Bottom of the Ninth

So somehow the final week of the month, actually the final days are approaching fast. I don't know if I am quite ready for a full-blown reflection, but I do owe you a little (all 9 of you who read this). Especially since the next month starts Monday- with a brand new challenge and lifestyle. All things considered I have gotten used to being a vegetarian. While I still have rough days (ie when lunch was provided at work and it happen to be barbecue). I'm pretty sure I was visibly drooling watching my mom eat her giant piece of chicken. I also think I may have cheated just a tad- I ate some baked beans. Why is that bad you may ask? Well they were cooked with bacon- and I knew this, but my cravings for baked beans overwhelmed me.

Regardless, over the month I have found some secret satisfaction in being a meat-snob. (That's what she said) Discussing why I think local meat is better (the joke continues) has become a strange pastime. I feel much more educated and cultured when talking about where meat comes from, and I enjoy discussing such things. My soap box may have just gotten a bit wider. So since Sunday (the last day of the month) is here, I might as well make this my signing off blog for vegetarianism.

I should be struck with lightning for saying this but my habits from the past month may stick to some degree (I hope you still love me Caitlin). I used to eat meat with every meal and never ever felt bad about it in the slightest. Now seeing meat always makes me think twice, and I do not know that that feeling would ever go away. I really want to try to only eat local meat where the animals lived wonderful, healthy, and natural lives. But, since this meat is clearly going to be more expensive, I will just have to consume less, and by consuming less I will enjoy the meat I do have that much more. The sad part of all this is eating meat out at restaurants and fast food, because I do not see locally grown grass-fed cow burger on the menu at Wendys (not yet at least). So looks like I am becoming a vegetarian while out, and a meat-eater at home. If the purpose of this month was to become aware- well then it has succeeded. I will never laugh at a vegetarian again.

What am I going to do if every month "sticks"? (Stay tuned for the next challenge)

Don't have a cow

0010010110110!

(That's "Hello" in Internet-speak)!

This last week of definite vegetarianism has been an interesting food experience. But today, I think I may have accidentally cheated. I ate a french fry that was sitting dangerously close to a burger. It kind of tasted like a burger. Is that cheating? (But it's not cheating if you get away with it, amirite guys?)

But in all seriousness, I really do think I'm going to try to keep this up for a little longer. I feel really good about myself, and I'm very proud that I could do something and actually stick to it. Most of my motivation stems from the fact that Jesse would probs kick me out if she ever found out I cheated, and I don't feel like having to set up my bedroom on the back porch. It's winter after all.

Anyway, it has kind of inspired me to make other important life decisions--like join a gym! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm basically allergic to exercise and anything sports-related. So this is a big move for me. But seriously, I put on a sports bra and I basically break into hives. If someone throws a frisbee at me, I run the other way. No joke. And a big plus for joining the gym is that I'll get to take hip-hop dance classes from a lady/stripper named Velvet!

So yeah. Other highlights from this week include the vegetarian chili Jesse and I made on Sunday with this weird fake ground beef/vegetable protein. It looked sorta weird, but it was delish. Om nom nom.

Remember the Food Pyramid?

...yeah, I do, too. But you know, it changes when you're a vegetarian. Due to my picky eating, I've definitely not been following its guidelines for the past month.

This weekend I got really sick (like nasty stomach-bug-sick). Unfortunately, I had to call out of my 14 hr shift at work yesterday, and when I talked to my co-worker, she expressed concern that being vegetarian was part of why I got so weak so fast. My roommate was worried, too, and the only way she could get me to eat protein was to make me french toast. Until this weekend, I did not realize how much my body may have been suffering from vegetarian eating habits. Of course, I can not blame vegetarianism on getting ill, but I'm sure not getting the right nutrients heightened my susceptibility to illness. I could not eat the soup I had in the house yesterday because it contained chicken broth - laaame.

Anyway, now that I'm on the mend, I decided to look up nutrition stuff on vegetarian diets. According to the USDA, most vegetarians lack in protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12. When I look at the list of protein-rich foods, the only items I consume on the list is nuts. I definitely do not drink enough milk, so I'm lacking in calcium as it is. As I said before, I do not eat eggs or beans, so that rules out a lot of zinc and vitamin B12 other vegetarians may acquire without hassle. I guess there is a reason why my roommate fed me a vitamin and iron supplement yesterday! Good lord. I feel bad for my body now.

In the final week of definite vegetarianism, I owe it to myself to try soy based products that are meat substitutes. I actually bought tofu last week, but I have been avoiding eating it. I think that will be my goal for the coming week - to try tofu again and hope that it has grown on me!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

While I feel strongly about the movie Food, Inc., and while it has caused me to reconsider a lot, I now choose not to beat the dead horse so to speak. Just know I pretty much agree with Lady L and JMo. Last week I went through how I was feeling about being a vegetarian, but to be quite frank I'm sick of thinking about feelings and emotions (I'm a dude- I know this). So I am going to return to the basis of being a vegetarian and what it revolves around- the food. Being a self-termed food critic is one of my favorite pastimes, so I will tell you about my good meals, bad meals, and ugly meals thus far.

Good:
Well usually you save the best for last, but then that would ruin my clever title- and I can't have that. So the best meal has thus far been (hold your breath) a salad. Yes, I did say a salad- and yes I know I have always said how much I despise salads. So here I am at Mimi's (where I adore their Brie Chicken), and I am searching the menu forever. At first, I was nervous because about the only options for me were on the Healthy section- meaning they were smaller portions. Since when did being a vegetarian imply that I eat less? False. I felt like a weirdo asking for a Chicken Salad minus the chicken, but let me tell you a little bit about this chicken-less chicken salad. It was a bed of greens covered in dried cranberries and feta cheese with balsamic vinegarette and a beautifully sliced strawberry on top. (I am starting to wonder if my true calling in life is with writing food blurbs in menus.)
The next 'good' meal was at Red Robin and that is simply because in very very tiny writing at the bottom of the menu are the words 'You can substitute a Boca burger for any of our burger options.' Thank God I found that tiny writing because I felt like I was actually enjoying a burger. For the first time I was able to enjoy reading every entry on the menu with an option of eating.

Bad:
I had to travel to Chicago on business for a day last week, and while the food was good, the timing was bad. So here I am with co-workers at a quick pizza place on our way out, and lo and behold the clients are actually here as well. So of course this in essence continues our meeting, and I had ordered a veggie calzone instead of pizza (never again). Always go with the flow. So everyone gets their slab of meat-covered pizza and I am just chillin waiting for the calzone. As everyone finishes their last bite of crust I get a giant calzone, and by giant I mean the client guy goes 'you going to be able to eat all that?'. I couldn't actually enjoy my food because everyone had to sit there and wait on me to finish eating, rather embarrassing.
Spinach Out-Of-A-Can quesadilla was quite possibly the worst taste in the world, even drenched in cheese and bean sauce and washed down with beer, the overwhelming taste of canned spinach prevailed. Therefore, moral of the story- spinach from a Mexican restaurant is NOT real.

Ugly:
Thai tofu- I love thai food, like love love. So I even love tofu curry, but here comes the problems with communication. So usually I get chicken brown curry, which is chicken, potatoes, onions, and peanuts. I tried to order this exact same thing with tofu instead- the problem is that when you order tofu, you are also asking for more veggies. So when I said tofu only- I actually didn't really mean that at all. So when my food came I had a giant bowl of tofu in curry sauce. While it was a good meal, it falls in the category of 'ugly' because a plate completely full of tofu so unappealing.
A Southern Baptist Church Covered Dish- While this in reality is one of the most beautiful sites ever, looking through green colored glasses (get it?) it is not so much. I made it nearly half way through the line with a very sad empty plate because every dish contained meat. By the end of the line I had clear space on my plate that basically contained concoctions of fruit- a really really ugly plate, especially compared to my usual plates. You are not meant to see the actual plate through the food.

So cheers to the good list growing, the bad list shrinking, and the ugly list continuing for good stories!

Food for thought?

I watched Food Inc. tonight, and I feel enlightened, yet frustrated. The documentary was an eye-opening account of food production in America, and it highlights the extent to which food has become removed from its sources of production. Meat production was one of the key features, and now I feel like I don't want to eat mass-produced meat ever again. The producers visited slaughter houses and packing plants, and the images were so graphic, I literally could not watch. The treatment of the animals and the workers is just inhumane. When we pay for the cheapest foods, this means we are pay for cheap labor, and employees are exploited. I remember at Wake Forest, I attended a seminar about conditions at meat packing plants for employees. I have no idea what to do now...Do I continue to eat meat like usual? Do I only eat locally produced meat? Do I eat fish again? What about hormones and GM foods? There are a lot of questions in my head, but if something is certain, I know that I need to re-think my food.

I have made vegetarian dishes the past two days, and it did not feel like such a strain. I guess being a vegetarian just means I have to think ahead about what I want to eat. Last night, I made Thai rice noodles with ginger and cilantro sauce. Tonight, I made peppers stuffed with Spanish rice. Both meals came out well, and I did not feel like I missed meat too much.

I have no idea if this vegetarian thing will continue after the month is over. If the purpose of this challenge has been to re-think our usual routines and decisions, well then we have succeeded.

All veggies, all the time.

Howdy, Internet Friends!

So, two whole weeks into this thing, and I think being a vegetarian might stick. There's something kind of fun about telling people you're a vegetarian, and even though I'm still a "baby veg" I feel much healthier. I know people usually become educated/enlightened before they decide to be vegetarians, rather than doing it as a 'dare' with your friends, but I seem to have come about this from the opposite direction. Jesse and I watched the documentary "Food Inc." last week, and I don't ever have a desire to eat meat ever again. Watching how it's processed, how poorly they treat the workers and the farmers, and seeing those chickens with the giant, genetically modified boobies that are so big they can't even walk (kind of like Pamela Anderson chickens I guess) I have no desire to eat that shiz ever again.

Growing up, my dad raised rabbits and chickens. They served the dual purpose of pets and food. "Know your meat" was his motto. I think I agree. If/when I do add meat back into my diet, I want to know where it came from, how it was treated, and know that it lived a good life before it kicked the proverbial bucket.

So anyway, some vegetarian highlights from the past two weeks: I couldn't eat any canned soup because pretty much all of it is made with chicken stock; one day I ate a foot-long veggie sub from Subway--a first for me, and I ordered collard greens at Sagebrush Steakhouse and they were covered in bacon bits.

The end.

The Upside of Down

After being home, I find being a vegetarian much easier. We (roomie and I) have discovered a new line of food options, black bean burgers and vegetarian sausage. While it is not a replacement in my book, I definitely have more food options, for when I return to the meat-eating world. While life at home is easier, life at work is not. Ordering from my favorite restaurant Mr. Wonton's seemed easy enough since only 1 option on the menu did not contain meat- an option called Vegetarian Delight. What does that even mean? While I still do not know, I can assure you it is not quite a "delight" as I expected. I felt as though I was eating simply to survive, not eating to enjoy. The next day I had to settle for Cheetos and a Snickers which isn't much better. Being a healthy vegetarian requires planning and thinking ahead....two traits I am not especially known for.

As Lady L mentioned, I am going to read a couple books to better my understanding for why people choose this lifestyle. I have yet to get my new books, but hopefully that will add some passion and reason behind why I am now a vegetarian. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not especially fond of animals- I will pet them and say awh, but I cringe when they jump on me or lick me or rub against my leg leaving masses of hair. Hearing the horrible methods used to raise animals for producing food does make me sad and for a brief second does make me reconsider supporting this inhumane act. What a nice world it would be if animals were treated in a humane way? How nice would it be if you could bite into a Chick-fil-a sandwich and know that the chickens were treated respectably and not shoved into a tiny cage and force fed?

Yet, somehow once a nice juicy steak is put in front of me, all those thoughts are out the window. I do not think of the cow when I am eating the steak. Right now my brain is compartmentalized, and I am hoping soon these two ideas mesh- so that I become aware of what I am eating while I am eating it. While reading these books and doing the research maybe a risky endeavor (because heaven forbid- what if it sticks?), I owe it to myself and the blog to actually try and understand why this is a lifestyle of many.

-Church

One week down, three to go

Even after just seven days without meat or fish, I suddenly realized how frequently I relied on these foods in my diet. As I sit here writing this post, I am eating wild rice and steamed broccoli for dinner. My plate looks bare, and I feel like I do not know how to eat balanced meals without meat or fish. I keep thinking that chicken would look really appetizing on this plate.

Today I went to the grocery store and spent longer there than usual. I tried to think of ideas for meals. I have trouble anyhow because I always cook just for me, so keeping fresh fruit and vegetables in my house is tough because things go bad too quickly. I wandered to the frozen food section, but I did not dare consider Lean Cuisines, as I lived off of those in college. I feel like Jesse and I always had a huge stash in our apartment freezer. I looked at other options but quickly got frustrated when 90% of the options contained meat or fish. Furthermore, I am a picky eater. I will not eat tofu, chick peas, eggs, eggplant, avocado, bananas, mushrooms, spicy food, among other things. Tonight when I prepared my dinner, I felt annoyed because I realized that one of the two frozen meals I purchased contained tofu as a main ingredient. I might have to return it, because I just can not bear tofu. It tastes like sponges. I've talked to my friend, who is vegan, for some advice. She has given me some ideas, but because I don't like tofu again I get frustrated. Arghhh. Thank God we did not try to be vegans or else I would have been on a weight loss plan at this rate.

After the grocery store frustrations, I went to the town library hoping for some inspiration. I got a couple vegetarian cookbooks (after paying my $9 in fines!), so maybe I need to try these options before I complain too much more. I guess I just never realized how reliant I was on meat and fish before this experience.

Maybe I should stop whining about this challenge and educate myself about the reasons why some people voluntarily choose vegetarianism for the longterm. Jesse ordered the book called Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, and I plan to go back to the library to get some books similar to this one. I think I need to replace my frustrations about food with something productive to understand why some people make a conscious choice to be vegetarian or vegan.

In the meantime, I love cookies. I made these coconut macaroons last night. Maybe I should just bake sweets all month long instead of worrying about normal food...

Month of Hunger?

I believe I just experienced one of the most difficult things about being a vegetarian- traveling. Not the flying and arriving kind of traveling, but the riding in a car for 6 hours and making countless stops at fast food and gas stations kind of traveling. And you are looking at a girl that loves nothing more than a big fast food hamburger and a bag of beef jerky from the gas station- a trip would not be complete without it. This is the girl that was dared to eat a quad stack burger with liquid cheese and bacon that contained so much grease the buns became translucent- and did it just for the sheer glory. Since fast food does not offer quad stacked veggie burgers- I settled for countless baked potatoes and mandarin oranges from Wendy's along with tons of sweets from the gas station.

I have been at a conference in Atlanta for the past 4 days, and they were nice enough to provide lunch everyday- a turkey sandwich. I returned back to an elementary school mindset and started trading my lunch around- a turkey sandwich for a candy bar?, what a wonderful trade for a 8 year old. I have been struck with the realization that I am going to be more unhealthy (if possible) after this month is over. Everyone on the trip also loved lightening the mood by catching me in mid-bite and then announcing 'hey you know there's meat in salsa right?' 'hey you know there's meat in that candy bar' 'hey you know there's meat in water' While being the butt of jokes hasn't changed any from pre to post vegetarian- it is no longer about eating large quantities.

Thank goodness I have no more trips (the driving kind) planned in January because I just do not know if I can handle another baked potato with oranges- or another 4 days with my tummy continually growling. I am one of those that loves to eat and loves to eat a lot. But I am proud of the fact I survived the conference without listening to the lovely pieces of meat shouting out 'eat me'.

(I also apologize I left out any 'thats what she said jokes'- I am just not good with the delivery yet but will be working diligently on that, so until then I will leave them to JMo.)

New Year, New Me(at)

After making it an entire 4 days with no meat, I don't think this month is going to be so tough!

Okay, I take that back. Let me start again:

After making it an entire 4 days with no meat, it has been more of a struggle than I anticipated. But something's not worth doing unless it's hard (that's what she said?...). Or so I'll pretend. As a former Meat Enthusiast (not in the adult sense) and Barbecue Ambassador, making this decision was fairly difficult, and yet I was quick to jump on the bandwagon. When some of our other college friends became vegetarians last year, I laughed in their faces and threw meatballs at them as I hypocritically said to myself "I love meat too much ever to do something like that!" while chowing down on a turkey leg. Now, following in their food-conscious footsteps, I have to constantly remind myself that meat is no longer an option, least of all the center of a good, Southern meal as God intended. Vegetables are pawns of the devil--unless they are covered in butter and bacon bits of course.

Anyway, I think this month will be a forced opportunity to evaluate the food I eat, the groceries I buy, how I plan my meals and think about food. I already feel like I'm eating healthier too. But for example at work (at the ever-exciting Andy Griffith Museum) if I forget to pack a lunch I can't just run out for fast food anymore, so I have to make a conscious effort to plan ahead. Which saves time, and money, and calories, and makes for an overall better J-Meezy. Holler!

But for the month of January, I do have one regret: that I couldn't enjoy the Swedish meatballs (that's what she said?) on my first trip to Ikea this past weekend. But what I lacked in meatballs, I made up for in stylish home decor.

A new year, a new me(at)!

New Year, New Ideas

It's 11:31 pm and I’m just writing this post. I have been at work, where I had to turn down our dorm meal of chicken with vegetables. I was annoyed because it looked really good. It was toast with peanut butter at 10 pm instead.

Anyway, so here’s to a year of trying something new each month for 12 months straight. This is a big commitment, and honestly, a little overwhelming. I work in a mental health facility with teenage girls, and pretty much every shift something crazy happens. (Like today, this girl put herself in a cage and read a book??). My hours are sporadic and draining. And for some reason, I decided to join the bandwagon on this project and make life even more hectic.

This vegetarian thing is going to be tough. I wanted to eat meat twice today alone, and I am already wondering why we can’t have a “freebie”. I’m just glad I have people to hold me accountable to this challenge.

I should go to bed. I have to be back at work in eight and a half hours for a 14 hour shift. Oh the joys.

New Years Resolutions

I'm not going to lie, I have a few butterflies in my stomach as I step out on this journey for a year and as I write my first blog post ever. The idea started from wanting a blog, but not just a blog about my semi-normal typical life- I wanted a blog that involved a task/challenge and one that a few people may want to read and follow. Thankfully JMo and Lady L have decided to jump on ship as well so here we are doing it together (increasing our chances to have a funny enthralling blog). The journey ahead is a year of trying new things, one month at a time. We will each take on a new persona every month and tell you all about it.

For the month of January we have decided to become vegetarians. My roomate (JMo) and I during our New Years Eve party- instead of worrying about watching the ball drop or counting down to 2010, we were consumed with having our last bit of meat- a wonderful beef stick at 11:50 last night. Pretty eventful needless to say. Starting this month off I have been talking how easy it would be to give up meat for a month- I mean what's a month? To immediately debase my ideas of how easy this would be on Day 1- JMo and I were trying to figure out where to go for lunch- I realized how difficult this may become. Chick-fil-a- Nope, Sushi- Nope. So we settled for Thai with tofu- not quite as appetizing as chicken curry, but was still good. I hope this journey will provide many funny and interesting stories so stay tuned.

New Year, No Meat

So after eating our last meat at 11:59 pm last night, Jesse and I (roommates and former meat lovers) welcomed in the new year by swearing off meat--and fish--for one month. Meanwhile, in Boston, Laura is doing the same.

I didn't think giving up meat would be that tough, and I kinda want to do it just to see if I can, but I think it will be a little difficult to remind myself daily that meat is off limits. For example, today Jesse and I ran out to run some errands and grab lunch. Without thinking, I suggested Chik-Fil-A without even realizing that pretty much everything on their menu would make us break our pact a mere 10 hours into the month. Next up? Sushi. Before I quickly realized we'd given up fish too. So tofu it was.

Good thing Jesse and Laura are around to make me stick with it, but I think it's gonna be a long month....