The Starting of the Ex-Vegetarian

Growing up in the fourth generation of an entirely vegetarian family, I found myself the recipient of many delicious, yet distinctly different menus than the average person. They were entirely meatless, but you never seemed to feel lacking of it. Since I’ve married a very enthusiastic carnivore (not three months ago, since the writing of this post), I have converted and allowed myself to experience the new pleasures that this American staple does provide for the first time. I also began cooking meat for the first time, sometimes with disastrous results, though I have improved immensely.

Though I am now an official meat eater and great fan of steak, hamburgers, and hot dogs, I still believe my vegetarian upbringing has given me a distinct advantage that I will carry with me through my cooking years. For example,

1) Vegetarian food is cheaper
2) Vegetarian food tends to (though, not always) be healthier
3) Vegetarian food doesn’t go bad as quickly as meat-containing foods so leftovers stay good for longer
4) Vegetarian food doesn’t carry a lot of the disease risks and cautions associated with raw or incorrectly prepared meats

Here, in this blog, I hope to keep a collection of all new recipes (meat and meatless) that I try with their results, both pleasant or appalling. This is for the purpose of my own record-keeping and for sharing with friends. I also hope to include my tips on what I changed in the recipe or what I think went wrong, as well as an estimate of how much each dinner cost me, how much time it took me to prepare, or perhaps even a shopping list (I’m Type A, okay?) depending on how much time I have. Feel free to give feedback or even email me recipes. I would love to hear from you!

--Kelsey Shade

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. ~Jim Davis