Pages

Thursday, December 4, 2008

My first vegetarian menu

Alright. I need some advice from my fellow vegetarians or anyone really. This is the first week John and I are shooting for going veg. With last week being Thanksgiving we just didn't feel like that was the best week to start. So, yesterday I sat at the computer for well over an hour trying to come up with a menu. It was a little overwhelming but I think I'll get used to it. I'd love to have some advice to see if you think it is a pretty well balanced menu. Keep in mind that this is just dinner.

Fri.- Baked beans (vegetarian) with either soy hot dog slices or tofu chunks, baked potatoes, broccoli, and cantaloupe.

Sat.- Creamy pasta salad w/ artichokes, french bread (whole wheat), celery and carrots with hummus

Sun.- Lentil Sloppy Joes, salad, corn on the cob

Mon.- Zucchini "Crab" cakes, baked sweet potatoes, peas and carrots

Tues.- veggie pizza, salad, strawberries

That's it! I realize this isn't a full weeks worth of dinners. But we have to go to the "big city" on Wed. morning for my doctor's appointment and we wanted to go grocery shopping again up there since they have a much better selection of fruits and veggies. So? Does that seem okay? Any suggestions? I've heard you should base your meal around a grain since that is what you need the most servings of. I didn't do that but maybe I should. Hmm...maybe I'm way over thinking this. I don't think this hard about my menu's now! But, truth be told, I kind of enjoy it. Hee hee. I enjoy trying new recipes and this gives me a great excuse.

And because it's been a while since I told a Bradley story....
Yesterday, Lilly and Luke got out their markers and coloring books and went to sit at the dining room table to color while I was putting away laundry. Of course, as all children do, they soon got distracted by something and left to go play with something else. The next thing I know Lilly comes and gets me with Bradley in tow. Bradley is covered with a technicolor rainbow of colors. I walk into the dining room and he has bitten all the ends of the markers off, chewed them up and spit them back out. Thank you, Crayola, for making your markers non-toxic and washable. I'm also very thankful I have hardwood floors and not carpet. Eek. You just gotta love that kid.

Thanks for reading,
~A

2 comments:

Erica said...

Hi Amanda, I just finished reading a book called American Whoolefoods cuisine by Nikki & David Goldbeck. It was a great read and has lots of recipes in it that you would be interested in. I was enlightened about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. We try to have at least 3 meals a week that are meatless, unfortunately I married a carnivore so can't give up all meat. I'd highly recommend this book, it gives suggestions to what you can add to your meals to make complete proteins. Sometimes that is adding a grain or they have several side dishes that compliment the meal and increase the protein. This is what I worry the most about with children. It looks like you have a great start. Let me know any good tofu recipes, we have been wanting to have a few tofu dishes but I am at a loss of where to start.

Marie said...

That might be the craziest Bradley story yet. Oh dear.

I am sorry. I don't have any advice for you, but I do know that Dan and his girlfriend Julia are vegetarians, so I'm sure he could give you lots of great advice. I can email you his email address if you want. One time I forgot they were vegetarians and made chicken burritos when they came to visit. I felt like such a moron.