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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Oops... Did I Just Eat Bacon?

I totally did.  By "accident."  But it's all good :)  Remember my potluck at my office?  The one where I made banana pudding? 



Well, that's where it happened.  Most of the food at the potluck was meat-based so I had very little options.  The options I had, I did not request the full story.  I was in full on "don't ask, don't tell" mode.  One of these options was clam chowder, and I LOVE clam chowder.  You all know I eat seafood so when I saw it on the table I was pretty excited.  The woman who made it started to tell me about it, because she knows I don't eat meat, and I stopped her midsentence and said, "If there is bacon in it, I don't want to know.  I will either discover it and pick it out, or else I won't find anything."  She looked at me like I was slightly insane and just nodded her head.  I got a bowl.  I started eating.  I definitely ate a chunk of bacon.  I spent the next minute or so picking the rest out, and happily finished it.  She told me later there was also chicken stock in it, so I guess it was a vegetarian fail all the way around.

A year ago, (hell, a few months ago,) this would have prevented me from even eating it.  I was pretty strict about the meat intake.  I still don't eat meat on purpose or anything like that, but I have created a new ruel for myself.  When it comes to potlucks, holidays, dinners at a friend's or out somewhere, I'm not going to stress over a little chicken stock or possible meat in certain dishes.  Life is too short to worry about whether I'm being strict enough with my eating choices to the point of not enjoying a social gathering.  It's sort of the same epipheny I had when I stopped my vegan eating... I truly love cheese and greek yogurt.  I could give them up, but I don't want too.  The thought of never having parmesan cheese or cream cheese ever again is a little more than I can bear.  (This is also why I still eat seafood.)  I miss steak, but I don't need it so badly that I will break down and have one.  But clam chowder at a potluck?  Am I really going to let a little "don't ask don't tell" bacon deter me from eating something that I don't regularly eat, something that I enjoy?  No.  I'm just not going to do that.  Life is too short not to have a little clam chowder here and there.  With that being said, here is a shoutout to my co-worker for making Mexican layered dip with beans instead of beef because she was thinking of me :)  While that was very nice of her, I don't ever expect people to do that whenever I come over to eat, or when there is a function at work. 

I also will not listen to my boss when he points to the shredded pork or the sausage balls or the crockpot full of meatballs, and tells me they are vegetarian.

5 comments:

Brittany @ A Healthy Slice of Life said...

Agreed, life is too short to worry about chicken stock.

When I was a vegetarian for 5 years, then started eating meat again (which I know isn't what you're doing, but still...) I felt so guilty.

But now I eat meat (still much less than a "normal" person), but I know where it comes from and I feel just fine about it :)

Now... where am I going to find some clam chowder... because that sounds delicious!

Juliana said...

Did you make a meatless delicacy for this potluck? Or is that the pudding you were referring to earlier?

Will Burke said...

I have 2 vegetarian relatives, and my wife always considers them when entertaining. In return, they make onion-free dishes when they have us over. And the karma cycle continues...

Will Burke said...

PS. Read your last post, and yes, your friend is really sweet!

Muay Thai Los Angeles said...

Those of us who are vegetarian have done it from time to time.It's not like PETA is going to come and clothes line you. You know what you believe, and sometimes you can't control it. So rather then being socially awkward, good for you!