Category: Entry 4 (Page 2 of 2)

This fourth mandala entry comes after a long weekend of activity and travel, so the calm and relaxation of drawing was very much needed and appreciated. I find that through these personal projects, drawing has become something I do more often, not solely to complete the bi-weekly entry. Sometimes, in between reading or studying, to de-stress, I will draw a mandala or any other image. Now most of these are not masterful works of art, as I would classify them as doodles – but the positive effects or at least feelings are certain.  On top of this, I never considered my self to be especially artistic. Regardless, mandala drawing is enjoyable relaxing, and even give a sense of freedom because they are so abstract and can be made in so many different ways.

Over this weekend in Philadelphia I encountered homelessness all over the city. When I had money and/or spare change on hand I gave out some to those who asked and especially those who tried to perform some kind of job (e.g. holding doors, playing music). This mandala was influenced by this charity and is seen in the collections of coins in the four quadrants and the links between them.

Many people, especially those who have never attempted to become a vegetarian, think that choosing not to consume meat will have a drastic impact on their food choices and will make it more difficult for them to eat the things that they enjoy. After speaking with several of my friends who are not vegetarian, I have come to the conclusion that this assumption is generally tied to the fact that many people don’ eat very exciting meals to begin with even if they have meat in them. Growing up, since my parents are both from New York City, I was exposed to a multitude of different ethnic foods that I quickly learned to enjoy. My favorite types of food today are Indian and Thai food. These Eastern cuisines are much less meat-focused than our food culture here in the United States. Frequently, I will see many people eating plain pasta, meat without any sort of spices or sauce on it, or steamed vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and potatoes. Indian and Asian food, however, place the center of a dish around a deep flavor or spice that can be replicated with any food serving as the main ingredient of the dish. This allows for vegetarian options to have much more depth of taste to them without getting bored of eating the same boring vegetables every day.

In my opinion, the only reason that holds many people back from stepping out of their comfort zone and trying new foods or lifestyle choices such as going vegetarian is that they are unaware as to how easy it really can be. All that is necessary is to be a little more creative in terms of what you choose to eat. Many classic American comfort foods that we have grown up with include meat. This I believe is what makes most people think that they could never give up their favorite foods and become a vegetarian. In reality, however, anyone can succeed in living a meat free life by incorporating new cultural cuisines into their meals and through taking risks to try food combinations and flavors to which they are unfamiliar.

Over the past couple weeks I have been working on gathering vegetarian recipes. I find this to be a very enjoyable way to encourage vegetarianism because I love to cook. My friends and family know this about me and like to have conversations about what I have been cooking recently. I am also finding that it can be helpful to share nutritious and delicious vegetarian recipes. People can try making the recipes and be aware that they are eating a vegetarian meal.

I sent the recipe links to a couple family members and friends by email. I have not heard back from any of them yet. I think I will call some friends and family this week to talk about vegetarianism and ask if they are interested in trying a couple recipes.

Eating vegetarian has been difficult for me at points because I am a division I track athlete. Some days I am working out for three hours straight. I sometimes want to eat meat to make sure I am getting enough protein after really hard workout days. I know that eating too many eggs is unhealthy and many alternate proteins for vegetarians contain gluten which I cannot eat. Therefore, on the occasion of a difficult workout day, I have had a little meat just to be precautionary for my health. My thought process is that reducing my intake of meat from once a day seven days a week to once a day two or three days a week still helps. If everyone ate meat only a couple times a week, there would be fewer animals raised for meat.

I look forward to trying to persuade friends and family to try eating meat only a few times a week. I hope that the recipes I share help them in reducing meat consumption by providing a set of instructions.

Here are some of the recipes I shared with friends and family.

The Cooks at Stone Pier Press. 2018. “Easy Quinoa Burgers.” Accessed November 4, 2018. https://www.stonepierpress.org/recipes/easy-quinoa-burgers

Schaefer, Rebecca. 2018. “Garlic Green Beans.” Accessed November 4, 2018. https://www.stonepierpress.org/recipes/garlicgreenbeans

The Cooks at Stone Pier Press. 2017. “Vegan Asparagus Lemon Risotto.” Accessed November 4, 2018. https://www.stonepierpress.org/recipes/asparagus-lemon-risotto

The Cooks at Stone Pier Press. 2018. “Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili Lentils.” Accessed November 4, 2018. https://www.stonepierpress.org/recipes/baked-sweet-potatoes-with-chili-lentils