Eating less meat

It has been a goal of mine for quite some time now to reduce the amount of meat that I eat, for health, for becoming more self sufficient in the way we eat, and to feel better about eating another living creature.  I have always been just tolerant of eating meat, if I put the slightest bit of thought in to what I am eating and how it got to my plate, I can't eat it, and I definitely can not tolerate the way that the majority of animal farming is carried out, and I have been looking for better, local options where the animals are treated to a natural, happy, well cared for life before meeting their fate. I am not interested in this stage at going down the more extreme road of vegan, I know my chickens are looked after and they free range every day, so I am happy to eat their eggs, and I must admit I didn't understand the whole "no dairy products" either, but after speaking with some vegans recently and asking them why they made the decision to be vegans, and listening to their responses, I can understand where they are coming from.  I guess it's a personal decision, and now that I am more aware of how things are done, I will definitely be looking for a local option for my milk supplies from a reputable, humane dairy farm. (hopefully there are some out there)

Cooking for a family of meat eaters, it does make it difficult to sneak in vegetarian meals, so it has been easier to just conitinue on as normal. However, it is something that I am starting to feel more strongly about, so I am endeavouring to just bite the bullet and make a start, even if just for me. So, starting today, I will endeavour to cook at least one vegetarian meal a week, and increase this up to a few times a week over time. Today I am going to start with something relatively simple and accepting by the rest of the family, so it will either be pumpkin soup and home made bread, or a tomato, creamy cheesy pasta bake with some vegies. I will have to do some research in to some vegetarian cooking, having done my permaculture course and also the skincare course I did, the meals there were all vegetarian and I must say, very, very, yummy....I don't want our only options to be pasta based dishes or soups, so I will have to be on the lookout for some yummy recipes to try.