So you've been trying out the whole vegetarian or vegan thing for the better part of the year. It's been going well, and you're happier than ever. And then ... bam! the holidays hit. Who in the world can skip the turkey on Thanksgiving? Talk about a road block. Yes, it's impossible to deny that Thanksgiving revolves around turkey. From the 2 a.m. alarm reminding you to pop it in the oven to the supermarket specials and children's school crafts, it's all about the bird. But this American tradition doesn't have to throw off your new lifestyle. There are hundreds—yes, hundreds—of vegan recipes …

I love coffee shops. I'm not very discriminating: any shop with a good cup of tea and free wi-fi gets a thumbs up, especially when it has great mugs. Of course, those that offer vegan treats get a double thumbs up. I had no idea when I stopped in last week, but SmartWorld Coffee in Morristown is one of the great ones. I spent hours in the modestly-sized shop, sipping Mighty Leaf tea and writing. A couple of hours in, my sweet tooth came on with a vengeance. As I chatted with the barristas about the many sustainable aspects of SmartWorld's business model, I was eyeing up the dessert case the …

It's not hard to find a vegan option at most quick-service Mexican joints. A healthy vegan burrito? That's another story. I often avoid places out of the fear that I'll end up eating overcooked, mushy vegetables with white rice and canned black beans.  But when I drove by Tito's Burritos on a recent rainy afternoon, I got a craving. There happened to be a parking spot open right up the street—a rarity in Morristown—so I figured I'd give it a shot. The surf-themed burrito shop more than lived up to expectations. I went with the Veggie Burrito on whole wheat, asking that the cheese be left off…

While babysitting in Chatham over the weekend, I couldn't find anything in the house to eat (other than bananas, brown rice cakes, chips and salsa—but those really don't constitute dinner). The boys were eating a nutritious, but non-vegan dinner that their mom had made before I came over, and I didn't want to make a fuss. What's a girl to do? Order take-out, clearly! I couldn't find any vegan listings in the Patch directory, and the international restaurants didn't list delivery on their individual listings. Hoping for the best, I gave a few Thai and Japanese places a call. I struck out with …

With schools back in session, every (vegan) parent is thinking about the same dilemma: what to pack for lunch. I can’t really imagine being a vegan child—my daily roll-with-butter lunch wouldn’t have made the cut. Or my turkey and provolone, chicken noodle soup or slice of pizza. As I rode the train home on Sunday, I mentioned this column to a friend. “What would you send your kid to school with? What’s an acceptable vegan lunch?” I asked. Before she had a chance to answer, the woman across from us piped in. “Nothing with nuts,” she said. “Don’t try sending tofu, no matter what you do,” added…

There's no denying that lure of a holiday weekend barbecue, especially on Labor Day. How better to end an eventful summer? Since going vegan, I've missed being part of the crowd at the BBQs. The look of a hot dog no longer gets my taste buds going, but the smell will always bring back favorite childhood moments. Who doesn't think of summer when charcoal and burgers waft through the air? I didn't even like burgers as a kid, yet I can't help getting nostalgic. Of course, my choice to stop eating meat hasn't stopped my family from throwing summer parties. Or from delivering their favorite joke…

First things first, I hope you all made it through Hurricane Irene without a hitch. According to the USTA, the National Tennis Center made it through with minimal damage, and the U.S. Open is set to start as scheduled Monday morning.  If you've been to the Open, you're probably well aware that tennis is only half the show. With more than a dozen restaurants and unique food stands, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center offers countless dining options. Chinese, Indian, American—you can find just about anything. But can you find vegan?  Yes. In a tour of the grounds last week, I …

Rice milk, sprouted adzuki beans, agave nectar, medjool dates, Rudi's gluten-free multigrain bread...I must've been shopping at a health food store, right? Nope. Just good-old-fashioned Costco. When I asked my mom to make a trip to Costco, to check out all of the superstore's vegan options, she happily obliged.  "Oh, sure," she said, "that can't take long at all." Imagine her surprise when it took more than two hours. From juicers to sprouted beans, tofu and organic produce, the stock-your-kitchen warehouse offers more than I ever expected. If you're throwing a Labor Day weekend BBQ, you can …

A week of mass meals prepared for nearly 300 people? It sounds like a vegan nightmare. And it would've been, if I hadn't shown up to Camp Fatima last week fully prepared with easy-to-make vegan staples.  Camp Fatima is a volunteer-run, sleep-away camp for children with disabilities. Fifteen of the 193 volunteers hail from Morris County, as well as a dozen of the campers. Meals are served en masse in a mess hall, with a team of six cooks preparing everything. As you can imagine, it's hectic in the kitchen. I hated the thought of creating extra work by asking for vegan meals, especially …

The Office has been one of my favorite Morristown bars for a long time. Whether for Happy Hour or Wednesday-night Trivia, it's just one of those local joints where my friends and I love to have a couple of pints. Before last Wednesday, I'd never actually looked at the menu. As I sat down with friends, I was immediately at ease: the waitress brought over a bowl of fresh vegetables, rather than the traditional bread basket. What a nice way to start a meal. I munched on the carrot sticks, avoiding the cup of ranch dressing meant for dipping, as I started to browse the menu. At first glance, it …

On one of my first days of first grade at Troy Hills School, Mrs. Kozak asked each of her 21 students to draw a picture of our favorite food. We all hunched over our posterboard, trying our best to shield our choice from everyone else. As we came to the front to show off our designs, a pattern started to emerge. Everyone had drawn the same thing: pizza. Of course, some kids drew different toppings. But at the end of the day, it was all pizza. This is just one of the hundreds of pizza memories weaved into my childhood. We ordered it at least once a week. On Fridays, my mom brought home all the…

Jitters. Everyone gets them on their wedding day. No matter how much you love your fiance or how ready you are to walk down the aisle, there's that slight nervousness on your wedding day. It's totally understandable—if you're the bride or groom. The groom's cousin? She's supposed to just show up and have a ball. Yet Friday morning, I woke up slightly dreading the wedding I was going to that night. My cousin Matt was set to wed Melissa at the Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph at 6:30 Friday night. I'd never been to the Meadow Wood, but based on my experiences at other venues in the area, I didn't …

When you hear the word "vegan," what comes to mind? For most of us, at least in Morris County, vegan is not exactly normal. We think of hippies or celebrities; people who want nothing to do with regular society or who can afford personal chefs. We don't think of the girl next door. When I told my mom I was going vegan, she just sort of stared at me. My little cousins thought I had a disease. My friends thought I'd never drink another beer. They all agreed that being vegan is not for a typical girl from New Jersey who loves the Yankees, beer and summer BBQs. After three years, I still don't …