Speaker 1
I like people. I try to be helpful. I like art. I want to be a painter. I love fast cars.
Speaker 2
I am a vegan. I love going to the gym. I own a jeep wrangler. I am married. My husband is a lawyer.
Speaker 1
My name is Tracy. I love people. I love being helpful. I love fast cars. I paint art. I am a paralegal. I have vacationed at Niagara Falls. I painted there. I love traveling.
Speaker 2
My name is Amanda. I am a vegan. I enjoy going to the gym. I am not a singer. I love art. I have a husband who is a lawyer and also loves art. I am a baker. I do zumba. I have a Jeep. I love traveling in the mountains for the exercise. I love vehicles that handle rough terrain.
Speaker 1
Hi, tracy here. I love people and fast cars. You sing?
Speaker 2
Hi tracy. Amanda here. I enjoy going to the gym alongside my vegan diet.
Speaker 1
I see. I love being helpful and I paint art. Are you an artist?
Speaker 2
I don't sing, but love art. My lawyer husband is an artist as well.
Speaker 1
Get out! I am a paralegal. I love helping people too. You bake?
Speaker 2
Whoa! Funny you say that, my jeep is loaded with baked goods right now!
Speaker 1
Great! I would love to paint that picture. You dance?
Speaker 2
If you call zumba dancing! Lol! What is your favorite vacations spot?
Speaker 1
Niagra falls. It is an artist paradise. You like to travel?
Speaker 2
I love traveling, especially to the mountains. They are a good workout!
Speaker 1
Me too! I like fast cars and new people. Nice to meet you.
Speaker 2
You as well. I love vehicles that can tackle rough terrain, like my jeep wrangler.
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Speaker 1
My name is Tracy. I love people. I love being helpful. I love fast cars. I paint art. I am a paralegal. I have vacationed at Niagara Falls. I painted there. I love traveling.
Speaker 2
My name is Amanda. I am a vegan. I enjoy going to the gym. I am not a singer. I love art. I have a husband who is a lawyer and also loves art. I am a baker. I do zumba. I have a Jeep. I love traveling in the mountains for the exercise. I love vehicles that handle rough terrain.
Speaker 1
What kind of things do you bake as a vegan?
Speaker 2
My favorite has to be a version of a vegan pizza.  That is the food I miss the most!! Are you vegan too?
Speaker 1
No, but my best friend is trying to become one. She is a vegetarian, but being a vegan can be so hard when you love cheese. Lol I always make a delicious roasted veggie dish to bring to her house for parties. Do you find cutting out cheese a challenge too?
Speaker 2
Very much so, all dairy in general! But it does get easier after you figure out what good substitutes you can enjoy.  I feel lucky that there are so many choices out there now.  Do you have any trips coming up this summer?
Speaker 1
I hope to travel to the smokey mountains soon. It is one of my favorite places on Earth. Have you ever been there? It's so peaceful and being up so high just surrounded by trees is magical!
Speaker 2
I went there when I was very young actually! My only memories are of dollywood and the long, winding roads!! I'm sure now going as an adult I would have a much more rich experience.  That would be a great place to bring the Jeep now that I think of it!
Speaker 1
Oh yeah. The last time I visited we rented a 4 wheel drive and it was worth it. We were climbing the mountains to reach our chalet. It was so wild heading up the side of a mountain, looking over the side. Yikes! When I was there we didn't head to Dollywood, but we were close to it. Where in the mountains do you hike when you do?
Speaker 2
That sounds like a perfect time for you.  When I'm hiking, the steeper the mountain, the better!! I like to take day trips where I know I'll be out for about 8 hours or so.  They are very tough to do, but if you're prepared it becomes a very rewarding experience!!
Speaker 1
Wow. That sounds like an amazing day trip for sure. I'm not sure I have the stamina for such an intense hiking experience. Have you ever ran into any trouble while hiking?
Speaker 2
There was one time where I got lost as it was starting to get dark out...I bring my tent and supplies to sleep overnight so I was prepared to sleep out there if I had to but luckily I ran into a couple just about when I was ready to give up!! I don't know how I'd handle seeing a bear or something like that out by myself.
Speaker 1
I'm so glad you didn't cross paths with anything scary like that! I don't know what I'd do if a bear crossed my path either. I've been pretty lucky to never have one near our cabin in the Mountains either. They always warn us about them though, so we are prepared. Do you have a pretty big tent you use? Or an individual one?
Speaker 2
Its just an individual tent that is VERY small.  I just bring a backpack so everything has to be as small as possible. Luckily I have not had to use it yet!!  Do you paint when you're in the mountains too?
5 days
Speaker 1
My name is Tracy. I love people. I love being helpful. I love fast cars. I paint art. I am a paralegal. I have vacationed at Niagara Falls. I painted there. I love traveling. I am not a vegan. My best friend is a vegetarian trying to be a vegan. I make veggie dishes for my friend's house parties. The smokey mountains are one of my favorite places and I hope to travel there soon. I visited the smokey mountains before. I don't think I have the stamina to go hiking.
Speaker 2
My name is Amanda. I am a vegan. I enjoy going to the gym. I am not a singer. I love art. I have a husband who is a lawyer and also loves art. I am a baker. I do zumba. I have a Jeep. I love traveling in the mountains for the exercise. I love vehicles that handle rough terrain.  My favorite food is pizza. I went to the smokey mountains when I was young. I like to take day trips hiking that last 8 hours. I have a very small individual tent for camping.
Speaker 1
My friend told me she's having another house party. Do you have any ideas for vegan dishes I could bring?
Speaker 2
Depending on what kind of party it is, if it's a buffet then there are some great vegan sausage rolls in the supermarkets now, and also vegan pizzas and burgers. If it's a bit more of a sit down dinner, vegan curries are so easy to make. I made one last week with sweet potatoes, red pepper, chickpeas, onion and garlic. It can be served with rice or other grains. 
Speaker 1
That sounds amazing. I am just starting on this vegan journey. Do you have any suggestions for cook books?
Speaker 2
There's a book called "The Plant Kitchen" which is quite good but I can't remember where I got it. You can borrow it if you like! I was also going to say to you that there's a cheese shop nearby that has started doing loads of vegan cheeses... here come the cheese and wine nights!
Speaker 1
Really? I would love to borrow it. I've spent time at the market looking around and even the farmers market. It just seems so overhwelming at the moment but I know the long term benefits far outweigh my confusing right now.
Speaker 2
When I first went vegetarian (before I thought about going vegan), I realised the best way to do it was eat what you would normally, but just miss out the meat. For example, if you're getting Chinese food, have whatever you usually have (my fave is sweet and sour), but just get the veggie version. Gradually I realised that I wasn't missing the meat at all as I was still eating my favourite dishes. What's your favorite food?
Speaker 1
So like with Chinese food I can still order my favorite...beef and brocoli but without the meat. What about tofu? Do you eat that?
Speaker 2
Haha yes in that case you might need to find a replacement for the beef. Tofu would be a good substitute but it's got a very different texture. I do eat tofu sometimes, I chop up a block of it into cubes and oven bake it, or I marinade it in BBQ flavourings and fry it on the pan. It's great with all sorts of things.
Speaker 1
Is it like rubbery? I can't do rubber feeling things. I think I would have to be like you and just cover it in sauce. How do you get your protein?
Speaker 2
Tofu can be rubbery if you don't make it crispy. But if it's fried properly it's so delicious; crisp on the outside and softer on the inside. I get protein from peanut butter, brown rice, quinoa, beans, oats for breakfast and loads of veggies. I've always loved vegetables though, so it was quite easy for me to convert! What's your favorite vegetable?
Speaker 1
You know, I never even thought about frying it. I'm heading to Trader Joes later today so hopefully I will be able to have more choices. I never thought of vegetables as a protein source. I love all veggies.
Speaker 2
Things like broccoli, kale, spinach and even sweetcorn are good protein sources. Also if you work out a lot you can get protein shakes with vegan protein added to them, but I've never tried that before!
8 days
Speaker 1
My name is Tracy. I love people. I love being helpful. I love fast cars. I paint art. I am a paralegal. I have vacationed at Niagara Falls. I painted there. I love traveling. I am not a vegan. My best friend is a vegetarian trying to be a vegan. I make veggie dishes for my friend's house parties. The smokey mountains are one of my favorite places and I hope to travel there soon. I visited the smokey mountains before. I don't think I have the stamina to go hiking. I recently decided to go vegan. I am currently feeling overwhelmed by having a plant based diet. I enjoy beef and broccoli. I do not like the texture of rubbery foods. I shop at Trader Joe's. I love eating veggies.
Speaker 2
My name is Amanda. I am a vegan. I enjoy going to the gym. I am not a singer. I love art. I have a husband who is a lawyer and also loves art. I am a baker. I do zumba. I have a Jeep. I love traveling in the mountains for the exercise. I love vehicles that handle rough terrain.  My favorite food is pizza. I went to the smokey mountains when I was young. I like to take day trips hiking that last 8 hours. I have a very small individual tent for camping. I own a vegan cookbook. I am looking forward to a new vegan cheese shop that I live by. I was a vegetarian before I became a vegan. I slowly stopped eating meat. I make a lot of different recipes with tofu. I own an oven. I enjoy eating tofu. I love vegetables, so converting to a vegan diet was easy for me.
Speaker 1
I just tried the best recipe for vegan beef and broccoli! 
Speaker 2
What did you think! I'm always curious about what non-vegans think about vegan recipes. When I was a meat-eater, I was surprised how good they were!
Speaker 1
I am enjoying the food but it will take some time for my insides to get used to all the veg!
Speaker 2
Haha, that makes sense. Don't worry, I always manage to make my friends understand why I love veggies so much. Me, you, and your vegetarian friend can meet up every week and learn a new recipe if you're down!
Speaker 1
That would be awesome, we should definitely share recipes. What is your favorite meal using tofu?
Speaker 2
I recently tried a Korean tofu recipe and i LOVED it! It used gochujang, a spicy paste that a lot of Korean recipes use. I love spicy food, it makes everythng so delicious. Do you like spicy stuff?
Speaker 1
Wow, I never thought about making a spicy meal with tofu. Thanks for the idea! How did you find your performance at the gym after going fully vegan?
Speaker 2
Its interesting, I actually had a lot more energy once I went vegan! That's how I can do my eight hour hikes. I feel like a lot of athletic guys think that meat is necessary to get buff in the gym. It's actually a myth that vegetarian food doesn't have enough protein.
Speaker 1
Interesting, I do not think I could do a 8 hour hike but going vegan might help then.
Speaker 2
Honestly, even just doing zumba classes gives me the same endorphins that I get from my hikes. Next time I go to a zumba class, you should come!
Speaker 1
I have never done Zumba but it does sound fun. I need to wait for my body to get used to just veggies first, do not want to be constantly passing gas while doing Zumba. 
Speaker 2
Lol, you'd be surprised how quickly it can happen. Plus, vegan food isn't just all vegges. There's tofu, seitan, beans, rice, quinoa, pasta... the list goes on! You can actually eat a pretty unhealthy diet while being vegan with no veggies if you wanted.
8 days 4 hours
Speaker 1
My name is Tracy. I love people. I love being helpful. I love fast cars. I paint art. I am a paralegal. I have vacationed at Niagara Falls. I painted there. I love traveling. I am not a vegan. My best friend is a vegetarian trying to be a vegan. I make veggie dishes for my friend's house parties. The smokey mountains are one of my favorite places and I hope to travel there soon. I visited the smokey mountains before. I don't think I have the stamina to go hiking. I recently decided to go vegan. I am currently feeling overwhelmed by having a plant based diet. I enjoy beef and broccoli. I do not like the texture of rubbery foods. I shop at Trader Joe's. I love eating veggies. I enjoy vegan food. It makes my stomach time to adjust to eating lots of vegetables. I have never made a spicy meal with tofu. I have never done a zumba class. Eating veggies makes me pass gas a lot.
Speaker 2
My name is Amanda. I am a vegan. I enjoy going to the gym. I am not a singer. I love art. I have a husband who is a lawyer and also loves art. I am a baker. I do zumba. I have a Jeep. I love traveling in the mountains for the exercise. I love vehicles that handle rough terrain.  My favorite food is pizza. I went to the smokey mountains when I was young. I like to take day trips hiking that last 8 hours. I have a very small individual tent for camping. I own a vegan cookbook. I am looking forward to a new vegan cheese shop that I live by. I was a vegetarian before I became a vegan. I slowly stopped eating meat. I make a lot of different recipes with tofu. I own an oven. I enjoy eating tofu. I love vegetables, so converting to a vegan diet was easy for me. I am curious what non-vegans think about vegan recipes.  I would like to have a weekly get together to try new vegan recipes. I recently really enjoyed a Korean tofu recipe. I love spicy food. I have more energy since I became vegan. I go on eight hour hikes. I enjoy zumba classes.
Speaker 1
What made you first decided to go vegan?
Speaker 2
I've always loved the outdoors, like hiking and camping, and I guess i just realized that animals are part of what make the outdoors so spectacular. I went vegetarian first and eventually went full vegan. I have some great recipes if you are interested.
Speaker 1
Since my best friend is a vegetarian I would like to try and be more like that. I would love to try your recipes, but I'm probably not ready to be fully vegan. I'll try the route you went first, vegetarian to vegan. Maybe changing my diet will inspire me to go to a zumba class too!
Speaker 2
I feel like I have more energy now that I'm vegan, so maybe you will too! Maybe you, your friend, and I can get together every week and share recipes, that way you can ease yourself into being vegan and find meal you enjoy
Speaker 1
That would be really helpful! And I know my friend is interested in exploring being vegan as well. Maybe in addition to sharing recipes we could try out a zumba class with you sometime?
Speaker 2
Yes of course! Zumba is great. And I know you mentioned you don't think you have the stamina for hiking, but we could try that too if you're interested. We don't have to start with anything too intense, maybe just some short trails and work our way up
Speaker 1
I think I could give hiking a try if we start out easy. And like you said, I'm hoping to have more energy when I start changing my diet. I'm feeling very motivated to change my lifestyle to be healthier. I'm hoping I can stay motivated, haha!
Speaker 2
That's what I'm for, to keep you motivated! It's always better to have an exercise partner so wee can feed off each other's energy!
Speaker 1
You're totally right! Trying to be healthy is really hard to do on your own. But I think this sounds like a good plan. The three of us can share recipes and help motivate each other with the exercise! We'll all be doing 8-hour hikes in no time!
Speaker 2
I'm feeling extra motivated just thinking about it! How about we shoot for this weekend? I can find a beginner Zumba class so you can get a feel for it.
Speaker 1
Great idea! You should invite some of your friends too. We could get a good group together. I'm feeling far less overwhelmed by this idea now that I'm thinking about everyone who will be helping me out!
Speaker 2
Yes I definitely will, the more the merrier! I'm so glad to hear that, it's not always easy trying new things but I'm glad you feel comfortable with it
8 days 6 hours