Do not be jealous of the burn on got along the vein of my arm (or my my long, blond body hairs or my crumpled double chin – what IS that?).
You know you are veiny when…. your veins stand out so much from the surface of your arm that they are the first things to burn when you are getting home-made margherita pizza out of the oven. Speaking of margherita pizza, it was good and I used this recipe.
We are eating a bit more meatless and semi meatless around here because guess who decided they were a vegetarian about a month ago?
No, it’s not Heidi. In fact, Heidi still eats beef, turkey, underwear, other dog’s turds, etc. But, Ms. Emma on the other hand…
I saw this coming over the past six months. We would be sitting at the dinner table eating something, say along the lines of bacon, and Emma would ask, “What animal is this?” I’d tell her it was a pig that tasted really crispy and delicious. She’d ask me if I ever felt bad for eating an animal. I would pause as if I was really thinking about it and tell her, “No, not really.”
Because I like meat. Kind of a lot. I, too, went through a vegetarian phase in my 20s. It involved Doritos and beer for the most part. There is nothing wrong with being veggie, obviously, but I just like meat. I realize that there are health implications to this as well as environmental and ethical issues, but I like meat.
I am fine with Emma being a temporary or permanent vegetarian. As long as she gets her protein and iron and other stuff, it’s okay. What I am not fine with is being a short order cook. That means that on the nights we have meat, she will need to figure out what her substitute will be and make it herself. I told her she needed to do her research to find out which foods are healthy and good sources of protein. For her, this means, eggs, fish (yes she still eats that), beans, quinoa, edamame…she is not a huge tofu fan.
We don't eat a ton of meat, but I do slip it into lots of things (TWSS) – casseroles, tacos, enchiladas, pastas. For the most part, it’s not that tough to keep the meat out of Emma’ s portions.
I do not, however, have a wide repertoire of meatless dishes. These are my few favorite recipes that the whole family actually eats (we go completely meatless at least one to two times per week):
- Meatless Manicotti
- Easy Spinach Lasagna
- Rice and Beans Casserole with Guacamole
- Spinach Pie
- Any kind of veggie quiche
- Breakfast Burritos (basically scrambled eggs/hash browns, put in tortilla with salsa and avocado)
- Pasta with Sauce (recipe = box of spaghetti and Ragu sauce)
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers
- Home-Made Pizza
- Thai Peanut Quinoa Bowls (I leave out the chicken)
- Black Bean Soup w/Cheese Quesadillas (for soup, warm up 2 cans black beans, add salsa, top with sour cream/cheese)
Now it’s your turn. Give me one idea/recipe for a veggie meal that your family will eat (please don’t tell me spaghetti squash is a substitute for pasta and no one knows it is not really pasta because I will CALL YOU OUT).
Oh, and I did run today. Me + 6 miles + Boulder Reservoir = just okay. I felt tired and gassy. Probably too much quinoa.
Any vegetarians in your house?
SUAR