Let's give up meat for Lent

And thus began our family's quest into the wonderland of Vegetarianism - so mysterious, so seemingly arduous, not comprised of banana splits and hot fudge rivers but rather heaps of quinoa cascading with olive oil and brussel sprout boulders.

My husband has a thing for religious obligation. He always chooses some large component of his life, some really big indulgence, to forgo for Lent - one year it was alcohol (and he's German!), then it was sugar (no not sweets, but all sweetener additives). This year he set his sights on animal flesh. Now here's a man who thoroughly enjoys a good weinerwurst telling his wife who thoroughly enjoys using sauteed chicken breast as a culinary crutch to chuck it. But instead of hemming and hawing in my typical fashion, or giving some whiney excuse I screamed "YES!" However, in the interest of familial sanity - we did decide to go "pescetarian", i.e. giving up all meat except the occassional fish dish. Beady-eyed salmon aren't nearly as endearing little baby lambs, right?

I jumped at the chance to go vegetarian because we desperately needed to shake things up. Sure I make some interesting dishes - warm red cabbage salad with walnuts, sweet potatoe-spinach stir-fry. But every day at 5pm I found myself replaying the same ticker "Chicken, pork, or beef.. chicken, pork, or beef...?" Now I'm all at once terrified and invigorated by the limitless possibilities. Will we be doomed to eating plates and plates of cheesy bean quesadillas? Will our girls throw down their 26th bowl of tofu stir-fry crying "enough is enough"? Will I stack up to this culinary challenge???