Lapsed

I know, i haven't written in a while, but i've been very good! I haven't had a speck of meat, and although I'm accustomed to not eating it, I'm still VERY much in denial about how hard this is for me. I've discovered that I like telling people I'm a vegetarian. It's a weird psychological idea, I'm guessing, as I've counseled myself on many occasions, and I'm guessing it stems from an unconcious desire to be seen as health-concious and politically-aware, two things that have never been my strong points. But now, I have something that I can tell people, and most of the time, their reaction is shock and awe, and I believe they are impressed by my determination. Most of the time I don't go into detail, about how I will be gorging myself with buffalo chicken as soon as the semester is over, but I digress- that's beside the point. People initially realize, upon meeting me and discovering that I am a Vegetarian, that I stand for something- They take me more seriously. When I tell them it's for a school project, they call me crazy- they realize that I only stand for something because of a grade. I wonder what it's like for people who are lifetime vegetarians. Something I unfortunately don't think I will ever discover firsthandedly. I'm still researching who I would like to interview, and I'm so extremely busy right now, with a few projects on my plate, but I have a few months still to call those restaurants. Soon enough. For now, I will leave you with this. Tofu is not meat. It's unsatisfying. I don't even try it anymore.

Where did you get that?

SO I had a great new project for me this weekend. It's a long weekend- 4 day weekend to be exact, and I know that I should probably undertake some kind of project. (Excuse me if I lose focus, my stomach is grumbling and distracting me).

Last night I was going to register my new Boloco card (I told you I had a new obsession). I get points and a free burrito on my birthday, so I was pretty excited. I was browsing around their site, and noticed on their menu, by meat options, it was all "certified naturally raised, meaning no added growth hormones, no antibiotics, and vegetarian-fed". This got me very excited. Now I can visit Boloco when I'm not a vegetarian and I don't have to feel guilty! They buy happy cows!

So this got me thinking- I wonder how many restaurants in upstate Vermont actually know where their meat comes from. I can only imagine. Thinking about all those high priced restaurants such as Sweetwaters or Leunig's Bistro, one's who claim to have home-town flair and are worth the pricey menu options. I visited the Sweetwater's website and browsed their menu- no mention at all about where their meat came from. Perhaps they should expect a call from me soon...

Tofu or not Tofu

So I've recently become addicted to Boloco- PRE-VEGETARIANISM, so It was difficult to make my first Vegetarian trip to Boloco. A Buffalo Burrito with no Buffalo Chicken? It just doesn't seem right. I tried a Tofu Burrito. (Cue horror music).
Seriously, however, it wasn't horrific. It wasn't delicious, though. The Tofu was spongy and pretty tasteless. I can't see how this would respectfully pass for a juicy chicken strip.
But I'm beginning to have a great respect for those who follow Vegetarianism religously. Personally, I'm only taking a religious trip- a short one, at that. The meal-time monotony that I've experienced in only the past few weeks is astounding. Take my cafeteria, for example. When I make my pass around the lunch room to view my food options, I'm constantly just checking for if it is meatless first, and then if there's no meat, If it looks appetizing.
This is a normal pass around the cafeteria and it's different meal stations for me-
Station #1- Salad, 99% of the time it has either chicken or salmon or tuna. So no specialty salad.
Station #2- "Gourmet" Sandwiches, this particular day, Turkey Club.
Station #3- Wraps and Pastas. Past few days- Chicken Wrap.
Station #4- Homestyles- Usually slices of meat with homestyle veggies and a Vegetarian Stir-Fry. This option was great for the first few days.
Station #5- Grill- Burgers, Fries, Hot Dogs and Grilled Cheese.
Station #7- Pizza, almost always has cheese available.
Station #- Stir-Fry. Tofu available.
And then the mini-stations around the cafeteria include Bagels, Salad Bar, Fruit, Desserts, Soups, and Cereal. So in Conclusion, my daily options are Salad, Bagel, Grilled Cheese, Cereal, Cheese Pizza, or Tofu Stir-Fry. Personally, I've never been much of a Breakfast person, so Cereal and Bagels aren't my favorite, and we both know how I feel about Tofu. So that leaves me with Salad, Grilled Cheese, or Cheese Pizza, almost every single day. I have definitely begun to respect those who have devoted themselves entirely to Vegetarianism, and I have no regrets admitting that they have much more will power than I. It's not hard to see why more people don't follow this path, especially in regards to college students. A student at my school would have to live with these same food options everyday, and although my school occasionally has a few vegan or vegetarian specials, they are always repeated. It's frustrating watching my friends have trouble deciding which entree looks more appetizing between the chicken fajita wrap and the steak teriyaki stir fry. I have trouble finding a meal at all.