Success!...Ok, Progress!

Well, our month of vegetarianism is up. It was a great month of learning how to eat some new foods and plan meals that didn't revolve around meat. I'm not gonna lie, there was definitely some meat and refined sugars eaten. But overall, I feel like we did really well. I even lost 5 pounds since the first of the month. Honestly, though I'm really down about 9 pounds from my high point after I stopped nursing. My clothes fit great, some even big! It's really nice not to feel fat and stuffed but somehow still hungry all the time.

What I'm taking away from this month is:

• The ability to stop eating when I'm full
• The end to incessant, thoughtless snacking
• The realization that veggies and whole grains can not only be filling, but also delicious
• A new outlook on health and how I want to feed my family
• Most importantly, a renewed commitment to cut out meat and most animal products from my diet and eat healthfully and conscientiously

One of the chapters in Veganist that really surprised me was the one about spirituality. I thought it would be something that was way "out there" or that I totally didn't agree with. What I found was a whole lot of good reasons to reconsider the way I think about food and the idea that even eating is a spiritual act. It seems silly, but aren't we supposed to do everything as unto the Lord? And if I'm taking care of the "temple" of the Holy Spirit then shouldn't I be feeding it in such a way as to bring optimal health and vitality? Then there's the whole issue of eating compassionately. Even just a year ago this would have seemed like such a silly idea to me, but I feel like I'm learning to be more compassionate in every area of my life. I guess it should be no surprise that it would come into play here too.

I didn't get too creative or inventive over this first month of vegetarian cooking. I wanted to try different recipes with new vegetables (maybe) just the way they were and see how we liked them. I found some really great recipes and menus, and some not-so-great recipes. I'll do you a favor and just share the great ones here:

• Falafel -- I've truly discovered a new love in food! This recipe I found, Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce was divine! I did go ahead and fry them because why not?! I omitted the coriander since I didn't have any on hand. The second time I made them (yeah I made them twice!) I had it and added it but didn't love it. Next time I'll definitely add just a pinch. It's very lemony in flavor. Anyway, we had the falafel with whole wheat sesame pita pockets from Trader Joe's, Quinoa Tabouleh, and Roasted Broccoli. It was a surprisingly delicious meal!
• Spring Roll In a Bowl -- I recently discovered how easy it is to make spring rolls and peanut sauce. This recipe was even easier and served as a great main dish. To cook the rice noodles simply boil water and pour over the noodles in a heat proof dish -- I used a square glass baking dish. Cover and let sit for about 10 minutes, or until tender. I loved being able to slice and dice veggies at my convenience and then just throw it all together at dinner time. I made this Best Peanut Sauce recipe and followed the advice of several of the reviews adding a little rice wine vinegar and reducing the amount of peanut butter just a little. Super good!
• One Pot Wonder Pasta -- OMG! Soooooo easy and YUM! This recipe really shocked me. I thought there was no way it would come out like it said, but it did and it was delicious! This was the easiest pasta recipe I've ever made. I added shredded carrots in with all the other ingredients, white beans when it started simmering, and a couple handfuls of spinach in the last few minutes. I also only had reduced sodium stock so I added salt and pepper at the end. Other than that I just followed the directions. Also made this one more than once!

That about does it. Entering July has been a bit of a challenge with all the celebrating in the first week. But we're back on track this week and loving it! What's your favorite vegetarian dish?