How to be a vegetarian and actually enjoy it

or “Ten fun things to do with brown rice.”

I believe that most people who choose to become a vegetarian do so due to some very strong ideal, be it a religious conviction, a wish to avoid cruelty to animals, exploiting the world’s resources or to improve their health. I have however, not met anyone who became a vegetarian for the sheer gastronomic joy of the experience. And herein probably lies the reason why so many backslide and give up on vegetarianism. A high-minded ideal might nourish the soul and guarantee a place in heaven but an entrecote steak grilled on a wood fire is heaven on earth. And who wants jam tomorrow when you can have it today? If it doesn’t taste good then you’re not going to eat it and you won’t get to save the earth or attain nirvana or whatever it was you were setting out to do when you set out to achieve.

Against this promising backdrop I’ve decided to take up the challenge of eating vegetarian and i’m determined to make food that I actually want to eat out of choice and not obligation. I do not have any strong religious or ethical conviction to carry me through but I’m not doing it for the sheer gastronomic joy of it either. I don’t think I’ve ever called myself a vegetarian but I have gone through periods of not eating meat and have felt better for it. However, I have always gravitated back to meat – not because I dislike vegetables but because I love meat. And wine. And bread. And good food. And junk food. Well, food in general actually.

I had my epiphany yesterday morning. I woke up with a dull head. My blood pressure has been a little high lately and I have been thinking of what to do to lower it. I got out of bed, noticed my head was aching, went to the kitched took a blood pressure pill and an ibuprofen. Then, bam! My eyes were being gouged out, my head split with an axe, my stomach churned and heaved. I spent the next couple of hours waiting to call the health centre with my head in my hands or down the toilet. When I got through to the health centre I was directed to the nurse as they reckoned I was just another stomach bug patient.

New year, new goals, let’s see how long it lasts

Happy New Year! Ok, I know even this is a bit late, but what the heck, its been a loong time since I wrote anything and I guess no-one’s going to read this so does it really matter? I wonder how long this spurt of literary enthusiasm lasts. I started this blog when I started my “staying at home taking care of kids” leave. As with the leave, my blogging started with energy and enthusiasm. as it went on and I got more tired, my enthusiasm waned to the point that I ‘ve managed two posts in the last two years. Now, the much-planned and much awaited re-birth of the blog with a whole new direction and stuff. Here goes….