There's a Word for That

German is a great language.  It has given us such wonderful words as kindergarten, schadenfreude, and, my new favorite kummerspeck.  What does it mean?  Well, according to the book Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders, it "refers to the excess weight we gain from emotional overeating."  The literal translation is even better: "grief-bacon."

I certainly have my own share of kummerspeck, even if there has never been any bacon involved.  Even before I stopped eating meat, I never cared much for bacon.  But grief bacon?  That sounds rather tasty.

Stop in the Name of the Vegetable Police

Earlier this month, the family took a trip to Maine.  I was really looking forward to eating some fresh lobster.

"My goal for this trip is to have a lobster roll every day," I told Sarah.
"That doesn't sound very vegetarian, Mom," Sarah answered.
"True," I said, "but I don't think the vegetarian police are going to come after me."
"Maybe they will," Sarah laughed.

I realized the source of my discomfort with the whole vegetarian thing.  It is not asking other people to make adjustments for me or missing certain foods, it is the label!  Who gets to decide what "vegetarian" means?  Who gets to tell me what I can and cannot eat?  And why do I need rules?

I care deeply about the environment and that is my motivation for giving up meat.  Meat production requires an incredible amount of resources and I want to take even the tiniest steps that I can.  I want to make sustainable choices when it comes to food.  I need to do more research so I can make better decisions, but in the meantime I have to get rid of the guilt!

Lobster, thankfully, is very sustainable, and very delicious.

Editor's Note:  I have been a bad blogger this summer.  No excuses, just an apology.  Rededicated to write more frequently!

Frostie the Snow Goat

I have been thinking a lot about why giving up meat seems like the right thing to do.  When someone asks me why I am going veg, I say, "I am just more comfortable with it."  I have not been able to articulate my thoughts much better than that.  I am no zealot and I will never be comfortable going out and beating the drum for a cause.

I came across this video of Frostie the Snow Goat from Edgar's Mission.  Am I imposing human emotions on a baby goat?  Probably.  But it is still the most joyful things I have seen in a long time.

There is a wonderful quote on the website, "If we could live happy and healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn't we?"  I think I like that answer better than anything else I've heard.

And seriously, Frostie the Snow Goat, with wheels.

Not Hardcore

I found a quiz today on Huffington Post, "How Hardcore Vegetarian Are You?" I assumed the answer for me would be "are you kidding?" but I decided to take it anyway.  After a few multiple choice questions, I got my answer.  "You're Vegetarian-friendly."  What does that mean?  Glad you asked:  "You might follow a vegetarian diet, but you're not about to put anyone out about your meat-free choices.  You'll eat a steak if invited to someone's house for dinner, and you never want to ask the waitress if the soup is made with chicken broth."

I should be scared about how accurate this is, but I actually feel much better.  First, this silly little quiz was able to articulate my philosophy on this vegetarian thing so much than I ever have been able to, no matter how many blog entries I write.  Second, if the quiz has a description like this, I cannot be alone in my thinking.  I don't have to be strident or extreme or political about this.  I can just be me.

People Who Need People

I checked out a whole stack of vegetarian cookbooks from the library yesterday.  As the librarian scanned the books, she asked, "Who is the vegetarian?"

"I am," I answered definitively.  Yeah, that did not last.  "Well, sort of.  I'm trying.  Seeing what works."  My voice trailed off.  Ugh, I sound like a kid trying to explain being late for curfew.

"I've been a vegetarian all my life," the librarian said and smiled.  "My kids, though, you know kids.  They do what they want."

I really wanted to start asking questions.  All your life?  What do eat every night for dinner?  How do you handle parties? What do you do when you go over to someone house?  Don't you get tired of all the thinking about food?

Instead, I made some nonsensical comment about kids and parents, and took my books and left.

I realize I need people.  Books and websites only get you so far.  I need to talk to real people about this.

Meet the Family

That's our 11-year-old daughter, Sarah.  She is smart, sassy, sensitive and silly.  She is also very skinny.  In the last couple of years, we have had a real problem getting enough calories into her to keep her growing the way she should.  Sarah is an adventurous eater with a taste for the exotic so we have never had to deal with picky eating.  While Sarah is all for this going vegetarian experiment, if there is a choice between not getting enough calories or eating meat, I am going to feed her meat.

I have been married to my husband Matt for 17 years.  He hosts a party every summer he calls "Ribfest."  He owns a smoker and has spent a lot of time perfecting his dry rub mix and homemade barbecue sauce.  His job takes him to some of the meatiest restaurants in New York City, like the Capitol Grill, the 21 Club and Bobby Van's.  He will not be going vegetarian with me.  That said, Matt is willing to eat what I cook even if another chicken never crosses his plate.  "That's okay," he told me, "I don't really like chicken anyway."

What he does like is taking pictures of food - food he cooked, food he ordered, food other people are eating.  Our vacation photos are peppered with plate shots.

A few samples of his cooking:

jambalaya

pulled pork & cole slaw

couscous & Moroccan beef

Speaking of carnivores,

That's our Lucy.  You can tell that this vicious killer is descended from a wolf.  She has a delicate stomach, skin allergies and an anxiety disorder.  I am not changing her food.