Humans are not Goats

First I would like to say that the background and blog title were not my idea - but my picky-eating other half's. I just thought it was funny enough to leave it (why yes, that is a hamburger in the background of a vegetarian blog).

Now, let me start off with a quick explanation as to what possessed me to become a vegetarian and why I am doing this blog:

When I was a child, I went vegetarian (with the exception of seafood). I decided that the world was doing a great injustice to our cow brethren and would never again eat another piece of meat. If the people of India could do it, so could I. But, that didn't last very long, as I succumbed to what my fiance' would refer to as, "The Siren Song of the Steak."

Flash forward ten or fifteen years. I've, once again, given up meat with the exception of seafood - along with most dairy products (except yogurt and the occasional bit of sour cream or cottage cheese. Not that I should be eating the last two at all). As I've gotten older, I've discovered more and more foods that, for whatever reason, my stomach has decided to revolt against.

First it was caffeine. Not a big deal, although I do still succumb on occasion and get myself a caramel latte or something. Tea is my weakness (usually green), but you can get that decaf, so it never bothered me too much. Then it was dairy. Now, this wasn't as much of a surprise, as I was lactose-intolerant as a child. Like most fat chicks too lazy to care, I ate everything I wasn't supposed to anyway. And this, my friends, backfired.

Everything started making me sick and none of us could figure out why. Eventually I figured out it wasn't just dairy, but cow-related products as a whole. So, after a lot of "Well, I'll eat it anyway and suffer later," I finally gave anything from our milk-producing friends up. Then I discovered that wheat did the same thing, so I've cut down on that. Luckily, eating less seems to have done the trick, but I can't cut it out completely simply because I love me some sammiches.

A few days ago, after spending almost a week sick to my stomach, I came to my final decision - I would go vegetarian. There are many of us human-type things that aren't walking garbage disposals, so we're forced to eat like this. Now I would like to point out that I am not one of those self-righteous prats you see screaming, "Meat is Murder!" while munching on a cheese-and-beef filled Taco Bell Chalupa. Everyone in my family eats meat, especially my anti-vegetable other half, and I did too. However, I can't claim -complete- vegetarianism as I still eat seafood (there's no way anyone is taking my sushi from me unless I become deathly allergic). I still eat seafood not just because it's the only 'meat' product that doesn't make me ill (most stuff, anyway), but because it has a lot of the vitamins and protein I'm going to need due to the fact I won't be getting it from any other meat source. It's a rare thing, so I don't feel even the remotest bit bad.

So, if you eat meat, more power to you. I won't tell you that you're a terrible person, I won't get all indignant and not speak to you. I'm doing this for health reasons and nothing else. (Although, I did see that Oprah special on cow slaughter houses... talk about traumatizing.)

I started this blog to share my insights, struggles, recipes, brand/substitute suggestions, and anything else that might come into my head while I go through this. I know I'm not the only one having to do this, and I figured this would be a good way to keep myself on track. Comment, share recipes, or whatever else you feel like doing. I'll just keep writing and respond to comments when I can or feel I should.

Disclaimer: Although I will be sharing many gluten free products and recipes, my diet is not based solely on that. What I suggest may not be gluten-free friendly (although I will make sure to note if there are gluten-free alternatives). I am open to ideas, recipes, and various brands that may supply these things though.

So read on, gentle viewers. And enjoy what I hope with be an entertaining look into my thought process and daily life.