What about BACON!?

As you know, one of my goals for this year is to be vegetarian for the year (at least). This has already started a sensation. I posted on my facebook that I wanted to know some good vegetarian or vegan restaurants to check out, and received and overwhelming amount of responses. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who responded. Most of the responses were very supportive and helpful, but a few were not quite on board with me yet. WHAT ABOUT BACON!? That is one of the first question many people ask, and the second is, "Why?" So, here we go...

First, I LOVE bacon. I do! How can you not? It's salty, fatty goodness and it goes with pretty much everything! I love its smell in the morning with coffee and toast. I love it on burgers. I love it wrapped around various foods, in salads, and just on its own. However, there are downsides to bacon. As I said on Facebook, I will miss bacon, I will not miss high cholesterol and love handles! I'm not saying I won't miss its yummy goodness, but come on, I can TOTALLY live without bacon. It's only been a week, so in a month maybe I'll be singing a different tune. But so far so good. And for you bacon lovers, the less I eat, the more there is for you! :)

Second, WHY!? Most of my friends living in Portland living "the dream of the 90's", are very supportive of the move and totally understand the many positives of being vegetarian. However, not everyone is on the veggie boat. Ive found a lot of negative reactions such as: where are you going to get protein, and it's not that great of the environment, it's really expensive, and dude, I love steak, you're nuts! To the nay sayers I say this: it's better for me, it's better for the earth, it's yummy, and most of all, I'm doing it to see if I can!

This year is about challenges for me, to make myself better and to have a better impact on the wold around me. Only 7% of the world's population is vegetarian. Think of what could happen if more of us were! Less farmland, less waste, less obesity (unless you eat pasta and cheese all day every day). That being said, I know being vegetarian is not for everyone, and I'm not pushing an agenda. I'm doing it for me. I eat crap and I don't take care of myself the way I should. In just the week that I've been veggie I have stopped eating crap fast food, take time to plan meals, and think about what's going into my body, I have more energy, and feel more motivated to exercise.

Of course, this is week one, so I'm sure my gung-ho-ness will change over time. But I'm very happy about this decision, and for the most part, everyone has been supportive and happy for me too. My dear, dear friend Nikki even made me a 5 course meal last week that was AMAZING, and would make even the most meat loving maniac respect the the veggie! I want to thank here again here for going way above and beyond and being such a great friend.

Since I can't eat at Nikki's every night, I'm going to try to eat at a new vegetarian restaurant in Portland (or where ever I am) and post my findings in the blog. I'm going to at least one per month, but if money allows, I will do it by-weekly. I'll let you know where I ate, what I ate, how service and price were as well. If anyone one wants to come with me on my adventure, you are more the welcome. There will be broccoli, but NO BACON! :)

-Eb