Everyday Systems

I've been getting emails this week thanking me for the AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS bentos I've been sending my husband to work with, and at night getting these outrageous compliments about how WONDERFUL dinner was.

Now, I'm not gonna be modest. I am a good cook, bordering on gourmet.

However...

I've been sending him to work with a bento for MONTHS, and I cook dinner most nights. I haven't been making anything different from what I usually make, nor using any special cooking techniques.

The difference? He's been No-Sing. So he's HUNGRY come mealtime.

I was thinking about it over my own lunch today. (Left-over jambalaya in a bento with added fresh veggies and sliced strawberries OM NOM NOM). After I ate (alone) I said out loud, "My GOD, that was DELICIOUS!"

It was just leftovers and some sliced veggies, mindja. But because I was hungry, it was WONDERFUL. I love that. I love food and I think it's cool that doing No-S I enjoy it MORE.

With that in mind, I offer some Mark Twain: The Appetite Cure

The Twain story (which I've not come across before) is really funny.

Also enjoyed reading about the new appreciation you're getting, lol!

I've noticed that when my child is hungry, dinner is "goo-ood"... but when he's been snacking, he "doesn't like" food that is normally just fine.

I was really hungry at lunchtime today. I stopped in at my local co-op. They had local white peaches. They were FANTASTIC! I sat in my car and ate 3 of them!

(they fit on one plate)
(and I ate them in one serving)
(and it was lunch and not a snack)

Ahh, the beauty of No-S. It's when and not WHAT.

Ummm, peaches. I could totally see getting a wild hare and making fresh produce lunch some day. Sounds delicious.

I am becoming a fan of hunger as my own (non yucky) MSG - makes everything taste more intense.

Also, my kids are so hungry if they have no snacks before dinner. they don't dissect their food "is this a pepper? are these canned tomatoes? I like yellow zucchini this week not green."
Last night I made a sausage and brown rice bake with all the leftover veggies in the crisper and no snacks after 3:00. They inhaled dinner and had seconds and as growing kidlets that's their right. I had one serving and tried to slow down enough to taste it. Was it haute cuisine? no, it was an iron chef pantry challenge invented as I made it and enjoyed by all.