Toads-in-the-Hole

This July marks one year since we moved to Iowa City. To us, a new house means new resolutions ...

It's been one whole year since we pulled up stakes and swore off steaks. Hailing from a land that houses almost 5 head of cattle per person, we decided that a move to a new state prompted a change our household dietary habits. Although Iowa reigns supreme as the largest pork producer in the nation, Joel was not prepared to rescind his "In Defense of Pigs" platform upon our arrival to Iowa City. No, for fear of coronary artery disease and toxic atmospheric emissions, at our house we adopted a new saying: Bos taurus, it’s what’s not for dinner.

Cutting a single species out of one’s diet is tricker than swearing off the whole of ungulates (e.g., bison, deer, pigs, sheep). I think that it’d be easier to simply be a vegetarian and avoid the chilly, moist air in the grocer’s meat department altogether, but we like the idea of Meat as a food group in the T.V. tray of supper, so most nights we dine on turkey or chicken.

There are, naturally, exceptions to this general rule. We heartily drink cow’s milk, stir up cookies with cow’s butter, and eat mostly cow-made cheeses. And when guests visit or for special occasions, you’ll find our table graced with family favorites, like Uncle Cha-Cha’s Stove Top beef burger, hot off the grill, or my aromatic, orange-scented beef stew. But, for the most part, in meat form, we eschew those that ruminate.

And so far, we don’t miss it. Absence has made the heart healthier (hopefully). Perhaps we all should have our cholesterol checked just to see if our experiment has made a difference, but I don’t think that we’ll go back to beef on weekdays anytime soon even if our LDL is low and our HDL high. Our turkey tacos and vegetarian chili suit us just fine.

It's another new year at our house, I wonder how we should improve ourselves this year?