Until this vacation week, there was one thing that was keeping me eating vegetarian instead of vegan: breakfast on office days. Admittedly, it's not as if I was helpless in the situation, but more stubborn.
Like every morning, I wake up at 5. On work from home days, this gives me ample time to get ready, enjoy breakfast and log on for work at 7. On office days, this gives me time to get ready and grab a quick breakfast on the way to the office.
The problem? When I'm passing through, there are three places open for breakfast: a popular clown-related fast food chain, a popular mermaid-related coffee chain, and a popular hockey player-related coffee chain. And wouldn't you know it, none of them have much in the way of vegan offerings. On those days, I would purchase an egg-and-cheese sandwich with a side of ethical discomfort (and coffee).
It also occurred to me that I could just wake up earlier to eat breakfast at home (like I do on work-from-home days), but I was being stubborn.
After the Christmas season, Kathleen and I discussed the whole issue further and we came to the conclusion that we weren't really able to side-step the discomfort any longer.
Back in the Kitchen
One of my little winter break goals was to come up with a vegan breakfast sandwich that I could not only enjoy (easy enough), but be able to prepare in advance and take to work in the same sort of on-the-go way that I am used to. Save for heating it, but I can do that at work.
And you know what? I think I managed it!
They're simple (I'll work on getting creative later), but fit the bill.
- An English muffin, toasted;
- Liquid JUST Egg with a little salt and pepper, baked in a ramekin for 25 minutes (our oven runs a little cold);
- Violife cheddar-like slices; and
- Vegan butter and Vegannaise;
It turned out to be delicious and exactly what I was looking for!
What's the big deal?
While I can cook (and usually do), it was never anything I was raised to have a passion for. So getting in the kitchen with a specific goal beyond "What's for dinner tonight?" is a very rare thing for me and *sheepishly* kind of exciting!
Workday breakfast was also a source of anxiety for me, despite the lack of action. So solving it has not just made for a nice on-the-go breakfast, but it has also removed a bunch of anxiety!
January 8, 2026