Yes, that’s right. Operation Vegetarian.

I love meat. Especially bacon. My man, he loves meat too. But, he has decided that he wants to give vegetarianism a try.

What? Why in the world would a red blooded American man want to give up the meat he loves so much?

An experiment. A change. And me? Well, I’m up for an experiment. I’ve always said that I could be a vegetarian if I wanted to. But, why would I want to? For an experiment apparently.

So, how long should the experiment last? When should we start? How long should we go? Then the answer appeared. Lent. We’ll give up meat for Lent. So, beginning on Wednesday February 17th and going 46 days, until Saturday, the third of April, I will not be eating meat.

Just to clarify, when I say meat, I mean meat that walks on land. I will technically be a pesca-vegetarian. Seafood and dairy are still on the table. I don’t know how vegans do it. I love cheese too much!! What is the point of living without melted cheese? I will be very sad if someday when I’m older I’m told that I’ve become lactose intolerant or something. I’d probably eat it anyways.

Becoming a vegetarian, even temporarily, is a daunting and scary task. What do vegetarians eat? I’ve been consulting with a good vegetarian friend, reading articles, and searching for recipes to build a list of things for me to cook. With all my current cooking being meat-centric, this will call for an serious exploration of the unknown.

I have to say that I’m excited and apprehensive. My man keeps telling me not to worry and that it won’t be a big deal, but I know how crazy I can get when the cheeseburger craving hits me.

We’ll see. On the upside, I’ll be exploring strange and exciting new recipes. It is an adventure. It is an experiment. It is a learning experience.

It’s character building. 🙂

So, for the next few days, I plan on eating all of the meat things I like best. Pulled pork sandwiches from the Caribbean place up the street, lamb samosas from my favorite Indian place, and a good juicy steak. This is what Mardi Gras is all about. A splurging and overindulgence of the things you love that you are about to give up for Lent.

Maybe I can get enough meat in over the next few days to tide me over. I can certainly try.