I’ve been thinking a lot about what being a vegetarian will mean for me. What are the boundary lines? Why am I doing this? What will this mean for my children?
While I will admit that the whole eating meat thing has always bothered me a little bit – that I have had to try to disassociate that chicken on my plate from the chickens in my father’s coop (yes, my father raises chickens) that really has little to do with my choice to stop eating (or really buying) meat. My beef has more to do with the meat industry in general. The way the animals we eat are treated on their way to our dinner plate. I liken it to torture.
Humans have been eating meat pretty much as long as we’ve been around. At one point it was a hunt for survival and generally, from what I understand, we tried to make that kill worth it. We used their skins to make clothing and blankets, the teeth and bones were put to use also I think. We didn’t waste for our wants and those animals had a somewhat fair shot at a good life before their end. It was, you could say, the circle of life.
Now money is involved. And ethics, in my opinion, aren’t being met. And there are the hormones and drugs being pumped into the animals. And the diets they are being fed that are unnatural and unhealthy for the poor things (But cheaper!) is just another bullet on the list of why I decided to say no more to the whole thing. Because we do live in a society with other options. The sheer popularity of the veggie / vegan lifestyle has given us a lot of options, entire aisles devote themselves to it in your grocery store and entire grocery stores have cropped up to give even more choices. It’s out there man.
Which is not to say it will be easy. It’s not to say it will be inexpensive (it might be, I’ll let you know). But I think like any diet, there will be more expensive and less expensive options depending on your price range and cooking skills.
And then of course there is what to do when we’re at a restaurant or a friend or family members house. I know several vegetarians of several different varieties (because not all vegetarians follow the same rules). Anyway here are the rules I am establishing (at the moment) and the protocols we will follow.
- If I’m paying, it won’t be meat. So if we are at a restaurant or the grocery store, it’s vegetarian.
- However, for the time being we will still eat fish as long as we are mostly sure it’s wild caught.
- And if we ever find a good deal on meat that was raised in much better circumstances (think your idea of a family farm) I might splurge for it, for the sake of my poor carnivorous husband.
- When we are at a friend’s house or a family member’s I will probably eat whatever they put in front of me. It was their money and their choice – their house, their rules. If they want to cook vegetarian for me, I’ll be honored – but this isn’t about “the very idea of eating meat disgusts me” so I won’t pretend it does. It’s a choice I’m making. End of discussion.
- The same goes for my kids.
- We will also not be going vegan. Eggs, dairy, all that jazz – it’s still in the mix. I have switched to organic milk for the time being and I can tell you if we were still in New England, I’d be buying my eggs from my father whose chickens are seriously living the good life.
All of this, of course, is subject to change. But that’s how I see it going down for now.
Also, in case your curious here are some resources I’ve read, watched, etc. that ultimately led to all of this for me:
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan was the first book I read on the subject. It was a real eye opener for me.
- One of my favorite celebrities, Ellen Degeneres talks about being vegan frequently on her show. Here are some of her reasons.
- But what about Thanksgiving??? Here’s a recipe that Ellen’s personal vegan chef Roberto Martin has made for her.
- I haven’t read his book but hearing Jonathan Safran Foer’s interview with Ellen discussing his new book Eating Animals was basically the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. I also read this review of the book at the LA Times.
- After watching his interview, I thought, “But seriously Ellen, what about protein?” And her website told me, “Seriously Jen, it’s easy.” The following are all excellent sources of protein: Tempeh (a common meat substitute), Seitan (a common meat substitute), Soybeans, Lentils, Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Chickpeas, Pinto beans, Black-eyed peas, Tofu (firm), Bagel with Peanut Butter, Almonds, Soy Milk, Soy Yogurt, Sunflower Seeds, Spaghetti, Cashews, Brown Rice, Broccoli and Potatoes.
Confused about terminology?
- Vegan: A person who does not eat or use animal products of any kind (including meat, dairy and leather items).
- Vegetarian: A person who does not eat meat products.
- Pescetarian: A person who eats no meat products with the exception of fish. A lot of people will use this as a bridge to convert to vegetarianism.
- Tofu: A soft, high-protein food made from soybean milk.
- Tempeh: A food that originated in Indonesia, made from cultured soybeans. Since it retains the whole soybean (unlike tofu), it is a source of higher protein, fiber and vitamins. It also has firmer texture and stronger flavor, and is a widely used meat substitute.
- Seitan: A meat substitute made entirely of wheat gluten. It is an alternative to soybean-based substitutes like tofu, and has texture and consistency very similar to meat.
Read more: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/thoughts/#ixzz0WZjeojPM
You won’t find beauty in eye liner or push up bras. It’s not hidden underneath a pair of killer stilettos. You will find beauty in the confidence of a girl who knows who she is and what she’s about. The girl who doesn’t really care if you like her because she loves herself. You’ll find it in a mother’s love, covered in spit up stains and yesterdays socks – the mother whose overwhelming passion for her children can shine through the worst hair days and survives temper tantrums that would make your toes curl.
I think it is beautiful to see two people utterly in love. Not the romance novel sweeping you off your feet love at first sight kind of love, because I think that kind of love often fizzles out after time, after the honeymoon pheromones wear off. I’m talking about the love that survives after that – that you’ve probably noticed in the couples you admire who stand together like a rock that cannot be turned. They never tear each other down, but often build each other up, sometimes without saying a word.
I don’t consider myself a conventional beauty. I don’t have pouty lips or a slim waist line. I won’t be spending hours doing my hair or applying makeup before leaving the house. The truth is, I don’t think I own any makeup and my hair styling regiment consists of hoping I remember to brush my hair in the morning. But I do think that it’s important to take care of yourself.
They say you can’t take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself and while I don’t always follow my own advice, I try. I make an effort to buy clothes that fit me – that make me feel good about myself and comfortable in my own skin. I try to strive for quality so that even when I’m covered in spit up stains and can’t see straight, I’m still wearing one of my favorite things.
I want my children to be proud of me and inspired by me. And I want them to be happy and feel beautiful and confident and loved. How will they get there if I don’t provide a good example? If not for myself, I find and foster my beauty for them because they make me happy and they fill me with love and they grow and learn new things and inspire me so constantly that you can’t help but feel confident in their goodness. Motherhood does that to you – you learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible and you love more than you knew you were capable of. It’s beautiful.
This post is part of the Bloggers & Tiaras Pageant at Momdot.com. You can help decide who takes the crown by voting at the People’s Choice Awards.
Grade: B+
I am not a teacher, nor do I possess any ambitions of becoming one. Don’t get me wrong – I like kids, I am a huge school loving nerd and I have a possibly unhealthy love of school supplies. But the idea of a child’s education being my responsibility? Scary stuff, man. I, unfortunately am lacking in a few traits I think are essential to being a teacher: patience, whatever the opposite of being fickle is, and the ability to think on my feet. I think teachers have one of the most important and difficult jobs out there and I am not ashamed to admit that I don’t think I’m qualified.
But Phillip Done, luckily, is qualified. A veteran teacher with 25 years under his belt, Done has some pretty terrific stories to tell – and you can read them all in his new book, Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind which chronicles a year inside his classroom and thoughts on teacherhood, children and more. Having never been a teacher, you might think this book wouldn’t have much I could relate to, but I think anyone who has taught, or wants to; has been a parent, or wants to; or even has fond memories of their own childhood (or wants to?) will enjoy this book. It definitely brought back some great memories of my own school days and had me daydreaming about the future education of my own children who aren’t in school yet.
Done breaks his book down into monthly sections so that the book starts in August and ends in June. Some chapters are funny, some thoughtful, and some are even a bit sad like his story of Michael or The Angel. He writes several chapters with lists of things he has learned from his students or universal truths of childhood. Sometimes they feel a bit repetitive but then again, I’d imagine spending 5,000+ days with elementary school kids is probably a bit repetitive, too. So while some chapters were better than others (and really isn’t that true of most books?) it was definitely a nice change of pace for me genre-wise and I looked forward to the time I spent reading it every night. Overall, I found the book terrific and I’d recommend it to just about anyone.
A special thank you to the Family Review Network and Hachette Book Group USA for this review opportunity.
I just entered to win a free Kindle from Noobie (worth $259!) and I wanted you to have a chance to win one too!
To enter, just click the link below or copy and paste it into your favorite Internet browser:
http://www.noobie.com/kindle-giveaway?ref=268143687
Make sure you read the email you get from Noobie after you register. You’ll get your own unique link that you can use to earn even more entries in the drawing!
Today…
Outside my window: the trees are almost bare at this point and it looks a lot like November. We have been blessed with a pretty awesome heat wave that I am now hearing is typical of Wisconsin. Apparently we usually have a cold freeze followed by an Indian Summer. I can dig it. The weather man says it’s about 60 degrees out today which is pretty sweet.
I am hearing: World World on tv mesmerizing MM and little miss BB is cooing in her little play mat, swatting at all the toys and being her usual cute self.
I am thinking: I need to get on printing the Letter D workbook page for MM and maybe teaching him some letter D words. It seems like the beginning of the week consists of me saying, “Eh, I have all week to teach him stuff,” and then the last few days of the week I go ABC crazy with activities. It does all get done but maybe I should spread it out a bit more to make for more quality days around here.
I am hoping: that Dan gets home from work early enough that I don’t die before dinner gets on the table. We’re being a bit ambitious in cooking a meatloaf tonight (yes, I am aware that we are supposedly going vegetarian but I don’t want to waste all the meat in our kitchen and meatloaf… it’s one of my favorite things. So I thought it would be the perfect use of most of our ground beef – a sort of last hurrah?) as it takes an hour to bake and since I loathe working with raw meat, I’m waiting until he gets home to actually mix it all together. I know, it’s a rough life.
I am reading: Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich – I finally finished Close Encounters Of The Third Grade Kind last night and although I haven’t actually cracked open the latest Stephanie Plum novel yet, it is waiting patiently for me and I am pretty eager to get started with reading it. I’d been planning to read Hunger Games next but I’ve had this on request at the library for like, forever, so when it came available I had to jump on it. So many books, so little time.
I am creating: the ABC book for MM – I have finished the pages for A B and C in fact. I’m attempting to make the whole project easier by making the pages on Sundays at the end of each week. I’m planning to post pictures from the book on this blog soon.
I am wearing: supremely comfortable plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt
In the kitchen:
- Monday: Italian Style Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli (using up leftover ground beef)
- Tuesday: French Onion Soup
- Wednesday: Rice with black beans and veggies – stir fry
- Thursday: Boca Baked Penne and Dinner Rolls
- Friday: Parmesan Baked (wild caught) Salmon
Around the house: I’m still getting used to the new desk layout. It’s kind of weird walking into the room and heading to a totally different location. Getting used to it all visually, you know? The amazing thing is that we brought in more furniture and now we have more room. Crazy. We also are starting to move BB into The Kids Room. We bought a shelf to put her cloth diapers on and a little plastic bin to store dirty diapers above the changing table (so MM can’t get into it at night, because seriously, he so would). We are still using the pack and play changing table at night when MM is sleeping (and during nap time), so we don’t have to wake him up in the middle of the night but we’re really just prolonging the inevitable here, you know?
Plans for the week: Honestly, it’s pretty status quo around here. I don’t really have anything planned except to try and get out of the house a couple times this week and explore the letter D. Alphabet plans include: dinosaurs, ducks, dinner, dishes, drums, dirty, dogs, daddy, dancing, doctor, drawing, donuts, dark and day.
A few of my favorite things: I made some delicious cake mix cookies with MM this weekend that are seriously decadent. I used reeses pieces instead of chocolate chips to bring a fall color feel to the whole thing. Plus, peanut butter. Seriously. I’m also loving the kitchen towels I got this weekend. We decided that we’ve held off on it long enough – and have been eyeing the same towels for like a year now. Our old towels and wash cloths in the kitchen are starting to resemble rags – it was definitely time to make the switch.
A picture thought:
Monday Mentions is an easy way to share any and all of the fun things you’ve discovered recently, online or otherwise. For more information read this post by the mastermind behind this whole thing, Jen @ Daily Mish Mash. Here’s what I’ve discovered this week…
My mind has been pretty heavily immersed in all things Christmas lately. Here are some things relevant to The Big Day that I’ve come across recently.
Holiday Planning:
- Worried about money? Real Simple has a 4 Week Holiday Savings Plan.
- You might also like their Ultimate Christmas Countdown Checklist. So you can make your list, and check it twice – haha get it?
- Simple Mom has got some tips on organizing your family’s holiday calendar so you can get everywhere you need to (or really, really want to) go, stress free – or at least a little bit less stressed.
- Looking for the perfect Advent (or Christmas Countdown) calendar? Why not try making your own? Better Homes and Gardens has a cute pattern I’m digging on – might have to force my crafty hubby to hook a sister up.
- Looking for some new holiday music to spice up your current collection? Real Simple has 11 great tracks, all available at iTunes.
- Looking for some holiday foods? The A to Z Twins posted this clever apple cider recipe with a mystery ingredient you might not expect. I picture myself sipping it with a slice of Chocolate Cherry Walnut Bread.
Gift Ideas:
- Saw this light-up motherboard Christmas Tree on FredFlare -isn’t it adorable? I kind of want to get it for my tech loving husband.
- I’m on the hunt for decadent hot chocolate options – this one at the Chocolate Bar looks swoon worthy. This Belgian hot chocolate from Fred Flare also looks good.
- These measuring cups from Elsewares nest neatly just like traditional Russian matryoshka dolls – cute and functional? Me likey.
- Have you heard of Boden? I want to buy my kids so many of their cute clothes from the mini Boden line like this adorable print Cord dress or this cute knit dress (I love the red one) for Miss BB. For MM I’m loving this classic long sleeve tee and these great long johns.
- Green With Glamour sells lots of cute eco-friendly stuff but you know I’m all about baby these days so I’m really digging their Ultimate Baby collection. I also dig that one of my favorite actresses, Emily Deschanel is a client and contributer of the company.
- This board game Locale at Barnes and Noble looks really cool. It’s a fun geography game similar in game play to Origins of Expression. The object of the game is to make up a story by explaining as much as you can about a given location – whether you know anything about it or not!
- How cute is this little box kit from Spoon Sisters to leave clues that Santa has come?
Okay and this last mention has nothing to do with Christmas but you need to know – Stephenie Meyer is going to be on Oprah this Friday to talk about the New Moon movie.
Further Proof that NaNoWriMo Wasn’t Gonna Happen; Or: Why the Internet Gods ate my homework.
Not so much.
I was going to blog every day for a month. It was going to be awesome. I really couldn’t fathom what could stop me from accomplishing my legendary goal. Fame and fortune? Pretty much mine for the taking. And then…
This happened.
My husband’s server finally died after like 30 years. Which is not to say that we’ve personally owned it for 30 years since that would be impossible, but the tower holding it all together, yeah it’s pretty old. And I guess we finally asked too much of it. So we were faced with the problem of needing to get a new computer. Which isn’t really all that big of a deal – we were planning to get him a new computer next month – and a new desk – or rather, a desk of his own. Or basically, “Honey I’m tired of sharing with you, plus you really, really hate Apple and I really, really don’t.” And it was gonna be awesome. And it still is awesome, it’s just early. And it meant reconfiguring and furniture moving and Linux kernal installations and “oh crap the internet isn’t working.” For like a day. So, the good news is – it only took him several hours last night and a few hours this morning to fix it. The bad news? My fame and fortune won’t be happening this year because I was never able to blog yesterday.
I mean, if I’d known that our internet connection would go down and about all the furniture moving stuff in advance, I’d have planned accordingly. Maybe blogged in the morning or even scheduled a post in advance, you know? I’m clever. But it was all very last minute and Dan was unaware that the latest version of Ubuntu could be compared to Windows Vista as far as reliability and satisfaction go. So now he’s running Gentu or something, I don’t know how to spell these weird non-Macintosh names, but you know, he’s happy as a staring at black screens with white text all day clam and I’m back online and blogging again and despite the lack of fame and fortune, I’m pretty giddy myself, because I’m blogging from a new location!
We moved my desk to the middle of the living room like one of those cool “in the middle of the room” people and put Dan’s new desk where mine used to be (since his computer acts as the main server for the three computers here and provides internet access to everyone and that wall is where the internet pluggy thing is). Also, we took off the hutch since my new location would look kind of strange with a huge hutch-wielding desk and it didn’t make sense for me to take the desk that he picked out and let’s face it guys, I didn’t like that hutch at all. I dreamed of having a tiny little minimalist desk and now, it’s mine. And it was so much cheaper than buying us both new desks. And it looks perfect, don’t you think? Very “Jen’s Blogging Haven” am I right?
So that’s why I didn’t blog yesterday and will not be winning any NaBloPoMo awards this year.
So my husband and I were talking about operating systems last night. I read an article on Lifehacker that the most popular operating system among Lifehacker readers is Windows 7, followed somewhat closely by Mac OS X. My husband argued that Lifehacker readers is a small biased pool that will not represent the majority of computer users. His guess is that most people will use Windows XP. It just got me curious…
What operating system do you use?
My answer: In our household I am running an iMac on OS X and my husband is a hardcore Linux user (I believe he’s running Ubuntu right now but I could be wrong, it seems to change frequently).
Kailani @ An Island Life takes it easy on Fridays by posting a simple question for you to answer – and she invites you to do the same. Just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
I’ve been a fan of Veggie Tales for almost ten years now. Long before becoming a mother, in spite of a skeptical view of organized religion, Veggie Tales has always enchanted me. I might not agree with the guys behind the cucumber on everything, but I do agree with them when it comes to ethical living and having a good sense of humor. I have enjoyed every Veggie Tales movie I’ve ever seen – those guys are creative geniuses – and I think the moral lessons they provide are invaluable to their young audience. The fact that my three year old has become a hardcore Veggie Tales fan is just icing on the decadent chocolate cake.
Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving is the first new Veggie Tales holiday DVD released in seven years. The movie tells the story of Saint Nicholas aka Santa Claus played by the newest VT character, Nicky the Pepper.
The movie opens with Junior Asparagus overcome with glee, trying to decide what to buy with the gold coin his grandparents have given him and anticipating his Christmas morning loot. Meanwhile Laura Carrot’s father finds himself in danger of losing his job on Christmas Eve – right before they are supposed to finally go shopping for their Christmas Tree. When Junior comments that they should ask Santa Claus to help Laura, Bob asks them what they think Christmas is really about and who exactly they think Santa Claus really is. Don’t worry – they aren’t planning to ruin Chistmas for anyone – rather Bob decides it is time to tell the children (and Larry) the story of Saint Nicholas, who made a discovery in Bethlehem as a child that changed Christmas forever.
I really enjoyed the overall moral lesson to this movie – Santa Claus and stockings and presents are fun, but the power of giving to someone in need is even better. Tis better to give than to receive. I wholly agree that the Christmas season gets overly commercialized and that teaching kids the importance of giving back to the community is a great idea. This year, why not give Christmas away?
Like all the Veggie Tales movies, Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving entertained me, humored me, moved me and had me questioning my beliefs. And regardless of whether I agreed with everything they said, it got me thinking and in my opinion, that’s really all that matters. It features some great new songs like “Give This Christmas Away” which was written by the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Matthew West and performed by West and Grammy Award-winning artist Amy Grant (love her). And the newest silly song “Donuts for Benny” which is performed by Mr. Lunt was just hilarious.
I also really enjoyed browsing the special features on the DVD which include:
- “Give This Christmas Away” Operation Christmas Child music video
- Behind The Song with Matthew West and Amy Grant
- Art Gallery
- Audio Commentary
- Sing Along with Larry
- Discussion Guide
- Family Activity – “Bob & Larry’s Sugar Cookies” (see recipe at the bottom of this post)
And when the story was over, I found myself jumping onto the computer to look for volunteer opportunities near me. I think that’s the sign of a successful message, don’t you? As for my three year old – he has been quoting this movie ad nauseam since we bought it and asks to watch it daily. Luckily I love it, too, since it’s in constant rotation here now.
I think this DVD would make a great Christmas present for any young or old Veggie Tales fans in your family. You can buy the DVD along with some great Saint Nicholas stocking stuffers at Big Idea’s website. Merchandise includes a Saint Nicholas Little Golden Book, plush toy versions of Larry, Bob and Nicky, two adorable ornaments and shoes and shoe charms from Jibbitz™, a subsidiary of Crocs™. A 10-song Saint Nicholas album will also be available exclusively at iTunes, which includes “Give This Christmas Away.”
Turn your purchase into an opportunity to give:
If you purchase the Saint Nicholas DVD (which retails at $14.99) you will receive an offer inside the DVD to give a FREE VeggieTales DVD to a friend in need! Just use the information inside the DVD to log onto a special website and get a free Veggie Tales DVD to send to a friend (there is a $2.99 shipping and handling charge).
Operation Christmas Child Partnership
From “What If December Looked Different This Year?” by Deborah Evans Price and Big Idea:
“This fall, Big Idea has teamed up with Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, to help collect gifts for needy children throughout the world. More than 65,000 churches across the country will hold shoe-box gift collection events. Church leaders have the opportunity to hold a screening of Saint Nicholas where kids and families will be encouraged to “share the spirit of giving” by donating shoe-box gifts.”
“Right after watching Saint Nicholas, in the wake of being so inspired to give, that’s the perfect time to put a shoe box together,” says GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist Amy Grant, who has teamed with singer/songwriter Matthew West for the Saint Nicholas theme song “Give This Christmas Away.” “It’s love in action. It’s active learning with a great example of the joy of giving through the life of the real Saint Nicholas. And what better way to say, ‘Hey kids, we could change a life, too. We could do something just that special.’”
Are you a fan of all things Bob and Larry? Be sure to check out the Veggie Tales Facebook page and declare your fandom today!
***
Bob & Larry’s Yummy Christmas Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Ready In: 30 Minutes
- Servings: 30
“Christmastime means cookies are in the oven just for me! The smell of yummy morsels makes me want to hum “Deck The Halls” while my tummy starts to grumble.” says Larry the Cucumber ” I like to paint my cookies with colorful icing – or if time’s a wastin’, simply sprinkle ‘em with colored sugar.”
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup butter
- Decorations
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt with a wire whisk. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well blended. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate one hour until firm. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. With cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with colored sugars or sprinkles. Bake for 13-15 minutes, being careful not to brown. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.
A special thank you to the Family Review Network and Big Idea for this review opportunity.
