Veg Pledge: The End

Our pledge to be vegetarians ended last weekend with a return to chicken and ham and the like.  But the kids didn't run from vegetarianism screaming.  They even decided that we should spend more meals meat-free, with a special vegetable of the week that we try in a few ways. I realize I have to make more sides for their lunchboxes and for dinner, more fruits and vegetables than we already have to augment the meal.  I had found a few more dishes--baked potatoes, Sumi slaw--the kids would eat.  I did like that we were all eating the same thing, even with all the cheese, and I miss that simplicity and synchronicity.  But, with a few more nights a week of veg, we'll have more of that.  So, I'd say it was a successful week!

Veg Pledge: Day 4

We're still vegetarians!

Or, cheesetarians.

I'll have to do a vegan purge to get all of the cheddar out of my system!  But oh, it tastes good.

Last night:  corn soup without the curry powder and still Sis objected and had broccoli noodle leftovers.  Mama and I agreed that the corn soup would be good with cheese!  Or green chilies or even potatoes.  Bud had his "purple slaw" which he really likes.  It's good on a baked potato, too, as we discovered Monday night.

Today, after yogurt and homemade granola for breakfast, there are leftovers for lunch along with cookie bars we made after school (chocolate chip for her, raspberry for him).  Dinner . . . I don't know.  Dutch babies?  We need to eat salad because lettuce is taking over my fridge.  But salad and pancakes don't really go . . . . hmmm, quesadillas and/or omelets?  Perhaps with baby spinach a la Mark Bittman?

With cheese, of course.

Veg Pledge: The First 1 1/2 Days

Yesterday, we started our whole family pledge to be vegetarians for a week.

So far, so good.

We had homemade biscuits for breakfast, with jam or honey.

We snacked on nachos--corn chips and shredded cheese.

For lunch, we actually had corn dogs.  Vegetarian corn dogs, Mama Hungry's choice.  Sure, fake meat isn't exactly the point of the week, but the kids learned they could like it.  In fact, Bud didn't believe it wasn't meat.  Which I guess means he hasn't had too many corn dogs!  We balanced it by polishing off half a watermelon and a quart of strawberries.   Neither organic.  We're suspending our organic standards a bit to encourage fruit and vegetable eating this week.  And there just aren't a lot of organic choices in the stores right now (at least the stores we can get to).  Besides, as Mark Bittman notes, if you don't make whole food choices, then organic really isn't your most important food issue (I'm not always good at that, foregoing non-organic grapes for processed organic snacks.  Bassackwards sometimes.  But I'm trying.)

For a snack, while we played Junior Scrabble we had crudites with dill dip.  Bud even tried sugar snap peas, though he only liked 2/3 of one.  But he likes celery and Sis likes carrots, without dip, so fine.

Dinner was broccoli noodle soup.  With more cheese!  And my  kids don't even really like cheese.  But I can see that, even so, our dairy intake is increasing somewhat.

No complaints, no concerns.  In fact, they hardly seemed to register that they didn't have meat.

This morning, they had yogurt and took macaroni and cheese, with corn, for lunch, along with dried mangoes and fresh grapes.

We'll probably have peach smoothies or popcorn after school.  Dinner will be baked potato bar, including roasted broccoli, probably more cheese, and a cabbage slaw on the side, perhaps something else for Bud who doesn't like potatoes.

I have a few observations so far:

• Meat is easy.  And even as a vegetarian, I used meat when I was lazy in cooking them dinner.  Just like I use beans for myself.  But that's not an option for them.  I'm definitely having to work harder both to plan and to cook.
• Taking this pledge makes me bring my best game.   I can tell that I'm trying really hard to have variety, old favorites and new tastes, and choice.  I'll be shopping and chopping and cooking more.
• I don't know what I'm going to feed them for lunch.  Today, macaroni and cheese; tomorrow, grilled cheese.  Wednesday, quesadillas?  Ugh.  What else?  They don't eat nuts or seeds.  Protein is going to be a problem.  It can't be cheese all the time. 

Looking forward to the rest of the week.

Happy Earth Day!

It's Earth Day . . . and our plan to have a picnic has been washed out, according to the forecast.

But we have decided on another way to honor the day:  we're all going vegetarian for a week!

Yep, we discussed it at dinner on Friday and agreed it would be a good thing to try--to increase awareness of how much meat our family consumes, experience new foods, focus on health, reduce our carbon footprint some for the week.  Sis only agreed after consulting the school menu for the week to make sure her beloved chicken nuggets weren't listed!

We  made a long list of our usual family favorites--grilled cheese, Dutch baby pancakes, omelets, cauliflower bow tie pasta, broccoli noodle soup, vegetable fried rice, vegetable noodles, corn soup, fettuccine, among others--and agreed to try a few new things. Of course, I have several veg or nearly veg cookbooks.  But one thing about those recipes doesn't fit for us:  the overabundance of cheese or faux cheese (we're not doing vegan, just vegetarian).  My kids just aren't into dairy.  So we'll have think outside the box.

It's not quite the dramatic event of my Bread Pledge a few years ago, but it's an adventure we can share together for a little while.