Well, today was funny. Had so much to do. I made dinner, got the house clean, we did one (yes, just one) class today. And guess what. We didn't have time to eat the dinner I so painstakingly prepared because we had to get out the door so that mom could go to her homeschooling thingy. So I made it, but we have not eaten it yet:
Potatoes, Carrots, and Turnips Au Gratin (a Molly Katzen recipe, modified)
2 large carrots
3 med-large potatoes
3 turnips
Slice these up in thin slices. add
1 diced onion or 1 cup diced scallions (onions are cheaper, but scallions are more delicious, we usually do onion)
Mix in one jar of garlic alfredo sauce (can be found with other pasta sauces)
Sprinkle bread crumbs and parm. cheese over the top
cover tightly with tinfoil
bake at 350 for one hour.
Last time we had it, I liked it. But I would only give it two and a half stars. This is a recipe Skywalker likes more than I do (translated-- less non-vegetarian friendly. His taste buds are more accepting of vegetables than mine are.)
The kids seemed Ok with parts of it. For them, it's probably a one and a half out of four stars.
If you love veggies, you'll like this. If you don't, you might not as much.
Dec 11, 2008
Dec 10, 2008
meals day four
Tonight we're having fish. I gave Loli a choice, we could either have the turnip-potato-carrot au gratin casserole or fish. And she chose fish. (I knew she would... she loooooooves fish. Loves it. Can you believe it?) Anwyay, I purchased a pound of sole filets at the grocery store yesterday. My two fish recipes are:
1) For white fishies
melt garlic in butter or oil, spoon over the raw fish in a casserole dish. Add sprinkles of dill, parmesan, and bread crumbs.
oh, forgot to say, I put a little salt and pepper on the raw fish, too, and line the sides of the tray with veggies. Tonight I did baby carrots and broccoli.
2) For red fishies (this one is specific to red snapper. It's yummy.)
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
* 3 or 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or your own favorite seasoning blend, with salt
* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
* 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon snipped fresh or frozen chives, optional
* 3 to 4 tablespoons plain or seasoned bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional
PREPARATION:
Place snapper fillets in a baking dish which has been sprayed with a butter-flavored baking spray.
In a skillet, melt butter with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning blend, pepper, parsley, and chives, if using.
Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes or until the biggest pieces are flaky and white and tender in the middle.
I have a couple salmon recipes too, but never use them, because, well... I can't afford to buy salmon. I bought salmon steaks once, for fourth of july barbecuing purposes. They were sooooooo good but soooooo expensive, too.
Watch out for bones! Even boned fish filets have little pieces in them. I always find one or two. If you're serving to a child under 5, you probably need to cut it up in little pieces and find them yourself; bones can choke. And nobody wants that.
Day 2 of Skywalker Absentia went all right, despite the craziness of taking a toddler and an infant to a crowded ballet recital and having to do hair and run around looking for teachers, etc.
I'm wonder woman! Yes I am.
1) For white fishies
melt garlic in butter or oil, spoon over the raw fish in a casserole dish. Add sprinkles of dill, parmesan, and bread crumbs.
oh, forgot to say, I put a little salt and pepper on the raw fish, too, and line the sides of the tray with veggies. Tonight I did baby carrots and broccoli.
2) For red fishies (this one is specific to red snapper. It's yummy.)
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
* 3 or 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or your own favorite seasoning blend, with salt
* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
* 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon snipped fresh or frozen chives, optional
* 3 to 4 tablespoons plain or seasoned bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional
PREPARATION:
Place snapper fillets in a baking dish which has been sprayed with a butter-flavored baking spray.
In a skillet, melt butter with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning blend, pepper, parsley, and chives, if using.
Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes or until the biggest pieces are flaky and white and tender in the middle.
I have a couple salmon recipes too, but never use them, because, well... I can't afford to buy salmon. I bought salmon steaks once, for fourth of july barbecuing purposes. They were sooooooo good but soooooo expensive, too.
Watch out for bones! Even boned fish filets have little pieces in them. I always find one or two. If you're serving to a child under 5, you probably need to cut it up in little pieces and find them yourself; bones can choke. And nobody wants that.
Day 2 of Skywalker Absentia went all right, despite the craziness of taking a toddler and an infant to a crowded ballet recital and having to do hair and run around looking for teachers, etc.
I'm wonder woman! Yes I am.
Dec 9, 2008
Meal Chronicles day 3
Tonight we had one of our favortes: nachos with homemade salsa and gaucamole.
And as to life without Skywalker...
it's not worth living!!! Waaaah!
Nah, just kidding. We're doing just fine. At YW tonight the girls were holy terrors and got some talkings to but overall... this week is the busiest week I've had in a long time. Wow. So I won't have much time to think about what sort of cool jazz Skywalker might or might not be currently enjoying or what kind of geek networking he may or may not be doing. I'll just be slowly going insane. No, still kidding. I'll be doing what I do best: multitasking while juggling a challenging schedule and remaining calm and fair. The iron hand in the velvet glove. That is Nosurfgirl.
Hopefully.
And as to life without Skywalker...
it's not worth living!!! Waaaah!
Nah, just kidding. We're doing just fine. At YW tonight the girls were holy terrors and got some talkings to but overall... this week is the busiest week I've had in a long time. Wow. So I won't have much time to think about what sort of cool jazz Skywalker might or might not be currently enjoying or what kind of geek networking he may or may not be doing. I'll just be slowly going insane. No, still kidding. I'll be doing what I do best: multitasking while juggling a challenging schedule and remaining calm and fair. The iron hand in the velvet glove. That is Nosurfgirl.
Hopefully.
Dec 8, 2008
Meal chronicles, day 2
My husband is leaving town tommorrow morning for 6 days. As part of my moping, I did not cook tonight. Instead, we got chinese. Which is a good segwey into a topic very near and dear to would-be vegetarian hearts: where to go out to eat, if you want to find lots of vegetarian choices. Here is my list of suggestions:
Nice Italian places tend to have a handful of options that are absolutely divine. A certain famous local italian place (you who live by me know which I mean) has a to-die-for portabella ravioli, and their lobster ravioli is perhaps the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. (If you're OK with eating fish, that is.)
Indian Food has many vegetarian options. And they are all very delicious. In India, there are certain religious groups who are strict vegetarians, and they make up a large percentage of the population. And so you can expect to find what you need at an Indian restaurant. Malai Kofta is one of my all-time favorite vegetarian meals.
Thai food is very very heavy on the vegetables, and those Thai people know how to cook their veggies, let's just say that. Soooo goood. Oh my word. Peanut sauce is like ambrosia from heaven when it comes to spicing up a veggie stir fry. I'm still trying to find the best recipe to make at home... so far, nothing matches what I've had eating out.
Japanese: Again, if you're OK with fish... sushi. The first time you have it, you might find it wierd and scary. The second time you'll say, "I can see how someone might appreciate this." Then you'll start having dreams. You'll start salivating in your sleep. Pretty soon you'll be using every excuse to get sushi; birthdays, anniversaries, the relatives coming to town. You'll start glancing longingly at tins of flying fish eggs and nori sheets in the asian food aisle of the grocery store...
that's as far as I've gotten. Because Sushi is one thing I think I'm willing to pay someone else to make. At least at this point. But the bad thing is, it's pricey. We've found a relatively inexpensive place nearby, but it's still too much for us cheap people to have as a regular date.
Chinese places with a large selection tend to have enough vegetarian options to get by on. Even the cheap places.
Mexican food... that's a little harder. Usually they have one or two menu options, but usually they're pretty bereft of appeal... just cheese, beans, and rice or a mix thereof. But one of my favorites is Chile relleno. Any good mexican place with have a version of that dish.
If you're eating Greek food, Falafel is one of the most delicious vegetarian entrees. We enjoy falafel often in our family.
Pizza: Of course there's always the option of cheese. When we buy frozen pizza, we buy cheese or four-cheese, and pile veggies on it before we bake it. But the very, very best take-out vegetarian pizza is by far, Papa Murphy's gourmet veggie. Sooooo good.
English, German, Russian or Eastern European: really can't help you there. Pretty much expect to be able to handle just eating the bread and the salad. If you somehow wind up at one of these places (which, as a non-vegetarian, I absolutely loved), maybe order yourself a delicious drink or dessert to make yourself feel like it's worth it.
OK, and if you're dying for a fast food fix:
Taco bell. Has the most veggie options, though you have to realize their refried beans are probably made with animal fats. The 7-layer burrito is pretty good.
Other exampes: there are the sides, of course.
My favorites, when I need a fast food fix and I'm being strict are:
1) Curly fries at Arbys
2) Fried Mozzarella sticks at Arby's
3) Fried Zuchini at Carl's Jr.
4) Fish filet sandwich at McDonald's.
Not very good for you. But sometimes we need a junk food night. Just every once in a while, you know. On days where self-medication seems to be a good idea. LIke when your husband decides to go on a crazy trip to some wierd southern state and talk to a bunch of geeks about something you can't pronounce.
OK, done whimpering.
Nice Italian places tend to have a handful of options that are absolutely divine. A certain famous local italian place (you who live by me know which I mean) has a to-die-for portabella ravioli, and their lobster ravioli is perhaps the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. (If you're OK with eating fish, that is.)
Indian Food has many vegetarian options. And they are all very delicious. In India, there are certain religious groups who are strict vegetarians, and they make up a large percentage of the population. And so you can expect to find what you need at an Indian restaurant. Malai Kofta is one of my all-time favorite vegetarian meals.
Thai food is very very heavy on the vegetables, and those Thai people know how to cook their veggies, let's just say that. Soooo goood. Oh my word. Peanut sauce is like ambrosia from heaven when it comes to spicing up a veggie stir fry. I'm still trying to find the best recipe to make at home... so far, nothing matches what I've had eating out.
Japanese: Again, if you're OK with fish... sushi. The first time you have it, you might find it wierd and scary. The second time you'll say, "I can see how someone might appreciate this." Then you'll start having dreams. You'll start salivating in your sleep. Pretty soon you'll be using every excuse to get sushi; birthdays, anniversaries, the relatives coming to town. You'll start glancing longingly at tins of flying fish eggs and nori sheets in the asian food aisle of the grocery store...
that's as far as I've gotten. Because Sushi is one thing I think I'm willing to pay someone else to make. At least at this point. But the bad thing is, it's pricey. We've found a relatively inexpensive place nearby, but it's still too much for us cheap people to have as a regular date.
Chinese places with a large selection tend to have enough vegetarian options to get by on. Even the cheap places.
Mexican food... that's a little harder. Usually they have one or two menu options, but usually they're pretty bereft of appeal... just cheese, beans, and rice or a mix thereof. But one of my favorites is Chile relleno. Any good mexican place with have a version of that dish.
If you're eating Greek food, Falafel is one of the most delicious vegetarian entrees. We enjoy falafel often in our family.
Pizza: Of course there's always the option of cheese. When we buy frozen pizza, we buy cheese or four-cheese, and pile veggies on it before we bake it. But the very, very best take-out vegetarian pizza is by far, Papa Murphy's gourmet veggie. Sooooo good.
English, German, Russian or Eastern European: really can't help you there. Pretty much expect to be able to handle just eating the bread and the salad. If you somehow wind up at one of these places (which, as a non-vegetarian, I absolutely loved), maybe order yourself a delicious drink or dessert to make yourself feel like it's worth it.
OK, and if you're dying for a fast food fix:
Taco bell. Has the most veggie options, though you have to realize their refried beans are probably made with animal fats. The 7-layer burrito is pretty good.
Other exampes: there are the sides, of course.
My favorites, when I need a fast food fix and I'm being strict are:
1) Curly fries at Arbys
2) Fried Mozzarella sticks at Arby's
3) Fried Zuchini at Carl's Jr.
4) Fish filet sandwich at McDonald's.
Not very good for you. But sometimes we need a junk food night. Just every once in a while, you know. On days where self-medication seems to be a good idea. LIke when your husband decides to go on a crazy trip to some wierd southern state and talk to a bunch of geeks about something you can't pronounce.
OK, done whimpering.
Dec 7, 2008
New series: Nosurf Meal Chronicles, day 1
After a comment on one of my last posts I realized that it might be a cool thing if I put some recipes and ideas out there, just in case there are people who want to use less meat but don't know how to. This has been (as I said before) a journey of sweat and tears for me and so if I can make someone else's life easier and less stressful trying to use less meat, I'm more than willing. Maybe all my frustration will count for more that way, :)
I'll give each of these meals "deliciousness" ratings based upon how kids take them and how grownups (skywalker and I) take them.
so to that end: tonight's meal.
Main dish:
Leftover Eggplant Lasagna
--Kids give it ** out of **** stars (based upon reaction)
--Grownups give it **** out of **** stars. it really is yummy, even if you hate eggplant (which I do.)
1 eggplant (slice it in 1/4 inch disks)
3-4 eggs (depending on size of the eggplant)
flour
spaghetti or flavored tomato sauce
parmesan cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups spinach
Take the eggplant disks. dip them in the egg, in the flour, and then fry them in olive or other vegetable oil, on each side, until golden.
take the spinach and ricotta and 1/4 cup parmesan, mix together.
layer the eggplant as if it were lasagna noodles; put a layer of eggplant, then some of the cheese mixture, then more eggplant, then the sauce, then more eggplant, then sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan across the top. Oven at 375, cover the casserole dish in tinfoil and bake for about an hour.
Salad: romaine lettuce, red cabbage, olives, shaved onions, corn and garbanzo beans. Served with litehouse ranch (the only kind worth buying... you will not go back) and sesame-sticks (buy in bulk at health-food store) as a crouton-like topping.
We also had rhodes rolls and pie, because we were all crazy hungry after fast Sunday. The pie was chocolate pudding, a store bought crust, and Kool Whip.
nutritional notes:
Sesame seeds are one of the most calcium rich foods in the world. Many cultures use them in the form of sesame seed oil, as well as the whole seed. Both are very calcium-rich. Also, sesame seeds have a high amount of protein.
I'll give each of these meals "deliciousness" ratings based upon how kids take them and how grownups (skywalker and I) take them.
so to that end: tonight's meal.
Main dish:
Leftover Eggplant Lasagna
--Kids give it ** out of **** stars (based upon reaction)
--Grownups give it **** out of **** stars. it really is yummy, even if you hate eggplant (which I do.)
1 eggplant (slice it in 1/4 inch disks)
3-4 eggs (depending on size of the eggplant)
flour
spaghetti or flavored tomato sauce
parmesan cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups spinach
Take the eggplant disks. dip them in the egg, in the flour, and then fry them in olive or other vegetable oil, on each side, until golden.
take the spinach and ricotta and 1/4 cup parmesan, mix together.
layer the eggplant as if it were lasagna noodles; put a layer of eggplant, then some of the cheese mixture, then more eggplant, then the sauce, then more eggplant, then sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan across the top. Oven at 375, cover the casserole dish in tinfoil and bake for about an hour.
Salad: romaine lettuce, red cabbage, olives, shaved onions, corn and garbanzo beans. Served with litehouse ranch (the only kind worth buying... you will not go back) and sesame-sticks (buy in bulk at health-food store) as a crouton-like topping.
We also had rhodes rolls and pie, because we were all crazy hungry after fast Sunday. The pie was chocolate pudding, a store bought crust, and Kool Whip.
nutritional notes:
Sesame seeds are one of the most calcium rich foods in the world. Many cultures use them in the form of sesame seed oil, as well as the whole seed. Both are very calcium-rich. Also, sesame seeds have a high amount of protein.
Dec 4, 2008
housekeeping blind spots...
OK, Apparently I'm in slight venting mode, so this is another post about my inadequacies as a mother and housekeeper. Haha.
Anyway, Do any of you have housekeeping blind spots? Things you just never notice, so they never get done/cleaned? Here are mine:
1) I never, ever make the bed in the morning. And I don't make my kids make theirs either. Rooms tidy, yes. Linens clean, well, tolerably clean. But the bed is always an explosion of pillows, comforter, twisted up sheets, until nighttime when it is quickly made so that all people involved can sleep comfortably.
2) The art area. There is a small corner of my laundry-den room thing that has my children's old art supplies in it. We don't even keep the new ones there anymore... and yet I cleaned it for the first time today in probably two years. It wasn't too bad... but there were some ooooold crayons on the floor and a corner that needed a little mopping.
3) Dusting. Only one area of my house gets dusty at all... the bookcase in the living room. So I forget to dust for a long time. The other day I looked at it, went "ew" and dusted it... probably for the first time in several months.
4) Under the stove top. I clean the burners, clean under the burners, clean the surface of the stove and the oven and... forget to lift the metal top to clean UNDER the surface of the oven. Last time was probably about six months ago. I'm kind of afraid to look.
5) Yes, Aunt Linda, I clean out the lint trap every time. Or at least, every other time. But I forget to wipe the tops of the washer-dryer and they collect awful hordes of lint before I notice them enough to give them a good cleaning... again, probably once every six months or so.
And the absolute worst offence:
6) I never scour my sink. I don't know why. I rinse it out, clean it out, scrub the counters around it, scrub under the dish drainer. My bathtub gets officially scoured every two weeks but I never scrub the sink... it gets gray. I've had two separate instances where my loved ones have felt it necessary to intervene... my mom scoured it once when she was staying with me, and my sister, once, when she was visiting. They wouldn't have said anything except I went to look at it and said, "Oh, look! It's so white! Wow!" And then they sort of ashamedly admitted to their little piece of charity.
Well, lately I've had an epiphany about cleaning. I'm organizing myself differently, and so far it seems to be working much better! I get much more done, and things stay clean longer... usually I'd go around madly scrambling to clean EVERYTHING everyday and now I'm doing it one-room at a time, with tidying overall for the rest of the house. It gives me the opportunity to pay attention to the little (OK, maybe not so little) details I usually miss. It's so much better! Today I even scoured my own sink. And as I said, this week I dusted the bookcase. And I finally exorcised our aged art-room demons.
But I still haven't made my bed.
Anyway, Do any of you have housekeeping blind spots? Things you just never notice, so they never get done/cleaned? Here are mine:
1) I never, ever make the bed in the morning. And I don't make my kids make theirs either. Rooms tidy, yes. Linens clean, well, tolerably clean. But the bed is always an explosion of pillows, comforter, twisted up sheets, until nighttime when it is quickly made so that all people involved can sleep comfortably.
2) The art area. There is a small corner of my laundry-den room thing that has my children's old art supplies in it. We don't even keep the new ones there anymore... and yet I cleaned it for the first time today in probably two years. It wasn't too bad... but there were some ooooold crayons on the floor and a corner that needed a little mopping.
3) Dusting. Only one area of my house gets dusty at all... the bookcase in the living room. So I forget to dust for a long time. The other day I looked at it, went "ew" and dusted it... probably for the first time in several months.
4) Under the stove top. I clean the burners, clean under the burners, clean the surface of the stove and the oven and... forget to lift the metal top to clean UNDER the surface of the oven. Last time was probably about six months ago. I'm kind of afraid to look.
5) Yes, Aunt Linda, I clean out the lint trap every time. Or at least, every other time. But I forget to wipe the tops of the washer-dryer and they collect awful hordes of lint before I notice them enough to give them a good cleaning... again, probably once every six months or so.
And the absolute worst offence:
6) I never scour my sink. I don't know why. I rinse it out, clean it out, scrub the counters around it, scrub under the dish drainer. My bathtub gets officially scoured every two weeks but I never scrub the sink... it gets gray. I've had two separate instances where my loved ones have felt it necessary to intervene... my mom scoured it once when she was staying with me, and my sister, once, when she was visiting. They wouldn't have said anything except I went to look at it and said, "Oh, look! It's so white! Wow!" And then they sort of ashamedly admitted to their little piece of charity.
Well, lately I've had an epiphany about cleaning. I'm organizing myself differently, and so far it seems to be working much better! I get much more done, and things stay clean longer... usually I'd go around madly scrambling to clean EVERYTHING everyday and now I'm doing it one-room at a time, with tidying overall for the rest of the house. It gives me the opportunity to pay attention to the little (OK, maybe not so little) details I usually miss. It's so much better! Today I even scoured my own sink. And as I said, this week I dusted the bookcase. And I finally exorcised our aged art-room demons.
But I still haven't made my bed.
Dec 2, 2008
re-committment to vegetarianism.
Those of you who know me and my family, know that we have issues with food. Not as in, we don't eat it or we eat too much of it. I think we eat an average amount for an American family. I don't really worry much about calories, or about fat grams or any of that sort of obsessive stuff. I just try to cook as healthy as possible, and at the back of my mind is always that little ticker that makes sure we get enough fat, protien, and oils. Because "we're" vegetarians.
That's in quotes becuase I have had struggles with vegetarianism. My retreat from animal products started about five years ago when I began getting recurring ear infections... yada yada yada several months later found out it was because I'd been eating too much dairy. And then I met DH, who had been a vegetarian, nearly vegan, for seven years before he met me. We talked a lot, and what he believed resonated with me because I have always felt that the standard american diet containes way, way too much meat.
As a Mormon, I think I have always felt the cognitive dissonance associated with Mormon Culture and meat eating. On the one hand, the D&C 89 clearly states that meat should be a sparing part of our meals. ON the other hand, meat-eating is a very ingrained, deeply-rooted part of diet and meals. Likely this is because of where a lot of us come from; Europe. England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark. I don't know if any of you have visited Europe, but if you do you'll notice that meals are very meat-oriented, and scarce of vegetables. It is because Europe has traditionally been a nation in power, and so, culturually, they could afford to eat a lot of meat. It was a sign of affluence to serve meats at a meal.
I think we feel that way in our culture, too... a meal is not "complete" without meat as the main helping.
Now, here comes the diverging of doctrines. Some Mormons feel strongly that eating meat "sparingly, during winter and times of cold or famine," means meat is only one course of the meal... you need to include lots of other items, too, and that diversity of nutrients is what was meant. Others say that the verse, which reads, "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine," literally means what it reads: that God wants us to use it as more than a suppliment in those stated times.
However, if you read the previous several verses, I think the message is pretty clear.
So as a society, do LDS people follow that facet of the Word of Wisdom? What does "sparing" mean to you? What does "cold or famine" mean to you?
For me, it has been a difficult call. I have not been able to entirely divorce myself from regular meat eating during certain events in my life; eg, pregnancy. I'm an iron-deficient type. Meat is the way I've learned to cope, instead of turning to other, perhaps even more efficient sources such as prune juice, green drinks, or unrefined grains. My body has learned an association: a certain irritable, weak feeling means I need meat. Therefore, I have eaten it.
But the more I learn, the more I read, and the more I take in what effect our cumulative diet has had on my husband (the introduction of more dairy, and more oils, for instance, has caused him to gain a lot of weight where, before, he was very fit) I realize that I might need to keep reindoctrinating myself.
Meat, only in times of winter, cold, or famine. Sparingly. I need to recommit to this. To me it means, you only eat meat every once in a while. Every once in a while, to me, means it is a treat. A special occasion. Something to be grateful for and not wasted, or thought of as the usual fare.
So now I'm reccommitting. My goal: now that the extended family's Thanksgiving turkey is all gone, I am going to abstain from meat (except for the occasional meal of fish) until at least March of this year, when traditionally I make corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day. (The only meat I ever cook in our house.) Because I"m still nursing my baby boy a lot, I'm going to make a conscious effort to seek out sources of iron and protien outside of animal products, so that I don't feel drained and tired and grumpy all the time, and try to make it a good experience. I'm going to try to re-convert myself to total meat-abstention.
I know that some of you don't feel as I do, and have other ideas of what the WOW means. That's OK. We don't have to agree. The reason why I'm posting this is because it's much more likely that I will achieve my goal if there are others around who know that I am working on it, and who might check in on me.
And if you want, this can turn into a WOW discussion... let's just keep it openminded and non-accusatory. :) I'm always interested in a discussion of this, because it seems like one of those things that most people aren't really sure about. Discussion could do a lot of good here, I think.
That's in quotes becuase I have had struggles with vegetarianism. My retreat from animal products started about five years ago when I began getting recurring ear infections... yada yada yada several months later found out it was because I'd been eating too much dairy. And then I met DH, who had been a vegetarian, nearly vegan, for seven years before he met me. We talked a lot, and what he believed resonated with me because I have always felt that the standard american diet containes way, way too much meat.
As a Mormon, I think I have always felt the cognitive dissonance associated with Mormon Culture and meat eating. On the one hand, the D&C 89 clearly states that meat should be a sparing part of our meals. ON the other hand, meat-eating is a very ingrained, deeply-rooted part of diet and meals. Likely this is because of where a lot of us come from; Europe. England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark. I don't know if any of you have visited Europe, but if you do you'll notice that meals are very meat-oriented, and scarce of vegetables. It is because Europe has traditionally been a nation in power, and so, culturually, they could afford to eat a lot of meat. It was a sign of affluence to serve meats at a meal.
I think we feel that way in our culture, too... a meal is not "complete" without meat as the main helping.
Now, here comes the diverging of doctrines. Some Mormons feel strongly that eating meat "sparingly, during winter and times of cold or famine," means meat is only one course of the meal... you need to include lots of other items, too, and that diversity of nutrients is what was meant. Others say that the verse, which reads, "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine," literally means what it reads: that God wants us to use it as more than a suppliment in those stated times.
However, if you read the previous several verses, I think the message is pretty clear.
So as a society, do LDS people follow that facet of the Word of Wisdom? What does "sparing" mean to you? What does "cold or famine" mean to you?
For me, it has been a difficult call. I have not been able to entirely divorce myself from regular meat eating during certain events in my life; eg, pregnancy. I'm an iron-deficient type. Meat is the way I've learned to cope, instead of turning to other, perhaps even more efficient sources such as prune juice, green drinks, or unrefined grains. My body has learned an association: a certain irritable, weak feeling means I need meat. Therefore, I have eaten it.
But the more I learn, the more I read, and the more I take in what effect our cumulative diet has had on my husband (the introduction of more dairy, and more oils, for instance, has caused him to gain a lot of weight where, before, he was very fit) I realize that I might need to keep reindoctrinating myself.
Meat, only in times of winter, cold, or famine. Sparingly. I need to recommit to this. To me it means, you only eat meat every once in a while. Every once in a while, to me, means it is a treat. A special occasion. Something to be grateful for and not wasted, or thought of as the usual fare.
So now I'm reccommitting. My goal: now that the extended family's Thanksgiving turkey is all gone, I am going to abstain from meat (except for the occasional meal of fish) until at least March of this year, when traditionally I make corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day. (The only meat I ever cook in our house.) Because I"m still nursing my baby boy a lot, I'm going to make a conscious effort to seek out sources of iron and protien outside of animal products, so that I don't feel drained and tired and grumpy all the time, and try to make it a good experience. I'm going to try to re-convert myself to total meat-abstention.
I know that some of you don't feel as I do, and have other ideas of what the WOW means. That's OK. We don't have to agree. The reason why I'm posting this is because it's much more likely that I will achieve my goal if there are others around who know that I am working on it, and who might check in on me.
And if you want, this can turn into a WOW discussion... let's just keep it openminded and non-accusatory. :) I'm always interested in a discussion of this, because it seems like one of those things that most people aren't really sure about. Discussion could do a lot of good here, I think.
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