A Recipe For a Family Fight

We take our Tofurkey (it is not gross -- that dead, raw turkey is gross and all that grease) along to my sister's house and she uses veggie broth in things that we eat. It works out great!

My husband is a "pesci-vegetarian; he eats seafood and plants. When we spend Thanksgiving alone, we eat crab, fish, shrimp--whatever sounds good at the time. Sometimes, I'll run out to the local deli/grocery store and get a turkey drumstick because I crave the nostalgia of turkey meat. Last year, we both tried Tofurky for the first, and last, time. (Don't totally write them off. Tofurky does make some tasty products.)

When we spend Thanksgiving with family and friends, we take a seafood dish (like this year) or the hosts will provide seafood/vegetarian options. Believe me, my husband hardly gets his share of these special dishes because everyone wants to try them--and they usually like them--so it disappears quickly!

I was vegan in college (mostly for compassionate reasons) and later a semi-vegetarian. Today I am definitely an omnivore. I love to eat vegetarian AND meat foods. My hubby, family, and friends are obviously open-minded and caring people who know that the holiday is about "being together" and not so much about "who's eating what?"

Wow, that's a pretty extreme reaction to something that shouldn't be that big of a deal. I don't complain about everyone eating turkey, and they don't complain about me just eating bread, potatoes and salad. I have never enjoyed meat, even as a child and haven't eaten it since I was 12 and could officially give it up (decided by my mom). I'm not sure why someone would get so upset over something that doesn't affect them!

If people want to eat meat, they can eat meat. If they don't want to, they shouldn't have to, and they shouldn't have to be teased, yelled at, or treated differently. I've been a vegetarian for 14 years, and yes, it's hard for my husband to cook two Thanksgiving dinners, but he does it gladly, and does not treat me or my Mom, who is also a vegetarian, any differently. My family has just grown to deal with the fact that there are 2 veggies. The rest of the family eats turkey--and that's fine by us, as long as we don't have to eat it or cook it. And yeah, Tofurky isn't the answer, because it is pretty gross--no offense if you like the stuff, but there are so many other options out there for vegetarians. And if people do give me a hard time about it, I fight back and make fun of their food--all in fun, of course.

My husband and I have been vegetarian for over 10 years and vegan for the past six. We host Thanksgiving in our home every year and his parents (neither of whom are vegetarian) drive 5 hours to spend the holiday with us. We serve Tofurky along with cashew gravy, mashed potatoes and a variety of other foods. They love it and even rave about it to their friends and other family members. They would never ask for or expect us to serve them a turkey in our vegan home and I appreciate that they respect our lifestyle and are open to new experiences. I can honestly say that Thanksgiving is my favorite family holiday.

my partner and i are strict vegans (combined 14 yrs of experience and raising our daughter vegan too). for the first few years there was a lot of explaining about what we do/do not choose to eat. by the third year my aunt was making mashed potatoes with soymilk, my grandma making yams with earth balance and his mom making stuffing with veggie broth and no giblets. yes, we still get some heckling, but by this point we have proven that we live healthy lives as vegans, that we eat more than lettuce (fyi-our families love our pumpkin tofu cheesecake that we now make anually), and that its not that big of a deal to convert any dish to a vegan friendly dish. go VEGAN!

Most of my children and grandchildren are vegans, and they have been for years now. Some of my grands have never eaten a turkey or any kind of meat in their life. Thanksgiving in my house is a grand festive occasion. Most of the big deal with meat eaters is that some vegetarians and vegans want to make you feel bad because you eat meat, so meat eaters hound them because they don't. At our table, you respect everyone's beliefs! I cook two different meals. I want giblets in my cornbread dressing so I cook one with and one without. Everyone's happy. The controversey is not in the dinner it's in the vegan/vegetarian's lack of respect of the meat eaters choice and the meat eater's lack of respect of respect for the vegan/vegetarian's choice. Everyone can get along at any holiday meal if they just respsect each other. I've known meat eaters that have lived to be 96, 97 years old. and on the other hand a vegan/vegetarian doesn't get to live forever just because of their diet. Just have a little respect for each other, that takes the stress off and that's what will keep everyone healthy.

well i have veggieheads and vegan friends,i love meat and dont push my points on why i eat it on them and they dont have to feel uncomfortable around me when i have a slab of tenderloin cooking away at one of my BBQ's,they bring thier own stuff to cook on thier own grill,i dont hound them on thier eating habits and i tell vegans who want to push thier view on me to STFU,so it works out fine as long as people keep thier comments to themselves while at the table whereever and whenever it may be.

well i have veggieheads and vegan friends,i love meat and dont push my points on why i eat it on them and they dont have to feel uncomfortable around me when i have a slab of tenderloin cooking away at one of my BBQ's,they bring thier own stuff to cook on thier own grill,i dont hound them on thier eating habits and i tell vegans who want to push thier view on me to STFU,so it works out fine as long as people keep thier comments to themselves while at the table whereever and whenever it may be.

being allergic to something is totally different than making a conscious change. My nephew is a vegan and he comes to Thanksgiving with an open mind that it is generally a meat eating day. He eats what he can. We make some changes but we generally stick with our same meal we have all eaten for years. I do not think it is fair to change things that have been a tradition in a family. What vegetarians can do would offer to bring some dishes that they would like to add to the family traditions. Just my two cents!

I love Tday and am so excited talking about it my mouth is watering! I know my turkey is fresh and without hormones because it was hand raised by a former student of mine. It is actually the best turkey I have ever had and it is a special request each year. Enough about the turkey though, I have cooked for vegetarians before and the one thing I learned is to check labels. I forgot about the cream soup in the green bean casserole and ended up putting chicken in instead of mushroom (dad hates mushroom so i never use it) and the poor girl was sooo mad because it was her favorite dish and I screwed it up for her. Now I make sure that I tell them it is completely vegan!

Isn't it a shame that family, people who love you, have to give you grief for a personal choice you've made for health, ethical, religious, environmental, or other reasons. What does it matter to them what you do or do not eat? I've served vegetarian Thanksgiving feasts for 20 years. We have almost all the traditional dishes, just made with no animal ingedients. Live and let live.

My family has happily enjoyed a mixed table for over 15 years, from the start it was never an issue. My sister is a vedgetarian and I am what is considered a "Grainer" having one or less meat dishes a day, eating mostly whole grains and some limited vedgetables. We always had a variety of dishes at Thanksgiving and it was just flat out disrespectful to heckle someone about their food choices. The article seems directed towards the Wah Wahs, people who feel the need to expect a reaction or to the ones who dole it out to those who aren't the Family Standard. It is about Giving Thanks, not judging your guests plate.

Americans are such a silly nation... Fights about who eats what? Does it really matter? Why don't you just be THANKFUL ... at least once a year on that 4th Thirsday of November that you don't have food shortages? The real problem would be if you didn't have ANY choice because you wouldn't have anything at all. So... grow up and appreciate what you have whatever it is!

I'm a PROUD vegetarian. If asked why I'm not eating turkey, I respond that when I think of celebrating and giving thanks, my first impulse is NOT: "Oh, let's celebrate and go kill something!" If there's any further harassment, just remember that it's coming from morally bankrupt killers (like coastguardian). However, I make it easier on myself by hosting and cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Oddly enough, none of my carnivore guests has ever left hungry, and they keep coming back!

Not planning on reading ALL of the comments, just wanted to say one thing. Last year made dinner for a bunch of people and forgot to get cream of MUSHROOM and got cream of CHICKEN for the green bean casserole. Needless to say I was not the Veggies favorite person that day because it is one of her favorites and she couldn't eat it. It's the little things that can be forgotten, like the chicken broth in mashed taters, stuffing with broth and parts. Sorry I try but not being one I forget.

I have always not eaten meat , chicken, or fish I have alway been told that I was going thru a stage or that I was just being difficult ..... to say the least I just do not like the taste of meat peroid.... Why is it ok that a lot of people do not care for most veggie's and that are not looked upon as they are from another planet. I dont eat the fake tofu stuff that taste like meat either. So when I go to dinner or Thanksgiving I just pick out what I like that is on the table. The best way I explain my eating habits is that to me a leg of a turkey or the leg of a dog or the leg of a human are all flesh and they are all the same to me and I choose not to eat flesh. .... period!!! I dont eat anything the once breathed , bled, or had a face...lol