Meat Rebel

Last week's challenge was all about MEAT, or a lack thereof. I rebelled against this challenge and really did not do it at all. I normally buy at least one meal of local meat a week. It is expensive and I couldn't afford it at all this past week. :( Hey, it happens. My main problem with the challenge was that you were to buy local meat then try to make it not a main part of your meal.

I did make a salad our main meal one evening (see my lovely pic above?). I realized with shame that although I LOVE salads, I am very lazy about making them. I'll typically throw spring mix into a bowl, chop up a tomato and avocado and use bottled dressing and there you go. Very sad when you consider all the possibilities a salad can be. So I made what actually is a family favorite that got shelved for way too long. I call it a Summer Chicken Salad. Mixed lettuces, tomato, avocado, grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, black olives, bacon bits, almonds, and mandarin oranges. I couldn't resist trying to make it look pretty before we dug in. :) The dressing is homemade too (mayo, Dijon mustard, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and green onions. Man is it good!). Anyway, although I used some chicken, this was largely a meatless meal and probably the only one that really jived with the meat challenge.

Anyway...let me just tell you, there is no point spending $10 on a pound of grass-fed beef or $22 on a free-range chicken if all you want to do is try not to really taste it or notice it on your plate. That meat is GOOD, much better than your normal run-of-the-mill stuff. When I buy grass-fed local ground beef, I always make hamburgers out of it. It tastes SO good, you want it to be the focal point of the meal! That is the main reason I didn't do the challenge as directed. It was a waste of money for me if I had tried it.

So, bah...I guess I am just a meat rebel. I will continue to do my own thing in this area. I will say this: making meat only a small part of a meal, or going meatless, is a good idea but it should have been it's own separate challenge in my opinion.

This week's mini-pledge is no fast food or deep fried foods. Yay! :) Sorry, I think I get more excited about the challenges that don't involve me having to buy something. It's easier to avoid buying things, haha. :)

As you can see from yesterday's menu, we don't have anything fried on the list. We plan on going out to a real restaurant on Wednesday, no fast food. I anticipate being able to get through this challenge pretty successfully but we'll see how it goes. :)