Day 31 Or... Vegetarian for a Month

One month.

Let me rephrase that, one month... finished!
If I can be vegetarian for a month, anybody can do it.
How 'bout you try it? I think you'll like it.

- What did I eat on Day 31?

Breakfast. Raisin Bran. It was a hard decision, we have eight boxes of cereal to choose from right now. But, I went with a classic.

Lunch. Leftover rigatoni. Still tasty, even when reheated in the microwave.

Dinner. I had baked potatoes with Sockarooni sauce over them with salad. Now that was a quick, simple, delicious meal!

I have too much to do tonight to make this blog entry much longer, but you should know that as the end date approaches I find myself less and less excited about the possibility of eating meat.
Maybe there's something wrong with me.

31 days down. Just 9 to go!

Day 30 Or... Too Much Pasta

Too much of a good thing?
Lately, I made a conscious decision to take a break from meat substitutes like textured vegetable protein and focus on other meals. Unfortunately, that has resulted in the consumption of lots of pasta and very little else.

Thankfully, a trip to the grocery store is coming soon and with it, lots of new recipes to try for the remainder of the Go Veg Project.

- What did I eat on Day 30?

Breakfast. Cocoa Pebbles. Mmmm...

Lunch. I made some very tasty red beans and rice.

Dinner. Tonight we dined on rigatoni with Newman's Own Sockarooni sauce and we had a fresh salad salad to go with it. Sockarooni sauce, as its name perhaps implies is intended to knock your socks off with its flavorful ingredients: peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and lots of spices. I'd like to add, if I haven't already, that I really love that the labels on Newman's Own sauces say, "P.S. Non-vegetarians add meat as desired." It's much more subtle and welcoming to the non-vegetarians out there than some giant scary "100% vegetarian" label.

30 days down! 10 to go!
Can you believe it?

Day 29 Or... Vegetable Lasagna to the Rescue

Vegetarian dinner for 10?

We had seven members of the campus newspaper staff over tonight which meant a grand total of 10 people for dinner. For a guy that usually cooks for three, the idea of cooking that much vegetarian friendly food seemed overwhelming. Panic

Luckily, I discovered the "party size" version of Stouffer's vegetable lasagna. This lasagna featured layered pasta between a fantastic cheese sauce mixed with carrots, spinach, broccoli and onions then topped with cheesy bread crumbs. And the party size made 12 servings, which made more than enough for everyone.

How was it? It honestly may have been the best lasagna that I've ever had. All those vegetables, tender pasta, and the cheesy Alfredo-esque sauce... delicious. It was a big hit. I think everyone enjoyed it.

Sadly, I couldn't take credit for making such a tasty dish, though I was tempted to pass it off as my own creation. However, I did encourage everyone to write Stouffer's and compliment them on their fine entree. No meat; what a treat!

- What did I eat on Day 29?

Breakfast. I had a banana for breakfast. Then, as a mid-morning snack I bought I lemon pie. Sadly, I'm not sure if there was any real lemon in my lemon pie, but, thankfully, there was no meat.

Lunch. I was in a hurry at lunch but I wolfed down a cheese sandwich.

Dinner. The vegetable lasagna with Italian bread. Yum.

29 days down. 11 to go.

Day 28... There's Beef in That?!?

Last night I purchased a pack of Hostess Cinnamon rolls.
This morning, I woke up excited about devouring a cinnamon roll because I had been craving them for quite some time. But with this great experiment, comes great responsibility.

If I've learned one thing as a part of this Go Veg Project, it's that vegetarians need to read every ingredient list that they can just to be safe. Oddly enough, you never know what will have a trace of meat in it... Jell-O, marshmallows, Cracker Barrel's green beans.

So, before tearing open the package of sweet rolls, I scanned the ingredient list and came across the usual things: flour, sugar, cinnamon, etc. Then, I saw the most unexpected ingredient listed farther down the list... beef fat.

I have to admit that I did a double-take when I read it. A triple-take even. Frantic and dismayed, I thought, "There's no way! Really? Beef fat? There's beef fat in this!?!"

But, it's true. You can pick up a package and check for yourself. That soft, sweet, gooey Hostess cinnamon roll contains more than you ever bargained for. It contains traces of beef fat, that stuff you trim off of your steak because it would be disgusting to eat. I have to admit that 12 hours later, as I write this, I'm still grossed out.

Who would have thought that, by eating a cinnamon roll, I could have ruined the Go Veg Project?

Mmmm... cinnamon rolls anyone?

-What did I eat on Day 28?

Breakfast. No cinnamon roll for me. I did enjoy a juicy pear though. The pear didn't have any beef fat in it.

Lunch. For lunch I had a peanut butter and honey sandwich with some fresh cut apple slices.

Dinner. For dinner, we thought we could make a vegetarian Manwich. PETA's "I can't believe it's vegan" list confirmed that a can of Manwich is meat-free. For me this was really exciting news, because I figured I could just mix my old-favorite Manwich sauce with some TVP meat substitute and have a good meal. I turned to the same trusted "meat" crumbles that had provided the basis for my tasty meatless loaf.

Only, the textured vegetable protein + the Manwich resulted in a mixture that looked like dog food and that tasted horrible. It was a lousy excuse for an entree. I fixed a salad to accompany the french fries, but I couldn't really salvage dinner. Good grief. Who would have thought it would turn out so bad?

28 days down. 12 to go!

Day 27 Or... Pizza, Pizza, Grilled Cheese

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." - Albert Einstein.

"All normal people love meat. If I went to a barbecue and there was no meat, I would say, 'Yo Goober! Where's the meat?' I'm trying to impress people here... You don't win friends with salad." - Homer Simpson.

- What did I eat on Day 27?

Breakfast. Cold pizza.

Lunch. Warm (microwaved) pizza.

Dinner. Carolyn made me a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich which I enjoyed with fries and celery.

I was especially lacking in the fruits and veggies department today, but there's always tomorrow.

27 days down. 13 to go.

Day 26... Or Two Weeks Remain

Two weeks left. I can hardly believe it. I can eat meat in 14 days. The strangest thing to admit is that some days, I'm not excited about eating meat at all. But, that's a different post for a different day.

Today, thanks to my friend and co-worker Tanna, I received about half a dozen issues of "Vegetarian Times." I haven't looked through them yet, but I'm sure I'll find an interesting nugget or two in there... pun intended. "Vegetarian Times" has been a trusted information source for vegetarians for more than 30 years. I'm excited to find a new recipe or two in the magazines and I'm hopeful that there will be a few articles worth discussing as well.

Also, I'd encourage you to take the "Veg Quiz" that "Vegetarian Times" has posted. And let me know how you do. To be honest, I only missed one of the seven questions: the one about how much iron vegetarians need. Apparently, I've learned a lot during this experiment. I certainly wouldn't have been able to pass the quiz a month ago.

- What did I eat on Day 26?

Breakfast. Kellogg's Raisin Bran is always great. Then, I had half of a juicy pear.

Lunch. Rotel dip with some rolls. 0% healthy. 100% tasty.

Dinner. I had a small spinach salad and Little Caeasar's cheese pizza, which if you remember, is vegetarian friendly.

26 days down. 14 to go!

Day 25 Or... A Hectic Day

I feel overwhelmed. Today was beyond busy and my to-do list should be scoffing at me.

However, thankfully, today was one of those days where being a vegetarian was easy. You could say I'm coasting on the success of yesterday's meatless loaf and, at the same time, I'm encouraged by tonight's Rotel inspired recipe. With only 15 days left of the Go Veg Project, it seems like there's no chance that I won't finish this 40 day experiment.

- What did I eat on Day 25?

Breakfast. Toast and some OJ.

Lunch. The leftover meatless loaf. Again, I maintain that it tastes amazing.

Dinner. New recipe #13: Rotel dip with finely chopped broccoli served over kluski pasta noodles. I'll be honest, I've made Rotel dip before and it is glorious. But, this new variation of adding broccoli and serving it over kluski noodles made for a nice meal.

To make the rotel dip, simply follow the standard recipe for Rotel famous queso dip using Velveeta and 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained. Then, while the dip is being heated and mixed, steam about 6 ounces of finely chopped broccoli until it reaches the desired tenderness. At the same time, boil the kluski nooodles according to the package, about 10 minutes. I recommend using Amish Kitchens extra-thick kluski egg noodles.

25 days down. 15 to go.

Day 24 Or... Meatless Loaf

I've always enjoyed meatloaf much more than the average person. Trust me. There's probably a bar graph somewhere to prove it, or at least there should be. I'm probably the only reason that the meatloaf sandwich exists on menus of restaurants like Cracker Barrel.

So, when I gave up meat, you can imagine that I had written off meatloaf as something I couldn't enjoy for 40 days. It's a loaf of meat for crying out loud.

Then, while browsing some vegetarian recipes at the Morningstar Farms website, I came across a recipe for "meatless loaf." It sounded like an oxymoron to say the least... perhaps the equivalent of hot ice cream or toast without bread. Yet, the curiosity got the best of me and I made it for dinner tonight.

Using some TVP crumbles, onions, celery, bread crumbs, eggs, Italian seasoning and ketchup, I waited patiently as the concoction baked in the oven for an hour. It smelled fantastic, but my experience in vegetarian cooking has told me that a pleasing smell doesn't guarantee good eats.

My beautiful wife and I raised our forks and gave each other a quick look of uneasiness, then we took our first bite. At that point, Isaiah was already verbally asking for more, but that wasn't enough to set our minds at ease.

I have to tell you that it honestly tasted amazing. It obviously didn't taste exactly like meat, but it did taste savory and flavorful. Carolyn pointed out that it tasted like Stovetop stuffing and in a way it did. At the same time, it also tasted a lot like the traditional meatloaf that I had been missing for weeks. I didn't have to pep talk myself into thinking that it tasted fabulous, because it really was great. We demolished almost the entire half-pound of "meatless loaf."

This goes to show you, that you can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a recipe by its name.

- What did I eat on Day 24?

Breakfast. Honey Graham Ohs. The box is almost empty, luckily it reminds me that Honey Graham Ohs are "always a great value!"

Lunch. Leftover vegetarian fajitas... not so good.

Dinner. New recipe #12: Meatless loaf courtesy of those good folks at Morningstar Farms. I've had a love-hate relationship with Morningstar Farms over the past 24 days, but this recipe was as easy as making ordinary meatloaf and it tasted great! I also had mashed potatoes and green beans on the side. Tasty. "Meatless loaf" sounds beyond strange, but even Carolyn agrees that this is one of the best things I've made during the Go Veg Project.

A success!
24 days down. 16 days to go.

Day 23 Or... The Attack of the Tempeh

You may remember that I purchased tempeh at the Happy Meadow.

I had no idea what made good tempeh, but weeks ago I bought Lightlife three grain tempeh. It's basically cultured organic soybeans with organic millet, organic brown rice, and organic barley.

The package claims that this particular tempeh is "a light mellow tempeh that would grace even an emperor's table." Sounds nice doesn't it? On the package, there's even a nice little symbol that tells me that this is tempeh certified vegan by the Vegan Awareness Foundation.

I was beyond unsure of what to make with the tempeh, but we ended up making barbecue tempeh sandwiches on a skillet. The cooking process was really quick and simple and there were actually very few ingredients required, which was also a plus.


And as things were finishing up, the apartment smelled fantastic, if for no other reason than the fact that the tempeh was smothered in BBQ sauce and cooking with some onions and peppers.

But how did it taste? To be honest, it was only so-so. I can't describe how much more I enjoyed tempeh than tofu. The tempeh had a firm texture that did a decent job in emulating meat. However, in some bites I could really taste the brown rice and barley in this tempeh and eating barbecued brown rice is about as tasty as it sounds. Still, tempeh was certainly worth a try. Isaiah, as you can see from the picture, really liked it.

I may even cook tempeh another way before this project is through.

Now I just have to convince Carolyn to shop at the Happy Meadow again.

- What did I eat on Day 23?

Breakfast. Quaker Honey Graham Ohs. Oh yes.

Lunch. My parents took us to Cracker Barrel and I could tell my dad was a little nervous about my food options there. When he first suggested it, I assumed I could simply order a four-vegetable plate and be fine. However, I'm glad I did a little research.

You see, a quick search led to the following statement that also appeared on their dinner menu in small print: "We want to make sure you know that some of our offerings, like Turnip Greens, Green Beans, Corn Muffins, Hashbrown Casserole and Pinto Beans, are made the old-fashioned way using meat seasonings and are not strictly vegetarian." It turns out I couldn't order green beans or hashbrowns without traces of meat in my vegetable plate. How strange.

So, I just had some very delicious blueberry pancakes. If there are traces of meat in their pancakes, please don't tell me; I don't want to know.

Dinner. I moderately enjoyed new recipe #10: Barbeque Tempeh sandwiches from allrecipes.com. Additionally, I steamed some green beans and I also made new recipe #11, a simple dish of roasted potatoes from Wayne Brachman's book "See Dad Cook."

23 days down. 17 to go.

Day 22 Or... How Does It Taste?

So, what do you think?
When someone tries a new vegetarian meal with me I always ask how it tastes. For the most part, over the past three weeks, I've really enjoyed my new dining options, but I constantly crave feedback. Sometimes, but rather rarely, my vegetarian cooking skills impress even the most skeptical eater.

Unfortunately, the much more common response after dinner is, "It actually wasn't that bad." This, in my surprisingly accurate opinion, can be swiftly translated into "It actually wasn't that good."

My wife and little boy continue to at least try every strange recipe and meat-substitute product that I serve them and several friends have also been really gracious in trying new things.

Tonight, after some friends dined on textured vegetable protein made to taste like chicken patties, again I was told, "It actually wasn't that bad."

I tried not to translate the phrase in my head. I tried not to picture the old hecklers Statler and Waldorf from the balcony of "The Muppet Show" saying, "It wasn't half bad." "I know... it was all bad!"

I'm still searching for a few more vegetarian recipes that can really wow the average meat-eater. In the meantime, this weekend I will be cooking tempeh and also making a meatless meatloaf.

- What did I eat on Day 22?

Breakfast. Does an E.L. Fudge cookie count as breakfast? Because that's all I had before rushing off to the office.

Lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed a heaping bowl of Mom's Best Naturals Toasted Cinnamon Squares cereal. It tasted just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I think Mom's Best may be a cereal company worth checking out. The company has been family owned for generations and there's nothing artificial in their cereals: no added saturated fat or hydrogenated oils, and no high fructose corn syrup. Their cereal is also about half the price of the big name brands, but tastes fantastic at the same time.

Dinner. As I mentioned earlier, we had "chicken" sandwiches with spinach and the Morningstar Farms "Chick Patties."

I'm really nervous about this weekend's recipes, but they should make for some interesting posts to say the least.

22 days down. 18 to go.

Day 21 Or... It Isn't Always Easy

Most people will tell you that being a vegetarian isn't easy. Depending on what day it is, I definitely might tell you that isn't easy.

Even though this is, by my own estimation a temporary lifestyle change for me, it obviously does bring its own sets of challenges. In fact, today I came across a recent Dear Abby letter that dealt with vegetarianism.

A vegetarian of five years sent in a letter asking for advice about how to deal with people that are still making fun about a lack of meat eating. You know, the people who gaze at a vegetarian's salad and oh-so-cleverly say, "Carrots have feelings, too."

Abby's response was, "Sorry, there is no one-size-fits-all snappy one-liner. But take comfort in the fact that a growing number of people are choosing to avoid meat and poultry not only for the ethical reasons, but also because they prefer to avoid the hormones and antibiotics used in the production of these food products."

While I can't say I am that familar with the Dear Abby letters, (I found the story by doing a Google News search for "vegetarian") I do agree with her response.

While my friends, family, students and co-workers have been overwhelmingly supportive of this little project, my meatless diet is occasionally accompanied by a joke, a bewildered look, or a enthusiastic response about how tasty animal flesh is. And I'm okay with that.

On one hand, this project wouldn't have been worth starting if being a vegetarian was something that I completely understood. Also, I can tell you, just with my 21 days of experience, that being a vegetarian, even temporarily, isn't going to automatically give you the gold medal in any popularity contest.

And on the other hand, a quick reminder of the many benefits of vegetarianism should be enough to help a non-meat-eater deal with a little ridicule: A vegetarian diet can spare animals, save you money, reduce famine, reduce pollution, and help your health... just to name a few.

Then again, perhaps the intermittent teasing is easier for me to face because I have an end date for the Go Veg Project that is quickly approaching...

- What did I eat on Day 21?

Breakfast. Today was my first day back on the air at WCCR 94.5, our campus radio station. I barely made it there in time for my shift... without eating breakfast.

Lunch. The last of the leftover salad from the newspaper staff's get-together.

Dinner. By dinner, I felt like I was starving. Obviously, I wasn't actually starving, but I was hungry. Very hungry. I wanted to make a new recipe, but make something that I felt would be really filling and quick to prepare. So, I made up my own recipe, new recipe #9: Deluxe vegetarian fajitas. How did they taste? Pretty good, especially for my own original creation.

Here's how you can make them:

Ingredients:

• Flour tortillas
  
• 2 tbsp. oil, divided
• Four veggie patties totaling roughly 9.5 ounces strips.
• 1 lb. bag of sugar snap peas frozen stir fry. (If they have it at the Walmart in Williamsburg, Kentucky... you can find it anywhere.)
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 package of stir fry seasoning mix (McCormick for example)

Directions:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the cut strips of veggie burger and cook until they reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees (about 5 minutes).
• Remove the veggie burger strips from the skillet and add the other tablespoon of oil. Then add the sugar snap pea stir fry mix. This will include peppers, broccoli, squash, water chestnuts, carrots, and obviously sugar snap peas. Cook for approximately 5 minutes then add the veggie burger strips back into the skillet.
• Stir in the water and the seasoning mix. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
• Spoon the mixture onto warm tortillas and enjoy!

For now, 21 days down. 19 to go.

Day 20 Or... Halfway

Today I am halfway through with the Go Veg Project.

As they say, it's all downhill from here.
If I've lasted 20 days as a vegetarian, I can survive 20 more.

- What did I eat on Day 20?

Breakfast. I had a few bites of Kashi GOLEAN Crunch on my way out the door.

Lunch. For lunch, I ate the leftover spaghetti from last night... still very tasty.


Dinner. I had a spinach salad with Morningstar Farms "Chik’n Nuggets." In contrast to my recent bad experiences with textured vegetable protein burgers, I really liked the "chicken" nuggets.

I can't emphasize how much they tasted like the chicken patties I had in the school cafeteria growing up. It makes me wonder if there was any real chicken on my lunch tray on chicken sandwich day. It may have been soy "chicken." I guess I'll never know.

20 days down. 20 days to go.

Day 19 Or... Vegetarian Eating Without Effort

Chances are you have a vegetarian meal occasionally without trying.

Tonight my wife and I invited the executive staff of our student newspaper over to the apartment to hang out. After an initial awkwardness (of gathering in my living room instead of the newspaper office) we had a really good time.

And the nine of us (Isaiah included) had a nice vegetarian meal. No tofu. No textured vegetable protein meat substitutes. We had a salad, spaghetti, and focaccia bread.

One of the comments I've heard about this blog from friends is that they are surprised about how many "normal" things you can eat as a vegetarian. And it's true. Sure you have a few less options without meat, but there are lots of foods out there to enjoy, many that you eat on a regular basis.

Think about what you ate over the last week. Did you have a vegetarian meal without trying? It's very possible.

- What did I eat on Day 19?

Breakfast. I had too much to do this morning to eat breakfast.

Lunch. I finally finished the last of the leftover enchiladas.

Dinner. Whole wheat spaghetti with Newman's Own marinara sauce. A salad (with lettuce, carrots, spinach, and cucumbers). Focaccia bread. And a piece of chocolate cake.

It's also probably worth pointing out that each jar of Newman's Own reminds you in small print "non-vegetarians can add meat." It's subtle, fun, and it reminds you that the ingredients are completely vegetarian-friendly.

Also, there are no pictures from tonight's meal, but if you've seen spaghetti before, then you know what dinner looked like.

19 days down. 21 days to go.
Tomorrow I reach the halfway mark.

Day 18 Or... In Search of A Tempeh Recipe

The clock is ticking.
The tempeh in my fridge has a sticker on it claiming that I need to use it by the 23rd. That's just a few days away!

So, I need a good tempeh recipe to use and I need that recipe soon.

What is tempeh? Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and it's formed into a patty of sorts. It's made from soy like tofu. But according to About.com, unlike tofu tempeh supposedly has a unique and distinct flavor. I'll find out soon enough.

- What did I eat on Day 18?

Breakfast. A juicy pear. Oh how I love pears. They're the most underrated fruit.

Lunch. Kashi GOLEAN Crunch!

Dinner. I admit it. I broke one of my rules. Don't panic; I didn't eat meat.

However, one of my goals during this project was not to have the same dinner twice in a single week. Yet tonight I had vegetarian enchiladas again. If you're counting, I've had them two nights in a row. That's what happens when your recipe makes 10 large enchiladas and you have five tasty ones left in the fridge the next day... you enjoy more of a good thing.

I couldn't let the tastiness go to waste.

In fact, there's even one more left which will probably be lunch tomorrow.

18 days down. 22 to go.

Day 17 Or... I Almost Forgot to Post Today

Today was a busy day.

In fact, it was so busy that I almost completely forgot about writing for this blog today. [Did you notice this was posted at 11:57 p.m. on the 17th?]

Rest assured that I didn't forget about my vegetarian diet though.

Can you believe I'm almost halfway through with the Go Veg Project?
Incredible.

To be honest though, all the reports that I've seen about the crisis in Haiti have been weighing on me heavy this weekend. The devastation is truly catastrophic. At times it seems really odd to give a lot of thought about my specific vegetarian food choices when there are so many in need of simple things like water, food, and medical supplies.


- What did I eat on Day 17?

Breakfast. A glazed donut.

Preview

Lunch. A Morningstar Farms "tomato & basil pizza burger." Thanks to my Burger King/Morningstar Farms experience from a few days ago, I may done with textured vegetable protein burgers for a little while.

Dinner. For dinner, I tried a fantastic new vegetarian enchilada recipe. It's actually new recipe #8. The enchiladas were delicious! Thanks for the recipe Tanna.

Here's how you can make them:

Ingredients:

• 10 fat free flour tortillas
• 16 oz. bag of frozen peppers/onion blend
• 1 16 oz. can of Old El Paso Fat Free Spicy Refried Beans
• 1 10 oz. can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
• 1 Package of Mexican Rice (though I actually used 2 packages)
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the rice according its directions. In a large skillet saute the pepper and onion blend until tender. Add the refried beans and cooked rice to the skillet. Then, add a couple tablespoons of the enchilada sauce to the mixture.

Next, spray a 13x9 baking dish (Pyrex) with non-stick cooking spray. Place 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce into the dish and lightly coat the bottom of the dish. Place about 1/3 of a cup of the mixture into the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla and place them seam side down in the dish. Then, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Next, evenly distribute the cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Who missed having meat? Not me.

Until next time...
17 days down. 23 to go.

Day 16 Or...The Gradual Return of Hunger

Eating is significantly better than not eating. For a variety of reasons.

My recent lack of appetite, due to a very minor episode of feeling sick, has left me with rather short and presumably uninteresting blog posts. Let me sure you that this is not a sign of things to come over the next few weeks of the project. It's just a natural result of a blog centered around my consumption of vegetarian-friendly food.

Luckily today, I returned to my "normal" eating habits.

This morning around 7:30 I awoke with a remarkable amount of energy. For the first time in, I'm not really sure when, I got up to play with and feed Isaiah while Carolyn went back to sleep. We had a lot of fun and I'm sure my lovely wife enjoyed sleeping in a few minutes more.

I went on to make homemade biscuits for breakfast. I realized while I was stirring the dough that I was excited about cooking for the first time in a couple of days, which meant I was excited about eating again. Which, I admit, is a strange thing to be so sincerely thrilled about. It felt good to eat more than one biscuit. Having meat with it, was thankfully, the farthest thing from my mind.

However, by lunch, I had about 30 meal options with meat and only one without.

Carolyn, Isaiah, and I had traveled to visit our good friend Dakota and we decided to choose Subway for lunch. As you know, from the horribly repetitive ad campaign, Subway is home to the $5 footlong. And those options include the meatball sub, the black forest ham, the oven roasted chicken, and the "spicy italian" that features both pepperoni and salami.

What did I order? I ordered their not-so-famous Veggie Delite. To be honest, while it was a little hard to see the three other people at the table bite into their meat-filled sandwiches, I have been a fan of their veggie sub for more than a year. I tried it a good while back when I noticed that by the time I loaded a turkey sub up with lettuce, onions, spinach, pickles, bell peppers, banana peppers, and sweet onion sauce... I couldn't taste the meat anymore anyway. In fact, my longtime enjoyment of Subway's veggie sub was a huge motivator that I could actually survive this Go Veg Project.

And so, after a couple days of not enjoying food, this was like the return of a familiar friend. A friend that you can buy for five bucks and then eat in the company of friends and family. Okay, so it wasn't really like a friend at all.

Yet, I must say, this Veggie Delite (on Italian bread) tasted phenomenal. I'm not sure if my photos really do it justice, but this was also the best looking veggie sub I've ever received at a Subway. It could have been straight out of a commercial.

In the past when I've ordered the Veggie Delite, the "sandwich artist" (which what they're really called by the way) almost always noticeably tries to fight back the confused and befuddled look of "why someone would order a sandwich without meat." Then they typically proceed not to put that many veggies on the "Veggie Delite" because... who would really want to eat all those vegetables?

Very rarely does an employee realize that because there's no meat, I actually want a magnanimous amount of veggies on my sandwich. This sandwich artist, however, defied what had become my expectations of what the veggie sub should look like.

Obviously, I was pleased with the sandwich and couldn't eat much more than half of it. Which is why that "half" also made an excellent dinner. You should try one.

And Subway, if you pay me a large amount of cash, I'll be glad to write more about how much I delight in your Veggie Delite. Otherwise, despite my good experience with it today, I probably won't eat one for a while. As they say, variety is the spice of life.


- What did I eat on Day 16?

Breakfast. I ate two biscuits made using my latest recipe of choice. With strawberry preserves. Mmmmm.

Lunch. The Subway Veggie sub. I ordered a $5 footlong, but no, I didn't sing that song. And believe it or not, I actually couldn't finish it. I also enjoyed Baked Lay's potato chips with it.

Later, Carolyn and I shared a chocolate milkshake at the Dairy Bar in Whitley City, Kentucky. Check that place out if you're ever in the area.

Dinner. The rest of my "Veggie Delite." A little random, and pointless, trivia for you about this sandwich. In his appropriately titled book, "Jared, the Subway Guy," Jared Fogle, ate the footlong Veggie Delite for each and every dinner during his now well-publicized "diet" and exercise program that resulted in his amazing weight loss.

16 days down. 24 to go.
Tomorrow, I'm going to try a new recipe I think.

Day 15 Or... It's Easy to Be Vegetarian If You Don't Have An Appetite

I don't like food any more.

Okay, so that's not exactly true. I think about eating food and I feel much better than I did yesterday, just for the record. I just don't feel up to eating much yet. Which makes it very easy not to eat meat.

I just wish I didn't have salads and yogurts and puddings and such going to waste in the fridge.


- What did I eat on Day 15?

Breakfast. A bite of banana bread.

Lunch. A piece of cheese pizza.

Dinner. Nuts! They were mixed.

Day 14 Or.. I Don't Feel Good

I got sick last night. I sincerely blame Burger King's veggie burger.

In other words, I haven't felt good at all day today.
So, I haven't really eaten anything.

Hopefully, I'll be 100% tomorrow.

- What did I eat on Day 14?

A few bites of bread. That is all.

14 days down. 26 to go.

Day 13 Or... The BK Veggie

What does a vegetarian order at Burger King?

Burger King has had the slogan "Have It Your Way" since the '70s. But what if having it "your way" means having no meat. Can you still order a burger? Absolutely.

In 2004, Burger King partnered with my friends at Morningstar Farms to create the BK Veggie. You guessed it. It's a veggie burger. To the best of my knowledge, Burger King is the only major fast food chain to feature a veggie burger.

My family and I walked into the Burger King and in my head I said, "I have a bad feeling about this." I felt like I was being bombarded with photos and ads for Whoppers and steakhouse burgers, which both sounded really good 13 days into this experiment. But, we were already there.

It felt really odd ordering a veggie burger at the home of the Whopper. I think I even kind of mumbled when I ordered.

I noticed the wrapper for the BK Veggie had an image of two buns with a letter "v" where the beef patty should be. This image was checked to let me and anyone else know that this indeed was the veggie burger.

When I unvielled the burger, I knew that it wasn't fooling anyone. There's no way it looked like anything but a veggie burger. But how would it taste?

Well, I'll spare you the analysis of how it tasted.
Just know that it wasn't good.


- What did I eat on Day 13?

Breakfast. Banana bread. So good. And we're almost finished with all those ripe bananas we received a couple days ago.

Lunch. Lots of the leftover carrot slaw with Club crackers. Tasty!

Dinner. The BK Veggie and Apple Fries.

Just as I predicted, this was a relatively short post today. And that's okay.

13 days down. 27 days to go.

Day 12 Or...Do You Really Want To Know What Jell-O Gelatin is Made Of?

If you don't want to know what Jell-O is made of, stop reading now.

Seriously. If you even enjoy an occassional taste of gelatin, today is probably not the day to read my blog. There are some good recipes in the "What did I eat on Day 12" section, so skip ahead there if you want. You've been warned.

That being said, I have to say that I have always enjoyed Jell-O gelatin. When I started researching vegetarianism for this project, I found out that gelatin was listed again and again in the books I was reading as something I couldn't eat as a part of this experiment. Weird right? I wanted to know why.

I vaguely remember reading a David Crowder book that randomly mentioned that I didn't want to know what Jell-O was made of. But now, I know why Crowder chooses to avoid gelatin. And I can't say I blame him.

I know what you're thinking. "Jell-O isn't meat. Is it!?!"

Well, according to Snopes.com, it kind of is. Jell-O pudding is vegetarian friendly, but Jell-O gelatin has some secret ingredients that the folks at Kraft tend not to publicize.

Gelatin is made from animal bones and hides. The production of gelatin starts with the boiling of bones, skins, and hides of cows and pigs. This process causes the animal tissues to release a collagen full of protein. That collagen is filtered several times, dried, and ground into the powder that is inside the colorful, friendly-looking Jell-O box that you buy at Walmart. It acts as a nice thickening agent that helps the Jell-O Jigglers... jiggle.

This same collagen-producing process is used to make the gelatin that is in the marshmallows that you put in your hot chocolate.

That's food for thought.

- What did I eat on Day 12?

Breakfast. Somehow, for some unknown reason, friends of ours ended up with dozens of ripe bananas. Thankfully, they shared them with us. And what do you do when you end up with about 20 ripe bananas? You eat them before they go bad.

This resulted in new recipe #6: Feniger's Banana Bread. I don't know how Carolyn found this recipe, but I'm so glad she did. It's the perfect banana bread. Not too sweet. No nuts. Very flavorful. Completely scrumptious.

Lunch. I tried the leftover Morningstar Farms Asian Veggie patties again. They weren't any better a second time. I'm not buying those again.

Dinner. I had a variation of a peanut butter and banana sandwich. New recipe #7 is a slight variation of Elvis' Favorite Tea Sandwiches, which is actually a recipe from a Deen Brothers cookbook. Here's my adaptation of their recipe:

Ingredients for Elvis' Favorite Sandwich:

• • 8 slices white or wheat bread
  • 2 bananas, peeled and cut into small slices
  • 1/2 cup JIF "Peanut Butter & Honey"
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter melted

Directions:

• Using a round cookie cutter, punch circles out of each slice of bread, eliminating the crust. Spread half the circle slices with roughly 1 tablespoon of the "JIF peanut butter & honey" each. Place banana slices on top of each of the "JIF peanut butter & honey" covered circles and mash slightly with a fork. Drizzle each banana slice with a little extra honey. Top with the remaining bread circles.
• Preheat broiler. Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with melted butter. Broil about 1 minute or until just golden... but keep an eye on them. They'll toast up really fast. But, if you do it right, they will be beyond delicious.
  

I also made a new recipe I got from my co-worker, friend, and faithful reader Marianne.
New recipe #8 is carrot salad/slaw. Here's her recipe.

Ingredients for Carrot slaw/salad:

• 1 pound medium carrots, peeled
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or tarragon or a combination)
• Salt
  
• Buttery crackers, small biscuits or hot, crusty baguettes, for serving.

Directions:

• Grate carrots into matchstick pieces using a food processor, a mandolin or a sharp knife. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk lemon juice and oil together, pour over carrots, and toss. Add parsley and toss. Add salt to taste. Serve with crackers, biscuits or bread.

I devoured this meal. The toasted peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich is one of the best things I've ever ate. And as an added bonus, it got rid of a couple more bananas.

And while the carrot slaw didn't wow me with my very first bite, when I scooped lots of it up on a buttery cracker I really enjoyed it. Carolyn called the slaw "refreshing" and she was exactly right... as usual. I found myself eating all the slaw on my plate... twice. It actually got better with each bite. It was a very simple recipe that I'll be sure and make again. Thanks Marianne!

Classes start tomorrow at the University of the Cumberlands, so my blog entries may get a little shorter over the next few days as I get back into my normal routine of teaching. Still, I'll keep on writing if you'll keep reading.

As always, I welcome your comments.

12 days down. 28 to go.

Day 11 Or... Flexitarians

I crave meat.

Since today was my first day back at the office after Christmas break, I had several people come by and ask, "How's the vegetarian thing going?" I really appreciated the question each time because I tend to be the type of person that often feels like I'm not really that interesting. So, if nothing else, this experiment does make for a nice conversation starter. But, my answer to that question today always included some variation of "I'm really craving meat today." It's true. But what is a vegetarian to do?

My friend (and faithful reader) Beth Ann sent me a link to a really interesting article last night. The Newsweek article called "No More Sacred Cows" discusses a current trend in which longtime vegetarians are actually including meat as a part of their diet. Not "meat" like the "buffalo wings" or "burgers" I've had over the past week or so. Actual meat. Quotation mark free. Real beef, for example.

I've got to admit, regardless of the explanation that would follow, I was jealous as soon as I started reading the article. I thought, "Well, that's not fair! I want to eat meat sometimes, but I can't because that's what a vegetarian is expected to do... or not do."

The Newsweek article went on to explain that some life-long "vegetarians" are occasionally eating meat, but not just any meat. They're proudly choosing grass-fed, sustainably raised meat from animals that have enjoyed life on nice family farms.

One of the leaders of this new movement is, surprisingly, influential vegetarian author Mollie Katzen. Katzen is actually one of the bestselling cookbook authors of all time. Her "Moosewood Cookbook" is often cited as the most influential vegetarian cookbook ever... kind of a "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for vegetarians.

Katzen and other similarly-minded "vegetarians" argue that because the animals that they are eating are raised "lovingly" and away from cruel factory farms, it is ethically okay to eat them. But I wonder, can these people still call themselves vegetarians while they eat meat? I thought that was rule #1 of being a vegetarian. I'm not so sure that the term can apply to them. Granted, their viewpoint sounds nice, but I'll have to process my opinion over the next few days and revisit this topic.

In good news, the Newsweek article introduced me to the term "flexitarian." A flexitarian is someone who mostly follows a vegetarian diet but occasionally enjoys a helping of meat thrown in. Mostly veggie burgers, but every so often the real thing.

I think after this project is over, I could end up being a flexitarian. I would be a little healthier by eating so many veggies, but a lot less stressed because I could enjoy a pork chop or a hamburger steak from time to time. I had thought about maybe pursuing that option in 29 days anyway, so I'm glad to know there's a term for it.


- What did I eat on Day 11?

Breakfast. Strawberry yogurt.

Lunch. Raisin Bran. Cereal never fails to satisfy my appetite for something tasty.

Dinner. My neighbor Ryan offered to make his famous grilled PB&J. The sandwich was worth the hype. I ate two and probably could have had a few more. Thanks pal! In fact, it was such good eats that I forgot to take a picture of it.

For now, 11 days down. 29 days to go.

And, I leave you with the conclusion of this Newsweek article by Jennie Yabroff. As I process my thoughts and form my opinion about this vegetarian-related piece of news, let me leave you with her very opinionated thoughts.

"While it's true that sustainably raised, grass-fed beef may be better for the consumer, it's hard to argue that it's ultimately better for the cow. What these steak apologists seem to be missing is that no matter how "lovingly" the cow was raised, no matter how much grazing or rooting he did in his life, he gave up that life to become their dinner. Carnivores who only ate the flesh of animals that had died of natural causes at the end of long, satisfying lives might have a claim to moral superiority, but what to call them? Corpsevores? And if these organic farm animals have such great lives, isn't the more humane thing to eat a cage-raised, industrially processed chicken? At least we'd be putting it out of its misery."

Day 10 Or... Keeping the TVP Industry Alive

Paul McCartney says I'm saving the world. It sounds crazy, but it's true. And no, unfortunately, he didn't contact me personally because he was so amazed with the Go Veg Project.

However, while researching vegetarianism I mistakenly wondering over to the PETA website where I stumbled across a quote from Sir Paul that read, "If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. It’s staggering when you think about it."

It seems that one of the greatest songwriters of all time is a very outspoken advocate for animal rights and vegetarianism. Paul is literally a poster child for PETA.

But, I certainly don't feel like I'm saving the world. I do feel like I'm single-handedly saving the textured vegetable protein (TVP) industry though.

If you've ever passed the Morningstar Farms and Boca Foods shelf in the freezer section of the grocery store and wondered, "Who buys that?" ...then rest assured that if no one was buying it before, I'm buying a lot of it now. At this point of my temporary lifestyle change, I'm beginning to really miss burgers, chicken, and pork. The good news is that, thanks to the TVP industry, I can continue to buy soy and vegetables that have been mashed up, seasoned, and shaped to kind of taste like (and kind of look like) meat.

- What did I eat on Day 10?

Breakfast. I had a couple donuts at church. Mmmm... donuts.

Lunch. I tried minestrone soup for the first time. I really enjoyed the broth, but I just couldn't make myself enjoy the large amount of kidney beans and garbanzo beans. I know that beans are a popular meat substitute, but I've never really liked them.

So, I suggested plan B, which was also new recipe #5. Using a recipe from the official website of Newman's Own, Carolyn made what they call The Lord's Dish . . . or Somebody Up There Likes Me Pizza. For my non-meat-eating diet, she obviously made it without pepperoni. It's basically a tasty super-thin crust personal pizza. It's a really simple dish that you make and bake and eat in under 15 minutes. You probably already have all the ingredients for it in the kitchen, so feel free to try it for yourself!

Dinner. Like I've already mentioned, the Massengale household is keeping Morningstar Farms in business, even if no one else is. Tonight, we had the "Asian Veggie Patties" with shredded carrots and potato chips. The verdict: two thumbs down. Unlike almost anything else I've tried from Morningstar farms, these veggie burgers were very disappointing. And I love Asian food. Go figure.

Still, I'm in the double digits now.

10 days down. 30 days to go.

Day 9 Or... Avoiding a Spicy Chicken Sandwich

My wife is so supportive of this Go Veg Project. Carolyn didn't agree to go veg with me for 40 days, but she has chosen to be my biggest supporter. She could obviously eat meat any time she wants, but she's avoided it a lot for me.

At times it has been harder than others I'm sure, yet over the past 9 days, my beautiful wife has actually spent a few days without eating meat. I can't describe how much easier this has been with her help. What can I say? I'm very blessed.

She ate the flavorless veggie sausage, the strange tofu, and lots of other "unique" meals.

And she has thankfully avoided the opportunity to say, "Hmm... so you're planning to just have a salad tonight? Well, I can't decide whether I'd rather have fried chicken or a juicy steak! Maybe, I'll have several kinds of meat!"

She also has put up with losing me for an hour or so each night so I can work on this blog.

So, today, as a strange way of saying thanks, I gave her some cash and insisted that she go buy a chicken sandwich. It didn't take much convincing.

After venturing out in the snow, she returned with a rather fantastic looking spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's. But, she didn't really eat it in front of me. She didn't gloat about how tasty it was... and I'm sure it was tasty.

I smelled her spicy chicken sandwich and simultaneously tried to pretend I didn't want a bite of meat. Mmm... meat.

But, I stayed strong.

At the same time, she said she felt like she was betraying me or something by eating it, but I just really hoped she enjoyed it. After more than week of eating some weird stuff, I'm glad she got to feast upon one of her favorite things.

- What did I eat on Day 9?

Breakfast. I made banana nut muffins. So good.

Lunch. I avoided the spicy chicken sandwich and instead made myself a spinach and cheese sandwich with fries. Spinach and cheese? It's true. We were out of lettuce and I craved some leafy greens with my sandwich.

Dinner. Denny and Mandy Kell had us over for dinner and were nice enough to cook a vegetarian meal for all of us. We had omelets (with bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes) and the best homemade bagels I probably have ever had. A big thanks to both of them!

9 days down. 31 days to go.

As always, I welcome your feedback!

Day 8 Or... My Discovery of Ben Franklin's Go Veg Project

Did you know that, as a young man, Benjamin Franklin tried his own version of the Go Veg Project? Obviously, he didn't blog about it, but it does get a mention in his autobiography.

According to Nava Atlas, and her book, "Vegetariana," many important people throughout history at least dabbled with a vegetarian diet: Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Luther, Gandhi, Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin, just to name a few.

I was fascinated and more than a little amused at what I read about Franklin's experimentation with going vegetarian.

Apparently, he gave up meat at the age of 16 and really enjoyed how thrifty the diet was over the years. According to Atlas, he even was able to convince an employer, a printer and a "great glutton" named Keimer, to try the vegetarian diet with him.

Keimer agreed to give up eating animals as long as Franklin kept him company at mealtime. Franklin gave a woman in the neighborhood a list of 40 recipes, which she then prepared for them. The two men were successful with "going veg" for three entire months. Franklin really enjoyed the experience, but Keimer felt like he was suffering because of his constant desire for meat. (My wife probably feels like Keimer did.)

Apparently, one day Keimer couldn't take it anymore. He had invited Franklin and also two ladies to dinner and he ordered an entire roasted pig. By ordering such a huge helping of pork, Keimer had obviously planned to end his vegetarian diet, but the pig was intended to feed all four of them. But, as fate would have it, the pig showed up fully cooked on the table before any one else showed up for dinner and Keimer ate the whole thing before the guests arrived! Impressive! I don't really know what happened to Keimer after that, but I bet he would have dominated in competitive eating events.

Soon, Franklin also broke down and ate some pan-fried cod fish. And while Benjamin Franklin occasionally returned to the vegetarian diet over the years, he couldn't completely overcome his love of fresh fish. Interesting, isn't it? Now, I'll remember that story about Franklin and Keimer every time I look at a $100 bill which, unfortunately, is pretty rare.

- What did I eat on Day 8?
Breakfast. Carolyn suprised me with Morningstar Farms sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast. It was a great surprise but the veggie sausage certainly didn't have great taste.

Lunch. Hormel's vegetarian chili with beans. In my non-vegetarian days, I preferred "no bean chili." But without meat, the chili does probably require beans. Too bad I'm not a big fan of beans.

Dinner. New recipe #4: Eggs in purgatory. Technically not a new recipe to me, but we (mistakenly) added the leftover veggie sausage this time... and besides, have you made eggs in purgatory before? I doubt it.

Here's the recipe: Simmer 1 cup of pasta sauce in a small skillet. I recommend Newman's Own Marinara. Crack 2 eggs, cover and cook until the white sets; top with pepper and cheese. Very simple. Very delicious. Very ovolactovegetarian.


8 days down. 32 to go.

Here's the story from Franklin's autobiography in his own words...

"Keimer wore his beard at full length, because somewhere in the Mosaic law it is said, "Thou shalt not mar the corners of thy beard." He likewise kept the Seventh day, Sabbath; and these two points were essentials with him. I dislik'd both; but agreed to admit them upon condition of his adopting the doctrine of using no animal food. "I doubt," said he, "my constitution will not bear that." I assur'd him it would, and that he would be the better for it. He was usually a great glutton, and I promised myself some diversion in half starving him.

He agreed to try the practice, if I would keep him company. I did so, and we held it for three months. We had our victuals dress'd, and brought to us regularly by a woman in the neighborhood, who had from me a list of forty dishes to be prepar'd for us at different times, in all which there was neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, and the whim suited me the better at this time from the cheapness of it, not costing us above eighteenpence sterling each per week. I have since kept several Lents most strictly, leaving the common diet for that, and that for the common, abruptly, without the least inconvenience, so that I think there is little in the advice of making those changes by easy gradations.

I went on pleasantly, but poor Keimer suffered grievously, tired of the project, long'd for the flesh-pots of Egypt, and order'd a roast pig. He invited me and two women friends to dine with him; but, it being brought too soon upon table, he could not resist the temptation, and ate the whole before we came.

...I believe I have omitted mentioning that, in my first voyage from Boston, being becalm'd off Block Island, our people set about catching cod, and hauled up a great many. Hitherto I had stuck to my resolution of not eating animal food, and on this occasion consider'd, with my master Tryon, the taking every fish as a kind of unprovoked murder, since none of them had, or ever could do us any injury that might justify the slaughter. All this seemed very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great lover of fish, and, when this came hot out of the frying-pan, it smelt admirably well. I balanc'd some time between principle and inclination, till I recollected that, when the fish were opened, I saw smaller fish taken out of their stomachs; then thought I, "If you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you." So I din'd upon cod very heartily, and continued to eat with other people, returning only now and then occasionally to a vegetable diet."

Day 7 Or... How Even Panko Bread Crumbs Couldn't Help the Tofu

Tofu. I never imagined I would eat tofu. I certainly never imagined that I'd be cooking it at home. And today wasn't really a day that screamed for such an experimental dining option. The kiddo has been sick and, if that weren't hard enough, I've started to get really busy with lecture prep for the spring semester.

So why did I decide to cook tofu tonight? I'm not exactly sure. I suppose there was the appeal of going ahead and getting it out of the way... the same way a nervous public speaking student might volunteer to give her speech first, just so she could soon enjoy the feeling of it being over with.

I promised to try tofu as a part of this experiment, but words can't describe how much I was not looking forward to eating it. I don't think I've ever tried it before, but even the name doesn't sound appetizing. Also, my palate and I found such fulfillment with TVP (textured vegetable protein) that I figured that another meat substitute would have to be a disappointment. Going two for two just seemed unlikely.

So what exactly is tofu? Basically, tofu, also sometimes known as soybean curd, is a soft, cheese-like food made by curdling fresh soy-milk with a coagulant. In simpler terms, soybeans are cooked and mashed, then processed into tofu in a form quite like cheese. The tofu you may buy at Happy Meadow (or your store of choice) has almost always already been pressed into a solid block for your convenience.

It seems tofu has actually been around for a long time because it originated in ancient China. I've read some estimates that it's been around since the Han Dynasty.

Also, tofu comes in a variety of textures ranging, for example, from soft to extra firm depending on how you'd like to use it. Soft tofu is primarily used in for dips and sauces. According to allrecipes.com, firm tofu is probably the most commonly used tofu and is suitable for many types of entrees. Extra firm tofu is primarily used for grilling and stir fry.

For tonight's recipe I opted for firm tofu... specifically Mori-Nu Tofu. And I followed a Food Network recipe for "fried tofu sticks." Sounds yummy doesn't it? Doesn't it?!?

In brief, here's how the cooking process went...

I opened the package of tofu and was amazed by the water content that came pouring out. I immediately understood why my recipe called for paper towels to "absorb the excess moisture."

As the block of tofu slid out of the package, I tried hard not to looked completely grossed out. Carolyn was watching after all. "Don't look! Just don't look," I said. But it was already too late.

As you can see from the picture below, the tofu looked horribly pale and I can best describe its consistency by comparing it to soggy Jell-O. I was a little nervous that this would not be, in any way, a fantastic dinner for two.

Put I proceeded with the recipe, just as if I were making fried chicken. Only, without the chicken of course. Dipping tofu in the egg wash, dredging it in the bread crumbs, etc.

I also opted to go with panko breadcrumbs, because they had the best chance of masking any grossness that might occur. If you haven't tried them, please take my word for it and do so. Panko is big in Japan, but you can probably find some at your local mega-mart.

Immediately, I began to get frustrated. The cut tofu chunks didn't seem to handle dredging very well and no matter how gentle I tried to be, many of them were smashed into two pieces. Also, some of them didn't get as coated with breadcrumbs and I would have liked.

Nonetheless, I put the breaded tofu pieces into the hot oil and they fried up beautifully.

The fried tofu even smelled delicious, but I knew that the Italian seasonings I had added to the panko would probably do that. I knew I had fried a tasty golden brown breading, but the actual tofu was still a completely mystery. How would it taste? It looked wonderful on the plate, but I still was unsure at best.

Carolyn and I clinked our forks together and each took our first bite of tofu. I wish you could have seen our faces! We both knew that we weren't impressed with tofu and we didn't have to say a thing. I tried to rationalize that the texture just was a new experience, and not necessarily bad, so I took a second and third bite... only to find myself chewing way too quickly to swallow it. The panko breading was good and crisp, but the tofu itself still had the texture of a Jell-O Jiggler. Tofu, as I had already been told, didn't really have any flavor, but the odd texture was too much for me to handle.

Sure, I ate most of the fried tofu pieces on my plate. But I found myself all the more thankful that my wife makes the best mac & cheese the entire world, from scratch. I ate lots of it.

And despite the my lack of tofu enjoyment, I hadn't really expected to like it all that much, and I had left my comfort zone even more by trying something completely new and different.

Not to mention, thanks to the disappointing tofu, my salad also tasted even better.

- What did I eat on Day 7?

Breakfast. Raisin Bran.

Lunch. A leftover veggie burger with mashed potatoes. TVP comes through again.

Dinner. New recipe #3: Breaded/fried tofu sticks with lots of mac & cheese and salad. You can't win 'em all.


I have been a vegetarian for an entire week. I like it.

7 days down, 33 to go.















































----------------------------------------------------------------------------