Hello long lost friends (speaking to no one)!
My life these past few months has been very busy and very stressful. New job, second last semester of college, money woes...blah blah. However, I have recently been doing very well and have felt very un-stressed. Well, as un-stressed as a stress-ball like me can be.
In regards to this, I have been thinking about cutting meat out of my diet again. I have tried veganism three times (longest span being 6 months) and vegetarianism once. I have always let myself and other things get in my the way of accomplishing a lifestyle that I think I would be very fond of.
Let's get some things straight. I am not an animal acitivist or even animal obsessed. Hey I love animals just as much as the next girl, but this has never been enough for me to stop eating meat and animal products alltogether. In addition, I love to cook. Cooking is my life. My favorite. My everything. The air I breathe...ok you get the picture. So, as you could guess it terrifies me to think of giving up my favorite dishes or giving up cooking for the people I love. But let's not forget, I was a vegan for six straight months. Six wonderful, difficult, expensive, stressful, beautiful, invigorating months. I did it. I loved it. I felt great. Therefore, I know I can do it (vegetrianism at the moment). I can give up my Mom's meatloaf and chicken spaghetti and still enjoy her perfect mashed potatoes and amazing pecan pie, unless there comes a time when I choose to give up dairy. I can still cook for my friends and loved ones. I can still live my life, eat delicious food, and cook my little heart out!
So you might ask yourself: "If she isn't an animal activist and she loves meat, why do it"? Well, as I said before I was a Vegan for a six month period. I was a freshman in college, I worked at a streakhouse, and had eaten meat my WHOLE life. I was referred to a book titled
Skinny Bitch by a friend. Just like the title,
Skinny Bitch, is an in-your-face, no reservations guide to Veganism. It is shocking, and truthful. It turned my whole Texas/meat-eating/cheese-filled/omnivorous life upside down. I chose to become Vegan at that point. At first it was hard, and really expensive. It took a while for me to find the products and recipes I liked, so it was a bit of an experiment. However, it was totally worth it. I felt amazing. Not only because I was eating no dairy, no meat, and 90% organic, but because it was empowering. I had the power to change my own life and choose what I put in my life. I was constantly being argued with, made fun of, and questioned. It didn't matter. I made a life choice, and I stuck to it...for myself.
Well, as you may have guessed, that went downhill. A lot of things started to change (for the worse) in my life and I kind of forgot about myself for a while. I jumped back on the meat/dairy bandwagon and have been on it ever since (with the exception of Vegan dabbling). So, what's gonna make it stick this time? I'm not sure. Maybe it won't. However, I am ready again to do something for me, that has been a goal of mine since I was 12 years old. Yes, 12.
So, "here's to being meat-free and good to myself". Cheers.
1. Eggs scrambled with onion, garlic, and baby spinach + whole wheat toast.
2. Black bean + roasted veggie quesadilla with mozarella on Ezekiel tortillas. I use Bethanny Frankel's Healthy Taco seasoning recipe, and subsitute black beans for meat. I roasted the veggies in a 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes, after I tossed them in olive oil. Delicious!
3. "Gyro" made with brown rice + baby spinach + tomatoes + onions + black olives + feta + tzaziki (greek yogurt with dill), on whole wheat flatbread.
5. Black bean nachos with leftover black beans + roasted veggies + mozarella + black olives + fresh tomatoes!
