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30 Day Vegetarian Experiment: Southern Curtesy vs. Scientific Method


My kind niece and nephew invited us over to their home for a craft beer tasting.  I was thinking beer, maybe a few snacks.  I should be safe with a veg and dip or cheese,  right?  Unknown to me,  my niece had spend a large part of her busy day making dinner for us : Boef Bourguignon.   Just to present all the factors in my decision making process.

(1) My niece has two small boys under three years old.

(2)My niece was unaware of my experiment when she planned her menu.

So now I had a moral dilemma.  Do I keep my experiment pure and tell my niece although I appreciate your hard work,  I'll just have rice?  Or do I follow Southern Courtesy,  prioritize her feelings and just eat the dinner.  Those of you who know me already know the answer:  I just ate the dinner.  It was delicious!  Although I know science requires rigor and sacrifice,  I believe the sacrifice should be mine alone,  not my sweet niece who made time to create a wonderful meal for us.  My answer may have been different if I actually were a KNOWN vegetarian.  I am not.  

Do I consider this a failed experiment?  Absolutely not!  This is the only meat I have eaten in nearly four weeks.  It is the only exception I have made.  Surely, statistically this is within acceptable tolerances. 
 

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