Lent: Day 7

My theory of being able to post while in Anchorage has been pretty minimal. The wireless at our hotel didn't really work, so here I am at a cafe (because I had to check out of the room and needed to waste about 5 hours) using their internet. But I don't have my camera card...so no pictures.

As we end our time in Anchorage I find myself happy that we won't be eating out for a long time. While I know it will still be difficult, I am extremely tired of restaurant food. The one truly good restaurant experience we have had here is some excellent Thai food on Saturday night. I have really missed the non-existence of good Asian food in Alaska (despite the many Asian people...) so some good Thai food was a fantastic treat. I had curry and it was good. One of my goals in this 5 week no eating out adventure is to learn to make coconut curry. We shall see.

Surprisingly, eating out has made me think a lot more about my food choices. Because I know I will not be eating out for awhile my mind has been forcing me to consider how my body responds to all of this stuff I am putting into it. The honest truth is that while eating out is a fun thing to do, the benefits and taste usually do not coincide with the thought process beforehand. In other words, thinking about going out to eat is great. You don't have to cook, someone else has to do the dishes, you can choose whatever food you want. However, when one actually gets to the restaurant the food might look good, but it rarely tastes as good as a lovingly cooked meal at home. There is something ultimately rewarding about spending time with food, making it beautiful, adding this or that, and creating something amazing. It just tastes better when I truly understand what went into it. Even though there are piles of dishes afterwards. **As an aside, how is it that I manage to create so many dishes all the time? Even for one pot meals I create myriads of dishes. I am my mother's daughter - I am a messy cook. And I love it, but my kitchen does not.**

My body also doesn't appreciate the out to eat things. I get bloated, I get crampy, digestive systems do not work as they should, I don't sleep as well, and I am extra tired. I can tell that my body is not getting the nutrients it needs and is getting way too many things that do nothing for good maintenance or health. While I have always cognitively known this, thinking about it while doing it has been helpful.

I am afraid of the rest of this Lenten journey. The really difficult stuff starts now. No going out to eat at all - even when we are with the kiddos for 7 days.

But I am learning a lot. About myself. About justice and food. About care for the earth via food choices. About keeping people out of slavery by choosing my food wisely. Here's to 40 more days!