For me one of the biggest factors in the decision not to eat meat, was simply one of truth.
The majority of the population, me included for most of my life, turns a blind eye to where dinner comes from.
One would think that most people know where comes from, but few actually do anything about it. Most just shrugged their shoulders and say "well that's just the way it is".
In the previous post we talked about in neurolinguistic programming (NLP) -- I can tell you 100% for certain that "the way it is" is only a personal view! It's a programming -- a script that runs in our heads and it was more than likely program there by people that we don't even know! Even if we think we didn't pay much attention to the McDonald's ad on TV, robotically, the script keeps playing in the back of our head, and the corporations have made it very simple for us to go and buy their food. Now you don't even have to get out of your car! You just drive through tell them what you want and give them your money and "food" appears on the other side -- far removed from the factory farms were portions of it came from.
Fact number two, contrary to popular belief, animals do not have to die for humans to live! Nobody ever died from starvation from eating a well-balanced vegan or vegetarian diet.
There are alternatives, there are choices! You have the choice! We have choices! But the animals do not! Because as you are reading this, millions of animals are in slaughterhouses waiting for "their turn to be served" "can I help the next in line please?"
Let me tell you if you make the commitment to date not to eat any meat for the next 30 days, after five to 10 days, your mind will open up to the alternatives and you will see that it's not that hard. It's no harder thinking about what to cook for dinner on a vegetarian diet that is on an animal based diet -- it takes the exact same amount of thought process.
Your receptors open to it! -- it's like if you bought a red car, all of a sudden, you notice so many more red cars on the road! It's because the receptors in your brain are open to this now.
And believe me it's not that hard if I can do it anyone can! Instead of buying from isle number one you will be buying from isle number two -- that's about the only difference!
I'm not going to rewrite the book on recipes because there are all kinds of that on the Internet but I will provide you with some links;
Recipes etc.
Recipes etc.
This page has lots of recipes and additional info
What about a simple spinach ricotta and Manicotti?
Recipe for 10 Manicotti: 10 dry lasagna noodles (the 4 " wide, straight noodles), 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained, 1 1/2 pound ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 2 cups tomato sauce, salt, pepper, freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil and drop the lasagna noodles inside one by one. Stir gently to make sure they don't stick together and boil for 12 minutes. Drain the noodles and immediately cool them down in iced water for 1 minute. In a mixing bowl combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, egg and garlic powder, and season to taste. Spread the filling over the lasagna noodles, leaving about 1/2" at the end not covered, and roll them. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish and arrange the manicotti with the edge of the rolled noodle facing down. Spread the rest of the tomato sauce over the manicotti and bake them in a preheated oven at 450 F, until they are soft and the sauce becomes thick. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the manicotti and cook for 3 minutes more. Cooking tip: The leftover manicotti can be wrapped in cling wrap and frozen for whenever you need a quick lunch.
Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil and drop the lasagna noodles inside one by one. Stir gently to make sure they don't stick together and boil for 12 minutes. Drain the noodles and immediately cool them down in iced water for 1 minute. In a mixing bowl combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, egg and garlic powder, and season to taste. Spread the filling over the lasagna noodles, leaving about 1/2" at the end not covered, and roll them. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish and arrange the manicotti with the edge of the rolled noodle facing down. Spread the rest of the tomato sauce over the manicotti and bake them in a preheated oven at 450 F, until they are soft and the sauce becomes thick. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the manicotti and cook for 3 minutes more. Cooking tip: The leftover manicotti can be wrapped in cling wrap and frozen for whenever you need a quick lunch.
Or, easier, you can buy it already made in Loblaw's! Just dump on your tomato sauce, cook it up for about an hour and serve it with a salad!
Or what about this product called "Tofurkey"?
it looks and tastes like "meat". It comes in different shapes and sizes like sausages or steaks or whatever you want to look like but it is not made from animals! Heck, it's even packaged like animal meat! Again you can buy it from your supermarket -- and it's likely only one aisle over from the "real meat" (if you wanna call real meat "real meat" because of actual fact the only once and know what's in it for sure are scientists and God perhaps) Tofurkey It's also really packed with protein!Approximately 30 g per sausage! Compared to about 6-8g per sausage that you would get in a regular sausage!
it looks and tastes like "meat". It comes in different shapes and sizes like sausages or steaks or whatever you want to look like but it is not made from animals! Heck, it's even packaged like animal meat! Again you can buy it from your supermarket -- and it's likely only one aisle over from the "real meat" (if you wanna call real meat "real meat" because of actual fact the only once and know what's in it for sure are scientists and God perhaps) Tofurkey It's also really packed with protein!Approximately 30 g per sausage! Compared to about 6-8g per sausage that you would get in a regular sausage!
