This is a post I had been meaning to make back at the beginning of the month, or even earlier, but a variety of factors (laziness, procrastination, a sudden glut of time on my hands due to being immobilized) has delayed things until this point.
One weekend in mid September, I was prepping a birthday dinner for my little brother. I had given him free reign over the master menu, and he opted to go with a round of ribs and some homemade potato salad. While the ribs were slow-cooking on the grill, I was talking with my friend in California, who is essentially an obligate vegetarian (with the amount of fresh produce out there, I can’t blame him). He commented that of all his friends, I was probably the only one who couldn’t go meatless for an extended period of time.
Having been friends with him since the second grade, I wasn’t going to take that one lying down, and we set the parameters for the vegetarian challenge. The rules for the bet were as follows:
– Vegetarian diet (no fish, no meat) from October 1 through October 31
– Meat-based broths were permissible, but not entirely encouraged
– Exceptions were allowed for fish, but every serving of fish required one serving of tofu to balance it out
On the surface, simple enough: I just tweak my usual options slightly and I’d be all set. I planned out a theoretical menu for the month and decided that it could be done, so I took him up on the bet. It should bear mentioning that if I win, he owes me a nice steak dinner the next time he’s in town.
I’m now 2/3 of the way through the challenge, and I have to say, while I’m not dying for ribs or a steak or some roast beef, I could really go for either some fish, or some chicken. Just some nice lean protein. I was at one of my favorite sushi and hibachi places on Friday for lunch trying to cash out a gift certificate, and having tried the vegetable sushi, I can say with certainty that it doesn’t hold a candle to a spicy salmon roll.
Generally speaking though, the challenge has gone well. On the handful of occasions when I’m on the road and need to grab something to eat, I find a Taco Bell and get a bean burrito (no onions, because really…that’s just gross). If I feel like grabbing something super shitty to have with some beer, I’ll grab some Crazy Bread and sauce, and I love pasta.
With my broken leg, things have gotten a little more complicated, but I think I’ll be able to do it. At this rate, the promise of bacon and eggs on the morning of November 1 is keeping me focused, and that’s only 12 days away…
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