My Meat-Eating History

I started writing this post about bacon and this amazing breakfast for dinner Joe and I did last night, but it took such a long detour I thought I should make this it's own post. Plus having pictures of goat skinning and bacon pancakes in the same post seemed a little extreme.  So, here's a port just about me!  And why I went from eating nothing but grains to being an avid meat-eater.

Warning:  some of these pictures might gross you out.

I didn't eat meat growing meat growing up- and not because I have hippy parents, but because I am ridiculously bull-headed sometimes (more like all the time).   I started being a picky eater around age 5 and was stubborn since birth so I refuse to give in once I made my decision. Not to mention the only meats I remember trying after that point was cold cut ham and salmon which have probably convinced NO ONE to eat meat.

But then in college I decided to go study Wildlife Management in Kenya and Tanzania through the School for Field Studies.  This was one of the best decisions I've even made.  When we left Tanzania the staff at Haven Nature sent us off with a ceremonial goat roast.  The goat was around for a little while, during which time he got the name Buckets (why he was named Buckets is long and unrelated story).  Festo, one of our staff members, slaughtered it and those of us who wanted to helped skin it before it was cooked up for dinner.

Festo and Buckets

that's me!

I definitely couldn't turn down that opportunity so I tried it and loved it.  I mean if you're going to eat meat it seems weird to me that you wouldn't be interested in being a part of the process.  If you choose to eat meat at a meal you are in part responsible for that animals life being taken you should be able to accept that and witness the process.  But that's just my opinion.

Goat is honestly pretty good.  After that it seemed silly that I'd eaten goat but not a cheeseburger or a chicken wing so I decided I might as well try everything.  So from then on I started trying things!  And now when I'm out to eat if I see something weird I usually order it- you never know when you'll see it on a menu again.  That's how I found out I love bone marrow (it's basically spreadable bacon) and mussels and I wouldn't even turn back.