Partial Success

Yesterday marked the last of my meatless days. To be completely honest, I don't feel any different. I don't feel healthier...if anything I feel the opposite because I ate more sweets this week. I don't feel like an animal-rights superactivist...in fact, I will probably thoroughly enjoy that first steak/chicken/pork chop I consume.

But before I continue I need to confess something: I ate meat this week. I know what you're thinking. "How could you?". Well, the truth is that I tried but ultimately couldn't avoid it! Thursday I went to a potluck and went for the 'safe' dishes: brocolli/cauliflower with a creamy sauce and pasta salad. I took a bite of the first dish and realized there were little bacon bits hiding unsuspiciously in the sauce. Darn! Next I tried the pasta salad only to find miniscule shreds of salmon that were well-concealed in the dish. I did my best to scrape the meat off. Then yesterday I went to a luncheon where 2 chowders were served: corn chowder (with ham) and seafood chowder. No problem, I thought, I'll have the lesser of the two evils - I will simply eat the corn chowder and avoid the ham. Easier said than done. I avoided all ham chunks except one...and when I bit down on it I inconspicuously spit it out. *sigh* it was harder than I thought.

So, putting my veggie crimes to the side,what did I learn this week?

1. To have more respect for vegetarians and the challenges they face to maintain their lifestyle.
2. To improvise when cooking. Yup...those 2 mammoth-sized packages of tofu in the fridge...gone!
3. That I can give up anything if I set my mind to it. Hmm...what will it be next. Chocolate? Frivolous shopping? Facebook?

The picture below is from my trip to the Smiling Goat this past week where I had an organic chai latte. Pretty fancy, huh? I would have uploaded a picture of one of my veggie dishes except they weren't very pleasing to behold :D.