A little something refreshing

I don't think I've shared this with a ton of people, but I think I can say I am officially a vegetarian now. Well, I like to call myself a "convenient vegetarian", meaning if it's inconvenient (at someone's house for dinner) I'll eat meat no problem. Also, I will eat GOOD meat; meaning, I know where it came from, what it ate, and how it was raised and killed. These days that's a little harder to come by with our meager food budget. However, when you're a known volunteer group, people around townreally seem to appreciate that sort of thing and willsometimes hook you up with great things- like a free grass fed, organic chuck roast from the actual farmer! Como se dice "awesome"? Here is our final product: Pot roast with veggies from our CSA for Sunday night family dinner!

Anyway, back to the vegetarian thing... you might recall that I was vegetarian from about 5th grade to freshman year of college. Although, my parents made me fish and chicken, so really just a red meat vegetarian. There were various reasons for this through the years, but the reason I started eating meat again was because I got annoyed with feeling rude at people house's. This next round has started because it is just getting sort of hard for me to hear all these stories about livestock farming and then support it and put it into my body. I didn't think I ate all that much meat in my life, but after thinking of things to make for dinner, I'm realizing how much I did use recipes with meat or it's weird to really think of a main dish and protein without meat (it's getting easier though). However, for the past couple of years, I have been able to buy decent meat from places like Whole Foods, so I think I could still do that, if I am ever in that position again. However, I would love to get local meat, from the farmer (oh, I'm getting spoiled here!). I think that ordering at restaurants is probably the hardest, but luckily I don't go to those much these days; this is because there are just so many more choices on the menu with meat, but I'm trying to expand my horizons.

I think this a deep issue, and I know that food choices are complicated and personal, so I don't want to shove anything down anyone throat as this isn't a pressing issue for me. If you meat, I think that's fine, just as I hope you think it's fine if I don't want to. I just want to share (and be held to this, especially at restaurants, hehe) changes in my life and thoughts I have with you. I will say though, I'm really enjoying it and feeling all around healthier.

And, here are some photos from my weekend, which includes the Monte Vista (a nearby town) Potato Festival and a game of softball (played by my friends, not me... my mom's "pep talks" have ruined me of softball, sorry mom):