Wait, I'm not ready...

...don't worry, neither am I! But in reality, I know that I won't be ready on March 1st either. And I certainly wasn't ready last year when we jumped in feet first, but (with the help of the vegetarian section of my favorite Chinese food menu) I was able to make it a full 30 days! And yes, you can too (chanting "Yes We Can" in the background lol).

To be honest, once I got started, there was a lot of momentum to keep me going. It started with the compliments about how bright and healthy my skin looked and continued with how well I slept at night. And I can't lie, my stomach was oh so flat by the time all was said and done. Yes, there was that dark day when I was craving some chicken drumsticks so badly that I got caught licking my lips and gazing longingly at my co-workers lunch but that passed when I flexed my crispy szechuan (sp?) tofu muscles. And in the end, they were trying to increase their veggie intake and one or two are gonna join us on the adventure this time around.

Some general guidelines we attempted to follow:

Try to avoid canned food and processed/frozen veggie food when possible. Try to focus on brown rice, brown sugar or honey, and other more natural choices like sea salt rather than fake sugars and bleached starches. Less juice, more fruit, and 100% fruit juice if you must (down with soda!). And don't substitute bad "vegetarian" options for meat, like chips and cookies. Drink lots and lots of water :o)

So. The countdown is on. Sunday, the first of February, a network of friends and family across the country will venture into this veggie thing once again. We decided that we won't go willingly into heart disease, cancer, and the host of other illnesses that come with a diet high in animal products. We don't need any more studies to tell us that a meat-heavy diet is bad for our bodies. We decided that we believe in eating - and living - healthier than we are now. For me, it's still about being less dependent on meat to feel full and get my protein. But it's also about increasing my water intake (back to 1L+ per day) and cutting back on my processed sugars.

I know we all have our own motivations and goals. So what's yours? Oh, and how are you getting ready?

MUCH love,
Auntie Oxtail aka jenine p.

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Curried Potato, Spinach and Garbanzo Bean Soup (sorry have to make the crispy tofu and jot down the recipe while I'm making it...soon come)

1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (yeah, I know)
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 C coarsely chopped onion
2 1/2 teaspoons curry power
1/2 pound small red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 14 1/2 oz can vegetable broth
1/2 C canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup (packed) baby spinach leaves (about 1 1/2 ounces)

Transfer 1/3 C garbanzo beans to small place and mash beans until they are a paste.
Heat oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until beginning to brown. Add curry power, stir 10 seconds or so. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Add broth, coconut milk, whole and mashed garbanzo beans. Bring soup to boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 mins or so. Add spinach; stir until spinach wilts, only a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes two slamming servings. Service with basmati rice pilaf or warm pita.