Faced with a wonderful portabello burger, one has to ask the question, "Why am I not a vegetarian?" Matthew and I went over to our friends' place the other night and they cooked up some big beautiful portabello mushroom caps that had been marinated. We put them between toasted buns and it was amazing. I didn't miss the beef at all - they were SO GOOD, that I can not tell you enough. We also had vegetable skewers of summer squash, onion, green and red peppers - who can resist that?!
They are awesome vegetarians. I say "awesome" not only because they are awesome people, but also because they do not frown upon our lack of being vegetarians. You know the type who are horrible vegetarians - the ones who "moo" as you take a bite of your burger, or tell you all sorts of tales of horrendous cruelty as you cook up a chicken breast. They are not these people. Instead they are beyond accommodating and considerate. They realize that the decision they made with their nutrition is their decision alone....they are "pro-choice nutritionists"! What's not to love about that?!
Growing up, I was never one of those children who frowned at their brussel sprouts. Instead, the vegetables were my favorite part and I always had seconds. I'm still that same way - I actually prefer the vegetable portions over meat. For one thing, meat always leaves this horrible taste in my mouth, and I have to immediately eat chew gum or something sweet to battle that meat mouth. Yuk.
I have also grown oversensitive to hunting - being raised in a Indiana family of hunters where it was common place to find a dead deer hanging inside a barn waiting to be filleted, my oversensitivity was not expected. The last few times I saw a deer being loaded up in the back of a truck made tears roll from my eyes. I can't handle it emotionally as an adult.
On our move out to Oregon, Matt and I saw a lot of horrifying things from the highway that said a lot about meat production in this country. Dirty, stinky, and beyond enormous facilities, along with semi-trailers filled with animals scrunched together with feathers flying all over the road. It definitely scarred us, and we have changed some of our ways because of what we saw.
On a less emotional note, meat can be so expensive. Many of our meals in this apartment are actually vegetarian without that goal in mind. I believe that we really could go without meat for a long long time and not miss it.
So why am I not a vegetarian? Because of the red button phenomenon. The minute I declare, "I am a vegetarian" will be the day that I can think of nothing other than steak, burgers, chicken, and tuna noodle casserole. The foods I could not have would be an obsession at all hours of the day, and I would probably find myself eating more meat than I do now. It would be a full out rebellion against broccoli. This is one of my flaws of character, and yes, I own up to it.
Sorry if I offended anyone with this post - that is not my intention at all. I just wanted to share a personal debate that's been going on in my brain for the past few years. I consider myself a pro-choice nutritionist as well, so no, I will not glare at you or be offended as you eat your deer jerky, I promise.
Love to all -
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