You Are What You Eat

When non-vegetarians find out that I'm a vegetarian, I get two things: the question, "Why did you decide to become a vegetarian?"; and a strange, defensive, weary look. It's almost as though people think I'm automatically judging them for eating meat. I never judge anyone for their choices in food. I love, love, love food, and support everyone's right to their own food choices. The only people I judge are people who don't get as excited as I do about their food. I get pretty stoked about my food. I love cooking food, reading about food, watching shows on food, and talking to people about food. I have been following so many food blogs that I decided to start blogging myself, posting my thoughts (which mostly entertain only me), and also posting recipes I adore. Aside from being a foodie, I'm also a very big proponent of eating healthy foods that not only benefit the body, but eating foods that benefit the earth.

If you were wondering why I became a vegetarian five years ago (as most carnivores do), I'll tell you! Again, if you're a meat eater, no judgement. Who am I to judge? I eat more than teenage boys in one sitting. I'm not joking. I can eat more than most men I know, including my boyfriend. I always find myself up getting seconds before he's even finished with his first plate. Most everything I do is around food and what I'm going to eat. But, I digress... so, why did I become a veggie. Well, first and foremost, I've always loved vegetables. I started going to restaurants and ordering things without the meat. I'd want the chicken, cheese and avocado sandwich, but to me, the chicken just got in the way of the condiments and delicious cheese and avocado. I started eating less and less meat due to my palate, and then, I read a little book called "Skinny Bitch" that changed the way I looked at meat forever. I also watched a few movies, one being "Fast Food Nation", and I started researching how my food was getting to my table. I didn't like what I read or what I watched, and the decision for me to stop eating meat was really easy. As much as I love, love love animals, I also realize that in the food chain of life, humans have been eating animals to survive since the beginning of time. But the meat has changed. It's full of hormones and it's over processed, and when I stopped eating meat, I felt so much better. So I'm not PETA who will throw red paint on people or start using breastmilk in ice cream instead of cow's milk or anything crazy like that. This way of eating just works best for me. And, if I ever decide I really, really want a hamburger, then I'll go to Whole Foods or a local farmer who I can trust has raised their cows like a cow, and not just like cattle, buy the meat, and cook it myself. I can tell you, in complete confidence, that I will never, ever buy anything from McDonald's. Wait, I take that back. The vanilla cones are delicious.

So, enjoy my recipes. Eat well, eat healthy, and eat like you mean it.