Are You Still a Vegetarian?

August has hit & New Year's Resolutions have been long forgotten by many. Except me. I have this pesky habit of seeing my resolutions through until the end of the year. The question "Are you still a vegetarian?" has been asked a lot in the eighth month. My answer, "Yup. But I'm not going to stay this way!"

What I've learned a lot from this journey thus far:

Lesson #1: I miss Brats
Grilling out boca burgers is just not the same. For this fact alone I do not want to keep meat out of my diet forever.

Lesson #2:  CSAs are Amazing
A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is offered by local farmers to the buyer for a set amount per share. We bought a half share from Tomahnous Farm in Mahomet for $200. Every Tuesday for 16 weeks I go & pick up a bag of in-season produce. Lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, onions, strawberries, blueberries, pears, celery, kohlrabi, okra & more. This simple addition to our household has made the vegetarian diet easy during the summer months. You can learn more about CSAs here.

Lesson #3 Traveling as a Vegetarian Can Be Difficult
This one is especially true when you go to Wisconsin every other weekend where cheese, brats & beer are the staples. Granted I can have two of those three options, but it isn't the most wholesome diet. And picking a dish off most restaurant menus is tricky. I have been learning from other vegetarian friends during the year to make this easier. Burger King has a veggie burger on their menu. Who knew?

Lesson #4 Protein Comes in More than Meat 
Nuts, peanut butter, veggies & black beans are just a few. I will admit I can tell when my diet isn't balanced more now than before taking meat out of my diet.

Lesson #5 Don't be Afraid to Try New Recipes
Even if it means you start your kitchen on fire. For real. I was trying to make Fried Okra with Crispy Parmesan Coating & the oil must have gotten too hot. I took the lid off, oxygen was added to the hot oil & suddenly there were flames! Jarrod & I both acted quickly & only ruined dinner. If you would like to try some of the new recipes I have this year check out February, March & June's recipes on jessiemariestudio.com.