I would hazard a guess that "cheese substitutes" are probably marketed to people recently diagnosed with lactose intolerance and are having a hard time giving up cheese, so are desperate! Dairy does not agree with me very well, (nor my father so this is probably a genetic inheritance) so I briefly experimented with some cheese substitutes, because I just LOVE, LOVE cheese! Well, they were a complete waste. I have however, found that soy milk is a fine substitute for regular milk for most of my uses, and since I was never a milk fan anyway, I don't miss it. There are whole cuisines that are very shy on milk and cheese and the beef that goes along with a cow-centered agriculture. Japan and India spring to mind . . . and India has close to a billion people. They don't think soy and other legume products are weird or a sign of deprivation, they have been part of their culture for hundreds and hundreds of years. And in Japan, their repertoire of fish and sea vegetables is vastly greater than what we would be used to eating. So anyway, I think the whole "substitute" nomenclature comes from trying to reach people who for various health reasons have to cut out the foods they are accustomed to and like. I don't think this is a totally bad idea, some substitutes are good and who knows what some people will like or not. But I think it also helps to embrace a totally different style of eating, and to explore different types of dishes you may have never been exposed to but find out you like. It's always better in my experience to embrace something new and joyful than to try and deprive yourself. I have a friend who had to change his circle of friends and take up jogging to quit smoking, but that was easier for him than to tell himself he had to give up cigarettes. Whenever he had a craving for a smoke he took a run! I know lots of people who have experimented with veganism (I work at a college and that is a time when young people try out new things since they start living on their own). If you just get a notion to "give up meat and diary" to become a vegan, and don't embrace a totally new way of eating and cooking, well you're bound for health problems. And if you're like some of my friends that just cannot abide by vegetables and vegetable products, then probably best to just skip the whole idea! I became a vegetarian 34 years ago, when I was 18 and started cooking everything on my own. That's how I developed a life-long interest in food and cooking, I had to seek out new ingredients and new cooking techniques. Just as a reflection of how truly "odd" our own American culture is, many, many of those foods and techniques had actually been mainstream 100-200 years before, or were mainstream in another culture. It's amazing how many of those ingredients and techniques have become mainstream again nowdays. Back when I started you had to join a food co-op to get any type of whole grain and other plant products. Now they are on the shelf of most larger grocery stores! No one had heard of gadgets like a bread machine and food processor! Now I'm longing for the day when locally produced food returns to the mainstream! We're getting there!

I agree with chi83 that falafel and hummus are good choices, but egg rolls are not vegan unless you substitute rice paper or egg-free pasta for the traditional wrappers. You can also make Vietnamese style lettuce wraps and omit the fish sauce. Here is my recipe for a bean dip, which I developed while I was living in Texas. It was a big hit there: Texas Bean Dip Ingredients 1-1/3 cup dried pinto (or red) beans (about 2 cups cooked) 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp cumin 1 bunch of cilantro, large stems removed, about 2/3 cup chopped 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (10 oz.) or similar tomatoes, diced with green chilies, drained, liquid reserved 3-4 Serrano chilies, coarsely chopped 6 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tbsp dried oregano) 1 tbsp vegetable soup base Place dried beans in large pot and cover with water to about 3-4 times original depth. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes, cover, and remove from heat and allow to soak for one hour. Discard the soaking water and rinse and sort the beans. Cover with fresh water, with about two inches above the soaked beans, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for one hour, or until done, and discard the cooking water. Place all of the ingredients except the beans in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the beans, and check for flavor - you may not want to add all of them. If needed, add a bit of liquid from the canned tomatoes to aid in processing. I remove some of the seeds from the chilies - you can remove all the seeds, if you like it mild. Serve warm or cold with tortilla chips. These days I boil the beans with a few epazote leaves that I tie into a bundle so that they can be removed after cooking. This is a traditional way of cooking Mexican beans, and I do it partly because I always have a lot of epazote in my yard, and it also eliminates the need for cilantro, although I still add that as well if I have it. Potato empanadas might be another good choice. Lars

Colleenoz, I am actually considering that. My youngest daughter, who lives locally and stays in good relationship with me has chosen to not speak about her sister. I've actually changed my will. Why leave something to someone who wants nothing to do with you? It used to hurt a lot, but nothing hurt worse than my husband's death. I wanted to die. I was so lost. Why did my older daughter call the police to get her dollhouse? I have no idea. I will say this, and many people may be very critical of this... The dollhouse was in our shed. My husband and I woke up early that morning and I had this overwhelming feeling (and angel?) that said 'take the dollhouse out of the shed and put it in your car.' She hadn't even asked for it. My husband put it in the car, which was warming up (right after Christmas, it was cold and had snowed). We were cleaning off the car when two police cars showed up. She pulled across the street with her boyfriend and stood at the side of the road smiling at us like the cat that ate the canary. The officers figured the boyfriend was the problem, and said she wanted something from the shed. I told them that clearly my husband and I were leaving and she could have anything she wanted from the shed. We drove away with the dollhouse in the back seat. I swear, as God is my witness, I have no idea why I thought something was going to happen surrounding that stupid dollhouse, but within 20 minutes of my hubby putting it in our car she was there. We drove away and she started blowing up my phone. She was so angry. Three years later I saved that dollhouse from the fire and sent it to her. She was not grateful. I was 19 when she was born, and I did everything in my power to raise her as an independent woman, well educated, braces three times, so so much more. My mother used to tell me "You are so much better a mother to your three than I ever was to you." My daughters are not married and have no children. My son has been married over ten years and has two children- 7 and 4 years old. Since my husband's suicide he has left the family and will not let me see the children. He lives three minutes from my house. This is why I finally had to start over. I have, however found out I have many friends in similar circumstances. Where did we go wrong? I gave them everything!

Perhaps it's different where you are....but anyplace I know of....when a 12 year old is "going out" with another 12 year old, it means she can't be friends with any other boys, nor he with other girls. I sure see no harm with her making sure he is aware of her existance. She is trying out her feminine wiles and he is smitten.....all that will change in the blink of an eye. I repeat...stay out of it...they are 12 for cryin out loud, you are complaining because your daughter talks to but won't "go out with" a neighbor kid? Suppose she did want to "go out" with him and wanted to spend all her time at his house? makes for a new worry doesn't it? Ignore it...it will go away! I repeat....she's 12!! I happen to have 3 12 year old grandsons. One recently "broke up" with the girl he was "going out with". He couldn't even talk in the hall to another girl without her pulling a scene and her girlfriends calling him and asking why were you talking to Carla when you are going with Dana?...and he got sick of it and broke up with her.... AND the next morning, Sunday, her mother called my son's house and wanted to know if they were aware that their son broke up with her daughter...and did they realize how heart broken she was and that she cried all night and what were they going to do about it. My son let her know in no uncertain terms that he didn't get involved in the drama of a 12 year old's love life and that his son was well within his rights to "break up" with her daughter, and please don't call again and wake me for some trivial problem that really is none of our businesses. Pay no attention....that's how she learns to be a teen age girl! Linda C