Normally at this point in a Sunday evening I have just finished posting some guest posters moving, interesting, humorous and heart felt story about how they, when and why they became a vegetarian.

Sadly I am out of guest posters for the series so I was forced to share my story (in greater detail) with all of you tonight.

I sat down with my laptop and began to type. I told you all about how we moved to Portland, Oregon when Linsey was a year and a half old. How I met so many interesting people who were vegan, ovo-lacto vegetarian, macrobiotic, raw foodests and so forth. I explained how someone told me (after I asked the all annoying question “What DO you eat?”) I should read the book Diet For A New America by John Robbins.

After I went into detail about my life and how I’ve been judged, scrutinized, called a “bad parent” and so forth something happened.

I can’t explain it.

I don’t even really know how it happened.

All I know is that at one moment my story, detail after detail, was there in such concise and heart felt ways and then…it was gone. I tried to find it, but realized it was a moot point. My hard work was lost forever. If I wanted to share my story with you tonight I would have to rewrite it.

Like hell I am!

Not tonight anyway.

Instead I’m going to share with you some amazing books and websites that have helped me in my vegetarianism over the last 7 (it will be 8 in August) years.

Diet For A New America by John Robbins
This book changed every aspect of my life. I was 100% vegetarian (not vegan) before finishing this book. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing or how I should really be eating, but I knew that I would NEVER eat meat again.

PETA and PETA2
Love them or hate them I agree with what they’re trying to do. I just don’t always agree with the way they go about doing it. Having said that, I learned so much in my early time as a vegetarian from the PETA websites.

Vegetarian Times
I have been a subscriber since day one of becoming a vegetarian. I used to make tons of things I found in the issues each month, but after having a second child time seems to have gotten the best of me. I still refer back to saved issues from time to time though.

GoVeg.com
I used to spend hours researching different things on this website in the early years. If I wasn’t sure whether or not something was vegetarian I would always check here.

Kinship Circle
When we moved to St Louis I met and became good friends with a woman named Brenda. Her son and Linsey went to the same preschool and were the only vegetarians in the class. The kids became great friends and Brenda and I did too. She had already started and was successfully running a non-for-profit animal rights organization, Kinship Circle.

The Food Revolution by John Robbins
John Robbins is fully responsible for bringing the knowledge I needed to me when I needed it most. It is because of him and his writing that I am living the life I am today. Thanks to him I feel happier, healthier and stronger in my food choices and the food choices for my family.

How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer
There was a time when I played around with veganism. I would love to eventually take that step 100%, but right now I guess I’m just not ready. This book is still filled with amazing recipes for vegans and non-vegans who want to try it out like I did.

Food Inc.
This movie encapsulated everything I have been trying to explain to naysayers about my food choices for many years. Although I doubt any of them actually watched it I was overjoyed that my thoughts, feelings and knowledge about our food system & government where being brought mainstream.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
I’m still in the process of reading this book. I find it heart breaking, informative and beautifully written. Just like with Food Inc it makes my heart smile to know that all of these issues are being brought out into the mainstream for the “average Joe” to listen and learn.

I hope that you will all at least check out one or two of the items listed here tonight. Thay have all made a huge impact in my life and I am eternally grateful.

Dinner Tonight
In case you’re interested – I had leftovers for dinner tonight. I put Caitlin’s pasta that I made the other nighton top of a bed of baby spinach and then added a little marinara and athenos feta.

In honor of vegetarians everywhere – here’s Carrie Underwood. A southern girl AND a vegetarian!

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