So I was winding my way through some unfamiliar aisles in the grocery store today – more about that MUCH later – and I saw the strangest thing. Amongst the boxes of bags of microwave popcorn there was one VERY strange looking box. I quickly picked it up and read the ingredients. Blue 1. Yeah, I figured that popcorn didn’t come in that color. I was pretty astonished and kind of alarmed that one of the artificial colors that the Center for Science in the Public Interest find to be untested/dangerous for some/best avoided was there dancing around on glorious popcorn kernels.
I should mention that I am a self-talker while in the store and as I read these ingredients I was mumbling and squinting through my reading glasses which I was holding in my hands because the arms are too narrow and squeeze my giant head, so it’s no wonder that the young man stocking shelves down the way looked over with concern and asked if he could help me with anything. I, in my usual graceful fashion, held up the offending box and said: “Do people actually buy this stuff?” As always happens when I ask these questions, he responded: “I just bought some for my nieces the other day.” AWKWARD. We concluded together that it was probably alright since he was their uncle and aunts and uncles do such things and that since I was the Mom it was okay that I was obviously too horrified to buy this wonder of modern food technology for my own deprived kids. Really? Blue?! Popcorn is so amazing; why on earth would you need it to be blue?! And the number of “easy” bags there on the shelf was INSANE! How many choices of instant popcorn do we need? Am I the only one left who buys kernels and pops them?! Blue?!
First of all I prepared a quick and easy recipe my litlsis sent me. Oddly enough, I cooked it while also scrambling eggs for breakfast so it would be waiting for us when we returned from a TaeKwonDo tournament. The house filled with the smell of oregano and onion as we packed up our sparring equipment, packed some snacks of almonds and cashews and rehearsed our forms one last time. The lentils and rice were slowly and surely soaking up all that wonderful smell and taste within a bath of chicken stock.while we kicked, punched and yelled, “Yes Sir!”
For lunch we slipped out of the hot and loud tournament facility to a lovely little cafe nearby which served all organic, local and field raised meat, veggie and grain dishes. The owner of the cafe was being helped today by her sister and her sister’s children. Despite child labor laws ; ) our order was taken by a very cheerful and handsome 10 year old boy who was very eager to help his aunt. He carefully wrote down our order… no abbreviations allowed… and then ran into the kitchen to help prepare the meal. His mother and his aunt were clearly aligned not only genetically but idealogically as well. What fun to watch another loving family in action. I expressed my appreciation to the owner for offering healthy alternatives in a retail sea of grease and sugar. And I express my appreciation to my own sister as well as she fights the good fight for healthy food for her children and for her community.
Oh, and the lentil and rice casserole is delicious. A little cheese on top. Savory, filling, satisfying, and my grown up and getting to be grown up boys loved it as well!
