I remember hearing stories about the dreaded Freshman 15, eating nothing but Ramen, and cafeteria food tasting like plastic. Well, as I was at school 12-15hrs per day in classes, dancing, rehearsing, stressing, not to mention I haven't gained or lost weight in many years, Freshman 15 wasn't an issue. I ate Ramen occasionally, but by no means lived off of it like some of my friends. And, well, it was AMDA - they didn't have a food plan.
Maybe one reason I've garnered such an appreciation for food is because I was now on my own and had to figure it out. I've always liked the finer things in life, usually way beyond my monetary bounds to live by such a style. But food - you can make something simply blissfully divine tasting, and not necessarily have to spend lots and lots of money to buy it from some grand French restaurant. I guess that was also one reason I started my Pinterest Food Challenge. What better way to find new recipes than browsing through endless amounts of pictures and pinning the ones you like, having a spot where they're all together, and linked back to the original recipe - how easy is that?! I've come across some ok recipes, some major duds, and some pretty amazing ones that have gone into my personal cookbook - where only the best of the best survive to get made over and over and over and over and over....well, you get the picture.
One problem I've come up against (which, I totally don't mean to be politically incorrect or a horrible person when there are thousands of people out there who go without and live in poor conditions with hardly anything to eat...now I'm not sure I want to go on, I'm starting to feel guilty...so, I guess I won't call it a "problem" - issue? blockade? hurdle?) is that I'm in a constant state of fullness. I think this started when I visited home in September, and was constantly eating, therefore, I was constantly full. I remember the days (hello 6th grade!) when I was able to eat anything and everything under the sun twice over. Yep. Those days are definitely behind me. I can definitely tell when I eat something unhealthy now, too, which suuuucks. I love pizza! And breadsticks. A lot. But my body isn't very happy when I eat a whole pizza and box of breadsticks by myself. Ah well. At least I do greatly enjoy healthy food - fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. [In fact, I would never be able to live without meat. Kudos to people who do, and I do find animal farms absolutely terrible institutions, but I think they'll always be around. It's cruel, I know, but I can't see how America would do without them (I would love to be proven wrong, btw). And I don't believe me not eating meat would make a lick of difference in their operation. I was at work for 15 1/2hrs on Sunday (yaa money - and that's when I ate the pizza and breadsticks. Yaa Papa Johns!), and read a magazine by Farm Sanctuary, which was actually where my bosses were visiting that weekend. I thought it was really terrific what they do, and it would be a place I would love to volunteer at some day - seems a bit more realistically do-able than hying off to Africa to work at a Big Cats or Elephant Sanctuary. But I don't think I could do a whole month at FS - because I think they're all vegans there and I couldn't ever go that long without meat. I actually remember sometime last winter seeing a bunch of people with animal signs in Columbus Circle, about to go on a walk for animal rights or some such - they were part of FS.] ANYWAY, the thing is I am full a lot of the time, so while there are so many recipes that need making, I don't cook when I'm not hungry, and often when I do cook, I make enough to feed me for half a week! Take the Tomato Basil soup I made last night. I followed the recipe, and have an entirely full crock pot of soup. Even with Carolyn and John eating it, I'm sure it'll be here for a few days. Of course, maybe I should consider becoming a woman who freezes things. Now, that's an idea... Though, that means I would need to go and get the PROPER type of gallon ziplock bags...
And you know, it's a good thing I dance often, stress a lot, and walk everywhere, otherwise I swear I would blow up like HP's aunt in the 3rd book/movie (though that was due to magic, and not eating...though she was fat from food, too.)