Veg. Cincinnati chili is one of my crockpot specialties! I use fake meat crumbles and kidney beans for the protein. I am going to have to try this recipe! My recipe does not include chocolate! We eat a LOT of chili in this house so always nice to mix it up a bit!

I became a vegetarian at age 17. My folks were OK with it, mom had been raised 7th Day Adventist but wasn't really into the vegetarian part much. But she was very familiar with the idea that being vegetarian could be a healthy choice, as her healthy, long lived friends can attest. But I did not expect my mom to cook me special foods. If I wanted something special vegetarian I made it myself. But I was already helping my mom make a significant part of the dinner meals so this was not an issue for me either. Plus mom and I had always been the vegetable enthusiasts in the family, as opposed to my "plain foods" brother and my dad whose four main food groups are carbs, fat, meat and sugar. The biggest pitfall of being vegetarian, in my experience, is going overboard on the carbs, or the dairy with a lot of saturated fat. Modern milk is a weird substance, considering you can get it in a carboard carton on the shelf these days, is a bit scary if you know anything about milk. Flours are quite a refined product and just aren't that good for blood sugar eaten by themselves, so I try to avoid them, even non-wheat versions. I'm not a fanatic about it, but I would caution someone who is embarking on a vegetarian diet to avoid loading your diet with carbs and sugars. Whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables should form the backbone of your diet. I am lucky because soy does not bother me, but some folks, (like my brother) are allergic to it. I love tofu as a sub for dairy or meat in a lot of applications. I like to buy or make baked tofu seasoned with italian or asian flavors. Things have changed so much from when I started, nowdays magazines are full of recipes that are either vegetarian or can be easily adapted. But then I've always liked dishes that are a mix of things. If you're a person who "doesn't do bits" like one of my friends said once, you're going to have a tough time finding a replacement for the slab of meat that is an integral part of how most people eat. I've always been a lover of soups, casseroles, stir frys, stews, salads, etc. and whole grain breads, so for me being vegetarian is easy as pie. It's actually eating a meat-centric diet that is hard on me. But I'm only speaking for myself here. I like nothing better than a thick bowl of split pea soup, a corn muffin and some kale salad for dinner. My dad on the other hand, can scarcely sit near me when I am eating such things, he might catch a glimpse of something green! You are lucky because there are just so many more options available all over the place now, not like when I was starting out in the 70's. I also eat soy based fake meat, sometimes. I don't do well with gluten based products. That's why I could never eat my mom's Seventh Day Adventist fake meats, they are all made with MSG, which gives me an almost instant headache and stomach ache. I've steered clear of seitan and all its cousins ever since, although I occasionally eat some seitan like products. But honestly there's enough variety for me without all the meat substitutes, as I happen to love whole foods of all types. Just occasionally I like to have a tofu dog or veggie burger. BF gives me such a hard time about my "tofu pups!" :) I am quite addicted to Morningstar Farms fake sausage patties though. I eat them several times a week. I'm really surprised that I can find fake italian sausages too, which I occasionally put in soups or stews. Two great reads for new vegetarians are "Diet for a Small Planet" by Francis Moore Lappe, and "Laurel's Kitchen" by Laurel Robertson and Carol Flinders, et. al. Very comprehensive nutrition information. Also great recipes, still "go tos" for me after all these years. Of course I am dating myself, perhaps there are better books, but these two books were very influential in shaping many modern ideas about healthy eating. Of course there is the whole glycemic index issue, "clean eating" and macrobiotic schools of thought out there too. But when it comes to discussing some of the ecological, moral and spiritual aspects of our food system, these two women broke some ground. Lately I have really gotten into thinking about how the microscopic flora and fauna in the soil and in our food and in our bodies affects health, partly because I myself have been experiencing so many immune system issues. My food struggle these days is limiting sugars in my diet, and trying to find ways to access and afford foods raised without pesticides and hormones. But that's a whole other post!! Back when I was just starting out, I subscribed to "Vegetarian Times" which you might want to get for your kids for Christmas. And nowdays there are so many FABULOUS blogs out there, Wish I had time to read them!

I went about 5 years ago. Was so excited that they finally came to my state. Not just to my state, but only about 2 miles from my front door. Biggest waste of time and $13 I ever spent. The auditorium was huge but still crowded--over 1000 people, so it was next to impossible to really see what was happening waaayyyyyy up there on the stage. There were maybe 50 or so door prizes, so most didn't get anything. It was advertised that there would be samples and booths--yeah--booths of people selling things at exhorbitant prices. I've heard others had better experiences, but based on the time I went, I'd never waste my money to go back. Only good thing was, the recipe featured on the front of the booklet they were giving out that year, was one of my friends' recipes. Now THAT was nice to see.

Okay, 2 questions. What are "serranos" and what are "shmatas"? I thought "shmatas" were rags. Thanks, Jillis!