Have you hugged your asparagus today?

pic courtesy of the Michigan Farmer's Market.  They really know how to grow 'em!

The votes have been cast and the decision is made.  Vive la vegetarian!  Today begins my month eating vegetarian.  I have toyed with the idea of vegetarianism for a while now.  A couple of years, in fact.  The reason why is sort of simple:  I do not like handling raw meat.  Ground beef and raw chicken gross me out.  I sort of gag just thinking about raw chicken.  Pink, slimy chicken with those little bits of fat...and sometimes a red veiny thing...  Eww sick I am grossing myself out just writing those words.

So handling raw meat is pretty ick to me.  And a couple of years ago I started thinking "what else in my life grosses me out so much, but is still ignored?".  I mean, I get sort of ill handling raw chicken but I ignore that every time and just prepare it and eat it anyway.  This isn't exactly consistent with most other areas of my life.  I don't think that everything we do must be pleasant.  I mean:

I change diapers every day.
I clean my bathroom every Monday.
I exercise and good grief that is not all that enjoyable.

But with all of those things at least there is a payoff that makes the discomfort or effort worthwhile. 

Clean diaper=happy, stink-free child. 
Clean bathroom=enjoyable bathroom experience and lack of shame when visitors come over.  Exercise=lower stress level and less overall jiggling of the body parts that are not meant to jiggle. 

The payoff for eating chicken and beef doesn't feel that great to me.  I enjoy it, but only if I sort of turn a blind eye to the preparation of it.

So yeah.  In the spirit of being fairly consistent with why I do what I do, I am motivated to cut the meat out.  That, and an overwhelming 66% of blog readers voted in my handy poll to change one thing in my diet this month. 

i prefer to eat fruits and vegetables that have been grouped by color.  thanks.

One reservation I have had in this has been the inconvenience or discomfort to other people.  I always wonder how frequently vegetarians have to sort of apologize for not eating meat, if they show up to an occasion and the main course is steak or something.  The host(ess) has prepared the meal, did not necessarily think to ask about diet considerations (which is becoming a more assumed question lately, I think), and the vegetarian has to try to be polite and considerate, but decline the main portion of the meal that was prepared for him or her.  I sort of cringe at that, but also don't really know how often that happens.  Or how big of a deal it really is. 

How exciting- this month I might experience that very thing and see how awkward I actually feel!  Quick!  Someone in Charlottesville- invite me over and prepare a big fat steak!  Let's put it to the test!

Maybe one week I will also cut out sugar.  Although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I don't really know what people mean when they say that.  Does that just mean no more sugar in my coffee and no candy?  That's a cinch.  Seems too easy.  Or does that mean reading labels and not eating anything with -ose as an ingredient (fructose, sucrose, dextrose)?  That would definitely up the ante. 

July Already?

Here it is, the 2nd day of July, and I am still not sure what my goal is for the month.  I just looked back at some ideas from April, and there are some really good ones.

I've narrowed it down to three:
1.  Try a variation on your diet for a month (no sugar, no gluten, no processed foods, vegetarian).
2.  Spend time with your husband every day, intentionally.  (Like, not just talking about bills and the logistics of running a home together). 
3.  Make something with your hands every day (gardening, a craft, a new recipe).

I think now is a good time to let you know something.  Some of these goals that I work on for a month at a time are often implemented strictly Monday through Friday, then loosely on the weekends.  I have been waking up at 6:30 in June, except on the Saturdays when the hubs is home and I sleep in a little later- like until (woohoo!) 8:30.  Is that cheating?  Does anyone feel slighted by this?

I have to make that clear.  I could work my tail off to be sugar free Monday through Friday, but then take a breather on Saturday.  Cutting corners?  Maybe.  Want to make something of it?

So- I'm taking votes!  What should I work on for July?  I'll close the official voting on Tuesday, July 5 so get your vote on.  Let's get out and Rock the Vote!

 If you are reading this post via Google Reader or another subscription, click on over to my real-live, legit blog and vote in my poll!

What to do with all that Spinach and Beer.

CSA killing you with all the spinach these days?  Feeling tired of trying to come up with another creative spinach salad idea?  Try spinach pesto.  My friend Erin introduced me to it, as a way to use up a bunch of spinach that is on the verge of getting wilty.  We have pesto pizza with a little feta and mozzarella and it is killer.

image from greenbabyguide

Spinach Pesto:


2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and de-stemmed
1/2 cup fresh parsley [I didn't have fresh, so I used dried parsley]
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts, toasted [walnuts are cheaper, so I used those]
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, fresh and not canned  [umm... totally used canned]
3 garlic cloves
2 tb extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper


Blend the heck out of it all in a food processor.  Taste it, add a pinch of that, a touch more of that, etc etc.  Store in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent discoloration, or freeze. 

My friend Erin also adds olives to hers for a little extra olive-y goodness.

image from recipes4us

Additionally, if you have one lone beer hanging out in your fridge that you aren't really partial to drinking, try beer bread.   (From "Come on In"- a cookbook from the women of Mitchell Road Presbyterian in G'vegas, SC). 

Beer Bread:

1 can of beer
4 tb sugar
2 2/3 cups self-rising flour
6 tb butter, melted


Pour beer into a large bowl.  Let fizz.  Stir in sugar.  Add self-rising flour and blend.  Dough should be lumpy and coarse.  Do not mix until smooth!  Spoon dough into a greased loaf pan.  Pour melted butter ON TOP of dough.  Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to an hour.

Enjoy warm.  If you eat it while standing in front of a mirror, you can actually see your bottom half getting bigger.  You might wonder if it is worth it.  You might eat half of the loaf while pondering this.

Enjoy!