a week in my belly

it all started when i made emily's waffles on a monday morning. they were yumalicious. 

so of course i took pictures thinking i should blog about how good emily's waffles are... but the pics are dark and not good. they don't represent the yumminess of the waffles. 

you'll just have to trust me.

at lunch i am not sure what happened. i just took a picture of my caprese salad, watermelon and almonds. fascinating, gut wrenching, in depth photo journalism we have here.

by dinner i felt like we were kind of on a roll. i'm not sure what kind of roll... but i was making salmon tacos with avocado cabbage slaw and documentation of such tastebud explosions just felt right.

if you toast the little corn tortillas in the toaster and let them puff and crisp you can cut the top off and stuff them. i could eat about 47.

i am not a morning person. thus on tuesday when i thought, am i going to take pictures of this? what kind of weird blog post would be just pictures of my food? i pressed though, squelching the doubts, but with my typical amount of early morning enthusiasm and creativity. none.

daddy needed our help all day at the church this day... so pizza for lunch it was.

dinner was veggie chile. and surprise.. i took a picture.

so by wednesday morning.. pictures seemed inevitable. here is my version of the infamous green smoothie that tastes like a fruit smoothie. kiwis with the skins 'cause i'm crazy like that, frozen mango and pineapple, spinach, flax, banana and avocado.

and the  previously raved about muffins round it out.

how do you make peanut butter and jelly worthy of food photography? you don't.

but the cabbage and leek latkes for dinner were delish.

thursday started with daddy's whole wheat pancakes and coffee. my man loves me with a little extra sleep in the mornings, healthy pancakes from scratch and the perfect cup of coffee. it is a dream come true. he woos me with sleep, food and caffeine. take note young lovers... this is what it comes to... and it's fabulous. :)

lunch was a kale avocado salad.. and some random chips and cheese. have you noticed how my lunches are kind of lame? are there any moms who don't get bored of making lunch every day? i don't think so.. it seems like a common complaint. 
on a side note -- did you know that if you pour olive oil, fresh lemon juice and sprinkle sea salt over raw kale and then give it a massage ... like really work it over good... it makes it less 'kaley' and more... well edible? it was a surprise to me.

okay. this is serious. some of you may need to sit down... cathy--- you probably shouldn't be sitting on your exercise ball at work mmkay? that's right-- solid ground. ready? 
i ate a chicken.
i know. your whole framework of life kind of just shifted a little. but it's okay we'll get through this together. let me explain... 


i have been a pretty hard core vegetarian for almost 6 years and really most of the time it is a perfect diet for me... but we have a neighbor who has completely organic free range chickens on her parents farm and they kill them themselves. yes that's what i said-- no creepy cages, no weird machines doing icky things i don't want to know about. just chickens with heads and then chickens with not and then chicken in my freezer. i can do that. 


so in practical terms i am still a vegetarian-- i will have to politely decline that sausage of the month club you were about to sign me up for--but we are doing one salmon meal per week and one meat meal per week from our very specific sources. whew... i'm glad we talked about that. i was beginning to feel like a closet meat eater and nobody wants to eat meat in a closet. gross.

i have lost all sense of how to cook meat though. i set this chicken on fire several times on the grill. i stare at it the way i assume the carnivores stare at my kale.. what am i supposed to do with this thing??


dessert was peach shortbread with fresh local peaches caramelized and served with whip cream on top. now this i will eat in a closet any day... and maybe did...whatevs. ;)

friday morning held the comfort of oatmeal with fruit and cream on top. i think my breakfast 90 percent of days is a grain, a fruit and some form of cream. in case you are concerned for our protein needs.. it would be fair to note that we have morning snack at 10 am and it is nearly always nuts. lots and lots of nuts. nuts are yummy.

at lunch i had a dear friend surprise me with baskets of bounty containing eggplant parmigiana, whole wheat noodles with a sauce that had silken tofu in it-- even though i know for a fact this momma has never had tofu in her shopping cart before.. and grilled corn. i still daydream of the yumminess. i won't go into the depth of grace and goodness that is under wraps in this lady's heart because she would kill me for naming names on here. but we are better for knowing her. :)

and that's the end... because by dinner i was tired of taking pictures of food...probably about as tired as you are of seeing pictures of food. ;)

since cooking is typically my job around here... it is strangely rewarding to look back and see my 'accomplishments' for the week. 

in light of famine and drought.. and the reality of those terrors that grip families... i am trying to be more purposeful with the thoughts and prayers that cover our daily bread.

i know for me i have been known to grouch sometimes about making food again... the planning, the shopping, the cooking, the feeding, the washing... it is a lot of work. but it is a life giving work with a crowd of momma's out there desperate to feed their families that would gladly grip that task at hand. 

a week with a full belly is humbling...it should be humbling. it should mean something to us.

my fear is that sometimes my full belly satiates me. it dulls my hunger to see.. to know the need around me.  

i am not always sure what to do with that feeling... 

but i am beginning with a deep and heartfelt thank you.