Also, every little kid I know who's been able to try tofu without any preconceived notions about it has loved it, to the extent where I've been kind of amazed. When you think about it, it has a mild flavor and neat texture, which fits with what kids traditionally like.

At a family barbeque a few years ago, we ran out of bbq chicken, and a four-year-old still wanted more, so his father gave him some of the bbq tofu and told him it was "chicken square." He ate it, no problem, and then ran around telling everybody about the really cook chicken square.

My vegetarian friend who doesn't really cook all that much loved Vegonomicon. But her license plate reads "CTHULHU."

Veganomicon recipes I've tried have tended to be about half an hour prep time, sometimes less. Also, they've got a bunch of soy-free and gluten-free recipes, for people trying to avoid those (I'm not, but I'm trying to vary my protein sources a bit more), and a bunch of recipes with a little grocery cart icon, meaning that the ingredients can be found at a regular grocery store. (She says that she used the supermarket near her in-laws in Vermont as her guide for "regular grocery store.)

Man, I would have to find a nickname for Veganomicon, because I trip over it just reading.

Coincidentally, I've been skipping around looking for good bulgur chili recipe. I was going to make it tonight, but then I realized my onion is... squishy. And that can't be good.

I've been going through a couple of my cookbooks making notes of recipes that might work, and I've actually found more than I thought I would. What I'm hoping to do is actually have a more varied diet than I've managed lately, and I think I can pull it off as long as I do some planning each week.

I cook with ground beef a fair amount, and that would be easy to just swap out with fake meat, if you're into that kind of thing.

Recipe review -

Really good. note: Peanut butter is the protein. Actually, vegan, not just vegetarian.

additions - lemon rind as additional garnish

Personal preference: more ginger.

kids: - there is a tiny bit of a bite at the back of the throat from the cayenne, but not sure anyone who doesn't like spicy food would notice.

Thanks, beth, I'll add it to the list!

Maybe I'll blog this--committed carnivore goes sorta-kinda vegetarian for 40 days. Will she make it? How many times will her work lunch consist of Easy Mac or a peanut butter sandwich?

Oh, I tried a recipe tonight, modified from one in Vegan Lunch Box, that was really good. Mashed sweet potatoes, with about 1 tablespoon each of orange juice and almond butter per sweet potato added. Plus a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger. (I really dislike sweet potato recipes with much extra sweetener added. This was REALLY good.)

My lunch is freqently dinner leftovers. Vegan Lunch Box has lots of good lunch ideas, too. [link] and [link] . Her recipes are sometimes a little too health-foody for my taste, though.

Interesting lists from Esquire: 10 Things you don't know about women.

There isn't a woman on that list, so far, that I agree with on all ten, I think. Some of the ones I disagree on are quite telling about the woman in question.

Betrayers to their gender.