Reflections of meat

This is it. The last day. I woke up this morning and when I realized it was February 28th, that tomorrow is the first day of March, I felt a bit of panic. I'm over the panic now (after all, I've had 2 full months to mentally prepare), but I find myself a bit wistful and reflective. I haven't had the "gotta eat meat!!!" mania I expected to have this week. In fact, this past week I caught myself having a few of those veggie burgers I mentioned earlier. On one of those occasions, I had a "what are you doing?" moment and promptly drove to the nearest Subway for a chicken teriyaki sandwhich. SO much more appropriate.

However, I AM throwing a "Bon Voyage Meat" party tonight as a suitable send off. Marinated steak and shrimp cocktail are on the menu, and my guests have all been told to bring an appetizer of some sort. I don't care what kind of appetizer, as long as it is meat. That is the only requirement. Something tells me that all this meat might create a gastro-intestinal disturbance of some kind, but I'll get over it. But now that I think about it, maybe I should do some research. I know what happens when you drink too much milk at one sitting... what happens if you eat too much meat? Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. I will have to research. But FEAR NOT! The party is still on. I'll just go into it with eyes wide open.

So on the eve of my vegetarian month, I ask myself... why do I love meat? Truly, I think it's what I'm used to. Nearly every evening meal I prepare consists of a meat product. In planning for dinner, I start with "Do I want something beef? Something chicken? Or something pork?" And then I go from there. I will need to develop an entirely different set of questions now. "Do I want something tofu? Something tempeh (seriously, what IS this)? Or something pasta?" Truly, I don't think it will ever come to that. I think a far smarter strategy is to plan out a series of meals in advance, buy the ingredients, and then prepare it for dinner. Allowing myself to contemplate "what I want" for dinner will only cause problems because historically "what I want" nearly ALWAYS involves meat.

And "what I want" for dinner tonight is a big hunk of marinated steak, shrimp cocktail, and a veritable smorgasbord of meaty appetizers. Can't wait!

I am so unprepared

I have so little time to restock my refrigerator. And restock I must because you know what happened to me this morning? This is so sad, really. I opened the fridge to get ingredients for my breakfast and as soon as I opened the door, this little baggie containing a piece of leftover steak fell at my feet. Poor little piece of meat LITERALLY threw itself at my feet, begging for a place in my life. Now, I just ATE some meat last night (hamburgers, actually) so I didn't feel too bad about picking it up and putting it back in it's place, but how will I react next week? As much as I hate to say it, that forlorn little piece of steak is going to have to go in the trash. Unless I eat it for lunch which is another distinct possibility, actually.

So how to restock? Well, my first dinner as a vegetarian, I think, should be veggie pizza. This is actually part of a plan to trick myself. You see, I follow the Weight Watchers program and pretty much avoid pizza for the most part. So having PIZZA will make me feel so decadent and naughty, that I shouldn't even NOTICE the lack of pepperoni. And sausage. And bacon. I have also done a little research on my favorite recipe website, www.recipezaar.com, and found some modifications of foods I already know I like that I actually can't wait to try (such as Roasted Red Pepper Vegetarian Chili). I've also been scouring my new cookbook and found some other great NEW recipes like Stuck-Pot-Rice with Yogurt and Mango or Garlicky Mashed Potato Pie that sound really great. I need to get my shopping list together.

But let me tell you a little secret that may shock you..... I already have some veggie burgers in my freezer and I like them!! However, I think 31 straight days of Asian Veggie Patties might not be a good idea so I'll need to start getting some veggie leftovers in the fridge right away.

Tomorrow I'm hosting a "Farewell to Meat Party" so I can gorge myself with all sorts of yummy meats. It's meant to tide me over for a month but really it's just a darn funny reason to have a party and steak. More on that some other time.

My New Cookbook - Part One

Fearing I would to try to subsist on nothing but oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, and Boca burgers for an entire month, Cool Bro #1 sent me a GARGANTUAN book for my birthday entitled "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food." This is not only super sweet, but came as a huge shock to me since not only was I surprised that he has my address, I had no idea that he knew when my birthday was. He is just full of surprises, that boy.

This huge book is not just a collection of recipes, but also a "how to" for first time veg-heads. With such side bar notes as "The Many Ways to Flavor Mashed Potatoes," "18 Additions to Stir-Fried Vegetables," and "Top 5 Rices to Keep on Hand," I'll be able to learn not just the "whats" but the "whys" and "hows" of being a vegetarian. To my absolute delight, there is even a section on "The Basics of Tempeh." AT LAST! This curious substance will lose some of its mystery to me!

The recipes? Some sound scrumptious ("Summer Vegetable Stew with Wheat Berries"), some sound exotic ("Pasta with Chestnut Cream"), some puzzle me (what would you put "Fast, Down-Home Barbecue Sauce" ON, exactly?), and some sound like something my mother would have forced me to eat as a young child ("Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana"). There is not a dessert in the world that would have been tempting enough to convince me to eat Baked Lima Beans Anything, thank you very much.

One of the more interesting entries is found on page 631 - Mung Bean Pancakes. No, that's not a typo - MUNG BEAN pancakes. What the *** is a "mung bean?" Only one thing comes to mind at the moment but nothing I've ever considered edible. It sounds so horrifically frightening that I will just have to try these. It feels like some sort of childish dare, to be honest with you. Sort of gives me a rush. Whoo hoo!

Glancing at some of the other ingredients such as garlic, chilis, scallions, and carrots, I'm guessing these are not they syrup variety of pancakes, but some kind of Asian dish. This is definately going on my menu for Week One. If only I had any idea where to buy "mung beans."

Twas the Month Before Meatless

Post #1 = Why I am Here and What I am Doing. This blog is partly a gift to my brother and partly a gift to myself. For Christmas this year, I made the decision to sacrifice meat and become a vegetarian for a month as a gift to Chip (a.k.a. #1 Cool Bro). He's been going through this "phase," if you will, for like more than 1/2 his life - some 15 years at least - so I figure maybe he's serious about this. But since I'm the one giving the gift, I picked a month that would be the least painful for me. So, the month is March. One of the longest months of the year, but with the least pitfalls for me. A win/win, I'd say.

At first, I was kinda' jazzed about the idea. I felt cool, hip, and trendy or something. But as I approach the beginning of The Meatless Month, panic is setting in. Ever since making this commitment, I've become aware of just how much meat I actually consume. This fact alone does not make me feel the slightest bit guilty (I am, in fact, a proud carnivore), but gives me reason to question my ability to actually give up meat for a full 31 days without losing my mind. Or cheating.

I know that I need some method for public accountability. This is why I decided to journal the experience. I hope that in addition to sparing a few animals in the name of sisterly love, the blog will show Chip how much I love him as I struggle to find meaning in a life without meat. And I hope to actually FIND meaning in the experience and come away with a whole different perspective on food and sustenance. And I also hope to figure out exactly what "tempeh" is and to learn to speak fluent tofu.

But above all, I want to connect with my #1 Cool Bro in a way that is unique and profound. After all, I love my brother more than bacon, hamburgers, BBQ ribs, and pepperoni. And that is a fact.