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!

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!

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!