Erin's Vegetarian Lunch Bunch - 1st visit

Vegetarian Lunch Bunch.

I have a friend. Her name is Erin. Erin and I met through classes of hers I take at 24 Hour Fitness. She's a Group X instructor, so I've taken both her yoga and aqua aerobics classes. We look nothing alike, but when we hang out on our own time, it's like hanging out with a long lost sister! She's very down to earth, intuitive and relatable to all us humans in all our different walks of life. Our friendship doesn't even need to be complicated by the fact that I'm a self-professed Omnivore. I have no shame in the fact that I do enjoy meat. Yes, I'm an animal lover. I have been my whole life. I've also loved bacon, chicken breasts, buffalo wings...you get the idea. Hypocritical? Perhaps. I'm okay with that though.

That being said, you might understand the "yeah right" thought process that started in my head when I got an invitation to join Erin, (and everyone else who RSVPs) for a *vegetarian* lunch bunch. We've both had the conversation about how I'm not necessarily down for quitting meat at this point in my life. I was hesitant to join her lunch bunch. Not because I thought she'd get all culty about being a "Veggie Head", (well, maybe, I have to be honest). I just had no interest in sitting around with a bunch of people I don't know, who might judge me because I'm usually one of the biggest girls who attend get-togethers with this particular group of women. I certainly thought sitting around, gagging down some odd concoction of "looks like real food, but is made out of essence of broccoli and prune-foam" sounded just short of torture.

Before I knew it, Erin had invited me over for lunch last Wednesday. I hadn't put two and two together, and once I had entered her home's entry-way, I realized I was at the epicenter of Erin's Vegetarian Lunch Bunch! AAAACK! Okay, Tara. Breathe, just be calm, and don't be too obvious when you're regurgitating the green mess from your plate back into your napkin. You will be juuuuust fine.

The thing is, reality that day played out quite the opposite way than my brain had tried to sabotage me into thinking. Erin made a huge pitcher of Iced Tea sweetened with Splenda. She had small veg patties which contained lots of broccoli. The taste reminded me of egg fou young, which is really quite delightful. The patties were on a luscious green bed of darker leafy salad. Did you know iceberg lettuce has virtually no real nutritional value? A good rule of thumb is the darker and leafier the salad/lettuce is, chances are the more chock full of vitamins said salad will be. I felt like Popeye just chomping it down. She also made a delightful beet slaw with a vinaigrette spiked with some raspberry vinaigrette.

About an hour had passed, we were helping ourselves to seconds, some of us thirds...the gathering was intimate. Erin prepared the meal and Ember and I couldn't get enough. Erin's response? Go load up! She let us know the meal was packed with nutrients and virtually zero calories. To think something could be *that* flavorful, yet be good for me in so many ways, really did blow my mind. My favorite part (other than chatting away with Erin and Ember like we were old High School friends catching up at a reunion) was eating a meal that was filling, and didn't make me feel "grody" afterwards. Sounds a little too good to be true? I almost had to pinch myself to believe it myself!

Am I excited for her next Vegetarian Lunch Bunch? You BETCHA! Future Lunch Bunches will continue to take place at Erin's home (which is so cozy, I don't even have the words to explain) every Monday and Wednesday from Noon to 1:30, starting March 2nd. Space is very limited so for those of you who want to have an amazing mind/body/soul experience with like-minded women who want to live life to their fullest potential, I sure hope to see you there!

I'm providing the link so you can RSVP if interested. There's no commitment. I challenge you to give it a try and find a valid reason to not ever return. You won't have one. I swear. Come dine with us, get to know your neighbors, and maybe even meet a future workout buddy!

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142028369194550

"There are no such things as strangers, only friends we haven't met yet."
~~Anonymous

Day 27 - Jason's Deli

I got this turkey wrap with fresh fruit. Yum!

Day 24 - Made a run for the border

I had a non-stop day that involved taking my puppy in for Parvo treatment, so there was no way I was going to cook tonight. I went to Taco Bell and got their Beefy 5-layer burrito, which was crazy good. I don't even want to know the nutritional content, so I won't look. The bright side is (from a caloric standpoint) the only other thing I had the chance to eat today was buttered double-fiber toast (Orowheat) and a handful of Teddy Grahams. Kind of makes up for the fact my doctor called me fat today. Meh.

Day 21 - McDonald's

I know. I KNOW. Ick on 800 different levels. It's one thing to be falling apart, it's another for a host of blog followers to follow me down the road to gut-destruction.

I'm ashamed, so very ashamed.

Day 20 - Rosa's

It's been such a busy month. Cooking isn't that much of a hassle, it really isn't. Sometimes it's just nice to have someone cook for me. Rosa's is one of my favorite places to go in Texas. I know I just said that about Braum's yesterday, but it's apples and oranges. Rosa's has such a fun environment. It's got a gigantic dining area, super high ceilings, bright decorations, friendly employees. I order myself, then get notified when my meal is ready and I run back up front and grab it. I usually get the Mexican dinner which has a taco, enchilada, rice, beans and some tortillas. It's a big platter, filling, unlimited drink refills. It's a few steps up from Taco Bell, but the dining room really makes the experience. I emailed Rosa's a while back to tell them I miss eating at their restaurant, and they sent me coupons, so this dinner was courtesy of Rosa's. Thanks, guys!

Taco, enchilada, rice, beans, tortillas

Day 19 - Braum's

Oh, Braum's, how I love thee. I mean love love. Whoever lives in a part of the country where Braum's doesn't exist, I feel sorry for you. I also have a guest room if you want to come to Texas and give it a try. It's a tiny grocery store and diner/fast food joint/ice cream parlor all in one. Their milk has no added hormones and tastes like heaven in a carton. Their shakes are delightful, they have the greenest bananas on earth (green is good), and you haven't lived until you've tried one of their bacon hamburgers. I was partially relieved I got a break from cooking for a night, but I just needed something greasy. It was one of those days. I skipped the cheese (just a preference) and the tomatoes, but gobbled down the rest of the meal like it was going to be my last. Yeah. They really look like that. ::raises glass of milk:: Cheers, Braum's!

Day 18 - At Subway, Eatin' Fresh!

I'd just like to point out that I believe I made it clear in my first post for the month that this month would be food-centric blogs. I don't believe I said at any point that I'd toss on a cape (backwards apron, whatev) and become Superwoman. I have limitations, and today is one of those days. I spent hours battling traffic in between doctor's appointments, and something went awry (see: my brain) and I ran out of medication today that I couldn't get filled today. Unmedicated me + four hours in a car = feeling like I was dropped out of a plane.

Actually, it feels more like I was bucked off an unbroken horse I jumped on to ride bareback. How do I know, you ask? I've done it. But that's another blog.

So tonight's treat to myself and the ladies was just to go to Subway. I think the lack of product on hand and the skyrocketed prices is a good indicator that we're trying desperately to get away from being a McNation of McCardiac Arrests. The sandwiches were delish. Katie and I got the Italian BMT, and Jori got a Kid's ham sandwich meal thingy. They gave her the meal in a canvas re-usable bag. For this reason alone, I almost forgave the fact that three fairly simple sandwiches, 3 bags of chips and 3 beverages came to seventeen dollars and change. No, I'm not kidding.

Subway is very forthright on their nutritional values. They're posted on the menus, the napkins, stickers right above the breads, as well as their website. It's a good idea to put a little thought into what toppings to put on your sandwich. How much do you really want cheese on your sandwich? Simple. Do you want to look like Jared? Or do you want to look like Jared?

That's a trick question. Jared's gross. We want to look like Fairuza Balk. Mrowr.

Day 13 - Niki's Italian Bistro

Celebrated Valentine's Day a day early. It's still cold, and I'm still hurtin', so tonight I was going to let someone else cook for me. One of my favorite local restaurants is Niki's Italian Bistro. The prices are reasonable, and the food isn't that Tex-Italian rubbish they have at several other "Italian" restaurants in the neighborhood. I really like the ambience too. It probably won't sit more than 70 people. It's romantic and intimate, but every time I've been I've seen several tables where couples have brought their whole family. For the sake of the blog, I decided to go out on a limb. I was going to order something different. I usually get the baked ziti, the manicotti or the cannelloni. I prefer marinara and naked (oil based) sauces to the heavier and richer alfredo sauces. 


I ordered their Chicken Scarpariello, which is a chicken breast sauteed with lemon sauce and fresh garlic. The entree was simple in appearance, but the flavors were so complex. It was served over angel hair pasta and came with a bottomless basket of garlic twist rolls. I could only get through half the plate, but at least I made room for the chocolate turtle cheesecake. I love this restaurant and would recommend it to everyone!

Day 11 - Chicago Pizza

Tonight I was invited to have dinner at Katie's mother's house. They're both transplants from Chicago, so they're huge on Chicago pizza and Chicago dogs. The dogs are horrifying to look at. I don't imagine I'd ever eat one, even if it was a triple-dog-dare. No pun intended. Now Chicago PIZZA is an entirely different story. Let me make one thing clear right now. I am not (I repeat) I. am. not...a tomato person. Never have been, never will be. I find the appearance, texture and flavor repulsive in every way. What I can say, however, is if you're going to alter said appearance, texture and flavor, I'll be a trooper and try to choke one down. This is something I discovered I was willing to do, after I had eaten a slice of pizza shipped from Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Chicago. Every winter, one or more of Katie's relatives ship two or three pizzas to us, pre-packaged. We had a huge snow storm yesterday, so cooking a meal was the last thing on anyone's mind. The pizza was so filling, and delightful. Props to Katie's mom for inviting us over.