Guest Post: Salad sandwich... no meat.

Ooh hello! Today we have Mrs Sabbatical, also known as Emily, with her "turning vegetarian" story. This post cracked me up. Her everyday experiences are a lot like mine - but we're fierce and funky and your freaking out or poking fun when we turn up to your barbecues with veggie burgers AIN'T NO THANG!

Three years ago we moved to Australia from Scotland - a big, exciting move, and one that promised lots of changes. We couldn't wait for all that warm weather, plenty of beach time, surfing, and lots of fresh local produce. It was so exciting.

How does one mark their new beginning in the land that used to ride the sheep's back? Well, you go vegetarian, don't you know!

Why did we jump over to the green side? Surely it couldn't be just for fun and social awkwardness at family gatherings? There were a few reasons, but the main ones were environmental for him and health for me - although I still think being a bit awkward for family occasions may have been a small factor for some.

Australia is quite a meaty country, there is meat running through the IV of Australian life. I know, I grew up on a sheep farm and we ate a lot of those sheep.

I shouldn't tease Australians, there are some amazing local veggie cafes we have found, but they still feel like they are a little on the outer, almost a novelty - like Middle Australia expects you to eat there only if you have tatts and hairy pits.

Then there is the alfresco dining that Australia is so attached to.

Our BBQ hosts often get a little flustered, until we assure them we will bring our own. And then it is "what about poor little Crazy?". It's OK, our daughter can eat meat if she likes, and don't look at me like that - being vegetarian is not some sort of torture.

Mr F takes cheeky glee in approaching the gathering of men around a BBQ as they murmur appreciation over the charring meat mountain. It's such a blokey thing, tongs in one hand, beer in another, opinions flowing fast.

And then, right at the crucial "burning the crap out of the meat" moment, Mr F moves into the thick of it, throwing down his Quorn Fauxsages with gusto. He is man enough not to be intimidated by a sizzling carcass.

What about work? At every office lunch, the vegetarian sandwiches always disappear first. Why? because pesto and roast vegetables look a far sight better than the flaccid ham and cheese delights that are left behind? C'mon people, leave some of the good stuff for us!

And why now is it that everyone seems so concerned about our protein levels? It's OK, we're not the Cullens... we can survive without the gristly stuff.

But one of our favourite experiences came from a small cafe in rural Victoria when we ordered a salad sandwich. We were asked "would you like meat with that?"

No, just salad thanks.

This was followed by a shout out the back: "salad sandwich, Cheryl, NO meat!".

That's right, Cheryl. No meat thanks. No, not even chicken.

**

Mrs Sabbatical is one of those Australians who left years ago to with a backpack and came back with a family. Now a mum to 9yo Crazy, she decided that corporate life was over-rated and thought it was time to take a sabbatical for her health and to learn something new. She likes to pontificate on pretty much everything and is desperately trying to be cool and crafty.

Mrs Sabbatical blogs at http://www.mrssabbatical.blogspot.com and on @mrssabbatical (and facebook, and instagram and……).