beginnings

After more than a decade of keeping animals off my plate, I came to realize just how comfortable I've become in these cruelty-free shoes. It is a lifestyle I've easily become accustomed to; scanning menus, ingredients lists, and clothing labels looking for keywords now feels natural. Shopping and cooking are now enjoyable experiences again rather than stressful. A way of life that at first was more of a novelty and fraught with obstacles seems effortless today.

I was recently reminded by a friend, a recent vegetarian, just how difficult it can be to uphold this unique lifestyle in a small town, especially in the beginning. I reflected on my own laughable fledgling days, becoming vegetarian. Born into a family history of restauranteurs and steakhouse chefs, a northern Minnesota town consumed by fishing and hunting, there was a time when forgoing meat seemed an unlikely choice. However, while in high school, I gave up eating animals and haven't looked back since. After moving to the Twin Cities, a college professor called me a black sheep, acknowledging the humor in my unlikely carnivorous roots. Until that point, I hadn't thought of my story in that way, but began to wear my uniqueness like a badge of courage.

I have had the pleasure of connecting with other vegetarians over the years and am always fascinated with others who have also come from small-town, Minnesota and are able to make the choice for a vegetarian lifestyle. I hope this will be a way to share more stories, quotes, recipes, and resources. This blog is for everyone who has given the incredulous look and exclaimed, "But what do you eat?!" and anyone who has ever had to answer this query, explaining their diet to a misunderstanding carnivore.  This is the delicious world of the black sheep vegetarian.