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 31 - reflection and moving forward

I haven't sent a postcard on time since the 8th. Do I have the tenacity to sit around today and write 22 more postcards and mail them out today? Maybe not. I've got the stamps and the cards, sure. Do I have that many friends? Perhaps. Do I have the energy, attention span and passion for it? Doubtful. I'm starting to see that these challenges of physically doing something every day seems to be too much for me right now.

Loosely considering doing something way different in April. Perhaps to post a quote which speaks to me, or to make note of something lacking in my life and how I combat it. I guess I'll have time to consider it, as I'm writing my postcards... ::le sigh::

Day 28 - reflection

Well, I can't say I made anything today, really. Breakfast was Fiber One cereal, lunch was leftover guacamole and chips and dinner was Taco Bell. I made strawberry cupcakes for a thing Katie's got going on tomorrow, but I've already done a blog about those.

Reflecting on the past month, I really think my relationship with food has changed for the better. I think I awakened some tastebuds! I'm not afraid of white onions anymore. I ate more things containing tomatoes. I like peppers. I know some simple staple (organic) food items which carry a pretty decent shelf-life that can usually enhance any meal. I can use more seasonings than salt and pepper. I understand cooking times of different kinds of meats. I finally get that human touching food with bare hands kind of sensuality the chefs talk about on Top Chef. I get it, and it's good.

Some meals don't need to be complex to be a crowd-pleaser. I really enjoyed challenging myself to really step outside of the box and face some serious deep-rooted food fears I've been lugging around my whole life. Don't even get me started about how I feel about knives. ::shudder:: But I chopped things. I chopped a lot of things, and I'm proud of myself.

This has been a busy month, so I'm going to follow my buddy Laura's advice and do an entirely different kind of challenge for March. Postcards.

Yup, postcards.

I got a postcard the other day from a friend I met on Facebook and it tickled me to no end. I took a little hiatus (40 days to be exact) from the networking site so I could decompress, and focus on real life life. She just wanted to let me know she's still thinking about me. It feels good to get back in touch with people face-to-face, so I don't miss Facebook too much right now. I think sending actual mail is a lost art, and the outcome of who I contact might be fun. You might want to make sure I've got your current address, peeps. Just sayin'.

There's a first for everything! (First post)

I've given a lot of thought to change during various stages of my life. Some changes have been by choice, others by force. There's been a lot of talk amongst friends regarding making things different in our lives. Life isn't bad, but it can be better. It can always be different. I'm not a chef. I'm not an artist. I'm not a professional photographer, or an animal trainer, or a very athletic person. Despite the things I am not, there are several things that I am. For me to really get to know myself and know my authentic self, I'll need to step outside of my boundaries; my safe zones.

After some deliberation and some very insightful conversations with three very close friends of mine, I've decided to create a blog, where I can keep track of these changes. My "Firsts" if you will. Starting out, February's theme will be "food". Then I will try something else (and NEW) in subsequent months. 

As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I'm not a chef. I can't even make Jell-o set. At least, that's what I thought four days ago. Since then, I have made chili from scratch, potato salad from scratch, and a fancy 6-ingredient french toast. The feeling that came along with the entire process of cooking, cradle to grave, is inexplicable. I hear cooks on chef shows talk about the sensuality of using all senses in the kitchen. I finally get what they're talking about. So here's to many firsts. First recipes, first photographs, first time meeting a new friend, first time facing my fears, first time doing something just for me...with complete abandon.

Just breathe, feel the fear, do it anyway.