living in a meat-eaters world

...but I am not a meat-eater girl.

(Seriously, if you didn't already, go back and sing that to Madonna's Material Girl.  And shame on you if you didn't figure that out already.)

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

Once people find out I'm a vegetarian, I get asked a lot of questions.  Truth be told, most people don't even know.  (Shoot, my own family forgets all the time!  My children don't even know!)  But once the big reveal is made, the questions -- and freaky looks -- start pouring in.

(And I've been getting a lot of snickers over my meat-full recipes I've been sharing for M'mm M'mm Mondays.)

I've also been getting a lot of questions lately from folks considering becoming a vegetarian.  So I thought why not blog about it?  I'll answer the most commonly asked questions.  Shoot me some more if inquiring minds wanna know.  *snicker*

Ok, let's roll.  Part one.
1.  Is your family vegetarian? 
Um, nuh-uh.  My man eats copious amounts of meat.  And so far I'm raising two outta 3 pig lovers.  My boys were vegetarians until they were about 2.  Maybe a little earlier.  Doh Doh now eats turkey and occasionally ham.  I do cook meat at home (obviously) but we do a lot -- and I mean a LOT -- of meat-free meals.  Since my mister eats out lunch about every day he prefers something lighter (read: healthier) when he gets home.  My mother doesn't eat a lot of meat either.

2.  Do you eat dairy, fish, eggs?
Yes.  I'm a vegetarian.  Not a vegan.  A vegan eats no animal products.  (Most true vegans do not wear leather or use any type of animal products at all.  Not even animal tested products.)  I freakin' love me some dairy products.  (More on that later.)  Technically I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian.  Freaky, I know.  And, just to keep it interesting, although I'm not a big fish eater, I will eat it occasionally.  But not shrimp or other scavengers.  Just cuz anything scavenging is repulsive to me.  ihaveissues.

3.  Why in the world would you be a vegetarian?
Seriously, this is the funniest question I get asked.  I believe it to be Scriptural.  I follow John the Baptist's diet:  locusts and honey.  I kid.  I kid.  I just tell people that.  And the way they stare!!  Mouth agape...then their gaze goes away from my face...and down to my child-birthing hips.  And they realize there ain't no way this chick is only eating locusts.  *grin*  Real deal:  I don't like the taste of meat.  The texture, the thought of where it comes from, the whole she-bang.  I am not an animal rights person.  I think animals were put here for us to use.

4.  Have you always been a vegetarian?
I get asked this ALL the time.  And quite honestly, I tell people that pretty much all my life I have been.  However, I can remember at about 3 years of age loving Vienna sausages (pause a moment for gagging).  My grandmother kept them for me at her house and I can remember raiding her cabinets for them.  I also remember getting into our fridge for slices of bologna.  And cold hot dogs.  Seriously, how weird is that?  And isn't that an oxymoron?  Cold hot dog?

Ok, that's it.  Stay tuned for part 2 coming up soon!  (I hate to make you all wait.  I know you are biting off all your nails in anticipation.  Insert Carly Simon's song Anticipation here.)