Farro Salad With Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion

A great deal has happened since I last posted, over a month ago. There was Halloween, for example:

And I almost can't express my relief and elation that my small backup dancer finally became eligible for her first COVID vaccine dose, which she took like a champ:

And I had to have a tooth extracted, which fortunately does not come with a photo.

And I got a new job at CivicStory, and the focus of the job is promoting what individual citizens can do to promote environmental sustainability. Perhaps this sounds familiar, because--bless your cotton socks--you've been reading my exhortations on this topic in 188 blog posts since February 2019. Now, I am honored and thrilled to be able to inspire support for the environment on a larger scale (and for a paycheck!).

Fear not, I'll still be here to share encouragement about eating less meat and dairy for environmental reasons. Apparently it's needed more than ever, because 46 percent of respondents in a recent poll, when asked to think about their personal efforts to preserve the planet, didn't think they really need to change their habits. Sigh.

Sad truth: we all DO need to change our habits, friends. We do. Things are not looking good for Earth, and that's on all of us.

Happy truth: some changes aren't so hard, especially if you adopt them gradually, as I have with my near-vegetarianism. Consider that livestock farming is responsible for an estimated one-third of human-influenced emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas (American Geophysical Union, 2021). Then set a modest goal, like one week or month without meat (try Meatless March!), or one day every week with no animal-based foods (try Vegan Vednesday!). I speak from experience when I say that it takes time, but it gradually becomes not only easier, but eventually automatic. And we don't have to be absolutist; I still enjoy "meat as a treat" occasionally. There's already a Thanksgiving turkey out there with my name on it. (Actually there are millions of them. Thanks, Hormel, for branding your Jennie-O birds with my name! Ha ha. The irony.)

"Farro Salad With Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese" (Epicurious) is an example of a good and easy vegetarian entree. 

I subbed parsley for dill, and cashews for pistachios, and I added some Sichuan chili oil to my serving for a little kick. 

Are you one of the 33 percent of people who "don't have the headspace to think about" what they can do to preserve the planet? I think you're underestimating yourself, and I'm tempted to call it irresponsible, but let me meet you where you are: you can choose plant-based foods over meats without devoting any headspace to it, each time you go to the grocery store or scan a restaurant menu. This blog is here if you need mindless inspiration.