From Vegan to Vegetarian in 12 Hours

This morning it occurred to me that breakfast as a vegan was going to be super challenging. Like I said, I'm not a big cook. At 7am, I'm even less of one. I saw a lot of recipes online for vegan pancakes--but I've never even successfully made non-vegan, regular old, out of a box pancakes. Besides that, there's only one thing I want to do before I go to work in the morning: sleep. Right before I get to work I like to stop and get coffee...with cream...and a pastry. Having this conversation with my boyfriend, he suggested that rather than go "hardcore" vegan, I just refrain from going out of my way to eat animal based foods. I agreed. Then we went to La Madeline and I had a potato galette and coffee with the tiniest bit of cream. I told myself it would be OK because eventually I would have my coffee at home with almond or soy milk--or even go black (you know what they say...) Today at lunch was fine. I packed a salad and I like salads so it wasn't a big deal. I added avocado to try and make it more special and filling. At lunch I sat alone with my Nook, wanting to get into a book I just downloaded: Jonathon Safron Foer's Eating Animals. Think it'll be some good reinforcement. We'll see. I wasn't able to read because a Swiss girl I work with sat down with me, then eventually two other co-workers. We ended up talking about football and I said, despite everything he did, I'm rooting for Michael Vick (he paid he's fucking dues! Give him a break. He was into something that was culturally acceptable where he grew up) and the Swiss girl (who knew nothing about football) said "Oh, I HATE him! I cannot stand people who abuse animals!" while she ate a ham sandwich. Before I left work I started googling vegan recipes and printed up a couple "hearty stews" ones. When I got home I had Jeff pick and he said "Whatever." Then he took me up to the shitty grocery store near here where I was shocked to find some organic vegetable stock (their entire produce dept has not one organic fruit or vegetable...not one!). I made a spicy vegetable soup with hot rotel and cumin and cayenne and chili powder (and potatoes and carrots and celery...the usual). It was pretty good. Jeff liked it, which says a lot b/c despite the fact that he's never cooked EVER and when I do he's always telling me that the meal needed a "little more" of this or a "little less" of that. Anyway, one good thing I've noticed is that shopping for vegan/vegetarian (I had some butter w/ my bread) meals is easy (you just stay in one dept) and cheap (My most expensive item was a $5 bottle of wine that was on sale), so that's cool. I'd take a picture of my stew and post it but: I'm too lazy; and vegetable soup looks like vegetable soup. Something else I've found that helps keep up this diet is looking disgustingly at others who don't eat well and telling myself I'm better than them. Just as an FYI.


 Links!
http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animals-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/0316069884/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315882516&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-Knives-Plant-Based-Health/dp/1615190457/ref=sr_1_2?
ie=UTF8&qid=1315883500&sr=8-2
http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201109/michael-vick-gq-september-2011-interview