Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

[ALexiconofLove]

Just picked it up. Some of the recipes look really tasty. Everything is pretty basic, not too many weird ingredients.

Overall, it looks like a book that's more for new vegans, because it uses a lot of fake meats and cheeses. Ironically it seems like a junk food book to me rather than a weight loss book. Maybe the recipes are lower in fat and calories than some other things, but I can't see all this "fake" food being very good for you.

On the other hand, they don't use white flour and they use sugar sparingly. I'm excited to try all their baked goods made with whole wheat pastry flour, because I love baking, but it's been packing on the pounds at our house.

It's sort of the antithesis of Veganomicon (which is what I've been cooking with for months). Unfortunately I'm about to start work full time, and I need recipes that can go on the table quickly (if I get home at 6 PM, even an hour is too long to spend cooking!). Also, I think my SO is *way* more likely to attempt these recipes than the recipes in Veganomicon.

It has a Pad Thai recipe that doesn't look as fussy as some. I want to try the Crabby Cakes (but first I have to find kelp powder??? or something else that will make them fishy?). Several of the recipes call for Vegan bacon... does anyone know of a good vegan bacon you can get in the US? How about good Vegan sausage?

[fondducoeur]

Light Life's Fakin' Bacon Tempeh is really good. It actually is a little creepy how much it tastes like bacon when it is on sandwiches. But I have eatin it strait out of the package cold when I have leftovers and am assured it is tempeh

I am addicted to buying cookbooks (and I even use most of them) so I will have to check it out.

[ALexiconofLove]

Well, *I* like Fakin' Bacon, but my SO is so freaked out by Tempeh that he won't even sprinkly bits of it on baked potato soup. Sigh.

Before I was vegan (or even vegetarian), I bought some kind of fake bacon (morningstar?) because I liked vegan/vegetarian sausage so much... and I ended up throwing out the box, because when I saw it/smelled it, it made me think of dog treats. So I'm wary to try that sort of thing again!

I too am addicted to buying cookbooks. Some I use to death, some I just poke at.

[veganwitch]

Ahh, this thread should be retitled "those who are addicted to cookbooks". Guilty as charged. I have several hundred. Some I use constantly, others occasionally, and some only get looked at in a blue moon. I have so many non-vegan cookbooks as well and my rationalization is that I can always adapt the recipes. I've made a vow to only buy vegan cookbooks from here on out. I've already fallen off that wagon a few times.

I use either tempeh Fakin Bakin or the Lightlife bacon in the box. For sausages I like Yves sausage patties.

That Crabby Cakes recipe sounds good. I might have to check it out. You can find kelp powder at the health food store in the spice aisle. I have to buy some too. The only one I have is kelp mixed w/ cayenne.

[Dana]

I too am guilty of cookbook mania... It's embarassing. We may have to get a bigger house... seriously. My itty bitty kitchen cannot handle it much longer (because that's where cookbooks should be stored right?)

But anyways, I bought SBitK and haven't made a single thing from it yet. I would love to hear some success stories from it though! (Someone, anyone, motivate me!)
I guess why I've really loved the Sarah Kramer books and neglected SBitK is due to the easier-to-find ingredients in HiaV and LDV.

I really want to love Skinny Bitch cookbooks though, because when it's all said and done, they helped me make the jump (a small jump, more like a hop, but a significant hop)...and I owe them big vegan kisses for that.

[ALexiconofLove]

Made the Crabby Cakes tonight. Meh.

[Ames]

I have never even seen this book but keep hearing about it here and there . . . I think I may invest as I never eat 'fake' food really, usually rice and pulses and tons of veg - but by the sound of it some of those recipes may convert family members! (well - one can hope!) And everyone likes yummy junk food once in a while!

[karenann33]

I read the skinny bitch book and could tell by their eating plan that it would include fake meals so I didn't bother with the cookbook. While I'm anxious to win my family over I don't want to get them hooked on pricey fake versions of our regular diet. I've yet to buy a vegan cookbook. So far I just find recipes on-line or check them out from the library.

[Ames]

Yeah, I see your point - fake meats are very expensive, hence why usually I stick to veg and grains with tofu occasionally! Still I must say I am tempted to buy it . . .

[Tigerlily]

I looked at this cookbook in the bookstore. It looked very boring and not very healthy. I don't think you'll get skinny from their recipes, ha.

[Ames]

LOL.

Just a thought - I suppose if you were newly vegan and had been living on a diet of junk food etc, then making the jump would be easier with the fakes. But I dont think someone who already eats healthy vegan should start eating what they suggest . . . just been looking through the Lets Eat section of SkinnyBitch and some of the food in there is, well, yack!!

[karenann33]

Yeah, I see your point - fake meats are very expensive, hence why usually I stick to veg and grains with tofu occasionally! Still I must say I am tempted to buy it . . .

Oh don't get me wrong if money weren't an issue I'd have 10 vegan cookbooks by now. LOL!! And yes this would be one of them (although my library has it so I'll just check it out first). I buy the food and cook it so dh will have to deal (my kids won't notice since they are too young). I do buy some fake meats like the hot dogs and actually they are about the same price as the fat free turkey ones I used to buy. I fed them to my kids last week and not one of them noticed that it wasn't a real hot dog. Woo! Hoo! Score one for mom.

I even made my dh a spinach pizza from scratch without cheese and he said it was fine. My kids liked it too. Last night we just had veggies, beans, bread and baked potatoes. The basics you know. Tonight it will be bean burritos/taco's with all the trimmings. Yum!

[Ames]

Well done you getting veggie dogs down them . . . thats one of my reasons for wanting the book, fake meats prob appeal to those that aren't vegan than giving them up cold turkey! And I'm very jealous your library has such books . . . I live in a small down and not one vegan cookbook can be found on the shelves!

[karenann33]

Well done you getting veggie dogs down them . . . thats one of my reasons for wanting the book, fake meats prob appeal to those that aren't vegan than giving them up cold turkey! And I'm very jealous your library has such books . . . I live in a small down and not one vegan cookbook can be found on the shelves!

I was shocked that they didn't notice that they weren't hot dogs totally shocked. But I have to say they looked and smelled pretty real (I didn't try them).

On the library I had to go to the nearest city (30 minutes away) and pay an out of state fee but they had about 6 cookbooks and several other vegan books on health. One was how to raise a vegan child in a non vegan world. I tried to renew that one to keep it longer but someone else had a hold on it. Isn't that cool? Even here in the bar-b-que capital of the world there is someone other than me researching a vegan lifestyle.

I'm going to have to buy some cookbooks eventually but for now I can get all the recipes I need on-line since I'm new to this.

Occasionally we get coupons for Morningstar so I will get some fake meats then but for now I'm just winging it with veggie meals. I do want to make some veggie burgers I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet thats all. Also here we have a food coop that you can order a bunch of vegan stuff cheaper than the local health food store. I haven't done it yet because I'm still learning about things like tofu you know can you freeze it, how long does it last, etc. I'm good at stockpiling when sales come around but this is a whole new way of cooking for me so I've got to learn first.

I'm so glad I went vegan in the summer when produce is plentiful. Gives me time to plan for meals in the fall (I'm thinking lots of chili, soups, breads and pototoe's).

I think this is kinda fun.

[mariana]

Sounds like you're enjoying yourself, karenann! I've really started to like cooking since going vegan, too (I didn't cook much before)--and I've definitely opened up to trying a lot more new things (funny how limiting veganism isn't!). Careful with Morningstar stuff, though--it's tasty but a lot of their stuff isn't vegan. I don't understand why they don't just make it all vegan so everyone can enjoy it!

[karenann33]

Sounds like you're enjoying yourself, karenann! I've really started to like cooking since going vegan, too (I didn't cook much before)--and I've definitely opened up to trying a lot more new things (funny how limiting veganism isn't!). Careful with Morningstar stuff, though--it's tasty but a lot of their stuff isn't vegan. I don't understand why they don't just make it all vegan so everyone can enjoy it!

I'm a cook so it's fun trying new recipes. I'm also a health nut so this appeals to me as well. And yes I know a lot of the morningstar stuff isn't vegan but a few things are. On my coop website you can search by "vegan" and that tells me which products are at a glance. It's kinda cool.

[mariana]

I'm a cook so it's fun trying new recipes. I'm also a health nut so this appeals to me as well. And yes I know a lot of the morningstar stuff isn't vegan but a few things are. On my coop website you can search by "vegan" and that tells me which products are at a glance. It's kinda cool.

That's really convenient (that you can search on your coop website). My mom uses a lot of morningstar products so when I went vegan I started looking through to find out which ones are vegan and it was really disappointing that they don't make more vegan products! I'm not a huge fan of fake meats though so it's okay. Lately I've become kind of addicted to trying out new recipes and I keep buying cookbooks! Sometimes I feel like all I think about is cooking.

[Ames]

On the library I had to go to the nearest city (30 minutes away) and pay an out of state fee but they had about 6 cookbooks and several other vegan books on health. One was how to raise a vegan child in a non vegan world. I tried to renew that one to keep it longer but someone else had a hold on it. Isn't that cool? Even here in the bar-b-que capital of the world there is someone other than me researching a vegan lifestyle.

I'm going to have to buy some cookbooks eventually but for now I can get all the recipes I need on-line since I'm new to this.

I'm so glad I went vegan in the summer when produce is plentiful. Gives me time to plan for meals in the fall (I'm thinking lots of chili, soups, breads and pototoe's).

I think this is kinda fun.

That is cool. Where my mum lives there is a health food store and literally, they sell soya and snack bars . . . its really disapointing. I often feel like I'm the only one there that cares, must be a nice boost for you! I'm always in there nagging though haha so hopefully something will change soon! I'll be sad to move home in the summer cuz I think it will be so so much harder without being able to get simple things like vegan sunflower spread etc. But we will see. At least like you said it will be summer and produce is everywhere!!

I'm going to invest in my very own cook book soon . . . can't wait! he he.

[karenann33]

I actually heard about the book Skinny Bitch from my local moms group. There are quite a few of us trying to make changes. It isn't easy and sometimes we've failed but we are trying.

I find that health food stores don't have much that I want so I just make it myself. Haven't tried it yet but I have a recipe for Lara bars that are basically made from dates, oats and walnuts. No added sugar, no animal products just 3 itty bitty ingredients. You can add more to make it interesting like different nuts, or maybe peanut butter. I'm not a big fan of things that come in boxes. LOL!!

[Ames]

Lately I have been getting into cooking a lot more, have just bought my first ever vegan cookbook Yey for me! I would really like to start making more things from scratch, like karenann says - with so few ingredients it shouldn't be too hard right?! Hopefully there will be something in my new books

[karenann33]

Lately I have been getting into cooking a lot more, have just bought my first ever vegan cookbook Yey for me! I would really like to start making more things from scratch, like karenann says - with so few ingredients it shouldn't be too hard right?! Hopefully there will be something in my new books

What you will find is when you start cooking from scratch is that it's impossible to go back to buying things already made (too many preservatives, additives, etc.) I make baked items for the freezer that my kids eat. Well I was out of town last week and didn't have time to make more so I picked up some in a box just to get me thru till I could make more. This morning my son ate them but he was still hungry so he asked for oatmeal instead of more of what he had. I said what you don't like those? He said no I like yours better. So cute.

[Ames]

aww thats great that they prefer the stuff that is better for them! Usually the other way around I find with my brothers and their friends, although they are not vegan so that may be why? I don't mind the fact that I wont ever want to go back (well in theory LOL) . . . I generally have the time to cook and i like to also - so heres to being healthy!!

[Cattmogg]

I loved the book. The writers crack me up. Plus the recipies taste good. I dont always want a lettuice leaf. Sometimes i want a big fat caramel chocolate creamy delicious and damn right calorific delight. Although this recipie isnt featured. And i feel it should be. Who's with me on this?

[Ames]

I loved the book. The writers crack me up. Plus the recipies taste good. I dont always want a lettuice leaf. Sometimes i want a big fat caramel chocolate creamy delicious and damn right calorific delight. Although this recipie isnt featured. And i feel it should be. Who's with me on this?

I'm all for endulgent chocolately desserts, however as a 'diet' book I'm not sure they could quite get away with it! Shame . . .

[karenann33]

I'm all for endulgent chocolately desserts, however as a 'diet' book I'm not sure they could quite get away with it! Shame . . .

In the post script to the Skinny Bitch and I mean literally on the very last page that almost no one reads they openly say they could care less if you lose weight (but that you probably will if you change your lifestyle to vegan). They just want you to be healthy and vegan.

Even they say everyone needs/wants snacks and treats every once in a while which is why they give those options.

I've got so many diet cookbooks with dessert recipes in them but they still need to be eaten in moderation regardless of how low calorie or vegan they are.

[sandra]

I loved the book. The writers crack me up. Plus the recipies taste good. I dont always want a lettuice leaf. Sometimes i want a big fat caramel chocolate creamy delicious and damn right calorific delight. Although this recipie isnt featured. And i feel it should be. Who's with me on this?

I am Cattmogg..........every diet should have a bit of variety and something 'naughty' in it!

[Ames]

In the post script to the Skinny Bitch and I mean literally on the very last page that almost no one reads they openly say they could care less if you lose weight (but that you probably will if you change your lifestyle to vegan). They just want you to be healthy and vegan.

Its funny cuz I was looking through my copy last night and noticed that too! I think it was a clever marketing tool for veganism - the diet industry is booming so they knew people would buy it for the diet . . .

Excellent!!

[karenann33]

Its funny cuz I was looking through my copy last night and noticed that too! I think it was a clever marketing tool for veganism - the diet industry is booming so they knew people would buy it for the diet . . .

Excellent!!

EXACTLY!! It was all in the marketing. It got me (and some people in my moms group) to read it. Very very clever.

But it's a great book and well researched. I'm a cynic at heart so some of the stories I honestly thought were just blown out or proportion so I being the researcher I am looked it up for myself....and well now I've been vegan for 31 days if that tells you anything. LOL!! I'm one of those people that I can be blind to problems as long as I don't know about them but once I "know" I can't UNknow it. Now going back to my old ways is just unthinkable. I haven't been 100% vegan in the past 31 days but I've gotten pretty darn close and I'm still striving to be as good as everyone here.

[Ames]

Oh I know what you mean. I have read things that I will never ever forget, and thats what stops me from not eating dairy esspecially, sometimes thats the hardest I find . . . tonight we had a bbq and I had no bbq foods so I actually went and bought some vegan stuff especially - but its times like that it would be so easy to just eat quorn or something.

Not to mention my mum was totally ribbing me for it the whole time . . . but thats a different story!

I think the authors of Skinny Bitch will have converted a lot of people - cuz like you say once you read it you would have to be pretty heartless to still eat meat!

[gogirlanime]

I'm new to the whole vegan thing and this book helped get me started. I just got done making their potato salad it is DELICIOUS. This is a great book for beginners or for people who have been vegan, I've cooked about 5 things from this book so far and they are all excellent

[Gray Arab]

I love the authors and their views on how we can all be healthier by being vegan - the book is hilarious.

The recipes, however, are not very healthy. The meat and cheese analogs are expensive and loaded with fat, salt, and chemicals. Almost every recipe uses processed fakes. I would like to see more recipes that don't use them. I am vegan for ethical reasons as well as health reasons, and I don't want to eat things that resemble meat and cheese in taste, appearance, or texture.

Can someone tell me how to rate a thread? I read the help and there is supposed to be a 'rate threat' link, but I can't seem to locate it.

[Rakey]

I like the Phad Thai...and the mexican enchilardas because they use a yummy veg filling rather than fake mince. Added toffuti sour cream and as i'm not a soy cheese fan i used it rather sparingly.

The rest of the recipes are very cheese based (I hate cheese) and a bit too american style for my liking. I like mexican, thai, chinese, indian and italian

[twinkle]

I bought this today, because it was only £1.99 from The Works. Didn't have time to read it much before I bought it and was a bit disappointed when I did have a chance to look through to see how many of the recipes relied on fake meat or cheese. Glad to see some people have liked the recipes though, will definitely give it a try before I pass it on to a charity shop

They also had the male version of the skinny bitch book... can't remember the title, I presume it's pretty much the same thing as the first one, but with more mention of shlongs?

[fondducoeur]

I like this cookbook, although I agree that it relies too heavily on fake meat and cheeses. I'm okay with it though, as it gives me ideas of how to use those things if I do decide to try them. The beefless stew I have made multiple times and loved it (Trader Joe's beefless strips work perfectly), as well as the stuffed shells (although I sub fresh spinach and Veganomicon's cashew ricotta). The eggplant parm was good when I bought some vegan mozz cheese and wasn't sure what to do with it. I have also enjoyed the edamame salad, the quesadillas, pumpkin and potato curry, and the french lentil salad.

[Ms_Derious]

I bought it in a charity shop for £1 today. I can't say I was that impressed, as many of you say, a lot of the recipes are mostly fake meat & fake cheese. I'll have a bit more of a look, but I can't say it's doing it for me.

The boy version of the book is called 'skinny bastard' Nice titles huh?

In all honesty, I'm not sure it's that great to aspire to being 'skinny' or a 'bitch', but there you go...

[LaceytheCrazy]

^^Agreed, although what is nice is at the back of the book (presuming people make it that far after so many psychological abuse ) they do make a point of specifying that being a "Skinny Bitch" has nothing to do with looking like Victoria Beckham nor with having snarky attitude, and go on to say that they've called their book "Skinny Bitch" for the sake of shock value, but that real "Skinny Bitches" come in all shapes and sizes and really we should try to be nice people and such.

EDIT: (I'm referring to the actual book 'Skinny Bitch' here, of course, not the cookbook, keep in mind)

Insofar as their recipes go, I'm kind of glad they focus on fake meats and things the way they do, simply because the book itself seems (to me) to appeal to a working woman demographic, and hopefully that way transitional vegan moms and career types aren't overwhelmed by all kinds of "crazy" new ingredients...it gives them a manageable, safe approach to eating vegan, y'know?

[vgnwitch]

I looked at this cookbook in the bookstore. It looked very boring and not very healthy. I don't think you'll get skinny from their recipes, ha.

I agree. I looked it over at the library and was completely unimpressed. I did love Skinny Bitch, however.