Ask Erica: But…you said your BF was a Vegetarian?

Hi Erica,

It is confusing that you referred to your boyfriend as a “vegetarian” and devoted a whole post to vegetarian food, but then have a post from a few days before where he was “craving” chicken pot pie….?

I am all for showing you eat and enjoy a great deal of food, but if you’re going to write a food blog, be consistent about what you say.

-“N”
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Hi “N”,

First of all, I am so sorry you decided to remain anonymous. I always like to address my readers directly!

In fact…your question is actually great and I am happy to provide clarity.

Dan, my boyfriend, is a vegetarian about 95% of the time. His reasons for doing so are moral and he does the best he can to stay away from meat. That being said, he does enjoy the flavor of chicken and has a weakness for it every once in a while (especially fried chicken and chicken flavored foods…like pot pie).

It used to bother me a lot, because I felt like he was only a vegetarian when he wanted to be and it didn’t make sense to me. One day, I asked him about it and he said that he didn’t like the idea of eating meat morally and would only do so if he knew he would really, truly enjoy what he was eating (apparently that is how he justifies it),

Do I agree with it, not totally, but what can I do? At the end of the day, I wish he ate meat (because it would make my life easier), so if he wants a chicken pot pie, you bet I’m making him one!

It’s a little weird, but it’s who he is and I love him. As long as he doesn’t judge other people for eating meat (which he doesn’t), I can’t hold it against him. We all have our quirks, right?

I hope I cleared up any inconsistencies you saw! When I originally started this blog, I thought only friends and family would read it. Since it’s begun to catch on, it’s clear I need to explain my situations a little bit better! 🙂

Love always,
Erica

Ask Erica: Pot Luck Dinners

Hello Erica!

A friend passed me your blog and I have been following it for some days now. I love it!

I wanted to ask you for some advice: I keep organizing potluck dinners, but still can’t figure out a way to ask people to bring a dish and that it all “makes sense” at the end without sounding pushy.

How can I create a flexible, yet awesome menu for a potluck?

The previous times I have organized one, it just seemed to be all over the place (onion soup, empanadas and carrot cake for dinner)… just a mess! Thanks in advance!!

-Abraham
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Hi Abraham,

What a great question! 

I think that the best way to do a potluck dinner is to pick a theme ahead of time. Whether it’s “Italian”, “Mexican”, “Asian” (or whatever you choose), everyone will know the boundaries because the theme sort of sets them. 

I think a theme allows flexibility because it gives your guests a realm to work in, but doesn’t tell them exactly what to make.

Another tip would be to have a google doc for all party attendees so that they can write down what they are cooking (that way there is no duplicates and you can sort of ensure there is a wide variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts). 

For example, someone may see the document, notice no one has signed up for a dessert and then opt to make one (and you didn’t have to say anything)!

I hope this helps! Thanks for reading and writing in. Let me know how your next potluck dinner goes!

Love always,
Erica