I decided to go vegan for a week.

What led to my decision? Well, I’ve toyed with the idea for a while but never committed and just went for it. Last week I watched a documentary that pushed me over the edge though. The Cove. Have you seen it? It’s about dolphins. Nothing about going vegan, AT ALL. So where’s the connection?

As I was watching it, a part in the movie really struck me. It was talking about whale meat being sold in stores (takes place in Japan) and how they sometimes substitute dolphin meat instead of whale, and still package it as whale meat. Dolphin is REALLY bad for you because of the high mercury content. So the wrong packaging has huge health ramifications. And it got me thinking about the meat I eat. Is it REALLY what it says it is?

This is where my husband held up a rotisserie chicken he was eating and said, “this IS chicken, look, clearly, it’s chicken.” I know I know, duh, obviously it wasn’t a pig…unless pigs have wings… But I read him the label. No antibiotics, No added hormones. OK, so it says nothing was added. But what does this mean? REALLY, was there really NOTHING added to this juicy, plump, robust chicken? hmmmm, I find that hard to believe.

Does it mean the chicken wasn’t injected with a shot of steroids to speed up it’s growth? Does it mean that everything he chicken ate was hormone and antibiotic free? The second part is where I stop. Sure, let’s ASSUME the chicken wasn’t injected with added hormones or antibiotics, but can it be confirmed it didn’t eat anything with the same requirements? I don’t know.

Then I talked to my step mom and asked if she had seen the film. It sparked a conversation about meats/hormones. She’s from Japan and moved here about 20 years ago. She said she has grown 2 inches since living here. 2 inches in height. Um, she’s not 15 going through a growth spurt. She’s a grown woman who should NOT be growing a random 2 inches in her 30′s. By the way, I won’t say her age, but the woman does not age! She looks GREAT!

Alright then… even more questions I have about the food we consume here in the states…

Which is what led me to finally try going vegan. I gave myself a week. Again, just to try. Would I even like it? I eat a very plant based diet anyway, so I knew it wouldn’t be a HUGE change for. But I also eat a diet very VERY heavy on the cheese and frozen yogurt end. Like, it’s half my diet.

I have the shakes. Fro yo withdrawals are serious business. You think I’m kidding.

During these last 3 days of veganism, I’ve concluded that if I can have avocado and peanut butter, everyday, I think I can stick with it. My inside out grilled guacamole is AH-MAZING!!! The heat from the grill brings out extra flavor and warms it enough to soften the avocado slightly. It is just the perfect summer appetizer or, um, meal, for a vegan. And it’s SOOOO simple, but so pretty. Just look at those grill marks. Who doesn’t love grill marks?!

Inside Out Grilled Guacamole
1 avocado
your favorite salsa
tortilla chips

Slice the avocado in half length wise and remove the pit.
*We all have our own way of removing the avocado pit. But the dumbest way is to hold the avo in your hand, and slam a knife into it. What if you miss? Right, there goes your hand… I know, you’ve tried it, and haven’t hurt yourself…yet.

Put the avocado, flesh side down, on a preheated grill (medium/high heat is best). It took my avocado about 5 minutes to get the pretty grill marks. Since all of our grills have different temperatures, it might take you a different amount of time.

Remove from the grill ad fill the ‘pit hole’ with your favorite salsa. Serve immediately.

If you have leftovers OR if you want to make extra, just use the remaining avocado and salsa and mix it in a bowl and voila, creamy guacamole. The charring on the avocado is delicious in the guacamole!