The Chef and I have discussed in the past that we’d like to incorporate more meatless meals into our diet on a regular basis. I doubt we would ever convert to 100% vegetarian, but we feel like eating a few meatless meals each week would help make our diet a little healthier. I’m excited to share with you today’s featured Food-“e”-Friend, Kristi Arnold, Atlanta author of Veggie Converter 365. She has a recipe that can really help families like ours who want to eat more meatless meals, Whole Foods Ground Beef Substitute. It was used to make these:
This substitute is the recipe she’d recommend as the first to try from her blog because it’s a great, simple way to do meatless meals that meat-eaters will love. She says it does not take a lot of time and can turn any “beefy” meal into a meatless meal easily.
Let’s get to know her a little better as today’s MaFF FFF:
1) Tell us a little bit about the “birth” of your blog. How long have you been blogging and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog in November of 2010 in preparation for my challenge in January 2011. I am a SAHM of two girls. My husband is an omnivore and I’m a vegetarian. So our kids are “undecided.” We won’t force either choice on them, but when we’re at home, we eat primarily vegetarian so I don’t have to cook multiple meals. I started the blog, in part, because I was tired of failing at cooking for our entire family. I tried to cook meat for everyone else, to little avail and really needed to figure out a way to make a meal all of us could eat and love. I figured if I was struggling to create family-friendly vegetarian meals that meat-lovers would love, maybe others were, too. If nothing else, the blog would be a way to keep track of my failed and successful meat conversions.
2) How long have you been a vegetarian? How has your “mission,” so to speak, with your family gone overall? What are a few of your husband and children’s favorite recipes?
I have been a vegetarian since about age 12, so over 20 years. The mission has gone amazingly well. I make a lot more food that my husband actually likes and, in spite of cooking a huge meal every day, we throw away much less food. That’s not to say there have not been epic failures. Cranberry-barbecue “meatballs” come to mind. Ick. A few favorites include Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili and Broccoli Cheddar Pockets.
3) What feature of your blog would you like most for us to know about?
Vegan Conversions page gives information for readers to do their own conversions at home.
I hope you enjoy getting to know Kristi and her blog this week. Check out her Chickpea Chimichangas, too, which are part of our Star Recipes Collection! We’d love for you to add your “star recipe” there if you have not already.
Now, on to our party! Check out our Make a Food-“e”-Friend (MaFF) Monday page for more information on what this party is all about, specifics about how to link from your blog, and for more on how you can be a Featured Food-“e”-Friend).
For our regular guests, just a few reminders before linking:
1) You can link a recipe or any type of food-related blog post (including giveaways or free food coupon offers). Make sure you use the URL for the actual post and not your blog (or those interested in what you are sharing may not be able to find it if it’s not your most recent post and will miss out on what you wanted to share!).
2) Don’t forget to link back to this potluck party, using either a text link or the button image. This is important to help spread the word about the party and so all the great recipes that people are sharing can be found and enjoyed. To make it easier:
This party’s URL for a text link:
http://www.thesaturdayeveningpot.com/2011/07/maff-monday-20-meet-kristi-of-veggie.html
OR
Button linking back to this week’s party (highlight, copy and paste into your post):
3) Most of all, have fun and be sure to check out any recipes that interest you that others have brought to the party. (How else will you make new Food-“e”-Friends?!) Some weeks I am not able to make it around to all of the recipes shared, but I always enjoy seeing the different things that are linked at these parties and check back when looking for new ideas.
(Link-up open through Wednesday):
Find more great recipes at Titus 2sdays.
About the Author
Adopted at age 2, grew up in the Charlotte, NC area. Obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University. Loves being a Mom of two and taste-testing Chef John's culinary creations and sharing them with readers.
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