Sitting in the bath thinking about the vegetarian gravy problem (as you do!) of replacing meat juices with vegetable substitutes, led to Eureka! - ’I’ll hold a competition’.
http://i.imgsafe.org/9032408f05.jpg
There must be customers who’ve cracked it, created good alternatives, and be pleased to send me their tastiest creations.

And it is important. Gravy can make or break a meal. It often proves the defining decision on someone’s cooking skills “Not a bad cook but the gravies spoil it” “Gravy so thin you can see through” “So thick! they serve it sliced”
http://i.imgsafe.org/905c4b8f61.jpg  

From Trinity's Conscious Kitchen. An easy and very delicious vegan gravy, using tapioca starch, mushrooms, parsley, leek and tamari. dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan gravy	Author: Trinity Bourne 

Serves: 4 portions
Ingredients,	1 Garlic clove,	4 Mushrooms, Small Onion, ,1/2 tsp Onion powder,	1 Small handful Parsley,	
Condiments,	2 tbsp Tamari,
Baking & spices,	1 Pinch Pepper,		2 tbsp Tapioca starch
Oils & vinegars,	1 Dash Coconut oil
Liquids		300 ml Spring water

How to make -  please watch the video. At the end of the video there is also a - how to make the gravy - text version, download link.

https://youtu.be/koeQ3kED-dY

I was introduced to vegetarianism by accident. I started the health and nutrition shop in 1972 after reading an article “You Are What You Eat”
At the bottom of the shop separated by a wall was a small disused property.

A few weeks after opening, with the shop getting off to a good start, I made the empty property into a twenty seat coffee bar, with the idea of baking scones and pastries, using the shops whole-wheat flour to create not only a wholesome taste, but give the shop an irresistible mouth-watering aroma as well.

It worked. Soon, not only were the 20 seats not enough, customers asked, “What do you make your delicious scones with”? and our flour sales took off.

We moved to a much bigger property with space for a restaurant. 

That’s when I discovered that restaurants operating with a health and nutrition shop were vegetarian. 

Don’t panic! Crank’s of London were very helpful with advice, (this was the early 70s remember, think of the boldness and foresight in that name) but it paid off. Vegetarian meals on many airlines bore the label ‘Supplied by Crank’s of London’. May still do.

I also spent a week with a generous man who had a similar shop and restaurant set up, but was far enough away not to be in competition.

So that was my introduction to 32 years a vegetarian. I’ve lapsed since my wife died, when I took retirement.

But I still follow a healthy diet. My food choices are semi vegetarian and similar to the guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet. 
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Scientists know that people who exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking and keep mentally stimulated, generally have healthier brains than people who aren't as careful about diet and exercise.

Researchers figured this out by looking at the brains of 674 people with an average age of 80. They asked these elderly people to fill out food surveys about what they ate in the last year and researchers scanned their brains. 

The group that ate a Mediterranean diet had heavier brains with more grey and white matter.

The Mediterranean diet is relatively simple to follow
You can eat fish and poultry at least twice a week. You don't have to keep away from carbs; in fact, you should have three servings of those a day, particularly of the whole grain variety.

A glass of wine a day is perfectly fine, too. What you do typically have to limit is the amount of meat, dairy and saturated fat you eat. Cook more with olive oil, as opposed to butter.

10-things-to-know-about-the-mediterranean-diet at http://topmediterraneanfood.com

Is Everyone Vegetarian Now?

Many who call themselves vegetarians are really semis, because their diets vary in the extent to which they exclude animal products:

The definition of a true vegetarian that’s most widely accepted by fellow vegetarians is a person who eats no animal, fish, poultry, dairy products or eggs.

A lacto ovo vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and poultry but includes dairy products and eggs. Most vegetarians in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe fall into this category. 

A pollo vegetarian avoids red meat and fish but eats chicken. 

A pesco pollo vegetarian avoids red meat but eats chicken and fish.

Lacto ovo vegetarians eat such foods as cheese, ice cream, yogurt, milk, and eggs, as well as foods made with these ingredients.

Lacto vegetarian: A lacto vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and poultry, as well as eggs and any foods containing eggs. A lacto vegetarian would, however, eat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Vegan: Technically, the term vegan refers to more than just the diet alone. A vegan is a vegetarian but additionally also excludes any non-food items made with animal by-products,such as leather, wool etc. Some vegans avoid honey.

In the early days there were the mockers too. - ‘Vegetarians, they lean towards the sun don’t they’?
http://i.imgsafe.org/90b139602d.gif

But in the 45 years since that nervous opening day in 72 I have seen a complete change from the types of ridicule in the cartoon above.

Vegetarianism is increasingly being seen as not just important to health, but also to the conservation and better use of the planets resources.

But that’s another post.

More Gravy? With John and Janet.

John invites his mother over for dinner.

During the meal, his mother couldn’t help noticing how attractive John’s flatmate was. Then, over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she starts to wonder if there was more between them than met the eye.

Reading his mother’s thoughts, John pulls her aside and says, “I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, Janet and I just share this property”

About a week later, Janet says to John, “Ever since your mother came to dinner, I’ve been unable to find the silver gravy ladle. You don’t suppose she took it, do you?”

John says, “Well, I doubt it, but I’ll write her an email, just to be sure.” So he writes: “Dear Mother, I’m not saying you did take a gravy ladle from my house, and I’m not saying you did not take a gravy ladle. But the fact remains, one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.”

Later that day, John receives an email from his mother that reads: 

“Dear Son, I’m not saying that you do sleep with Janet, and I’m not saying that you do not sleep with Janet. But the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now. Love, Mother.”

Article
Find 10-things-to-know-about-the-mediterranean-diet at - http://topmediterraneanfood.com

Credits
image credit Vegetarian Beauty image: katie shorkey
Vegan Gravy image credit Pinterest/Trinity's Conscious Kitchen
Plant leaning to sun - image credit emaze.com phototrophism
10-things-to-know-about-the-mediterranean-diet - http://topmediterraneanfood.com