The Engine 2 Diet

Happy New Year!

I've been going back and forth about this whole blogging thing. (Obviously I decided to stop for a while since I haven't posted anything since last April!)

On the one hand, I enjoy sharing my interests and passions and writing about them in an entertaining (I hope!) fashion. On the other hand, sometimes it seems weird to put out so much "personal" information on the internet. However, I think I may give it a go again. :)

You might remember last year my husband and I attempted to go vegetarian -  Simply Starving Everyday. I'm glad to report this has been moderately successful. Throughout the year we only cooked vegan/vegetarian at home during the week, but did occasionally get meaty on weekends. Since I'm the one that does all the cooking during the week, I actually appreciated the simplicity of cooking mainly vegan meals. I ditched the "Super Natural Every Day" recipes as they weren't all the great, and instead branched out on my own via finding recipes online.


My biggest revelation has been Quorn. As someone who actually likes the taste of meat, but doesn't want the fat and calories, these products have been a lifesaver. I'm particularly fond of their meatless meatballs. I swear I could serve these to dinner guests and they'd never know they weren't eating real meat! I just tried the "chicken" product they make and it is also delicious.

Another great tool is the Engine 2 Diet Cookbook. (More info on the website.)The recipes are easy, healthy and delicious. So far my two favorites have been Shepherd's Pie and Sloppy Joes, both of which I used Quorn "meat" crumbles in.

My husband has been extremely disciplined about this whole diet. We do still eat sushi once a week, but haven't had any meat since New Year's Eve. I'm a little bit more lax. I actually don't miss the meat, but I can't resist a little cheese, sour cream, chocolate or ice cream once in a while. :)