One Final Push...

Grammy Sam wants me to work for it, so I'm going to put in my final effort for those last bonus points. Currently in the car coming home from SD, but I can't risk falling asleep and then being too disoriented when we get home... Probably the most surprising thing about this competition was realizing how creative you can get with veggies to make them taste delicious and fulfilling. I actually enjoyed the challenge of trying new foods and recipes in order to stick to a meatless diet. When it comes to the long-lasting effects, I came to a realization today while consuming meat at lunch... The meat wasn't exactly as satisfying as I remember. My favorites today were the lo-mein (at least no visible meat), the mixed veggies, the mushrooms from the chicken mushroom dish, and the veggie spring rolls. Don't get me wrong, my favorite dishes from my favorite restaurants all contain some form of meat, and I definitely can't give up those, but I can happily cut down on meat consumption. (I even discovered my fave new Subway sandwich - the veggie patty w/chipotle!) The second week was by far the toughest for me. By now I have told everyone about my steak dream, which helped me get through the rest of the competition! Ultimately I enjoyed all of the food, but the really challenging part was being limited on choices when going to restaurants. Thanks for putting this together. It was a very challenging, yet enlightening, experience.

Minestrone Soup Recipe

I made this the other night and it wasn't bad!!!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 lb. green beans, trimmed & cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-oz can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup elbow pasta
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.

Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt.  Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.

Final Bonus Points!

Okay, the most surprising thing I learned is that even plant food can taste good sometimes!!!  Thanks to Lisa for mentioning The Loving Hut, we had some tasty food there last week!  We even went back there again tonight for dinner!  As for Veggie Grill, I like it better now since I found something I like!  The barley soup, for instance, is mighty tasty!!!

I do believe that this whole Remarkable Rabbit Race experience will definitely change our long term eating and outlook on health.  I'll be honest though, I will still eat meat for the time being, just not quite as much or as often as before.

Ohhhhh, this was definitely harder than I thought!!!  I knew it was going to be hard from the get-go, but it was sooooooo much harder!!!!  It's pretty obvious though, I cheated 4 times!!!

Thanks Matt and Lisa for putting this Rabbit adventure together!  I think we all learned a great deal from this unique and unforgettable experience!!!