Lent is Over.

Well, some of you might be wondering how my lent went. If you don't remember, my goal was to be vegetarian for as many days as possible during lent. Well, there were weeks it went well, and weeks it didn't go so well. Since I'm cooking for my entire family, including my meat loving husband, father, and brother, I didn't push for vegetarian meals as much as I would have liked. I tried as much as I could to focus on vegetarian meals, and I've hardly bought meat (trying to save on the food budget), and usually only use what my mom buys on sale and sticks in the freezer.

It's one of those things that gets under my skin about living with my parents. My mom will eat anything, dad won't. He's picky, he's old fashioned, doesn't like to try any new foods and expects dinner ready when he comes home. He comes home by 4pm each night. Mr. Skinny doesn't come home until anywhere from 4pm, if he's only working 8 hours, to 6:30 or 7pm some nights. He misses me waiting until he comes home to have dinner together. We miss dinners together. It's so hard to balance it. I also miss splurging on certain ingredients because my dad is more of a quantity over quality guy. He's rather have cheaper food in larger quantities, while I'd rather spend time making just enough for Mr. Skinny and I. There are recipes that I would really like to try, but I know that I can't because we don't have the money to buy enough food for all of us. It's hard to find a balance.

Sometimes I go through spurts and say that Dad can find himself something to eat if he doesn't like my food, but we live here for free, and mom usually buys the staples (milk, bread, lunch meat, pantry staples, etc.) so I feel it's our responsibility to make dinner for all 5 of us, and on their schedule, not ours.

Anyways, sorry about the tangent. Needless to say, I didn't do as well this year as I was hoping. But, I've come to a conclusion, eating meat doesn't make me feel bad. My goal is to buy meat from a source I trust, and once we have our own house, and we're buying our own meat, I don't think we'll ever get there. My mom isn't on the same page as me in that aspect, and I can't force it on her. She knows I like to cook, so she'll buy things just for me to cook. I can't force my family to eat less meat, so right now I'm stuck. I'm focusing on more healthy, not as meat focused meals, but we're going to eat meat.

Also, when I go for a few days without meat, I don't feel like a changed person with so much more energy. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant, and not eating the healthiest of foods otherwise, but that doesn't bother me. I'd like to try this experiment every so often, and see if that changes. Especially once I'm working out again - I'd love to see how certain foods affect how my body feels. I'll revisit this again, but for now, I'll stick to eating meat, especially when someone else buys it and asks me to cook.

Did you give something up for lent?
What are you feelings about vegetarianism/veganism? Bandwagon or something to it?

Hummus.

Guess what I did this weekend? Well besides throw up in a Walmart bathroom, thank-you-period-cramps. Yeah. Anyways, Mr. Skinny and I went to look at a truck for him, and the only way I would drive out to look at it would be if we went to the mall that's out there, too. I batted my eyelashes and persuaded Mr. Skinny to take me to the mall and let me buy something. Well, as you may or may not know, Borders is closing all its stores and they're having a super clearance on everything in the store. Being the bargain shopper I am, I decided to go and have a look see. I went right to the cooking section. I've been trying to find a good grilling cookbook and I've been wanting to cook some more vegetarian recipes, too. I did know that Mama Pea's cookbook came out and with all the wonderful reviews, I've been eyeing up a copy of this cookbook, too.

Needless to say, I found Mama Pea's cookbook. Well actually, I saw a woman reading Mama Pea's cookbook, on the floor, laughing out loud, and I was just eyeing her up, waiting for her to put it down so I could snatch it and buy it. Yeah, it wasn't my best attitude. Eventually I thought I would be kind enough to her and ask if there was another copy. Luckily, there was! I snatched that one up, along with a vegetarian cookbook, and a grilling cookbook and checked out, so excited!

I read Mama Pea's cookbook on the way home from the mall, by the light of my iPhone (don't you just love technology?), and I fell in love with it. It's funny, more than just recipes, there are stories, too. There is an intro in the beginning to introduce you to "weird foods" according to Mr. Skinny, and where you can find them in the stores. This could easily become my new favorite cookbook, no lie.

Well, on Monday, I went food shopping like I always do, and came home with some tahini and chickpeas just to make some homemade hummus to save myself $4 each week buying Sabra hummus. Let me tell you, it is phenomenal! I can't give away the recipe, because you gotta buy the book! It's definitely going to save me some money each week to make my own, and it's super simple, too!

Not my picture, but you get the idea.

If you're looking for a new cookbook, want to explore some vegetarian/vegan foods, give it a try, I bet you won't regret it!

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What's your favorite cookbook? Or do you inspire yourself and don't need one? Are you a hummus fan?