Vegetarian Cooking

For Lent, we decided to give up meat and become vegetarians. We have done it before and felt like it is both appropriate and meaningful. It is a big sacrifice because my husband and I love our steaks (we are from Texas after all) and it is also a more peaceful/environmentally-friendly way of living. The problem is that we have never given up meat after having children... At first, my daughters were fully cooperative and excited that I'll be cooking from a new cookbook (excellent one, by the way, from the Moosewood Restaurant). Then they realized that this also means no more pork ribs, hamburgers, spaghetti & meatballs, chicken soup, chicken nuggets... So they tried to renegotiate with, "Mommy, can I give up oatmeal instead?" or my personal favorite, "Mommy, can I give up homework for Lent?" What we ended up doing was letting the girls pick for themselves what they would like to give up- television for Mady (except on Sundays) and climbing up the side of the staircase for Aly (don't ask, just know that this is something that is a major sacrifice for her).