cheese cravings when I turned vegan. I use it to make vegan mac 'n' cheese for the neighbor's kids (omnis), and they chow it down happily. 
BASIC SHARP CHEDDARY SPREAD (VEGAN) 
250gms silken tofu 
3 level tbsp nutritional yeast flakes 
2 T natural peanut butter 
1½ T light miso 
¾ t salt 
¾ LEVEL teaspoon paprika 
1 t prepared yellow mustard 
1 t onion powder 
1 t garlic powder 
4 T salsa (I like Master Foods medium salsa) 
Place all the ingredients in a food processor process until very smooth. Chill thoroughly (CHILLING IT IS IMPORTANT. It tastes even better the next day.). 
You can use this to replace dairy cheese in practically any recipe.

kpickell · Jul 25, 2003

I wish I knew how to cook like that! But just looking at that recipe gives me a headache. What is a food processor, what is miso, what are yeast flakes. I'm so cooking un-savy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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epski · Jul 25, 2003

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally posted by EquiPro I am sure that each person must come up against a food that is tough for them now and then. How do you handle it? Do you eat some, and then regret it? (As I have so far). Do you try to find a vegan analog or replacement? Or do you somehow learn to give it up....knowing that that the temptation might always be there. This seems to be the only wall I have found so far (I thought it was eggs, but then epski said something that made so much sense to me, that I haven't eaten them since, and it doesn't bother me).</div>
</div>
 
Ooh! Ooh! What'd I say? What'd I say? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
FWIW, I was only tempted a couple of times early on... by my favorite NY pizza place. Golden brown mozzarella, with parmesan and romano in the tomato sauce... Best pizza I ever had, every time. But, within a couple of months of resisting and avoiding, the temptation was gone. Habits take at least six weeks to become established, so try to see if you can hold out that long, then see how you feel.

RGR · Jul 25, 2003

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally posted by kpickell I wish I knew how to cook like that! But just looking at that recipe gives me a headache. What is a food processor, what is miso, what are yeast flakes. I'm so cooking un-savy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"></div>
</div>
 
LOL! Yeah, I know, that's how I felt initially. The recipe didn't even sound appetizing, because I had no idea what half the ingredients were. But really, now I think this is one of the easiest recipes I have (no cooking involved), and a very versatile one too.

vegancherrypie · Jul 25, 2003

I used to have a problem with grilled cheese. When I was omni and vegan, that was always one of my favorite things. For the first month or so it was awful--whenever someone made grilled cheese around me I wanted some SO bad. But then I just didn't want it anymore after a while, and the last time I smelled it-in May, coming from the room where home ec was--I turned to a friend I was with and said, "Ew!! What is that awful smell?!" and it literally was making me sick. She just goes, "Grilled cheese, they must be making it in home ec...it smells good!" So, I went from loving the stuff to being completely repulsed by it in a year. It's the same way with all dairy now, really...there's just something in animal foods that just smells "animal-y" and not attractive at all, rather repulsive. Things get better and usually those cravings--especially for animal ingredient-intensive foods--go away. I hope everything works out for you EquiPro! 
Cassie

stellar26 · Jul 25, 2003

Mac and Cheese is also one of my HUGE downfalls (though I've managed NOT to succumb to it thus far). You can search near and far and you will not find a good substitute for the real thing. The nutritional yeast verson isn't good the first couple of times you try it- but after a while it grows on you (at least that's how it was for me). I make my 'cheese sauce' as follows: 
Riely's Simple 'Cheese' Sauce: 
-1/2 stick of vegan margerine 
-approximately 1/2-3/4 cup nut. yeast flakes 
-approximately 1/2-3/4 cup soy milk 
- flour to thicken 
- salt and pepper to taste 
I melt the margerine over med-hi heat and then add flakes to make a paste. Then I pour the soymilk over the paste and mix well. After the mixture is lump free I take 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour and mix it well with 1 or 2 tablespoons of soymilk. I pour the flour mixture into the nut. yeast/milk mixture and stir this until it's smooth. Finally, I finish by adding salt and pepper until I feel it tastes alright. 
It's an extremely simple recipe. While the sauce is cooking I normally boil some elbow macaroni and (when it's finished boiling, of course) I drain it and pour the sauce over the macaroni then mix it really well. 
Like I said before, you probably won't like it at first- because nothing compares to REAL mac and cheese. After a while it will grow on you and you won't be able to tell the difference.

GhostUser · Jul 25, 2003

Hi EquiPro, I just had to chime in and give you this recipe. I found it in a cookbook called The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. It is the best Mac N Cheese we've ever had, bar none! I've been making it for years. 
Macaroni and "Cheese" Casserole 
Cook 4 cups elbow macaroni. 
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup soy margarine over low heat. Beat in 1/2 cup flour with a wire whisk and continue to beat over a medium flame until the mixture (called a roux) is smooth and bubbly. Whip in 3 1/2 cups boiling water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of turmeric. Beating well to dissolve the roux. 
The sauce should cook until it thickens and bubbles. Then whip in 1/4 cup oil and 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes. 
Mix part of the sauce with the macaroni and put in a 9x12 baking pan, and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle top with paprika and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Put under broiler the last 5 minutes until "cheese" sauce gets brown and bubbles. 
Hope you like it. 
April

HELP!!! Mac-n-cheese

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