Cravings

Let it be known - I miss meat. I'm almost 4 months in and I just want a calamari ring or a hot dog or a KFC Twister... You know, the stuff I dont eat ALL the time, but now that I cant have it, I just want it more. But I lived in London for two years and went the entire time without a Chicko Roll or my favourite noodles from a local noodle joint soooo... I'll get over it. I havent had any fake meat yet. I might just "treat" myself to some.

I think its about time I abstained from something else for a month too... like I said I would, but am still yet to do. January seems like the right time to do it. I'm thinking carbs. The silly season is probably going to see me ballooning out like Santa Claus so why the hell not. Plus its salad weather.

Which brings me to my next point - my new favourite salad.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas

Lentils

Alfalfa Sprouts

Avocado

Tomato (diced)

Spring onion (diced / chopped finely)

Clove of garlic

Handful of chopped fresh coriander

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Cayenne Pepper (optional / amount up to you)

Pinch of salt

- Cook the chickpeas and lentils if you havent bought them in a can. Rinse with cold water when finished.

- Mash up the avocado with the lemon juice, onion, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix in the tomato and coriander.

- Combine the chickpeas and lentils with the sprouts and chuck the avo mash on top!

I made a boo-boo

Surely it was bound to happen, no? Let it be known, for the record, that it was not intentional. Let me take you back to Saturday. It’s a hot day in a backyard. The drinks are out and the sausages are on the BBQ. The salads are bought to the table. In front of me sits one delicious looking lentil and bean salad.

No I didn’t just get swept up in the Aussie BBQ-ness and just chow down on a sausage sanga. I ate the salad. However, upon inspecting the leftovers on my plate, I noticed a smaller pinkish bean… It wasn’t a pink bean. It was a piece of bacon.

It wasn’t like I intentionally ate an entire rasher of bacon. I couldn’t even taste the bacon. I feel like my next month challenge should be to go vegan to counteract my miniscule meat consumption. Oh and that sugar free month never happened. You need to be prepared for that shit. And I wasn’t.

Exhibit A: The salad

Exhibit B: My own lentil salad. I thought it was about time I used the bag of lentils I bought aaaaaages ago. Just add a bit of totmato, cucumber, red onion, lemon juice, mint and HALOUMI *drool* and voila!

One Month

Its officially been one month since I dipped my toe in the vegetarian pool. I'm gradually learning to swim, so to speak. Sometimes I crave meat - mainly when I can smell it cooking or when Dad is making something awesome out of seafood. And once I almost forgot as I was about to grab a slice of salami. Granted there probably isnt all that much actual meat in it though.

I've decided that its probably time for the next challenge. I'm thinking of quitting sugar. Its been a bit of a vice lately. Plus, my pal Ali sent me the "I Quit Sugar" book which has some awesome looking recipes in it!
Either way, when I have made up my mind, the additional challenge will be starting on Monday, September 17th... I figure after a weekend consisting of a wedding, a day in the city and a concert, a month of clean eating wouldnt be the worst idea ever!

Bless my parents

My parents know I am a vegetarian, but I dont think they have quite grasped the full concept of what it means.

I thought Mum was pretty clued on to it when she made pea and ham soup and told me take a a few portions for myself before she put the ham in. Maybe she just forgot last night when she asked me if I was sure that I didnt want one of the chicken kievs.

Dad made me laugh on the way to the checkout when I went grocery shopping with him and Mum on the weekend...

Dad: "So, did you get all your gluten free stuff?"

Me: "Dad, I'm a vegetarian, not gluten intolerant"

They so funny :-)

The new lifestyle

Its been a whole five days. Whoa...

Haha, I've gone without meat for 5 days before. There was a week when I was living in London when I changed jobs and also changed pay days and I was living off packet soup and breadrolls for almost 2 weeks. And the occasional £1 Iceland frozen dinners. So going this long without any meat is nothing new to me. In fact, the only thing that has really changed in my life is telling people that I dont eat meat anymore. Everyone knows me as an omnivore - so on a few occasions this week, I have had to tell dinner hosts whom I have known for years that I wont be eating meat at dinner due to a lifestyle change.

I've found that intentionally cutting out meat from my diet has made me more concious of my food choices though. Being aware that my next big protein or iron ingestion isnt coming from a huge piece of steak or a chicken dish means that I am researching foods alternatives that provide these supplements. 

I had my second attempt of cooking tofu this week. The first time being a few years ago when it pretty much just fell apart when I put I put it in the fry pan. After that my tofu consumption either came in a restaurant / take away dish or from a ready-to-eat-packet.

Alas, taking some tips from various vegetarian blogs, my second attempt was a much bigger success!

Yummo! 

(I'm not being sarcastic. I actually really do like tofu)

I'm a vegetarian

That almost sounds strange to me. I know where meat comes from, but it still didnt stop me from eating it. Hell, I saw my Dad behead a chicken when I was 5 years old, but I still continued to eat chicken. Granted I didnt eat chicken for a while after that experience though...
 

I love meat as much as the next carnivore. While living in London my favourite place to eat was 64th & Social for the amazing steaks you'd get there.
 

In London I also realised how undisciplined I was am. I was always quitting smoking... until I had a few wines or one of my roommates were having one after a hard day. I was always abstaining from alcohol during the week... until an offer to go to a pub after work or to meet a friend I hadnt seen in ages. I was always on a diet... until I went to grab something from M&S or Tescos and found myself in the dessert section justifying a pastry because it was reduced from £3 down to 25p.
 

At first I considered abstaining from alcohol for a full year, but then I realised that would just be silly. I'm no fun sober. Haha, kidding. Or am I...?
 

I've gone without meat before... for a week or so. Never more than that though. I dont feel like it will be hard to give up, but I dont think it will be easy. Which is why, during my year without meat, I plan to give up another vice as well from time to time, for a month minimum. Alcohol, coffee, dairy, chocolate, carbs etc.
 

The purpose of the blog is basically to document the experience. People's reactions, body reactions, recipe posting, food discoveries, health discoveries, etc etc.
 

So here it goes. As of the 6th of August 2012, I will be meat-free for 365 days.