A vegetarian? What do you eat, anyway?

I'm a vegetarian...98% of the time. I'll eat a tuna sandwich or a turkey burger a couple of times a month, but that's about it. Whenever the topic comes up I get the dreaded question...what do you eat? That's a complicated question because the answer changes often. I'm a recipe floozy and have a stack that I try to get around to but every time I knock a few out I photocopy a few more. Mostly it's salads, sandwiches and fruit throughout the day, and Kashi cereal with soy milk for breakfast.

On a practical note, I love Tupperware's FridgeSmart containers to help keep my veggies fresh and reduce waste.  Couldn't live without them! Rubbermaid makes a similar product that is more widely available and I have some of those, but the Tupperware is a superior product and saves space better, too.

below left: hummus, arugula & carrot whole wheat wrap
below right: 2 for 1 - provolone & portabella mushrooms with pesto on French bread and a slice of cheese & spinach pizza from the broiler

I'm a big fan of anything that takes five minutes to make for lunch or dinner. When you're cooking for one most of the time it's counter productive to make a big fuss and a big mess. I love all kinds of sandwichy things, and my new favorite is the pear, spinach & swiss on grilled Italian bread below. Also good with a tomato fresh from the garden if you have one. The brownies I make from the No Pudge box mix and I use strawberry flavored soy yogurt in the mix and toss a few chocolate chips on top. Love!

Occasionally I do make a mess and a fuss. When I do it's usually a soup or stew of some sort. I'm a One-Pot Meal type of girl.

quinoa vegetable soup & seeduction bread

homemade lentil soup

It's seldom a day goes by that I don't pop up some popcorn, and we've already established my addiction to dark chocolate!  More recently my lactose intolerance has gotten worse and I'm rereading labels for hidden dairy. I had to give up my favorite Dove dark chocolate because they add milkfat. It's only the expensive stuff for me now, and unfortunately I'm not eating any less of it now that I'm paying more.

I found some frozen dinners by Amy's that are labeled dairy free, and the tofu lasagne was surprisingly good.

I've been thinking about a trip to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods all week.  Easier said than done, the closest Whole Foods is in Deerfield, Illinois, which is about an hour and ten minutes from here. I make a trip once every other month and feel like I'm in heaven wandering the aisles. I stock up on a few items and I always try a few new things, too.  At Whole Foods I always grab a loaf of the Seeduction bread and a container of their baba ghanoush, and at Trader Joe's I get the Black Diamond white cheddar and a big container of their peanut butter cups for my guys at home.  I'm planning to try some tofu cheese and low lactose mozzarella when I get the chance to go later this week due to the dairy issue - hope I find some great new treats!