01 May 2010

Creating with Food

That photo is a Sunday breakfast in Pingtung. My breakfast today in Indy was sweet potato fries, omlette with green peppers, cheddar cheese and sundried tomatoes, a side of fresh strawberries and cinnamon coffee. I couldn't do bread. A friend brought back some Garrett's caramel corn from Chicago and I am still feeling the carbs in my system. I enjoy cooking and really don't know why I don't do it more often. For a while I was preparing nice, large dinners on Sundays that would last 2-3 days into the week. Then, I got on this Asian kick and did a lot of bean sprouts and rice. Now, it's planning where I'm going to stop on the way home, and the stop must be on the way. Can you say 'rut'? It's one thing to be in a rut but another to know you're there!
Where are you right now, a mountain or a valley?
I'm more on the incline than at the bottom. I feel the need to make so many changes! I don't think I can make good, clear choices unless I'm healthy. I am eating way less meat. I found a bread shop here in Indy (and it is on the way home!) but I eat so little bread that for now that I don't need to buy a lot of it. So, I'm picking up artisan loaves at Trader Joes. These were my first food changes. It's time for another!
Vasilly at 1330v recently reviewed Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Living , a new book by Thich Nhat Hahn and Dr. Lilian Cheung. Vasilly says

To me if you’re ever read one diet book, you’ve read them all so the second and third parts of the book don’t really stand out. We all know that it’s healthy to eat smaller portions, whole grains, and not skip meals. The third part of the book talks about meditation, becoming more aware of where our found comes from and that everything and everyone is connected.


Yep! I just added that to my TBR list!

This reminded me of a former co-worker who told me how she used food prep as her calming, her meditation. Each evening she would prepare full meals for herself and the process of chopping, seasoning, measuring, mixing and creating would relax and energize her. I think we're forgetting about the joy that can be in the process as we stop to get food on the way home, we send emails rather than compose letters or buy clothes rather than make them.

I've pulled out the lentils for dinner tonight. I try to prepare beans at least once/month. Maybe I'll get really creative and do cornbread. From scratch!

1 comment:

  1. I just watched a film about meditation practice being used in an alabama prison (Dhamma Brothers)...ironically, I find dish-washing to be meditative, but not cooking! it's a real block for me, cooking from scratch. But it really is a self-care issue...

    ReplyDelete

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