Food with a side of feelings

Happy Wednesday! We’re almost over the hump of the week – can anybody else sense the weekend already?

Anyway, let’s get back to what you came for: Food in all its glory [or not, depending on the quality of my pictures.].  Thanks to Jenn for hosting the WIAW party!

Spending yet another weekend at my parents’ meant a change from my routine in a few ways. One of them being the huge array of snack foods [read: granola, chips, nut butters and the likes] available all of the time. Whenever I arrive at my parents’ house I immediately start raiding the cabinets :D.

Crunching and munching away on granola.

I’ll be honest, though, and say that this causes me quite a bit of guilt afterwards. But as we all know guilt isn’t a pleasant feeling I tried a different approach this time: A [mostly] calorie count-free weekend. After all, why shouldn’t what worked around Christmas work again here? Instead, I focused on the happy feelings these foods gave me. How bad can a food be for you if it evokes cheerful memories?

How does gifted chocolate taste even better than usual?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to snap as many pictures of food as I meant to. My parents don’t understand why anybody would do so let alone post them on a blog for the whole world to see.

Look gross, taste great: Blueberry Vanilla baked oats haven’t gone old yet.

Letting myself have some of my old favourites like this snack mix again was incredibly freeing. We used to get it all the time when my sibling and I were still living at home. Back in the days when terms like “clean foods” and “saturated fats” hadn’t crossed my path yet.

Feelings are what makes food taste special. Think about times when eating was the most pleasant to you. Where was it? Whom were you sharing these meals with? For me, eating with others has happened less since I developed my ED and then even lesser after I’d moved out. But it’s these shared meals that make food taste even better. I’m determined to make them happen more often again, though.

Lasagna at a local café a while back – made special by the lovely company of my mum.

Additionally, I find the taste varies a lot depending on who prepared it. So far I haven’t come a meal that wouldn’t have varied in taste when cooked by different people. Let’s hope my parents truly enjoyed the Semmelknödel (traditional German dish) I prepared for us as much as I did :). Well, at least they said they did.

Getting started by assembling my ingredients …

I pondered using whole-grain bread and subbing a few ingredients here and there to make the recipe lighter and healthier. Honestly, though? I’m glad I didn’t do in the end as some recipes just aren’t meant to be modified.

….aaand the finished dish: Comfort food at its best [excuse the dark picture – late Winter afternoons don’t provide the best lighting].

When asked for my favourite dish in the past I didn’t know an answer. Maybe that’s because I hadn’t had this dish in too long. Not going to let that happen again. Food is meant to be enjoyed – with happy feelings.

No day is complete without a bit more of this: New-to-me brand of almond butter.

 

 

Do you have favourite memories linked to certain foods?

What does make a meal special to you (the company, ingredients, …)?

Which was your favourite dish as a child? What is it today?