Does 'turkey bacon' count as meatless?

... I know it doesn't.

But, in my mind, "turkey bacon" does walk a fine line between meat-substitute product and meat — closer resembling some overly processed imposter like "vegetarian chicken" than bacon, which can, of course, only come from a pig.

What I'm saying is that I don't really even like "turkey bacon," and yet I accidentally ate it this morning — on a would-be Meatless Monday — because I was tired, late for work, and not thinking about what day it was (or for that matter, much of anything) when I grabbed a quick bite — a turkey-bacon, egg and cheese sandwich — from the office cafeteria.

But, Meatless Monday or not, I have no business eating "turkey bacon." This fake meat has at least two big strikes against my personal food philosophy — it's processed, and it's not local.

I've been so busy and rushing around so much that I've let my commitment to eating healthy, local, high-quality, whole foods go by the wayside more and more lately, as evidenced by this morning's slip up. It's definitely time to recommit — not just to Meatless Mondays — but to eating conciously.

Note to self: Give yourself time to make the healthy, informed breakfast decisions you want to make — don't sleep so late!

My heart aches

It is heartbreaking to wake up to news like kind we heard this morning about Japan. It is terrible to hear of the sudden devastation and loss that an earthquake and a tsunami can cause — a stirring reminder of just how fragile the world is and how delicate the balance of life.

Sad, but true ...

How a plastic bag gets from land to sea. All too often.

The Plastic Bag — a Mockumentary.

How to like lentils.

Season well and add horseradish sauce.

In honor of Meatless Monday, when I was exploring my new neighborhood, out at the Astor Bake Shop earlier, I ordered the lentil burger — hesitantly. I've mentioned before that I hardly think of lentils as food. There were a few other vegetarian options on the menu, but none that seemed as substantial, so I went for it. And, folks, I'm happy to say that this is THE way to eat lentils. The real star was, beyond a doubt, the horseradish sauce, but it paired well with the veggie burger. I would order this dish again, perhaps even on meat-eating day — and that's saying something. 

Happy eating!

Meatless Tuesday?

Well, I was all geared up to post about a successful string of Meatless Mondays — I hadn't missed one all year! And up until about 9 p.m. yesterday, that was still true. But I also have one mega cold ... and a friend suggested chicken-noodle soup ... and, well ... I had to.

I do feel better today — chalk one up for home remedies. But a little disappointed that I did not stick with it, which is why I'm committing to having my meatless day another day this week.

NYC, my new home.

Beautiful, eerie night in NYC.

I've been thinking about an NYC relocation since I left L.A. in August, and now seems like as good a time as any to give it a try. But when I came up for the weekend two weekends ago, I had every intention of going back to South Carolina for, I don't know, at least the rest of January. I'm lucky to have a handful of very good friends who already live here who were gracious enough to let me crash on their couches at the last minute while I looked for a sublet.

Traveling and staying with friends and being unsettled for the past two weeks has, needless to say, been a little trying on the living mindfully front, but I've done my best. I've managed to keep my Meatless Mondays going — even if I was chowing down on pizza. But I've been eating out a lot, which needs to change. Recycling has been a little harder — still trying to figure out exactly what can and cannot be recycled at my new place. And I haven't yet worked up the courage to suggest composting to my brand-new roomies, which just feels strange not to do now that I've been composting since October — I cringe a little every time I go to throw an apple core into the waste basket.

NYC will undoubtedly pose some serious challenges, but there are a few things I'm really excited about:

1. Public transportation and a city built for walking.
2. The Union Square Greenmarket — which runs four days a week!
3. Roof-top farms. Here's one that I want to check out.
4. Proximity to my favorite place on Earth — only three hours by train or bus to Montauk.

Wish me luck!

Truth according to Arcade Fire

Interesting commentary on the world we live in.

Arcade Fire gets it, y'all. Listen closely. And enjoy.

Wondering now if the folks over at Earth Hour have heard this. Could make an interesting anthem for their next event.

Market Philosophy

So, the tango metaphor may be stretched a little thin here, but, that aside, I wanted to share this video — it's a lovely piece about one of the big players at the All-Local Farmers' Market, Emile DeFelice of Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork. I love Emile's philosophy on meat and food, and I love watching his pigs dig around for "protein" on his heavily wooded property.

RIDE THAT PIG TO GLORY from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.

Emile founded Columbia's All-Local Farmers' Market, and his philosophy is a huge reason I am an avid supporter. Says he: "I am not a revolutionary. I don't advocate overturning the system. I understand that Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie will always be there, and that's fine. What I insist upon is providing a parallel food system so that folks have a choice. It goes beyond Emile's pig farm. What I'm trying to do here is offer folks a chance to get good food and to be able to talk with their producers and endorse with their dollar and their fork the production systems that they approve of."

As an added bonus, I will be at the market again Saturday, filling in for my sister at the Beautiful Briny Sea salt table. Swing on by: 8 a.m. to noon, 711 Whaley Street.

Perhaps precious baby piglet Juliette will also make a repeat appearance.

2011: The year of Meatless Mondays

So far: 1 out of 1! Off to a beautiful start.

www.meatlessmonday.com