I am a temporary vegetarian. On 1 January I gave up eating meat for the year. Before you ask, I did it because I have a long standing issue with vegetables. Once I realized I “didn’t like them” was based on my not knowing how to prepare them, the decision to do so was easy.
What I didn’t realize was that doing so would entail an enormous learning curve and a complete change in the way I approach cooking, eating, and, in many respects, living.
My life is crazy. Not simply in a too much to do kind of way, but that in combination with a profession that requires changing work shifts and an inability to simply run out with the time to find something non-processed to eat.
Enter the menu, the cookbooks and planning ahead. Way ahead.
My entire existence has consisted of reacting to the next deadline, the next required place to be, the next phone call.
Being a vegetarian takes a ton of work, vigilance, and a society that STILL doesn’t accept the “eating style” as normal.
Try getting something truly vegetarian when you are on the run. It is even difficult to find something other than egg salad at the hospital I work at.
Seriously.
Vegetarians don’t eat only lettuce.
So, I sit this afternoon with my cookbooks, making a menu for the rest of the week.
–Grilled Mushroom Sandwiches with homemade buttermilk ranch and Grilled Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
–Blackbean-Mushroom Burgers
–Tofu Mushroom Marsala with Grilled Garlic Bread
and strawberry shortcake.
Why go out to eat?
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
Of Course!
