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A very strange thing has happened to me lately, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I thought perhaps I had been abducted by aliens and had been replaced with someone who looks and sounds like me, but is not really me. Everything seems almost the same. I recognize everyone around me, I respond when people call my name, I recognize my image in the bathroom mirror ... but I am becoming ...--- cue the Twilight Zone music ---
a vegetarian! Yes! After years of enjoying roast beef, lamb, chicken, salmon, scallops, pork chops and ribs, I find I am enjoying vegetables more and more. How did this happen, you ask? I don't really know! It's not something I set out to do, but I find myself craving fruits and vegetables. Well, I have always enjoyed fruits and vegetables, but not to the exclusion of everything else. One of my favorite meals is a big bowl of vegetables -- everything but the kitchen sink. I steam everything and then mix it with a bit of black bean sauce -- not too much because black bean sauce is very salty, and let it all caramelize a little bit. Then I eat the whole Saturday night I went out for dinner with a friend to a Mexican restaurant. The menu was wonderful. After looking at it, I asked the waiter, "What kind of salads do you have?" I looked around to see who was speaking. Was this my voice coming out of my mouth? Apparently so! I ended up having grilled baby back ribs braised in orange juice and achiote with a honey and mezcal glaze. Oh, and a spinach salad with candied pecans, goat cheese, yams and and a tomato vinaigrette. I asked for two helpings of the salad, it was so delicious!
I think after a long, dreary winter, my body is craving the sunshine found in the nutritious vegetables. Perhaps in the summer I will go back to my normal way of eating, but I sort of hope not. I love veggies. Who knew!? Did you eat your veggies today?
Yesterday, my mom called me and said..."something strange has happened. I just cannot bring myself to eat meat anymore. I keep trying...I'll cook it, but then I can only look at it before giving up and putting it on the floor for the dog. Do you want all the meat from my freezer?"
ReplyDeleteI said "Sure." Now I'm looking at a freezer full of meat wondering if I'll be able to eat any of it. I secretly want to be a vegetarian too because, honestly, I think I just like fruits, veggies, and beans better.
I still love meat but i love veggies too! CAnt wait to get some veggies growing! Heirlooms from Baker Creek this year.
ReplyDeleteWell I haven't eaten red meat in years...and for the longest time the only thing I ate was chicken and fish....not to the liking of poor suffering husband...he is such a meat and potato man.....I love veggies....I made a stir fry last night...but I had to add some pork for the hubby....but I think I would agree with you...there is something about veggies that is very refreshing....
ReplyDeleteI find I don't enjoy meat as much as I once did and much prefer a dinner of vegetables (I'm going to try your way of making them!). I actually went vegetarian during my college days know I felt much better than when I eat meat.
ReplyDeleteWell, being from Texas, I love my beef. Vegetables are okay, but I have to have some meet every few days or so. lol
ReplyDeleteI must confess, one of my favorite meals is lamb in mint sauce... or a medium rare fillet mignon. In spite of carnivorous appetite, however, I find that I am loving salads more and more. Some of my favorite restaurants also happen to offer some of the best salads (Olive Garden, Paisano's). And when I am craving a snack, vegetables, and maybe some cheese, sounds the most appetizing.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the 'appetite of the masses' (if you will excuse the expression) seems to be moving away from meat to fruits and vegetables. With the state that our economy is in, maybe it's God's way of saying, "you had better start a garden; meat will be scarce in a short time."
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeleteNice motivation for people who want to give up eating me..but thats not me cause I've been a vegetarian all my life.
BTW you wrote that you do reply to all the comments that you get. So My dear where's my reply??
I love veggies too! I think when we listen to our bodies we always get the proper fuel for our best and most healthy life. I know of some great vegetarian cookbooks put out by the Moosewood Lodge. Everything is super Yum!
ReplyDeleteHere's a link in case you're interested :)
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=moosewood+cookbook&sprefix=moosewood
Happy Noshing :)
Jo! So this is the Mexican meal that you were talking about the other night! I don't blame you.
ReplyDelete... but as for me...... I am and always have been a meat and potatoes girl. I love a chili relleno (stuffed green chili), but it has to be lying next to a beef enchilada.
I think that you are going through a horrible phase, Jo. It will pass and you will be fine. :-) :-)
~Lorna
I guess thats a body reaction or craving that the stomach needs some rest and wants a change, believe me, you gonna go back to meat eating after a couple of months, but these vegge months, u will glow and feel so much better
ReplyDeleteBPO work from home
I've been a vegetarian for years but thought I'd try some baby back ribs when my husband, son and I went out last weekend. They smelled so good! I took a few nibbles off one of the bones and felt sick to my stomach, it tasted awful! I think after being away from it for so long I lost my taste for meat.
ReplyDeleteThat salad you wrote about sounded good, though, and so did your recipe for the vegetable bowl with black bean sauce. Mmmmm!
Well that just sounds yummy! I've been doing the same thing lately and thinking about the veggie garden, just waiting impatiently for Spring. One of my favorite meals lately is a giant Caribbean cobb salad with candied pecans. We should do lunch! :)
ReplyDeleteI love a good salad! I love Romain Lettace, with tomatos, and olives and carrots and those mini pickled corn on the cobs, but I also love grilled chicken in it with a a nice sweet orange dressing. Oh, and peacons! I like meat, like cheese burgers, ribs, rotisserie chichen, and turkey, but not so much a steak. I have been in an avocado mood lately! I can't wait for all the summer fruits to come out! So you enjoy those veggies! They are good for you too!
ReplyDeleteI love my meat, don't get me wrong, but some days I just can't understand why my mrs wants to make so kind of meat (red, chic or fish) every night. I have asked her and she doesn't really have an answer. I love my meat, don't get me wrong, but give me a taste of your vegetable bowl any time.
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation!
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago, I spent several months in Paris - all through the winter. I was surprised to find myself *craving* citrus fruits, especially clementines! I've never, ever been a big fan of citrus, but my guess is that, having not seen the sun about 4 or 5 months, my body was encouraging me to get the vitamins I needed elsewhere. Pretty amazing the way the body works.
About veggies, though - since I started off on a tangent there! ;) - I've been thinking lately that the fresh variety (not canned... bleck) does sound really good. We're planting a garden this year - the first we've had in over 10 years - and I'm soooo looking forward to the fresh produce! YUM!
(On another tangent, does it ever occur to you that MANY meat-lovers are men and MANY fruit-and-veggie people are women?? Maybe that's too much of a generality, but it seems to fit...)
I've been a vegetarian for... geez, almost ten years now. I could NEVER go back to eating meat. I'm not saying that I'm healthy all the time (unless cheese, ice cream, and french fries suddenly count as health food) but I do tend to eat a lot more green stuff than your average person, and I don't think my body could process meat anymore either. Honestly our digestive systems weren't meant to process as much meat as Americans eat. The only reason we eat this much now is because suddenly its available, affordable, and advertisers tell us to eat it. I do eat some fish, which makes my life easier-- you'd be surprised how many people out there still find vegetarianism completely foreign.
ReplyDeleteGo veggie! You won't regret it. But if you can't (it's not for everyone) I appreciate the fact that you're conscious of how much meat you eat and that you don't have to have it all the time. Just a couple nights a week of eating vegetarian is good not only for you but also for our fragile earth!
You've got me craving a bowl full of veggies now. :) I can't wait for spring! Think I might have to roll my desk chair and laptop outside today and enjoy our sudden and fleeting 70 degree weather today.
Sounds like your body is telling you just what it needs :-) I hadn't eaten beef in 16 years and when I was pregnant with my babies I kept craving hamburgers! Apparently I was severely iron deficient! What a grand thing the body is!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, thank you for your comment on my post. . .my silly blog won't let me make a return comment. No idea why.
I do hope you recover. The virus sounds horrible. You really eat vegetables and like them. You are in desperate need of help.
ReplyDeleteyes veggies are great and good for you but eating them exclusivly.......not for me. your body does tell you what it needs and i believe variety is the spice of life. eat well and enjoy, jc
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're eating a very healthful diet.
ReplyDeleteI don't like many cooked vegetables, but I like almost all of them raw. I love salads. I'm not a vegetarian, but I have no desire to ever eat beef or pork again. Unfortunately, I still have the desire for ice cream and chocolate.
My son still loves meat but for a year now has been a vegitarian. He is sliding a little toward veganism which I find a little irritating. Anyway whilst I applaud him, as I do you, I cannot understand it.
ReplyDeletebraised ribs? what kind of vegetables are those...heehee. remember, a little of this and a little of that go a long way.....jc
ReplyDeleteas a vegetarian myself, i welcome you into the twilight fold (;
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Jo! No, I don't think I've had enough veggies today. A salad for lunch followed by an apple really isn't enough to stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteIs chocolate one of the four major food groups? Yes, I think it is...!
ReplyDeleteI confess. I love a big steak. A lot. Along with hot bread. And sweet corn on the cob. And a big baked potato. And a cold glass of milk.
And I like eat at home (!!). When I eat I usually am reading a newspaper. It doesn't take much to keep me happy....!
Bailey likes to eat a rawhide chewy. But he likes steak, too!
Hi!!
ReplyDeleteI find that I can take meat or not.
When I go out I find Iam eating soup and salad's. It just seems that I can't get enough. It must be me getting older. I don't find meat that tastefully.
In my case, I used to love the meats than the vagetables, but i could not try meats lately. Beause Dr.warned my cholesterol...Would like to eat some meats more....only walking...vegetable...
ReplyDeleteI love meat but don't go for beef, eat lamb sometimes - fish and chicken is what I have been on since years, but now I have to eat veggies :( Turns out my cholestrol is rising (LDL). I am trying different ways to cook veggies and surviving since 2 months. Dont know how long I can do it.
ReplyDeleteJo ! thanks a ton for visiting and commenting on my blog 'Inner feeling'. I am going to take your advise and bring down the older posts. Thank you.
Good for you! I knew you were leaning this way. And how exciting for it to just happen.
ReplyDeleteI love three vegetarian cookbooks : Vegan with a Vengeance and Vegetarian slow cooker.
(clapping)) Well done!
Me too! My husband prefers meat at dinner, but I am finding it harder and harder to prepare. I gave up pork a while ago (when I found out they have the intelligence of two-year-olds.) Now I am having a hard time eating red meat. Chicken (organic, free range) seems to be okay. But since I have read about how factory farming treats animals, I'm ready to just eat veggies and beans. (If only I could get my husband to go along with it.)
ReplyDeleteMy youngest daughter is veggie.
Yep, we had sauteed crimini shrooms tonight and tomorrow I'm getting a chicken stir fry. Yummy! I think your theory about craving the nutrition from things grown in the sun might be right on. Oh! I also made a fresh fruit salad today, too.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha:) You made me laugh Jo! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteSo why are you complaining about this? Your body is warning you by saying "Heellpp i don't wanna eat any meat anymore, all i need is fresh vegetable"...:) Maybe this is the real Jo in you?
Hugs
I was a vegetarian for about 5 years, and I enjoyed it very much. There were things I can't eat, though, like peppers. That makes it a little difficult to eat out, because everything vegetarian is full of peppers!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am gravitating more towards vegetables and fruits again, too, because meat is starting to really be too heavy for my aging tummy. Fruits and veggies are so healthy for you. I applaud you!
Peace - D
This morning I am eating my ham and cheese sandwich - which I ALWAYS eat early in the morning! Is cheese a vegetable?? Close?? Sort of??? Oh well.. never mind! Heh!
ReplyDeleteHow 'buot if I eat this ham and cheese sandwich and THINK about vegetables!! Take care...
I haven't eaten meat in forty years.Not a conscious decision, I just stopped. Don't even like to walk by the meat section of the market. You can lead a very healthy life without meat. I wouldn't try to convert you meat-eaters. It's just not for me anymore.
ReplyDeleteOh damn.
ReplyDeleteAfter a week of trying to write on a full moon, I can hardly write a line. I am a veg.
Hey, how atbout the eating scene in that old movie, Tom Jones?
The erotic trencherman and his wench,equally lascivious.
Jo, I like the fun and goofy idea for Valentines :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's John Singer Sargent's portrait of Lady Agnew. I just love the expression on her face. He's one of my favorite artists, with Whistler and Caillebotte and Klimt. I think I should have been born an artists' muse at the turn of the last century.
I've been veggie for nearly 10 years. Best decision I've ever made.
ReplyDeleteMy mom almost strangled me last year when I became an ovo-lacto-vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteBut I can tell you, it's good for the body and soul!
AND as long as you have fun with that lifestyle, that's great!
P.S.: If you're even partially serious about it, you should check wikipedia on that topic and/or google the word vegetarianism for more info.
I've been a vegetarian for almost 12 years, and I want to recommend two cook books which are fantastic!
ReplyDelete(1)How It All Vegan - with recipes so yummy, it makes me consider veganism for a brief second. Then I flee back to cheese and honey, because I can't live without them.
(2)The Rebar Cookbook - straight from the restaurant of the same name in Victoria. Mmmmm!
I had a tomato with my rice and fried pork. But then I think tomato is a fruit. Or both a veggie and a fruit.
ReplyDeleteHi, i think tomato would pass both for fruit and veggie.. i read in the Bratinnica..
ReplyDeleteWork from home