As of today, it's been 24 days since I gave up beef and pork. I have effectively disciplined myself to only indulge in vegetarian fare. I'm happy to say that this has not been a challenge at all. I'm surprised at how easy it was to make the switch over to a non-carnivorous diet.

Breakfast is typically toast, using Ezekiel Bread. This type of bread is so filling, so heavy, so hearty. It's much more expensive than the typical 99 cent loaf of bread, costing between $4.99 and $5.99 at Star Markets. The yield is much lower also. What it lacks in volume, it makes up for in taste and how satisfied you feel after partaking. It is rather chewy and after two slices, your mind and stomach are satiated. Lately, I've been having oatmeal with my toast. That ALWAYS packs a whole lot of fiber. It helps with the elimination process. Love it!

For a practical, on-the-go lunch, if dinner leftovers are unavailable, head to Taco Bell and indulge in a 1/2 pound bean and rice burrito or cheese quesadilla. There are a number of options at Taco Bell. The fiesta potatoes are yummy (minus the gross cheese whiz that they put on it and go light on the sour cream). A veggie stir-fry served with noodles or brown rice is always very satisfying as well.

Dinner is our splurge! I've tested several different entree's in our home. What is essential is to try preparing every recipe that seems interesting! A sampling of a weeks worth of dinner is as follows:

Mexican Rice (Brown Rice, Beans, Olives, Green Peppers, Fresh Tomatoes, Kernel Corn) served with a tossed salad.

Linguine w/ Lemon-Tomato Sauce, served with Roasted Asparagus and a tossed salad.

Boca Burgers w/ Guacamole Spread (homemade), Tomato, Mushrooms, and Swiss Cheese. Served with oven sweet-potato fries and a tossed salad

Stir Fry Tofu w/ vegetables. Served with Brown Rice and Kim Chee.

Ichiban Brand Saimin w/ steamed cabbage, tofu, kim chee and scallions.

Moussaka served with a tossed salad.

Eggplant Parmesean served with a tossed salad.

If there's left overs, it turns into lunch the next day. I absolutely love our new habit of eating vegetarian. There are other recipes I've tried that are equally yummy and is now a regular at family potlucks, like curry rice, Samoan Chop Suey (Vegi Style), Stir-Fry Tofu, etc.

The energy I have is unbelieveable. My belly aches are a thing of the past. I am never constipated! It's wonderful. I feel good and I'm so bummed that I hadn't started this trend sooner.