Jilian, Congratulations on your decision to switch over. Remember to do the best you can. Any decrease in the consumption of animal products is a good one. My advice is to try not to be as attached to the title of "Vegan". I find that when I tell people I am vegan, that suddenly everyone is the "vegan police" and has to check up on every single thing I wear or eat. However, when I just act the part of vegan, people can see that I am a happy, healthy, compassionate human being and they want to know how I got this way! Anyway, there are lots of great cook books out there - i love "how it all vegan" and the "vegan sourcebook". I have discovered many meals I used to eat with cheese are even better without, or with shreaded fake cheese. Food from other countries (besides Italy) does not seem to rely as heavily on dairy products as american food. Try out some ethnic cookbooks too. Just remember to do the best you can.
