No Meat March Madness

So we're "doing" No Meat March this year. A 31 day challenge to go meat free, presented by Jacksonville's own The Girls Gone Green, a non-profit whose mission is to explore environmental, animal and health issues impacting us today.

Crab Panzanella Salad - Pele's Woodfire - Jacksonville FL

Except that in the White casa, we're not exactly going meat free. We are allowing ourselves to consume fish and seafood. And eggs, and dairy...

Oh, and there where those couple of days where, being somewhat Irish, we allowed ourselves to consume a few pounds of corned beef, but let's stick a pin in that for now. And there have been a couple of work assignments that required me to eat beef, so...

Let's just say, in our own way, we're "doing" No Meat March. 

Artichokepita in miniature phyllo cups - easy and fun to eat

It was kind of a big deal for the Madre. We like meat products. She's old school "meat 'n three style" when it comes to cooking. This was going to disrupt all known patterns of meal preparation and consumption. 

She began asking about it in mid-February. "What kinds of things can we eat? Can we eat chicken? (no) Can we start eating pasta again then? (sure, a little, let's not go crazy though...) 

I tried to call it off before it started because I thought she was not going to be able to handle it. But she surprised me. We've been eating (sort of) meat free for twenty days now, and so far we're enjoying it. I even entered a recipe contest with two non-meat selections. Artichokepita takes the best flavors and textures of artichoke dip and toasts it up in mini phyllo cups. And Soul Food Spanakopita puts a Southern spin on the classic Greek dish. 

Egg Salad. Sort Of. Casa Nancita 

There are just ten more days of No Meat March, and already I'm dreaming of steak, bacon, and chicken ANYTHiNG. I think we'll make it though. And I may have dropped a few pounds, so there's that.

As penance for not strictly adhering to the program, I've made a small donation to The Girls Gone Green / No Meat March. I hope you'll consider doing the same! 

I'm enjoying our meatless fare, but to be totally honest, at this point, I can't wait for Steakpril.