No...I'm not giving up leather. I have serious love for animal lovers...moreso if that love extends beyond pets. And those of you who know me know that I love my dog more than I love most people. I mean...look at that face.
But my desire to transition to a plant-based diet isn't a protest against the slaughter of animals. I saw Food, Inc. I swore I would never buy from Smithfield again (and I won't). It is sickening to me what our government is condoning in these farms and meat processing plants. Because of that, my pledge to the carnivores in my home is that when I do give them meat, it will be Organic, grass-fed goodness. I will no longer pump extra hormones and antibiotics into their bodies. MY decision to transition to a plant-based diet is based on the fact that I often feel like garbage after I consume animal products. Pork, in particular, has me running to the nearest bathroom in less than 10 minutes. The grease from fried chicken? Forget it...the stomach cramps are unbearable. As I mentioned yesterday, my body is changing as I age. I'm thrilled about some of those changes! Not so thrilled about others. I truly believe that transitioning to a plant-based diet will improve my mental clarity and help me shed that layer of subcutaneous fat that has been creeping up on me for the last few years (if you're in your 40's, you know what I'm talking about). Don't tell me I'm skinny enough...I hate it when people say that to me! I have a mirror, so I know what I look like to you. I know how I feel in my clothes, and I know this is the right decision for me.
On to last nights' dinner.
It was just Dean and me for dinner, and that always makes it less stressful. He's willing to try new meals, whereas my youngest is not so open. But I also had a crazy busy day yesterday and didn't really have the opportunity to dive into finding an awesome recipe, so I kept it basic. Baked potatoes! I can't remember when exactly, but at some point in my life I discovered that slathering a baked potato in butter and garlic salt was the way to go. I'd probably be embarrassed if someone had a tally of how many I've consumed over the years. For a time, it was a comfort food for me...like mac & cheese is for others. I'd pop a potato in the microwave, wait 5 minutes, and dig in! Of course, I often overcooked them, so they'd be shriveled and chewy on one end, but you could fix that with enough butter and garlic salt.
Last night, I fired up the oven and rubbed organic olive oil all over two beautiful taters. While they were cooking, I mixed together 1 cup of artichoke hearts, ¼ cup of the oil from the artichoke hearts, ¼ cup of diced kalamatta olives and about 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest. This was for my meat-free dinner.
It was fabulous! The oil from the artichoke hearts soaked into the potato, so I didn't even need the Vegan butter I scored (on sale) at the store yesterday. On a side note, I did try the Vegan butter, and it was fantastic! This was a filling and satisfying meal for me!
For the carnivore, I marinated some grass-fed strips of steak in a sesame ginger sauce and seared both sides in my piping hot iron skillet. I had lite sour cream and reduced fat cheese on the table for him, but darnit if he didn't have blue cheese crumbles squirreled away in the refrigerator. So his baked potato was just like mine, but with steak, sour cream and blue cheese crumbles. He was a happy camper! I told him while he was loading his potato that I needed a picture, but we started talking about something and I totally forgot. Sorry about that! By the time I realized it, his plate was half empty.
The upcoming weekend is going to be a challenge. We are kid-free again for dinner tonight, so we'll probably head over to our favorite Friday night hangout. I know my carnivore will eat chicken wings, but I'm going to have to order something new to stick to my Vegan commitment. I'll keep you posted!
