Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Day 88 - I survived the test

We have a week of conferences at work which of course means food fit for Roman orgies. I don't know why business equals crazy amounts of food. I was very concerned about this vegan thing when I showed up just after lunch the first day (I had to be in the office so it way Obento Joy for me on Monday!). I peer over the scraps of the buffet they set up and it was all cold cuts and cheese. The only veggies in sight were the flaccid lettuce scraps on the meat tray and waxy looking tomatoes. NOTE - Tomatoes are NOT a favorite food. OH and there were giant bowls of potato and macroni salad. Belch. The other end of the table was laden with 5 perky looking cheese cakes. Cheese cake is probably one of my favoirte desserts. Looking over this animal product minefield, I was very concerned about the next two days of lunchs I'd have to eat here. I got to the meeting late and the breakfast spread was still layed out... breakfast cereals (would have to check the labels), yogurts (nope), fruit (sad looking but could do), bagles with creamcheese, butter and jelly (safe if I stick to the butter), and trays of pastries (OMG no). I had a bit of bagel and tried the jelly, but wasn't grooving on the jelly. Lunch was in the hotel resturant. 5 hot dishes, grilled chicken, fried chicken, some beef dish, Penne Vodka (cream sauce is sadly not vegan), and some whole grain looking pilaf that said "VEG" on the little hand writted tag. Scoped some of that and it was fairly tasty, if a bit flat, could have used more seasoning. There was a "veg" soup that was tasty, and then the iceburg salad bar (go chick peas). Now, I'm taking it on faith that "veg" was actually vegetarian and I'm hoping vegan as I didn't see any obvious evidence of cheese, but who knows about the butter usage. All in all, a safe and hopefully vegan lunch.

Then there was the coffee break. Of course only cream for the coffee. That's a serious disappointment...

Side bar - I was out and about over the weekend and desperatly wanted coffee. There are few things as tasty and comforting as a large coffee light and sweet. I pulled into duncan donuts and then realized, I had never heard of DD using soy milk. Slighty dejected I pulled out and went home to make a soy latte.

So no coffee with the coffee break, tea instead. Then I spied the devil itself - cookies. Saucer sized plump chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, which chocolate chip and peanut butter. Quick scan of the ingredient list in my head for cookies and they would certainly not be vegan. Ok they could have been made with shortening, but I doubt it. They had the look of butter about them. So I resisted. Not even tempted really.

So I survived a business lunch.

My monthly tech meeting-cum-wing-and-pizza fest will be super tough. I scanned our prefered resturant's menu and I'm pretty sure everything has meat, cheese or butter in it. I'll either have to order a salad (sans cheese) or bring something from home. Le sigh. I'm tough, I can resist the pizza.

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