Re:Laura B Question of the Week - How long...*to Donna

[Guest guest]

Your post is very inspiring. You don't have to rush into vegetarianisn, I

think it's nice you have paced yourself and you and your husband are eating

more

vegetarian dishes throughout the week, you are learning how to balance your

meals, cook a variety of dishes, etc. I did it instantly but that doesn't

work for

everyone. i think as you take things slowly there is probably less chance of

failing.

Good luck on the veg road,

Donna

 

 

Thank you, Donna, for your encouragement and kindness! I have a couple of

good friends from my church who are vegetarian (I mean, the " real " kind of

veggie-folks!), and my DH has a colleague (also a minister in the same

denomination as my DH is) who is a vegetarian, though his wife, a friend of

mine, is not. I have learned a great deal from these people.

 

While I feel very comfortable doing this--at least, moving in " that "

direcrtion at home with our own meal-planning, it does give me pause when I

think of being the GUESTS of other people who don't have the same resolve.

Because my DH is a minister and because we are from time to time the meal-time

guests of other people, I CRINGE at the thought of having to say, " We don't eat

this-or-that " to a host or hostess. While I might prefer to serve guests the

tastiest meat-free meals I could concoct, I don't feel comfortable putting that

constraint on another individual, although perhaps there is a gentle way to say,

" Don't serve it if you think WE expect meat on the table; we DON'T. We can go

without it because we do so at home... "

 

Next January, for example, when we visit Liberia and are the guests of various

people there, we are not likely to have much in the way of " meat-foods " offered

to us anyway, but if someone in sincere desire to " give the 'best' to the

guests " --as a gesture of hospitality, goes to the trouble to prepare something

with it (meat) I truly do NOT want to give offense to his/her offer of genuine

hospitality by an outright refusal.

 

However, that being said, I also have been told by others who have already

been there that often the food at a meal is meted out (portioned, I mean) so

scantily that the guests are offered first-serve, then the adult hosts, and

last, the children. My DH, who has been there before, said that " One would try

to take very small servings of any kind of food, to ensure that everyone else in

the host's family is able to get some as well. " That might be a viable

face-saving " out " in the event of a meat-eating delemma, I suppose! At any

rate, I would NOT wish to offend the generosity of my host/hostess.

 

I agree with April who posted " what American family, for health reasons alone,

could give up meat twice a day... " Frankly, I can't remember, even when I DID

eat much more meat than now, EVER eating meat TWICE in one day...at least, not

since I got out of school and on my own, then married. That seems so expensive

and wasteful, not to mention pretty unhealthy!

 

Thank you again for your comments! I appreciate the advice and ideas from

this group so much!

 

Blessings and good wishes for your good eating!

--Laura B., in Illinois

 

 

 

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