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You are being asked to bring a salad and dessert and you are taking meatballs? A big salad with lots of vegetables and different greens , cucumber, shredded purple cabbage and carrot, thinly sliced yellow bell peppers, garbanzo beans, thinly sliced purple onion, toasted pecans and some diced fresh pineapple....this is something most people would eat and would be a main dish for vegan's/vegetarians.
She was asked to bring a salad and dessert, and she's bringing coleslaw and a blueberry cobbler... that totally fits in for a 4th of July potluck.
Then in addition she is bringing vegan meatballs for herself and her family, so they have a main dish to eat, and she's bringing extra because she knows others will want to try it. I've found that's always the case, because people are curious. So if you don't make extra, you wind up with not enough for yourself.
What I have long done*, since whatever I bring invariably raises questions... what can I say, I'm very creative... is to make little tent cards for my dishes that says what they are, and what the ingredients are. That helps people to decide whether or not to try them. And since so many people have food allergies and various foods they avoid for one reason or another, I think it would be smart if everyone started doing the same for potlucks.
*I just remembered, after I typed that, I started doing this 20 years ago, when I lived in Seattle, and for a long time I participated in a monthly community potluck that was so diverse in people's various wants and needs that everyone was asked to make such a card for each dish they brought. It worked well, and the habit stuck. I recommend it.
Husband of the OP here. We don't live in Seattle or NY. We are not taking a Quinoa Salad to share. These folks eat pretty 1950s. They like processed food. It's convenient.
As Sheena12 wrote a salad could be a "Chicken Salad" here. Or a Taco Salad made with iceberg lettuce, Fritos and ground meat. A potato salad might have bacon.
It's not about teaching them how to eat. They are all a good ten years our senior. They seem to like to eat. They are co-workers and one is a superior.
We don't want to come across as snobby or elitist. They already know that we are originally from NYC. That's enough.
We have both found no matter where we live, that absolutely NO ONE is squeamish about trying our food. In fact, if we don't take enough we might go hungry.
It's also not about "Whole Foods". They eat fake butter and canned soups.
We are not obsessed with whole foods either. We are not there to preach about food, just to have a good time and not leave hungry.
However, I would not make any sort of deal about your food being vegan/meat free or whatever. I like the sneaky approach - bring something delicious, let people eat it, and if anyone asks or compliments you, then tell them it's vegan.
However, I would not make any sort of deal about your food being vegan/meat free or whatever. I like the sneaky approach - bring something delicious, let people eat it, and if anyone asks or compliments you, then tell them it's vegan.
Right, when you're "trying to fit in" the sneaky approach is good.....but using fake meat isn't very sneaky. Most people will realize there is something "off" about it and ask about it...then the *** is up. You may as well went into the party with a vegetarian t-shirt on.
warren zee: The issue isn't about whole foods, instead that if you're trying to "fit in" and not attract attention to your diet then bringing foods with fake meat isn't such a good idea.
I was at a picnic the other day, and there were a range of salads, three bean salad, pasta salad, tons of fresh fruit, tossed salad...it could have easily been a "vegan" spread...aside from the fried chicken!
I popped in here, where I never usually go, because I was attracted by the thread title.
Wow, the tension in here is horrific.
As far as what Sheena is taking - sounds good to me, although I personally think that there's too much sugar involved - I would change the "barbecued" meatballs to something more savory.
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