This Little Piggy Went to a Party

Last Friday evening, Matt and I attended a fundraising auction for my daughter's school.  The theme was a country hoe-down.  The theme was really raise as much money as possible, but the decorations and food need better direction than that.  On top of the checked table cloths was quite a spread.  Hummus, couscous, and fig & goat cheese sandwiches - because you know all the best cowboys come from the Middle East.  Wine tasting, whiskey tasting, beer tasting - it is thirsty work spending money!  It was really was a lovely evening.

I was doing so well until the passed hors doeuvre's came around.  I skipped the turkey meatballs, said no to the chicken on a stick, even refused the tiny steak sandwiches.  Then, then the man said those magic words, "Mini hot dog?" and held out a tray filled with small dough-wrapped bits of wonder.  Pigs in a blanket!  What kind of evil person says no to pigs in a blanket?  They are pigs, wrapped in a tiny blanket, just for your dining pleasure!  He even offered spicy brown mustard in which to dip these precious bites.

I will not say how many I ate, and whatever my husband says is not true (too low, I ate more when he wasn't looking.)  It seems hot dogs are the meat I cannot live without.  I'm not sure it is even meat.  If you don't know what is in the meat dish, does it count as eating meat?

Colored Eggs and Ham

Last weekend, I hosted Easter dinner for some of my extended family, 10 diners in all.  Among my guests, diet restrictions galore: gluten free, lactose intolerant, low-salt, Passover observance.  Add in some seriously picky eaters and others who demand certain foods for certain holidays (Easter = ham or lamb), my vegetarian needs were pretty low on my list of criteria for choosing a menu.

I made a ham, but I did not eat any of it.  For my first major holiday since I gave up meat, I was happy with this compromise.  I also served a chick pea rice pilaf which I ate as my main dish, but other people tried it and seemed to enjoy it.  I started with a leek and potato soup and an antipasto platter (a must at all Brown family events).  I served carrots, string beans, asparagus and baked potatoes.  My mother brought candy for the kids and some Peeps ended up in the microwave.  No one went home hungry and no one complained.  Trust me, this group would have let me know if there was a problem.

Most importantly, no one asked me about the vegetarian thing.  My eating was not a topic of conversation.  I was grateful.  My family can be pretty hard on anyone trying something different, so it was a big step.  I will see if that remains true when I go over to someone else's house for a holiday.

Same Time Next Year

Over the weekend, I was listening to an interview with author Delia Ephron.  She made an off-hand comment about how "no one makes tune-noodle casserole anymore."  At that very moment, I was cooking tuna-noodle casserole.  Sure, it is a dish out of the 1970s, and I have modified the recipe to make it tastier and healthier, but I love the stuff even if no one else eats it anymore.

Which got me thinking about food fashion.  I am not talking about weight-loss diets or restaurant fads, but the food we eat at home on a regular basis.  Some things will change based on changing notions of health - remember when eating liver was considered very healthy?  But even if you factor in that element, what we eat changes over time.  Why is that?

I am sure some of it has to do with the availability of ingredients, and the influence of immigrant groups, and changing lifestyles.  But beyond that, do people change what they want to eat?  I have made a decision to not eat meat, so of course my diet will be significantly different than it was even a year ago.  Will my vegetarian diet change in ten years?  Do taste buds change over time?  Will I like the same foods next year?

Will eating differently cause me to want to eat differently?

Is my tongue changing?

Now I made myself nervous.  I have to go spend some time staring in the mirror to make sure my tongue has not changed.  I'll let you know.

One Potato, Two Potato

Over the weekend, I made baked potatoes as a side dish for dinner.  I cannot remember the last time I made a baked potato, ate a baked potato or even thought about a baked potato.  My parents were coming over for dinner and I did not have a lot of active prep time, though throwing things in the oven to cook without me worked well, thus baked potatoes.

The baked potato made me so happy!  I don't put anything fancy on top of it, not even butter or sour cream, just a little salt.  Something so simple tasted so good.  I have been trying to cook such complex meals lately I have forgotten the joys of simple food.  I need to remind myself that I don't need to cook exotic flavors or fifty ingredients into a dish to make it work.  I do not need to compensate for the lack of meat.  Meatless food is delicious and healthy just as it is.  Meals can be satisfying in their simplicity.

Up next: peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

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.

Real Corinthian Leather

Way back in November, Matt and I decided to replace our family room couch.  Our old couch had survived 18 years and four moves and had seen better days.  We were ready for an upgrade.

The Green Monster

We chose a beautiful brown leather sofa that had to be imported from Norway.  So, all these months later, it finally arrived this weekend.  I was so excited.  As the delivery men brought it in, I realized it looked great with carpet and fit so nicely in the room.  Sarah had not been with us when we bought it, so I encouraged her to give it a try to see what she thought.  She sat down, announced it was very comfortable and very pretty, but then she noticed the one fatal flaw.

"Mom, if you are going vegetarian, how can you have a leather couch?  It's still a cow, right?"

I started to defend myself, to come up with some explanation - but...what if...except that...not exactly... - then I realized she was absolutely right.  I am a total hypocrite.

I confess I had not even thought of this.  How?  Maybe I just did not want to because I really wanted a leather couch.  How vegetarian do I want to be?  I know there are lots of people who not only forego meat and eggs, but also dairy and even honey.  How far is too far and how much is enough?  What is the difference between eating a dead cow and sitting on one?

The Prettiest Dead Cow Ever

I will think about that while I sit on my new couch.  It is awfully pretty, though, isn't it?

Freaky Friday

Growing up, Fridays during Lent meant two things: tuna fish sandwich for lunch, pizza for dinner.  I went to Catholic school, so this was true of my friends too.  Church teaching dictated meatless meals, so we went with the least exotic choices imaginable.  I never thought anything was wrong with this.  I was just jealous when my friends got chips in their lunchboxes.

Now I have to stretch my concept of what meatless meals can mean.  How can I replace the traditional plate of meat & potatoes with something just as satisfying?  In another month, we will be out of soup and stew weather, and I am going to have to expand my menu.  I cooked vegetable lo mein last night, which went over well, and a pesto vegetable pie earlier in the week went fast.  I am hoping the grill will open up some new possiblities rather than make my family yearn for steak.

I guess if all else fails, I can always make some tuna fish sandwiches.