The other day, Daniel was on the phone with his sister, Kerry. She was talking about what she will cook for us in America this summer on our first home leave. As she was looking through recipes, however, she said she realized that maybe we wouldn't even like the same foods that we liked before. Maybe our tastes had completely changed.
There is some truth to that, I think, though I will be sighing uncontrollably when I sink my teeth into a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, and I will be in seventh heaven as I tear into a plate of crab legs at Red Lobster. Some things, however, no longer appeal to me. Velveeta cheese, for example, has lost its luster (quite literally). I have no desire to unwrap a gelatinous hostess cupcake, or pop in a toaster strudel, or heat up a Stoeffers lasagna. The thought of anything pre-made kind of makes my stomach cramp.
Since having the baby in June, we have eaten almost exclusively from the indigenous fair. Our diet consists of obscene amounts of rice, mounds of vegetables, small bits of pork, chicken, and beef, peanut oil, MSG, soy sauce, dried red peppers, yogurt, and warm water. The kids drink the milk (which we can't stand) and apple juice. Daniel drinks coke now like its going out of style. I drink hot strawberry tea with sugar, particularly in the morning. Neither one of us can remember what it was like to drink cold water. I wouldn't want to anymore. Chopsticks feel as comfortable in our hands as a comb or a toothbrush or a cell phone. We had Thanksgiving dinner last month, complete with sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, white yeast rolls, chocolate pie, macaroni and cheese, Turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry salad, and sweet tea. Sound good? Oh, it was, but I had the worst gut ache for a day and a half afterward. My body was in shock.
Oh, I almost forgot, every-other evening I add white and wheat flour, salt, sugar, oil, water, and yeast to my bread machine and set the timer to ensure warm, fresh bread for breakfast in the morning. Wal-Mart bread? I can barely remember eating it.
Bright is not a big fan of rice, so we fix him a small amount with butter just to fill him up. He likes the vegetables well enough, but his favorite is the meat, specifically "toothpick beef," pictured here in the Styrofoam carry-out box. It is spicy and salty and fun to eat. He requests it every time.
Also pictured here, for your enjoyment, is Brave after his first meal. Carrots. Some things are universal.
