The Fish Guy - Seafood Market

I found a great seafood market to purchase fresh fish for my husband. They do not have fresh thawed fish. They carry fresh, individually wrapped filets of any fish you can think of, shrimp, crab, lobster. They have a great selection, and good prices. I also picked up some great spices, and seasonings. The service was friendly, and helpful. They also have an inside section with tables and you can order fresh dishes, and sandwiches. Check it out some time.

http://www.flfishguy.com

SMENCILS

So, Chloe and Christopher came home from school with yet another school fundraiser.
The school is selling SMENCILS for $1.00 each. What is a Smencil you ask?
Well, it is a "gourmet scented pencil". There are several scents.
The pencils are made from 100% Recycled Newspapers, and their motto is

" saving trees.. one pencil at a time".
I decided since it was a "green" product I would go ahead and let the kids get one, so I sent them with money. One for Chloe, one for Christos, and one for Mom of course.
Christopher came right home today and handed me mine. The scent is Tropical Blast, and it reminds me of the beach. I thought the product was great. The package the pencil comes in is also made from biodegradable plastic, so they were covering all avenues. Great Job.

Fresh Nuts and Fruits delivered to my door

I found a lot of places online to purchase nuts, seeds, and fruits. I wanted to find raw nuts to get as much of the nutrients as I could.

I found bulk, organic, unsalted products here : http://www.anuts.com/

So, about 5 days late, and the day is here. I got all these goodies today. YAY!

Just made some guacamole

Had three ripe avocodos that I needed to use today, so I decided to make some guacamole. I will serve with pretzels tonight at a girl scout function. Came out pretty good, although definetly will tweek the recipe next time. For today I worked with ingredients I had. I used fresh avocodo, salt pepper, fresh lemon juice, and garlic. I blended together, a small food processor would probably work best. I put it in fridge to sit for a while prior to serving. Flavors will be more prominant.

Yummy Vegetable Burritos

I used my wok again tonight. It was my second time. Was a little easier this time. Boy, that thing sure cooks food quickly! I like!

Christopher wanted some Mac N Cheese, but I offered to cook him up some veggies and stick them in a tortilla, and he changed his mind quickly.

I used some potatoes, onion, squash, zucchini,salt, pepper, minced ginger, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Cooked in the wok stirring occasionally until the veggies were desired texture. I served with your choice of toppings: refried beans, black beans, and shredded cheddar cheese.

I loved them. Chris and Christopher seemed to like them, and Chloe just had beans and cheese. All and all, I'd say another successful vegetarian night at the Milos.

Dave Navarro showing show love for the animals

Here are a few of my experiments so far. My favorite were the Seasoned Tortilla Chips. I use sundried tomato tortilla shells, cut with pizza cutter into desired shape, then lightly sprayed with EVOO ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil), and dashed with Adobo seasoning. Baked at 400 for 8mins or until desired crispiness.
Yummy!

May 1st, My first day as a Vegetarian

So, I have decided to make today the day that I give up eating meats.

I have thought about this for years actually. I considered vegetarianism for several reasons, there isn't just one. This is a change I look forward to doing along with my family. With this choice, I picked a date in advance that I would start my new venture. I didn't just jump in hastily. I talked with my family to see if they would like to do this with me.

My husband, Chris is going to stop eating meats, but is going to continue to eat fish, and seafoods. This, we will call Pescatarian. My daughter, Chloe doesn't really care either way. She is a very picky eater anyways, and won't be changing her diet much, other than increased vegetable and fruits. Yay, fruits and vegetables. My son, Christopher is almost as excited as I am.. Well, maybe more excited than me. He has never really cared for meat, and has asked to stop eating it in the past.

I am excited for the new change for a couple reasons. Mostly, I am happy that I won't be contributing to the mass killing of animals just for their meat. Things aren't what they used to be. The animals are only raised for one purpose.. not meat.. money. They are held in inhumane places, and tortured. They are fed products that contain garbage, fecal matter, and sometimes even some of the other animals unused parts. Think about all that an animal eats, when you are eating meat, you are eating all that animal has put inside its body.

I am happy to be healthier. This is forcing me to plan meals better, to better stock my kitchen with healthier products. I am learning and experimenting with new recipes now, instead of eating the same old things over and over.

I'm also excited about learning.. I love learning new things. I went to the bookstore and bought books on Vegetarianism. I'm learning the new food pyramid. I am learning which foods are good for us, and their nutrient contents. I'm also learning more about the impacts that meat production has on our envirnoment. How many resources we actually use in order to continue to run the animal factories.

My goal on this blog is to be able to reflect on my journey. To share my recipes. To maybe down the road, help another new Vegetarian Family. Stay tuned, I hope to keep you posted with recipes, thoughts, and resources.