Cookin' Veggies

As I whipped up some walnut-encrusted artichoke hearts for supper the other night, I got to thinking about... like... my nutrition journey? (I hope you read that with the appropriate level of vacuousness.) Ditching the meat-eating has resulted in a fun shift in my mealtimes. We eat much more variety than ever before. We buy the frightening, foreign vegetables in the grocery store and then figure out how to cook them. We have "mastered" cooking techniques from around the globe, and by that I mean that we can make basic ethnic dishes without using a recipe. That makes a person feel very capable. We cook more, we try more, we increase our variety of vitamins and minerals! I've always liked cooking. Remember 10 year old Lue, whipping up creme brûlée after seeing it on the food network? But since factory farming spoiled my appetite, I've really gotten into a "learning and discovery" side of cooking that I'd never taken the time for. 

Here I am breaking at least two health and safety regulations. 

As for Brett, he loves it too and I'm not just saying that because I'm the author of this story. He's the king of kitchen experiments so in some ways, he sees it as a fun challenge. He does still eat meat, usually for lunch, but has been glad to skip it at suppertime as his part of reducing the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Aren't we a pair? 
He admitted that my initial declaration of vegetarianism worried him. He assumed we'd live a life of rice and beans, becoming even more lean and scary-looking, but I really blew him out of the water on the first month and he's enjoyed it ever since. 

Which got me to thinking about the varying reactions of my family members. 
When I said, "I'm not eating meat anymore"...

Dad: Supportive but confused. "You can't to that! You'll die!" From the start, he swapped to humanely-raised animal products and prepared extra veggies for me at Sunday dinner. As time has passed, he's asked lots of questions about factory farming, offered business insights on advocacy tactics, expressed pride in his "little activist", and cut down his own meat-eating because the research has gotten to him. "You're right about all this, Lue." (-not a direct quote.)

Mom: Confused and ever-so-slightly annoyed. There was a clear and present eye-roll. Since that initial and signature Guy-family reaction, Mom gracefully accepted my decision and moved on. Sometimes she forgets though, and offers me "the best grilled chicken Dad's ever made!" and then when I decline she goes, "Oh, right."

Lee: "That's cool." Lee just lets a person be who they are. I love that about Lee. As a water fella, he pointed me towards some happy fish protection programs and understands my appreciation for nature and critters.

Caroline, Ellie, Ari, Nate, Alex, Jessie, any and all of our friends: "Oh, ok. So anyways..."

Ellen: Immediate ridicule. She does not want to hear anything about animal cruelty (understandable) and subsequently chooses the path of cognitive dissonance so that she can enjoy her favorite protein sources.  She believes in protein even though I've sited the many sources that say Americans eat more protein than they need. If anything is ever wrong in my life, she tells me it's because I don't eat meat. I cannot be tired, achy, or congested without her reminding me of my dietary choices. If Brett eats multiple servings of supper (which he always has) she accuses me of not feeding him any meat. "Poor guy must be starving!" If I cook for the family and only provide enough meat for small servings (as dietary guidelines would recommend) she chastises me and called me a "loser." Last week she asked Mom and Dad where they think they went wrong with me.

For record, she and I both laugh while she cuts me down... so she only half means it.