Our Secret's Out!

Okay, many of you have noticed or heard that we've completely cut meat out of our diets. For those of you who know us well, you know this isn't too drastic of a change for us. Previously, we ate meat only two or three times a week. After Pete confessed that he no longer cared if we ate meat, I gladly cut out that little bit that we had. We're not against meat, we just don't like how it makes our bodies feel. Besides, getting it from a respectable source just costs too much money! (To address a concern some of you have had: we ARE getting enough protein. In fact, Americans on average get three times more protein than their bodies need!) After I learned about the digestive tract of meat-eating felines and how our's just doesn't match up, I questioned whether or not God designed our bodies to eat meat. (Check my freelance writing website for more info on vegetarian facts: www.healthyfamiliesforGod.com).

Our meals haven't changed too much, but I have experienced with some new recipes. Cooking has become another hobby of mine lately and it's been lots of fun. But before I go on, I want to make sure I give props to my hubby. I couldn't do this without his support.

Speaking of his support, here's a meal he surprisingly liked. I wasn't sure if he would, but he ended up having three bowls! It is Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) lentil soup with grilled soy cheese sandwich and spinach side salad. I've been trying to find new ways to use quinoa and lentils, so this was perfect. The kids, who are used to strange food anyway, liked it more than I thought they would too. I figure it won't be necessary to post the recipe, but if you're interested let me know and I'll email it to you!

For dessert, I made berry berry delicious crisp. We hadn't had at least 3 servings of fruits that day, so I took a bag of frozen mixed berries and made a crisp dessert. I couldn't get a picture before the kids got into it, so this is how it looked when I could get to it!

Here's our new favorite meal: Spinach alfredo pizza. Our previous favorite was chicken alfredo pizza and this was its replacement. Again surprising me, Pete said he liked this better than the chicken alfredo pizza. I just made my homemade whole wheat crust as usual, then made an alfredo sauce, mixed spinach and garlic in it, and put mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top. (Yes, we still have dairy products-we're not vegan. We sometimes do like to switch milk/cheeses with non-dairy options though just to mix it up. I could never give up our fresh, raw milk from the dairy farm!) If you want the recipe for either my whole wheat crust or homemade alfredo sauce, let me know! In the future, I'll post some of our dinners and snacks and the recipes for them. This week's menu includes butternut squash lasagna with mushrooms and quinoa stuffed peppers!