Let me Introduce myself

My name is Richard and I'm NOT a vegetarian.  In fact, I'm not married either.  LOL  But before you leave and dismiss my blog I urge you to keep reading.  I'll start off by explaining my Blog Title "AHHH!!!! I Married A VEGETARIAN!!!"  Like I said earlier, I'm not married.  But it's not by my own choosing.  The government apparently doesn't feel as though I should be allowed the same rights as other individuals.  But that's a whole separate topic that I'll spare you from.  I'm also not a vegetarian.  In fact, I love meat and I can't imagine ever not eating the mouth watering goodness sent from above.

I grew up in a small community in southeastern South Dakota, where every night my mom had prepared the most amazing meals.  We were a meat and potatoes kind of family.  My dad even owned several restaurants with one in particular known for its excellent steaks.  I do remember that one night we tried SPAM, but after we all took the first bite and tried to give my mother the all to familiar look of approval, we couldn't help but spit it out.  Needless to say, that entire meal ended up in the trash and we never ate SPAM again.

I met Shelton this past spring in Camp Pendleton, CA while I was waiting to class up for Field Medical Training Battalion, which was a part of my Navy Reserve Hospital Corpsman training.  He was also in waiting, but ended up getting his orders changed which sent him to another clinic on base.  At the time he ate meat, and I remember going out to Hamburger joints and scarfing down big, delicious, greasy cheeseburgers.  But between then and now he has decided to take the road less traveled and become a vegetarian.  I completed my training in June and moved back to South Dakota to fulfill my orders.  In August I flew back out to California to visit Shelton for his birthday and that is when he proposed to me.  It's a great story, but maybe for another day.  It's now October and I just moved out here to beautiful, sunny California to be with my Fiance.  I've been here a week and already found the meals situation to be quite a challenge.

I'm writing this blog because I know I'm not alone in my journey.  I'm sure there are at least a few of you out there that have no clue where to start when it comes to cooking for a vegetarian.  So we can make this journey together.  I'll post what I cook, and whether it was a success, so-so, or a disaster.  Please feel free to try my meals/recipes and give me your feedback.  Also, if you have recipe ideas that you've had success with, send me a message and I'll do my best to make it and blog about it.

This past week I made my first vegetarian meal: Cheese Tortellini with Portabella Mushrooms.  It was amazing.  It gave me hope that cooking vegetarian isn't all that bad.  I'll post the recipe and pictures in my next blog entry.

I'm looking forward to this journey and hope you can benefit from my successes and learn from my failures. Tonight's menu: Tofu tacos.  Yikes :)

Richard

This is Me (on the left) and Shelton.