My Roommate Has Taken Up SAD Baking :(

[RawSweetie]

*sigh* :(

My house mate has taken up baking SAD desserts for good friends who own a restaurant in town. She has been and will be baking several hours a day, several days a week, for the duration of the summer. The kitchen is tiny and it has suddenly become logistically difficult to make a big salad, let alone anything requiring more counter space....and there are pies and brownies everywhere. She offers me tastes and I've been giving in! I feel like I am being confronted with heroin every blessed day and I feel overwhelmed with the new degree of psychological stress that is now part of my journey to be--and stay--raw.

I am cranky and resentful of her, because she is well aware of my trials with being raw, and yet, I know that she is not responsible for what goes into my mouth. I'm sure I'll adjust, but right now I feel a bit panicked and like I can't resist the constant temptation.

[Moretta]

Best of luck to you and I know it is hard to resist the temptation when it's right in front of your eyes. It sounds like a tough situation to be in since she is baking most of the days and for the rest of the summer.

Can you maybe look for another place to live? I know it doesn't fix the problem for the moment, but you may have to consider it if its interferring with your lifestyle.

Can you try talking to your roomate and telling her how you feel and how it is taking a toll on you?

Good luck.

[Colorawdo girl]

Oh boy.That, I find tough to deal with. I def might have to move. Me, I am good at that anyway hahaha. My neighbor downstairs in lower apt cooks horrible garlic grilled steak. OH MY. One of the reasons I am moving. To a space all by myself. woohooo.

Best to you in that.

[Ilse W.]

Why doesn't she use the restaurant kitchen, if that's who she is baking for? I'm sure your kitchen isn't commercial and therefore not approved by the health department for baking stuff for sale to the public? I know I couldn't put up with it, not the smell and not the inconvenience. :(

[jgunn]

If you cant resist the temptations than it is probably a good idea for you to start thinking about surrounding yourself with a more like minded person. Building up resentments can only hurt your relationship with the person and in the first place she probably doesnt feel like shes doing anythign wrong or harmfull to you.

did you both move intogether or did she move inwith you or vice versa, i would put a notice up somewhere you are looking for a vege, vegan or raw person to share space with and get yourself out of the situation you are in now.

The more you surround yourself with positive uplifting people that are the same mind as you, the better life gets, of course if you feel you can deal with it than ignore the above advice :)

and the above mention about her making commercial food in an noncommercial kitchen too is a good point. she has started a business in your shared home. she should either pay more money than you for inconvenience sake or find another place to do her baking.

[mstrish]

This bothers me too. Me and my husband have a roomie and he is very inconsiderate about me being a raw vegan. He will ask me questions about his meat choices and if there healthy and I simply say I don't eat meat therefore can't recommend it. At times I have gotten a bit snippy with him....this morning he wanted to use my Vitamix and I said no because it is how I make my food and if it gets broke how will I eat until it gets fixed?! I told him to buy a cheap blender but he wants a good blender....to bad not mine!! Sorry for the venting.

[EZ rider]

That would drive me to distraction. As an obstacle to staying raw that takes the cake. Have your power bills gone up much ? Good luck.

[RawSweetie]

Thank you all for your responses.....

My housemate owns the house--I rent from her. Sticky issue number one. She also just volunteered to me that she is trying to fill every moment of her time because she is approaching the one year anniversary of her husband's death, and baking makes her feel good, under these circumstances....big, big, BIG sticky issue number two. I don't feel willing to say anything to her. I don't think that she's even thnking about me and my raw food precariousness. She's trying to survive, I see now.

She has gone away for a few days, so I have some time to talk myself down from my panic. I am sad for her and sad that she has such a huge loss to deal with. This feels like a situation that I now need to really just deal with on my own. I need to own that it's my choice whether to put this crapola in my mouth. I DO need to be more assertive about my own kitchen time and not worry so much about accomodating her space needs and schedule. After all, I do live there, too.

I live in a gorgeous house, on gorgeous prperty and it's only until November when I relocate back to my home town. I will try to focus on this. It is a challenge in itself to deal with someone who is grieving like this (she is a great person, however) and I'm counting the days until I am back in my OWN space....I'm going to use the next few days while she's away to do my own spiritual work, and hopefully I will be able to step back and view this whole thing from more of a distance. I am definitely being confronted with my own food addicted nature....:eek:

[spicyfull]

Happy you came to the Right conclusion. I Pray everything will work for both of you.

[Riiiya]

use these couple of alone days to PREPARE FOOD FOR YOURSELF!!! :) make some raw brownies or something,have them ready for those situations when her baked goods are right under your nose and you need to resist!

i haven't had a kitchen to myself in a year now. so those instances when others are gone, i take total control and make food for a least a week ahead :cool:

[T-Bird]

Hey Raw Sweetie,

Best of luck with your challenge! Here's some ideas for you:

Do you have a dehydrator? Would it be possible to do 'raw' versions of what she's making? Even asking her help with proportions of ingredients? Maybe you could work in tandem, maybe even get her interested in the raw baking techniques with you - even if she does 90 % of her baking regular?

Be super prepared at all times, make sure you have what you need in the fridge, treats of your own you can grab, whether you make them or buy raw bars of some sort.

You're on the right track as the strength must come from within. I have 2 teens.....told old for me to dictate - we're going raw. Yet on the other hand - if I don't cook for them, they will eat more and more junk. And eating at friend's houses more - unknown junk - so I accept that I still need to cook for them. It has been a challenge - especially trying to make 2 meals - and sit down together. Well - I do need to try harder with that, lol!

Best of luck!

[RawSweetie]

hey, thanks guys for your input. It is MUCH appreciated!

Yes, I've been dwelling on how many of us here on RFt do not have the luxury of a kitchen to ourselves, and must contend with others' food choices on a daily basis. I feel like I need to stop whining! :p

Well, she is due back today, and hopefully I am now more grounded and ready for this situation to resume...at least I feel I'm ready. I do need to stay on top of it and be prepared. That is so true. The freezer is packed with her desserts right now (which is fine, I haven't been using the freezer much) and I've managed to leave the stuff alone, so that's good! I do not have a dehydrator yet b/c funds are still too tight. I know what a difference that will make to me. I think it will be much easier to resist temptations if I have the opportunity to make my own crackers, crusts, breads, etc.

Deep breath....:)