30 Days

For some reason I didn't even realize that today is my 30th day being a vegetarian! I thought it was tomorrow, but I was wrong... its today! Congratulations to me, I have been a vegetarian for an entire month! Hooray!!

It has been an interesting journey. I have undergone a subtle transformation. As I've mentioned previously, my skin has cleared up, and I'd say I've lost about 5 pounds. I feel "lighter," and more confident (this confidence is due to knowing that I'm eating healthy foods). I have also had numerous interesting conversations with other people since I've been awakened to the reality of the food industry in this country. I still crave some meat, mostly chicken. I just might give into this craving one day, and that will be an experiment in itself.

This has been easier than I thought it would be. I encourage everyone to try going vegetarian at some point, perhaps vow to be vegetarian for 30 days, or have Meatless Mondays in which you go vegetarian one day a week. If you are interested in instilling Meatless Mondays into you and your family's life please check our http://MeatlessMonday.com You can join the movement and even get recipes emailed to you.

If you're interested in going longer, you can pledge to be a vegetarian for 30 days. PETA has a "Pledge to go Veg" Campaign, but thats if you plan to go Vegan for 30 days (and if you can do that, I applaud you!).

The benefits of going Meatless are numerous:

• LIMIT CANCER RISK: Hundreds of studies suggest that diets high in fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risk. Both red and processed meat consumption are associated with colon cancer.
• REDUCE HEART DISEASE: Recent data from a Harvard University study found that replacing saturated fat-rich foods (for example, meat and full fat dairy) with foods that are rich in polyunsaturated fat (for example, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds) reduces the risk of heart disease by 19%
• FIGHT DIABETES: Research suggests that higher consumption of red and processed meat increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• CURB OBESITY: People on low-meat or vegetarian diets have significantly lower body weights and body mass indices. A plant-based diet is a great source of fiber (absent in animal products). This makes you feel full with fewer calories, ie. lower calorie intake and less overeating. Research has found that eating more plant foods and less animal products may help individuals control their weight.
• LIVE LONGER: Red and processed meat consumption is associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality.
• IMPROVE YOUR DIET. Consuming beans or peas results in higher intakes of fiber, protein, folate, zinc, iron and magnesium with lower intakes of saturated fatand total fat.

• REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . .far more than transportation. And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week can help slow this trend.
• MINIMIZE WATER USAGE. The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.
• HELP REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE. On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S. Compare this to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein. Moderating meat consumption is a great way to cut fossil fuel demand.

You can do it! Just try it, its not as bad as you think it will be. Educate yourself and the realities of the food industry in this country should be enough to turn you Veg... an organic Veg... a local organic Veg!

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

For our wedding anniversary on Wednesday night, my hubby took me to Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY.

At first I was very intrigued because the setting is right on the farm, and when you drive into the restaurant you are driving through the farm's property. I mean, I knew it was on the farm, but it was still an exciting experience.

When we arrived, I had the valets take our picture in front of the Stone Barns. And upon entering the restaurant, I was a little taken aback because a group of waiters were lined up in the middle of the restaurant, standing very straight, with their hands behind their backs. I'm very modest, so for some reason this made me feel uncomfortable. Will the waiters be standing there the entire night watching our every move? When we were seated at our table, I was taken aback again because we were seated next to each other, as opposed to across from each other. This left a big open space towards the front of the table, assumably to present the food on.

We were shortly greeted by our server who gave us the menu and explained that the menu is simple: choose either 3, 5, or an 8 course menu and let them know of any allergies or dietary restrictions. The chef then cooks up whatever is fresh from the farm that day. I mentioned to the server that I had been a vegetarian for a little while, but was willing to try what the chef served since everything is organic, humane, local, and couldn't get any fresher... everything that I've been preaching about!

We chose the 8 course option, because heck, we only go out and do these fancy things once a year for our wedding anniversary! We were first presented with some Lemon Bomb drinks in a shot glass. Then an interesting medley of the farm's fresh vegetables that were standing up on nails on a wooden plank. The vegetables were lightly sauced with some sort of seasoning or vinaigrette. They were delicious. Next, we were given amuse bouche of Asapargus wrapped in Pancetta, with some sort of crust and sesame seeds on the outside. It was pretty good. Then we were presented with a tiny Asparagus Burger, also good. Unfortunately, I was too excited and forgot to take some pictures of the first dishes, so I'm borrowing some I found on the web.

We were then given Goat cheese wrapped in some sort of green vegetable. This was really good, because I love goat cheese.

Next, was a flaky cracker with some deli-style meat. I can't recall the names of each. I have a terrible memory for details... my apologies.

Then there was a delicious Asparagus soup, with yummy buttery brioche, and a spread of which I forget (ugh!). There was also a Salad with asparagus, broccoli rabe, almonds, and molasses. (I suppose there was a plethora of asparagus this week).

Next, was a bread basket with fresh made butter and Carrot salt... which my husband liked a lot. Another soup followed, which was fabulous... it had a farm-fresh poached egg in the center. It was super yummy, but I forgot to take a picture!

For the more substantial dishes, there was a Soft shell Crab encrusted with almonds, over spinach, and sauce. This was my first time having soft shell crab, and I was a little frightened, but it was delish! I ate most of it, except for a few legs.

We were then presented with some tender Veal medallions, with spinach in some kind of broth. Really good. There was also a small dish of Heirloom Grains in some sort of green sauce that was awesome. At this point, it was too dark too take photographs, and there is no flash photography allowed in the restaurant. So, you'll just have to imagine everything else.

For dessert, we were first given some farm fresh strawberries, with vanilla ice cream. The strawberries were so sweet and delicious. After that, there was another dessert of a Goat's Milk Cheesecake, which was so yummy! I wish I had a bigger piece! I'm going to look up a recipe for this, and attempt to make some. It was so smooth, and creamy.

That was the end of our meal. The whole dinner took nearly 4 hours!! I was so surprised to see what time it was when we finally left. We ordered 8 courses, but were presented with about 15 different dishes.

Overall, I'd say everything was very good, however I wasn't jumping out of my chair over anything. The price also makes it hard to swallow, but I think of it as going to a good cause, since I fully support local and organic farming. The service was impeccable, with every move carefully watched. When I went to get up to go to the restroom, there was a server there immediately to pull the table out for me. Our particular server was also very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. But overall, I'd say service could be kind of stiff if you're not used to that type of thing. Out of 5 stars, I'd give Blue Hill at Stone Barns 4 out of 5 stars. Going once was enough for me. It was a great experience, and I'm glad there are restaurants like this that support healthy eating, local and organic farming, wholesome and humane ways of treating livestock, and wonderful culinary artistry.

Mediterranean Portobello Sandwich

Last night for dinner I tried a recipe from the web that someone tweeted on Twitter. It looked delicious so I wanted to try it since I had all of the ingredients needed. Here's the recipe: Mediterranean Portobello Sandwich

This sandwich was super good. The flavors are very strong and savory. It was also very different having the portobello on top. My husband was a bit taken aback, because when I presented the dish to him all he saw was a giant portobello mushroom. It didn't look too hopeful that he would enjoy this dish, but guess what? He did.

I served the sandwich with a side of some regular whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce.

3 Weeks

I have been a vegetarian now for 3 weeks.

This weekend, we went to visit my in-laws in upstate New York for a post-Easter dinner. We didn't get to see each other for the holiday, so we were celebrating a little late. I let them know ahead of time that I was trying to become a vegetarian, so they generously picked me up a few vegetarian things for me to eat. I did cheat a little bit and had some Salmon for our "Easter" dinner.

I was kept up most of the night with terrible gas. Since I haven't eaten any meat for 3 weeks, I guess the Salmon was having an affect on me. My stomach wasn't in any pain, but I was just extremely gaseous. Luckily, my sleeping husband didn't notice. Haha!

For breakfast the next day, they had served the usual eggs, bacon, french toast, etc. When I made my plate I accidentally took some bacon and put it onto my plate. When I realized what I had done, I was so surprised that I laughed to myself. It was such a habit to have some bacon with my eggs, that I didn't even think about it. I thought this was a very funny and interesting accident. In any case, when I realized what I had done, I moved the bacon from my plate to my husband's. And we all know he loved it.

Portobello & Spinach Lasagna

I was away this weekend which is why I haven't blogged in a few days. So I have to rewind back to Friday night, when I made Portobello & Spinach Lasagna which was the best vegetarian dish I've made yet! It was SO good.

I got the idea for this recipe from Ellie Kreiger's Portobello Rollups, but I just made it into regular layered lasagna instead. I also made small adjustments to the recipe, like using fresh spinach in the ricotta mixture. This was made similarly to my meat Lasagna, but instead of cooking up ground beef I sauteed Portobello mushrooms and then put them in some tomato sauce. I mixed in fresh Spinach into my Ricotta mixture, and then I layered the sauce, noodles, and ricotta a few times. I topped it all with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and cooked it for about 40 minutes.

The Portobello mushrooms taste similar to meat. If I didn't know it was vegetarian Lasagna, I could have easily been fooled. I think this dish will become a regular staple in this house. YUM!!!

Happy Earth Day!!!

This is sadly the first year I've really celebrated Earth Day. I never appreciated the earth as much as I do this year. This whole vegetarian journey I'm on has opened me up to be more conscious of many things, and these things are all ways of living greener.

First, it has of course opened me up to what I'm eating... which has been a vegetarian diet, and to the best of my ability an organic diet. (Supposedly, eating vegetarian saves 90 animals a year!)

I have also been made aware that I should support my local farmer's markets, & local organic farms. (For explanations why just read my previous posts).

I am looking forward to also supporting restaurants that use local & organic foods, like Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

I have planted my own vegetable garden, which will supply me & my family with homegrown delicious herbs & veggies that I will be really proud to eat.

I should really wear organic cotton clothes.

I always bring my own reusable bags when I go shopping.

All of these things were never really apparent to me as being ways of living greener until this journey awakened me to it's importance. However, I have always been conscious to reduce, reuse, and recycle and have done so. By the way, here are some quick tips for living greener: Simple Mom: 40 Tips to Go Green at Home.

How I celebrated Earth Day today:

Today was a great Earth Day. Nina and I went to a local festival at Hungry Hollow Co-op Market in Chestnut Ridge, NY. It featured local farms and food, and had wonderful music from Tom Chapin! Nina loved his music. There were a bunch of children from a local school in attendance and they were all dancing and singing.

Nina enjoyed a grass-fed organic Burger, and I had a really wonderful organic Veggie Burger from the barbeque. The veggie burger I had was called Sunshine Burger. Of course I looked up their website, where I saw the ingredients of their burgers... WOW, you couldn't get much simpler! Sun-flower seeds, carrots, brown rice, and herbs... thats it! YUM!

I also got tons of reading materials on living and eating greener which I'm excited to read later. I'm sure I'll report back.

LIVE GREEN, EAT GREEN!!

xoxo

Potato Tacos

Just wanted to update to everyone what I've been eating because I've been lazy and haven't blogged about my meals the past couple days.

Last night for dinner, I made some Potato Tacos. That's right, POTATO tacos! First, I boiled the potatoes until they were nice and tender. Then, I put them in a saute pan with some olive oil and mexican spices. I made some black beans, and fresh guacamole -with lots of cilantro (you all know I LOVE cilantro!) I topped the tacos with some diced tomatoes, and sour cream.

The Potato Tacos were actually really good!! And they received The Hubby Seal of Approval! The potatoes were a good substitute for meat, it was filling and tasty.

Tonight for dinner, we had another homemade pizza with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, and mozzarella. Yum!

Food Shopping - Vegetarian & Organicatarian Style

I went food shopping today, and shopping (when you're conscious of what you're eating) takes a lot longer these days. I spend most of my time in the produce isle. I bought about 80% organic fruits and vegetables. Some foods I wanted weren't available as organic, such as bananas, mushrooms, zucchini, and green beans. I was also surprised that I couldn't find any organic orange juice. I also always spend a lot of time in the bread isle. I have yet to find bread that is organic and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Today I got some organic Soft Wheat bread from Vermont Bread Company that was on sale for $3.00 each. I bought 2, and I plan on freezing one.

Today, I also bought some tofu, and veggie burgers for the first time ever!! I bought Nature's Promise Organic Firm Tofu, and MorningStar Grillers Original Veggie Burgers. I also got some portobello mushrooms that I'm looking forward to making (too bad they aren't organic)... I'm thinking some portobello burgers.

I'm wondering how to cook the tofu, so I will be looking up some recipes.

Threads for Thought

While I was in TJ Maxx today buying my sister a birthday present, I saw a Tee shirt for $7 from a company called Threads For Thought... can you guess why this caught my attention?? (Ehem, look at the name of my blog).

When I looked at the tag on the garment, I also saw that it was made from sustainable organic cotton, and a portion of their proceeds go to charity. Also, there was a statement saying that organic cotton was 90% less toxic than regular cotton... so that sparked my interest.

As usual, I checked out their website. Here is some of what their website says:

"Our foundation is the belief that we should be responsible world citizens and positive contributors to a sustainable future. We create clothing from sustainable materials, build factories that respect their employees, sell clothing that is affordable, and pursue quality above all else.

Style can't be traded for sustainability, nor can sustainability be traded for style. At Threads for Thought we know that neither is exclusive, and work to lead the world in both."

Their clothes from their website can be a bit pricey, but at stores like TJ Maxx they are a lot cheaper. I picked up a nice organic cotton shirt for $7.99. You all know that I fully support companies who stand for better business practices, in this case, the use of sustainable materials.

I've been a Vegetarian for 2 Weeks

Wow! 2 weeks have already gone by! Even though I've had some bad days, I feel so proud and accomplished.

Here are a few changes I've experienced within the past 2 weeks:

I felt very irritable towards the end of Week 1, and the beginning of Week 2. However, I'm not 100% certain it was indeed diet-related. It could have been just a couple of bad days, but my first thought was "meat withdrawal."

When I was pregnant with my daughter over 3 years ago, I experienced the opposite of the "pregnant glow." I had terrible red skin & acne and it never went away, until now! My skin has cleared up greatly, I'm so excited!

Overall, I just feel healthier, and my body feels lighter and "clean." I feel more confident because I know I'm eating healthy foods, and that just makes me feel good. As a bonus, I think I've lost about 5 pounds. I never weigh myself, but I have less chub in my belly, and my pants have gotten looser. Pre-baby weight, here I come!!

Indian Takeout

Tonight for dinner we ordered Indian food. I usually order the most delicious Chicken Tikka Masala, so I was stressed when it came time to order. What vegetarian meal could I get?

I ended up getting Vegetable Samosas, and a dish called Ragara, which are spiced potato patties with sweet curried chickpeas and yogurt sauce. WOW! It was awesome! I put the Ragara inside some Garlic Nan with Basmati Rice. I will definitely order this again.

Knowing that I can now order Indian food at one of my favorite restaurants and still have something wonderful to eat gives me great peace of mind. Next time I wont be so stressed out!

My Own Vegetable Garden!

A couple of weeks ago my husband gave me a book called Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. The book teaches an easy method of vegetable gardening which uses raised gardening boxes. So, my hubs also built me a 4ft x 4ft gardening box, and today I started my garden.

I went and bought a bunch of herbs and vegetables to transplant into the garden. I bought some sweet basil, parsley, rosemary, arugula, bibb lettuce, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, and red onions. I didn't get to plant them all today because it started to rain.

Nina helped me with my gardening today, and we had a great time. She helped carry the plants, and dug holes for me.

Encouragement

I want to thank all of you who read this blog, and for the admiration you've given me while on this endeavor. You have all given me the encouragement I need to help fight my cravings on those "bad days," and you are helping realize that I may be making some sort of difference (even if a very small one). I am helping you all to think further about the food that goes into your mouth, and that means a lot.

I also want to thank my husband, the "meatatarian" who has been so supportive and encouraging, (and who has liked some of my vegetarian meals better than I have).

Today I had a couple of get-togethers with friends so I ate a lot of food. I enjoyed some hummus and pita, cucumber salad, strawberries, cantaloupe, and a Niçoise Salad that I may for lunch. It was delicious! It was another Ellie Krieger recipe, and here it is if you would like to try it: Chopped Niçoise Salad

Tonight for dinner, I made another recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook. I made Gorgonzola Fettucini with Walnuts. It was pretty good, but it was very rich in flavor. A small amount filled me up. I filled up my plate but only ate about half of it. I think this would be served better as a side dish instead of a main course.

To make up for the meat I've been missing I think I will try to start using meat substitutes. For example, I'll try some tofu, veggie burgers, etc. For the time being, perhaps that will satiate my hunger for MEAT!

Today was a Bad Day

Last night I went out with some great friends and had a wonderful time sharing laughs and food. I had a delicious salad with cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese; zucchini sticks; and shrimp risotto... technically I guess I cheated. Vegetarians don't eat shrimp. It was only about 4 shrimp, but still, I ate them.

Tonight for dinner, I sautéed a vegetable medley of zucchini, eggplant, onions, garlic, spinach, and tomatoes. I served it on top of couscous and I sprinkled some feta cheese on top. It was OK. I REALLY missed meat today. I wished there were some chicken in this dish. I told my husband, "I don't know if I'll be able to do this vegetarian thing... people will be so disappointed in me." So I thought perhaps if anything, this whole thing would just be an experiment. If I can't cut it, I'm going to try to make it 30 days as a vegetarian and see where it goes from there.

Today I really felt like a drug addict. I know what it must feel like to really want something you shouldn't have. I feel disappointed in myself.

After 30 days, if I decide to eat meat again, I will only eat organic, free-range meat. And I won't be serving meat once a day like I used to, I will only eat it once in a while. My meals will not revolve around a meat dish, but will center around vegetables. After typing this paragraph I feel even more guilty. I'm writing compromises, as if I've already decided to give up.

I will try my best to be a vegetarian... and I have not given up yet.

This is why you're FAT!

So I discovered that KFC came out with a new "sandwich" this week, called the "Double Down." It features two fried chicken fillets filling in as the buns, two pieces of bacon, two slices of monterey jack cheese, and Colonel's sauce. It is 540 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 1380 mg of sodium... chock full of artery clogging nastiness! Add on a soda and french fries, you might just die of a heart attack on the greasy KFC table!

I really can't believe that in a country where there are currently numerous epidemics (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc) plaguing it, that any company would create such a highly marketed "meal" as this. This is disgusting! What's even sadder is that when this sandwich was released on April 10th, 2010, it was sold out in many KFC's across the country.

Open your eyes people!!! Know what you're putting in your mouth. Stop for one second and think about it! Is eating this food really worth the years it will take off of your life? For some of you who may not care about what you're eating perhaps you have nothing to live for, but I know I want to be around to see some great-grandkids.

A Bad Romance

I have been a vegetarian for 1 whole week!! It hasn't been that hard, and I've really enjoyed trying different foods. Yesterday I asked my friend, "When do I get to tell people that I'm a vegetarian?" I feel like I need to put in a certain amount of time before I can actually claim to be a "vegetarian." Even though I've put in 7 days I still feel unworthy of the title. Maybe its because I still miss meat. I feel that at any moment I could have an affair with meat... I know I shouldn't, I know it's bad for me, but I also know that it tastes so good. I'm still addicted and I feel like I could relapse at any moment. I must be strong.

Zucchini & Roasted Pepper Pizza - Tonight I made a super delicious Pizza. I laid out the dough on the pizza pan, brushed on some olive oil, minced garlic, salt & pepper. Then I sprinkled parmesan cheese, slices of fresh mozzarella, fresh roasted yellow peppers, onions, and slices of zucchini that I marinated in italian spices & olive oil. This pizza was SO GOOD, again I could swear there was meat in it.

Yummmm!

Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew over grilled Polenta

So despite the fact that my house still smells like Little India, tonight's dinner was very yummy! I LOVE Indian food and so does the hubby, so we both enjoyed this. I put sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, lentils, vegetable broth, and curry into a crock pot and let it cook for about 5 hours, then added the green beans for the last 20 minutes. I grilled some polenta and served the stew on top of it. I put a dollop of greek yogurt and fresh cilantro on top (you know I love cilantro!), and it added a nice creamy flavor to the stew that toned down the curry a bit.

Nina enjoyed it also, she was excited since she helped me make it, I had her add the ingredients for me into the crock pot. We wore our matching aprons.

Cascadian Farms

This morning I woke up and had a glass of OJ and a bowl of Cascadian Farm's Organic Honey Nut O's. This cereal was delicious! I have never been a fan of healthy types of cereals, I always went for the Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, and anything with chocolate in it. But the Honey Nut O's weren't like many of the other healthy-types, they were sweet and crunchy, and weren't overwhelmingly grainy. Sadly, I hate eating cereals that taste like oats and grains.

Soon after finishing my bowl of cereal, I was curious to see if Cascadian Farm's other products were just as delicious... so I opened up a box of their Dark Chocolate Almond Chewy Granola Bars... and they were wonderful!! Yum!

So, Cascadian Farms is another company that I will happily buy products from. I also checked out their website and wasn't surprised to see that they are committed to organic farming methods and making the Earth a better place.

This afternoon Nina and I prepared tonight's dinner in the crock pot. We cut up sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, and put in some lentils, curry powder, and organic vegetable broth. It smells REALLY good in this house right now! It should be ready in about 4 more hours. I will be sure to report back about it later.

Stonyfield Farms, & Chipotle Peanut Noodles

I completed Day 5 as a Vegetarian today. Yesterday was pretty uneventful, which is why I didn't blog. Today I woke up and had a banana and some strawberry Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. After looking at the yogurt's foil top I entered the "Win a trip to Stonyfield Farms" Sweepstakes. Then I checked out the rest of Stonyfield's website and I really like what they stand for... plain and simple- organic farming, healthy living, and a healthy planet. I'm happy buying products from a company like this.

For Lunch today I had a really wonderful Portobello Mushroom Quesadilla with Peppers and onions. It was so good I could swear there was meat in it! For dinner I made a recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook. I made the Chipotle Peanut Noodles that had red peppers and carrots in it (sorry I forgot to take a photo tonight). I wasn't very hungry since I had a late lunch, but it was good. They were pretty much like typical sesame noodles that you get at a chinese restaurant with a chipotle kick. The hubby liked it, another success!

I'm now watching Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution and loved his flash mob dance in tonight's episode!! I "heart" Jaime Oliver!!! I really hope his food revolution will be as successful here in the U.S. as it was in England.

Tomorrow night I'm planning to make a Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, & Success at the Carnival

Day 3, success. I began my day today making a dinner reservation for me & my husband's 3rd Wedding Anniversary which will be on April 28th. I made our reservation at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and I am SO super duper excited!

Blue Hill at Stone Barns has been coined one of the "Most Important Restaurants in America." It is a farm-to-table restaurant, and the day's menu is whatever is plucked fresh off the farm that very day. It is a unique dining experience, which I'm hoping will become more common. All restaurants should adapt to only using local, organic, and fresh ingredients. Blue Hill is headed by chef Dan Barber, who is one of the most extraordinary and influential chefs in the world right now. I really hope I will meet him on our trip... I would love to shake his hand and thank him.

My meals for today included organic rice bars for breakfast with a glass of orange juice, egg salad sandwiches, and some more leftover Pasta with Feta & Walnuts. Tonight we headed to a local Carnival where I packed a picnic dinner. I steered clear from all of the carnival food, and was very proud of myself... and my hubby too (he contemplated getting a Zepole cake, but didn't). Go hubby!

I am also planning to attend Stone Barn's Fresh Winter Market on April 18th. They will be selling the produce from their farm as well as fresh grass fed & finished meats (although I plan to just stick to the fruits & veg). They also give tours of the farm, so I'm sure Nina will enjoy seeing the farm animals. I'm looking forward to this.

Homemade Pizza

Day 2 complete, and I'm not missing meat yet.

I woke up to another glass of orange juice, followed by a bowl of cereal. For lunch, I had Pasta with Feta & Walnuts which was leftover from yesterday. Today I went to a terrific local bakery and bought pizza dough for just $1! So, for dinner I made a delicious Homemade Pizza with Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, garlic, and olive oil. It was SO good! Even the hubby said "We're never ordering pizza again!" Wow!

Today I also found a great website, CHANGE.org. Change.org raises awareness about important causes and empowers people to take action. There are hundreds of different issues that you can choose to sign petitions for. I signed about 6 different petitions for various Sustainable Food issues. Some of which were asking for Vegetarian meals in public schools, taxes on High Fructose Corn Syrup, and passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act. These petitions were sent to my local officials and President Obama. I urge you to go to this website and do the same! The website also has numerous other political issues to petition for, not just food related issues.

Day 1 as a Vegetarian

Day 1 as a Vegetarian is completed.

This morning I woke up and had a glass of orange juice. While at a Brunch get-together in the park I had a bagel with cream cheese, strawberries, and a garden salad. Later on, after doing some yard work, I had one of my favorite Ellie Kreiger pasta salads for lunch, it has whole wheat pasta, walnuts, red onions, feta cheese, garlic, and spinach in it... it's delish!! Recipe here: Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Feta & Walnuts.

Now, Drumroll please! {drumroll} For my first day of Vegetarian eating, I made Eggplant Parmesan for dinner with steamed artichokes and Penne Pasta. It was great!

I also spent some time in my day being an activist. I began by looking up Alice Waters after a friend's recommendation. I was very impressed with Alice, and her foundation, The Chez Panisse Foundation. The foundation promotes School Lunch Reform and Gardening & Nutrition Curriculums in schools. I would love to do something like this in my own community, so I decided to research further.

I went back to Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution website to look if he had any tips on how to start something in my own community. I was led to LunchBoxAdvocates.Org where I was able to write to our local government officials to request that action be done about this Food & Obesity epidemic. So, I became an activist today... I wrote to Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kristen Gilibrand, as well as President Barack Obama. I then posted on my Facebook, Twitter, and sent emails for my friends and family to do the same. I feel very accomplished that I began my own revolution today.

If you are reading this blog and haven't done so yet, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITIONS & WRITE TO YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS HERE:

Lunch Box Advocates - Write Your Officials for improvement in Children's School Lunches

and here Healthy Schools Campaign

You CAN make a difference!

"Soylent Green" Relevant Today

If you've ever seen the movie Soylent Green starring Charlton Heston you may think it was just a great sci-fi classic and didn't give much thought of its relevancy to our own world today. Well, I can tell you that from what I've learned about America's food industry, we are not far off from turning into the same sci-fi nightmare.

Soylent Green takes place in a polluted and over-populated New York City in 2022. As food has become scarce, everyone is nourished by eating a product called "Soylent Green", which is in high demand. When one of the executives of the Soylent Green company is murdered Charlton Heston's character is sent to investigate. In the end of the movie he uncovers some highly shocking information about the ingredients to this "food."

After watching the film King Corn tonight, I can tell you that corn IS soylent green. Our government is mass-producing corn as a cheap, fast fix to feeding America. Corn is processed into almost ALL of our food! You may think, "So?" But what you may not understand is that this corn is processed into oils, and sugars (High fructose corn syrup), it gets fed to our livestock as a cheaper alternative to grass making the cows sick, and thus making us sick. Corn is everywhere! Its making us fat, unhealthy, obese, diabetic, and sick! Farms are being subsidized by the government to over-produce & sell their corn to these industries that are destroying human health, the environment, and destroying America!

The final outcome in Soylent Green is not too far off from where we are today. Where's Charlton Heston when you need him?!

Farewell London Broil, & My Easter "Resurrection"

Tonight I said farewell to one of my favorite meals, London Broil. I cooked it under the broiler till it's medium & juicy. I serve it over Arugula & Spinach with garlic & balsamic-marinated roasted Red Peppers, and then I sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. YUM! I also served a side of steamed broccoli. This is a meal that will certainly make me miss eating steak. The flavors are robust, it is juicy and almost thirst-quenching. As much as I tried to think about the cow who sacrificed itself for this meal, I still kind of enjoyed it. I feel guilty.

After dinner, Nina and I dyed our eggs for Easter.

When I was dying Easter Eggs with Nina, something occurred to me...

Tonight was the last meal I would eat as a meat-eater. I find it extremely coincidental that it is the night before Easter Sunday. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried and on the third day (Easter Sunday), he rose again. He was resurrected. Now in no way am I comparing myself to Jesus, but symbolically many people like to relate the story of Jesus with season of spring. For example, we suffer under cold winters, plants seem to die, animals hibernate. However, when spring arrives they are all "resurrected!" I am relating my mission of trying to become a vegetarian as a "resurrection." I will be resurrected tomorrow with a "new life", I will no longer eat meat. My body will start to cleanse itself of 29 years worth of toxins. My mission of changing my life and health will begin and hopefully it will make a difference in this world... I know it will.

I have always had doubts in my faith, but have always tried to be very spiritual... and with coincidences like this I cant help but think that perhaps this was all "God's" plan. Like I said at the start of this whole blog, "something" told me I had to do this, perhaps there is a reason why it happened to me now. I'd like to think it is more than a coincidence.

Let's start a Food Revolution!

Tonight I wasn't feeling very well, and hey it's Friday... so I hope you all will forgive me that I did not cook dinner tonight. We had leftover Lasagna from "Ciao Lasagna" night... so perhaps tonight was really Ciao Lasagna night. Oh well! (Luckily this isn't a cooking blog... although I do plan to post vegetarian recipes in the future).

After eating my leftovers, I sat down to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. I felt like I was destined to be doing this whole vegetarian-diet-change thing right now, because Food Revolution was very pertinent to this blog, and my own mission.

Jamie is on a mission to bring change to America's diet. He is promoting fresh, healthy, wholesome food as well as promoting local farms. He wants to improve what children are eating in school and at home. The future is in our children.

Please go to http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution to sign the petition to bring healthy foods to American schools and to improve America's cooking skills. The Health of America needs YOU!!

"I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It's time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food! " - Jamie Oliver

Tune into ABC on Fridays at 9pm to watch the Food Revolution.

Jamie's website also has tons of Vegetarian recipes: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes

Rick Bayless

I have been wanting to eat Rick Bayless' food for the longest time... unfortunately for me his restaurants are in Chicago, IL... HOWEVER, I just found that he has some really wonderful (Vegetarian) recipes on his website http://www.rickbayless.com/recipes

I will definitely be cooking some of these recipes. I may not be Rick Bayless, or be at Frontera Grill, but now I can have a little bit of it in my own home. Can't wait!

Rick Bayless is a culinary legend who creates the most wonderful Authentic Mexican food I've ever seen, and dying to try! You may have seen him on Top Chef Masters on the Bravo channel, or on PBS with his show Mexico- One Plate at a Time.

Also, what I really love most about Rick (besides the fact that he seems to be the most friendly guy ever) is that he supports sustainable organic foods, and local farming. He has a non-profit organization called Frontera Farmer Foundation, which promotes small farms in the Chicago area by providing them with grants.

"Nonprofit organizations devoted to the growth of sustainable farming are becoming more prevalent and necessary due to the increasing dominance of large corporations in the agricultural sector. Without small sustainable farmers, great local cuisine is unreachable." -http://RickBayless.com/Foundation/about

Ciao Lasagna, and Food Inc.

What a great day today! The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. I did some yard work and was busy doing activities with Nina all day. I talked to a few people about this Veg For Thought blog, and I received lots of encouragement and applause. I thank you!

As the day wore off I prepared for tonight's Ciao Lasagna! I cooked the beef, added the sauce and cheese, layered it all in the pan with the lasagna noodles... 50 minutes later...

I served the Lasagna with roasted green beans, and I would've enjoyed a salad but I ran out of lettuce. The Lasagna did not disappoint, it was certainly delicious. But the gross, full-to-the-throat feeling that comes along with it afterwards is enough to make me not miss it too much I think. (I would like to think it's because of the meat... that kind of thinking will keep me away from it in the future).

After Nina went to bed I sat on the couch to watch the movie, Food Inc. Wow! Another eye-opener. I think everyone should watch this film. And those people should tell everyone they know to watch this film. I personally will be sending an email to all of my family and friends with the recommendation.

I won't preach about the movie because I think everyone should just watch it for themselves, but I would like to end off tonight with this quote from the end of the movie:

"You can vote to change the system. Three times a day.

Buy from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect.

When you go to the supermarket, choose foods that are in season. Buy foods that are organic.

Know what's in your food. Read labels. Know what you buy.

The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to the supermarket. Buy foods that are grown locally. Shop at farmer's markets.

Plant a garden (even a small one).

Cook a meal for your family and eat together.

Everyone has a right to healthy food. Make sure your farmer's market takes food stamps. Ask your school board to provide healthy school lunches.

The FDA and USDA are supposed to protect you and your family. Tell Congress to enforce food safety standards and re-introduce Kevin's Law.

If you say grace, ask for foods that will keep us, and the planet healthy.

You can change the world with every bite.

Hungry for change? Go to: http://takepart.com/foodinc "

-Food Inc.

I also want to thank my husband for coming home with a "How-to" Vegetable gardening book for me. I will enjoy feeding you with homegrown food!

Sayonara Sweet and Sour Chicken

So tonight was supposed to be Au Revoir Pork Chops, but we weren't in the mood for pork tonight (how ironic)... so we said Sayonara to Sweet and Sour Chicken instead.

This is a recipe that I created myself and was very proud to make... I will miss making it and eating it. I saute garlic, onions, red peppers, chicken, and then add orange juice and another secret ingredient. I served it over brown rice. It came out really good tonight so it was easier to eat and enjoy than the cheeseburger & tacos. But alas, Sayonara!

Earlier today I went to the bookstore and bought a vegetarian cookbook to start giving me ideas for next week. I was in the vegetarian section for a long time... Nina was laying on the floor with some kid's books entertaining herself while I tried picking a book out. I ended up picking Betty Crocker's Easy Everyday Vegetarian.

I chose this cookbook because #1 it had pictures in it... I need my cookbooks to have pictures in it so I know how the food is supposed to look. #2, it was a large book with lots of recipes, including crock-pot recipes. And #3 because the recipes seem to be "easy." These days, I don't have time to be in the kitchen for hours.

So, I will try some recipes and let you know how they are.

Tomorrow, will be Ciao Lasagna... it will be a sad goodbye.