Wednesday, June 8, 2011

confessions on food

there was a time when i would go over to dannon's house, peer into his cupboards, and ask "where's all your food?!" sure his cupboards would be packed full, but none of it looked like actual food to me - it was all just ingredients.

you see, my relationship with food has always been fairly nonexistent.  of course i ate and of course there are foods that i'm excited to eat, but i never saw food as an experience.  in my home, we all just took care of ourselves.  we ate whatever we needed to, whenever we needed to, and it wasn't a special event that we shared together.  to be honest, i'm perfectly happy with having grown up this way, because i could really care less about food {gasp!}.  i know this is one of those things which makes me a black sheep of blogland, but there it is.  often i feel like food is just this thing that i have to do during the day, and when it's over, i can get back to life.  what a bother!  if i could get all of my nutrients, protein, etc. in a little pill that i took once a day, i would be in heaven.


so as you can imagine, i am not a fan of cooking.*  part of it has to do with the fact that i don't care about food enough to think all that work is worth it, but another part of me is just way too lazy.  i also often don't realize i'm hungry until i'm STARVING {read: i turn green, grow giant muscles, and am not responsible for the wake of destruction in my low-blood sugar path}, so to take 30 minutes at the point of hunger isn't a very good idea for my loved ones {or the breakables in our home}.  


okay, so before you quit reading this post in your disgust, let me get to the point.  i do like to be healthy, and since i must eat but don't like cooking, i often eat incredibly simple meals:
+ pitas & hummus with a small salad
+ yogurt & granola with a side of fruit
+ butternut squash & wild rice with some whole grain bread
+ fruit/veggie smoothie with popcorn

eating these sorts of meals, without the pressure of cooking or meal planning, actually makes the whole eating process a lot more fun for me.  and isn't that important when it comes to something you do 7-8 times a day {or is that number just for me?}?


recently i discovered some great food inspiration over on angela hardison's blog.  she has taken on a challenge to eat at least 50% raw foods on a daily basis, and is chronicling her menus.  isn't that wonderful?!  i've been loving scrolling through her meals to get other easy and healthy food ideas for myself.  eating raw foods has so many benefits - it's the healthiest way to eat, requires no cooking{woohoo!}, is incredibly sustainable, and very affordable.  all you really need is a good farmers market {or your own garden?...} and preferably a trader joe's.  and in these hard economic times, we need all the nutrients we can get for the least amount of money possible, am i right?

what sort of meals do you like to eat?
any food ideas for a lazy girl like me?


* note: "cooking" is totally different from "baking" in my book.  on a quiet friday night, with some good music, i find baking to be incredibly relaxing.  i love it so!


{all photos borrowed from angela hardison's blog}

30 comments:

  1. It all depend on the mood and company but - for reasons completely contrary to yours - I have the same reaction to meal time. If I'm alone I always throw the ingredients and build a colorful "thing" - preferably no cooking - in a plate and saciate the hunger. If a gathering is involved I enjoy making ellaborated dishes and usually more than one and enjoy the ritual of seating and being around the table - drinking, laughing, talking, eating...
    Your meals' pics look absolutely lovely to me and, admit it, so much better looking (and eyes also eat ;)) than the pill.
    Take Care,
    Teresa

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  2. This is interesting, as I can relate to the letting myself get too hungry before eating bit. I love food and cooking--I just wish I had more time to devote to it.

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  3. I love to cook, but am often laziest at lunch. I try and cook extra chicken when I do cook, or extra grain or pasta. I can then turn this into lunch salads or pitas all week long by adding some fresh veggies.

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  4. that veggie salad looks delicious.

    I have a love & hate relationship with food.... right now *its a love one, that's why I have gained 12 pounds in less than two months & I am starting to hate it again

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  5. Honestly I'm not only lazy but I'm also picky. You don't even want to know about my meals lol.

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  6. I'm definitely trying to cook a lot more, but I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm a master baker, but I can't improvise on the spot with cooking. I've come to think food is an essential way to take care of ourselves, to enjoy the simplest of pleasures. I love this food inspiration blog - I could definitely get some new meal ideas! :)

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  7. I love how honest and well rounded you are! Not a foodie, or a health freak... not obsessed with food?? One of a kind in blogland;) Love it. Your food looks yummy. What program did you use to create the picture designs in this post?

    Also, thanks SO MUCH for your thoughts about my pup passing away. You are so kind.
    xo
    L

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  8. haha, thanks everyone for your awesome comments! i'm glad i haven't been banned from blogland for my true confessions here. :) also, in my post-work sleepiness i forgot to add the photo credits. all photos were taken & created by angela hardison. i'll go add that now.

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  9. I love to cook but I also loath it. If that makes sense. I usually wait until I am hungry to cook and then I just want what is easiest. I am a huge fan of veggies, beans and sandwiches. Also, I have a rice maker. So, I love to steam rice and veggies in it. So, easy and very little waiting.

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  10. Ah! I am a total foodie! I love to cook, explore new recipes, and page through cookbook after cookbook!

    There are nights when I enjoy just throwing a salad together, and calling it good! However, when I don't feel rushed I love cooking new meals!

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  11. You know, I used to go to school full-time while working full-time...and those sort of meals make life a lot easier. I usually have yogurt and fruit on the rare occasion that I eat breakfast, and I actually really, really like eggs for dinner. Or throwing things to roast in the oven - the clean-up is so minimal!

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  12. My boyfriend is the exact, same way! He always tells me that he wishes he could just stick an IV in him so that he wouldn't have to bother with eating. I, on the other hand, love, love, love eating and trying new foods. Skipping meals just distracts me from the rest of the day! However, even though I love food, during a busy school week, I eat mainly for purpose (rather than enjoyment) as well. I won't go out of my way to try intricate, tasty recipes. Instead, like you, I'd opt for pita bread and hummus--something quicker and more functional!!

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  13. i love cooking, but it always seems to take up such a large chunk of time after work that i only do "elaborate" meals on the weekends. if hubs is away, i totally break out cheese, crackers and apple slices and call it dinner :-)

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  14. I totally understand what you're saying about food.
    I like cooking, but not daily. A raw food diet sounds great to me simply because you eat food the way it is--SO EASY. Finding the food is the hard part when you don't live near a trader joe's, the farmer's market is a bit of a trek, and whole foods is out of your budget.
    Oh, and it's hard if you're pretty much addicted to pasta.
    I'm working on it, though. :)

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  15. Kim! This post made me so sad! Food is one of, if not THE, most important parts of our days, lives, etc. Even today I'm upset that I can't make the time to make a meal I've been wanting to make for so long because it's a bit more time-consuming than the average meal.

    That's wonderful that you still are conscious of eating healthy, though, as I'm sure many others who don't like to cook just go to a fast food place and get a burger, fries, and coke.

    I love Angela's 50% raw foods meals, too, and she's a big inspiration for why I decided to start eating more raw foods.

    I have a fairly simple recipe on my blog today, if you're interested! If not even for the French toast, the smoothie is super simple and raw! :)

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  16. I'm a bit like that. I'm not much of a cook, so it's good if I can toss something together quickly. I've gotten better about meal-planning since I had kids. Can't really let them starve, now can I!?

    I'm going to go check out this blog you mentioned. Now that summer's almost here, I want to eat a lot more raw food on a regular basis {thank goodness for our fabulous veg garden!}

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  17. That is so interesting! I never knew this about you. Well, my simple meal is always just broccoli, a fried egg, and a little rice. I could eat that everyday. In fact, I might just do that right now.

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  18. Urgh, I could have written this post! I have no suggestions for you, but I need to check back to see what everybody else recommends!

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  19. I find this post so interesting, and I have to admit I'm pretty jealous that you don't care about food. I think food is SO GOOD! For example, I went to the farmers market on Sunday and got fresh, handmade pasta (meyer lemon & chili linguine). Flash boiled that, and added it to a wok of sauteed garlic, asparagus, red pepper, onion, and swiss chard. Added parmesan, and had an INCREDIBLE DINNER! And not too much work. :)

    I'm with you on the avocados. Diced with heirloom tomatoes and balsamic vinegar?? And maybe fresh mozzarella? OMG.

    Pots of chili/curries/etc. are good for when you're in a hurry, cause then they're in the fridge. I also love salads and eat them a lot. And Morningstar original chik patties more than I care to admit.

    I'm going to the blog you linked so I can see her food ideas--I've been fascinated by raw food lately (though I'd never commit to it fully)!

    xoxoxo

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  20. I used to have a very similar perspective on food. I was perfectly happy eating a bowl of cereal, or some chickpeas and rice (maybe a spice or two if I was feeling fancy), and even my salads were boring (lettuce, carrots, bottled dressing, etc.). Frozen meals were also a big part of my sustenance.

    Then, I started dating my ex-boyfriend. For him, food and cooking were a process and an experience to be enjoyed. When we first started dating, it was clear that he really was letting me into his life by making elaborate, delicious meals or going to unique restaurants. The foodie thing persisted throughout our relationship, and over the years, I went from being a Lean Cuisine girl to whipping up an elaborate beet salad with homemade dressing, as if it is no big deal.

    I grew in many ways from the relationship, but I think that the love of the experience of food is one lesson I learned from him that will stick forever. More recently, I've found that buying a cookbook (I dig Moosewood Restaurant's) and challenging myself to try out the recipes in the book helps to keep the passion for food going, while flying solo.

    Whew, had a lot to say about this!

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  21. I am a total food person. I get millions of cookbooks from the library and search through them for recipes to try. We grow a lot of food in the summer, too. One of my most favorite things in the world is to invite people over for dinner!

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  22. I love food and I think it stems from my love of eating. Also, my mom did the cooking until she passed away and although my sister and I could use a chainsaw and cut wood, do the dishes, laundry, and help fix cars we couldn't cook. I guess it was a very 'adult' thing in my mind when I came to college.

    Also, Noah's family ate different foods than my family. For some reason we never had squash, zucchini, or asparagus all of which I think are pretty good. Now I can cook and experiment for myself and I find that to be fun. One exception is that I NEED to cook with someone else or for someone else. When I'm with Noah it's easy but if it's just for me that is not motivating.

    Our meals vary. If we're in a rush it's terrible (premade rice or something) but when we get time (and money) we like to find recipes and try new things. I think since being in the apartment together we've only had three meals (that are actual recipes) more than once. We just like to keep trying new things!

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  23. I love to cook and bake - I find them really relaxing. but I do have to make sure that I start cooking well before I think I might possibly be hungry, because otherwise like you I get totally hulk like.

    My family used to always sit down together for dinner and I always really appreciated that. It kind of annoys me know to eat dinner sitting in front of the tv or something.

    but I certainly don't feel superior for growing up that way!

    Love the healthy snacks.

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  24. You sound like my mum, she always said she would like her meals in a little pill! I am the opposite, I love food. I love eating home-cooked meals. I hate cooking them though...
    And I agree with your comment on my blog. I have had therapy and it turned my life around. Things like antidepressants are just a cover, they don't solve any of the real issues.

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  25. i LOVE avocados!! i am the same way-- i seriously make the same dinners on rotation... pizza, spaghetti, and taco night ha! but i'm so excited to try this recipe out:

    http://nikymarie.blogspot.com/2011/06/israeli-couscous-salad.html

    doesn't it look like the perfect summer dish?

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  26. You're actually really lucky because food is not a crutch for you. I would think you'd have less likelihood of becoming an emotional eater, right?

    That being said, you're right--you do need to eat and so healthy is better than non. Not too inspiring here, but I would say salad, salad, salads -- mix in fruit and different cheeses for wonderful and unexpected concoctions. Keeps it interesting :)

    xo,
    C
    and yes yes yes to everything you said about finding your 'thing' in life, school loans, debt and having to make crucial life decisions in the formative years. such a piss off!!

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  27. I'm not much of a cook either, not because I don't enjoy it, but I just have a hard time after work motivating to create a giant meal for myself. So instead I tend to stick to the usual staples that I can whip up in minutes: veggie stirfry, bean tacos (always easy and nutritious!), salad with chopped up fake chicken patty... As for snacks: I'm trying to bring a lot more fruits/veggie sticks to the office with me. Just healthier than making a stop at the vending machine at 2pm :)

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  28. Kim, I can relate. That might be surprising because I do make elaborate meals when people are over, but when it's just me, I keep it simple. REALLY simple. Like steamed broccoli and that's my dinner simple. On Wednesday night, I had a big plate of kale sauteed in garlic and olive oil. That was it. And it was delicious. I've always been a big believer that you need to understand the taste of each ingredient before you can put it all together. I once thought that'd be a cool concept for a restaurant -- tasting each ingredient individually before you get to taste it all in a dish. So as far as solutions go, I have none. You just need to do what makes you happy and, more importantly, makes you feel good. (P.S. I eat about 5 meals a day.)

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  29. That veggie salad looks amazing! I'm counting down the days til I have my own fridge stocked with goodies. I love avocado on just about anything, especially nachos. I've also put it on whole wheat toast with honey mustard and tomatoes :)

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