Wednesday 27 February 2013

Can I ditch the meat in March?


Nothing beats a good bit of sausage. A bacon sandwich is a gift from the gods on the mornings that are filled by an alcohol-induced haze. My pesto and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts have fed many a friend during many a student dinner party. And when I was a wee lass, I pretty much survived on roast chicken and potatoes alone, being far too fussy to eat much else. To put it simply, meat is good, filling and tasty (especially when the horse has trotted off elsewhere).

However, the time has come to see if I can be meat free for an entire month. Together with my good friend Fay (who you can find over on Food Fables), I'm going to be attempting a meat-free March. Not a sausage nor a fish finger will pass my lips.


"Why?" I hear you cry. Well, there are a few reasons:


I want to start getting a bit more creative in the kitchen - whilst my diet consists of far more than just roast chicken and potatoes these days, I often find myself falling back on a set of recipes that I could cook with my eyes shut whilst standing on my head, many of which are meat filled. Going veggie will hopefully open my eyes to a wealth of new recipes, new restaurants, new cookbooks and new techniques.

I'm also trying to shift a few lbs, to save a few pounds and to reconsider my relationship with food. Do I really need to eat as much meat as I do?  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a massive meat muncher (usually only opting for the animal based stuff a few times a week), and I'm not expecting to be a fully fledged veggie by the end of the month. However, it'd be great to know that I can get by without it and to have a month of knowing exactly where my food has come from.

Both Fay and I will be detailing our meat-free March attempts on our blogs. There'll be vegetarian cookbook and restaurant reviews, product reviews, interviews with veggie-loving chefs and, when times get trying, odes to meat and David St Cafe's breakfast sandwiches. 

Get involved!

We are looking for other bloggers to join us in our challenge. It might be that you've considered going veggie but never quite find the motivation, or that you're already a veggie or a vegan and you're interested in blogging about your favourite recipes, restaurants and cookbooks. Or, like us, you might just be looking to try something new. Either way, we're happy to have you on board.

We'll be tweeting our exploits using the hashtag #MFMuk - please feel free to invite anyone else to take part to do the same. 

Veggie Recipe Swap

Fay and I are also looking to set up a recipe exchange where participants swap their favourite veggie or vegan recipe with a fellow blogger and then document their attempts at making it in the comfort of their own kitchen. This should fuel our veggie food inspiration and will be a lovely way to meet fellow bloggers. If you're interested, please leave a comment on this blog!

Contact us

If you'd like any more information about meat free March or the recipe swap, ping an email to bitsandbobsbecs@gmail.com or drop us a tweet - you can find us at @becs_edwards and @foodfablesuk.

3 comments:

  1. What a great idea! Though not a vegetarian myself, I do have a low-meat diet for a number of reasons - ethical/health/financial. Last week I received Denis Cotter's 'For The Love of Food', which I am really excited about cooking from.

    Keep me updated on the recipe swap, sounds like a grand idea.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Food-Vegetarian-Recipes-Heart/dp/000731275X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362040452&sr=1-1

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  2. Good luck! I'm always trying to eat more vegetarian meals - but living/sharing meals with someone who barely eats vegetables and wouldn't touch beans/lentils/cheese with a barge pole makes it a bit difficult! Would definitely be interested in a recipe swap though :)

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  3. Hello lovely ladies! Thanks for the comments. I will keep you both in the loop re recipe swap. Luckily I live with someone who's agreed to go veggie with me - so makes things a ton easier! Thanks for the book recommendation too, Lauren - will check it out :)

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