Chopstick Practice

Today was the first time I used chopsticks in public.

A few days ago, I mentioned that I had learned how to use chopsticks. Since that day, I've been using them to eat scrambled eggs every morning, and at night I practice by repeatedly picking up and dropping a piece of gum. (Hey, it works!) But today was the first time I really put it to the test. I went out to a Viet Namese restaurant with a friend of mine, and I ate the ENTIRE MEAL without a fork! Chopsticks only! GO ME! :D hehehe

Broccoli, peas, carrots, onions, tofu, calliflower, with spices and lemongrass. Mmmm.. <3

I'm so proud of myself.. ^ ^ And it's totally cool how I would several mention people I know, and it turns out my friend knew them too! Small world, for real. And I'm totally excited to find out that my friend listens to Korean pop music too. We were talking about different groups and music videos and all that- finally, I have someone to share my dorky obsession with!  XD

not eating meat, and loving it

my whole life, ive had a real soft spot for animals. like really. understatement.
so it was always hard for me to understand why in our culture, eating cute fuzzy cats, or dogs, or cockatoos is unacceptable, but eating cute fuzzy cows, or piggies, or chickens is acceptable? and expected? never got that. i remember being in 1st or 2nd grade, in the cafeteria at school, and saying, "you know, i reeeally love animals, but i just dont think i could live without pepperoni or salami."

in 7th grade, i decided to live without pepperoni and salami. and without hot dogs, or burgers, or steak. (ive actually never had steak) for a few years, i kept eating chicken and turkey, only because, well, living in the country in the state of ohio, theres not much else to eat besides salad and grilled cheese. but two years ago, i cut that out too. animals are my friends, and i didnt want to be responsible for any pain or suffering brought upon them.

heres some good news:

now i dont have to live without it anymore.

enter: morningstar farms

morningstar farms sells meat. except its not meat, its veggies. but it looks, and smells, and tastes like meat. my cat even liked it. ive tried most of the products morning star farms sells. i litterally eat them every day. i love meat. i love it. i missed it. and now i dont have to. morningstar farms makes everything from bacon, to burgers, to buffalo wings. and they are AMAZING! i cant sing their praises enough. and ill be honest, the texture isnt spot-on; its a tad more crumbly. but the flavor is perfect, for just about everything ive tried. (the hot dogs arent my favorite, but the corn dogs are mind-blowing)

i think my favorite is the buffalo wings. and the grilled chicken. and the sausage links. if you have ever wanted to cut back on meat, for the animals sake, your healths sake, or the planet's sake, try morningstar farms. here are a few recipes from their site:

and just so you know, im not, like, stuck up about this subject. i only  have 1 other veg friend, and 1 veg acquaintance. i dont tell people what to eat, i dont lecture them. (you catch more flies with honey) i dont even get upset when people (who dont know im veg) talk bad about vegetarians. im just sayin, dont hate.

i write this post for the sole purpose of testifying that: MORNINGSTAR FARMS IS GREAT!