A Very Veggie New Year

Remember a couple weeks ago when I mentioned that I'd be trying to incorporate more vegetarian recipes into our diet? Well, it turns out that every time I eat meat I am doubled over with a painful, heavy stomachache for days at a time so instead of simply adding a few more meatless meals a week I'm going "cold tofu". I've toyed with the idea for years for many different reasons but it feels like it's going to stick this time. Yes, it's great that I won't be contributing to the slaughter of animals and also (though somewhat passively) am making a choice to better the environment. Fantastic. But in all honesty the driving force behind this is an unwillingness to feel like absolute poo for several days. I will be the first to admit that there are going to be some very rocky moments ahead. I love breakfast meats, and Chicago-style hot dogs, and a beer-boiled bratwurst in the summer with a slab of sauerkraut has been my own personal nirvana. The very American notion of dinner consisting of a meat, a starch, and a vegetable is also highly ingrained and may be difficult to contend with. But there are also so many wonderful flavors out there waiting to be explored and this new lifestyle presents an exciting opportunity to learn about different foods, try some delicious new dishes, and grow in the kitchen!