Vegan Christmas

[MaNeOi]

Myself my husband and our four kids 10-5 are all vegan. My husband and I have been together for 20 years and have been vegan for 26 and 22 years. Our opinion is that it isn't a decision for everybody however that being said its the decision for us and our kids unless they decide to make the switch. We have hosted Christmas for the past 9 years, we make everything vegan and someone brings a joint of meat and cooks it for the people who want it. However this year my sister in law is attending for the first time ever. She's asked to make her own potatoes, veg and gravy- however there isn't the capacity and there is no need. I have said she can eat non-vegan but I see no reason to cook 2 of numerous things, especially given it is in my house. Finally she is quite outspoken against having vegan kids - and has said she wants them to try bacon on Christmas morning, what is the best way to address this and is this unreasonable? She's staying for a week and I can now only see tension.

I can understand the gravy. DP isn’t veggie but I am, he doesn’t like onion gravy and makes his own chicken/beef version. I would allow this- she can always pre-prepare it or bring shop bought and just heat it up. Insisting on cooking her own potatoes and veg is just weird though... nobody needs goose fat cooked potatoes.

As for insisting your DC have bacon, would she do the same if you were Muslim or Jewish? It’s hugely disrespectful.

*@chrisinthesun where is it illegal to raise children vegan 😂 you can actually get all nutrients you need from meat and dairy from other sources so why on earth would it be illegal? *

In Italy. The theory is that although it is possible to get all nutrients from a vegan diet, when it is actually put into practice a lot of people don’t achieve it. You can be jailed for four years if you put your children on a vegan diet in Italy.

WTF! No way to the bacon thing, I wouldn't even have it in the house. Your children, your choice about the food you feed them. I am gobsmacked, that is just so disrespectful.

I think you are going above and beyond just allowing your guests to cook a roast in your kitchen. Bleugh! The smell!

I think I would be wanting to rescind the invitation to have the SIL to stay for a whole week, can't they stay at a motel? She obviously doesn't want to stay and will be shit stirring the whole time she's there, what appalling manners!

I know I'm rambling, but I'm just so angry on your behalf.

@Geraldine I tried looking this up as I didn't know this, and I can only find news reports about its proposal - has it been passed? I can't see any evidence it has, it was proposed by an MP 2 years ago.

To the OP - not your house, not your rules - be firm with your SIL. Fine bring your own gravy but requesting your own vegetables and potatoes, what a waste of food. If someone is cooking for you and you want to do it yourself then she doesnt have to come and she can cook her own non-vegan potatoes (seriously?!) and veg. Control freak SIL much... (yes, the answer is yes)

I don't understand the difference between vegan and non vegan potatoes..?

Tell her to get lost. It's fine for her to bring her own meat and you could even tell her to bring her own gravy and you could heat it up in the microwave but to request different veg is just absurd!

Goose/duck fat

whats the fucking obsession with bacon? I dont get it. I am not vegetarian, but I dont eat bacon Its salty and weird and pigs are far too clever to eat. So often abused on farms too

This. I do eat meat, but not pork. And it gets gratuitously added to so many things like salads and soup.

If you are going to someone else's house for Xmas dinner you can manage without goose fat potatoes and turkey gravy for goodness sake. I do use goose fat but sometimes I run out and forget to replace so have to use olive oil instead. It's not quite as tasty but is entirely acceptable. And you can make a tasty veggie/vegan gravy.

Well done OP for hosting for 9 years and being inclusive of carnivores - presumably just PILs to take the onus off them hosting vegans and they may not have room to put you all up anyway. Interesting that SIL hasn't hosted any of those years - or that PILs haven't alternated with coming to you and hosting her and their son in law or going to theirs. it could be just how the cookie crumbles or there could be a backstory? Given the hectoring way she's behaving to you I suspect she's not been overly welcoming to them.

@Geraldine170

One MP proposed that, but it is not the law.

Back on the thread, page 1 or 2, a nut roast with cranberries was mentioned.

Does anyone have the/a recipe? Daughter has decided to be pescatarian at university, while the rest of us are all confirmed meat-eaters (my grandfather was a master butcher - we raised it, killed it, ate it, and quality over quantity was key, and I still buy according to those principles/responsibly farmed etc).

However, we're all open to new things, and I cook (probably unintentionally!) veggie/pescatarian more times a week than I do with meat! I've tried one nut roast recipe, but it tasted too much of 'something' I didn't like (paprika? not sure!) so if anyone has a really Christmas-sy nut roast with cranberries (we LOVE cranberries!) then please can you link? (Preferably without any paprika!)

TIA!