I woke up cheerful for the first time in days. I am the same about stressful travel and medical things: I can be weighed down with stress until The Morning Of, when I wake up like HERE IT IS LFG. One way or another, we are out of Weighty Anticipation Mode and into Keyed Up Go Time Mode. A local friend who is voting in person this morning posted on Facebook that there were hundreds of people in line, wrapping around the building; this in a town where I have NEVER experienced a line OUTSIDE the building. Sometimes there are a half dozen people ahead of me at the check-in table when it’s a presidential year, but that’s all.
ANYWAY. Commenter Samantha suggested today would be a good day for chatty distracting topics of the sort where people might like to keep coming back to check in, and I think that is a GREAT idea. I am MOST interested in discussing gift ideas, so I’m going to do some of those posts separated loosely into type of recipient, and then I’m also interested in Thanksgiving thoughts, so anyway let’s get going. (LFG!)
Also, even if you’re not normally interested in baby names, we’ve been doing an alphabet series on the name blog that could be distracting: we’re going backwards through the alphabet, one letter per post, and you play the game that you MUST choose a girl name and a boy name starting with that letter. We’ve done P-Z so far, and I’m planning to post on the letter O later today.
Today seems like a day to eat for Emotional Wellness, and so that is what I am doing. I had scrambled eggs and half a bagel and some Raisin Bran Crunch for breakfast, with a big mug of this lemon-ginger probiotic tea that may or may not work but makes me FEEL like I’m doing something nice for my digestive system, and also it tastes nice (the lavender chamomile is nice too: I don’t think it’s as yummy, but it’s more emotionally soothing because of knowing that lavender and chamomile are supposed to be soothing).
Since starting keto a few years ago and getting used to “a day off”/”a treat day” and what that looks like, I am gradually realizing that what I THINK I want to eat on my days off (CANDY, COOKIES, ICE CREAM, CAKE) is not what I ACTUALLY want to eat on my days off. I don’t know if I can ever get my brain to understand that Raisin Bran Crunch is more satisfying and delicious than a chocolate bar, and why should it? That’s patently ridiculous. It CAN’T BE that a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of potato soup are more transcendent than a box of See’s. Well, yet here we seem to be. (I do ALSO want to eat some chocolate/cookies/cake/etc. But I always want less of it than I thought I was going to want to eat.)
So here is our first topic: What foods do you find most Emotionally Satisfying? And/or which of them are you going to eat TODAY? And/or do you have a thing like I have, where you THINK you want certain foods but ACTUALLY you prefer other foods? And/or what is your favorite cereal? (Mine is Raisin Bran Crunch. SO UNEXPECTEDLY TASTY for bran and raisins.)
I’m making either chili or beef stroganoff soup (in the Instant Pot) today because I need food to be warm and available and not have to think about what to make. Punctuated by leftover Halloween candy.
OH that sounds good!
I want a Trader Joes Mac and Cheese frozen meal. I will have a salad because I’m working today and it’s better for me to be ‘normal’
Ha – you will not be surprised, I think, to know that I too have been thinking about FOOD. (And posted on a similar comfort-food topic just this morning.)
Chicken-y soups with rice are very soul satisfying: Mulligatawny, chicken-and-wild-rice.
Pastas with a creamy sauce.
Tacos, always.
And then I think of Sunday Dinner type foods as comforting, too — probably because they take me back to the safety of childhood (which I know is not the same for everybody): Pot roast. Fried chicken with a crisp side salad. Baked/roasted pork/salmon/chicken/beef with some sort of steamed vegetable.
I have leftover fancy mac and cheese (chicken with goat cheese and rosemary) that I will probably eat for lunch. It’s very rich and soothing.
Thank you for doing this today! Here’s a vicarious Second Breakfast for you: I had a scrambled eggs, homemade bread, and jam (Crofter’s Superfruit, so it’s HEALTHY jam), a banana, and black tea with honey and half and half. This is pretty standard, though I don’t spring for the jam every day. My favorite cereal is Honey Nut Cheerios, but I do also like Raisin Bran. I’ll have to try the Crunch next time I’m in the mood for cereal.
I’m at work today, so I just brought my normal food, not thinking about the fact that I’d probably prefer something more satisfying than a salad for lunch. Oh, well. And for dinner, since my husband works late and I have zero energy to think of something both my sons will like, I’ll probably just do a frozen pizza. But we did get Pringles at the store, and we have a ton of halloween candy, so I’ll probably alternate the sweet and sour for a treat tonight.
Sweet and salty*, I mean.
I always crave savoury over sweet and for me it’s all about cheese in all it’s firm. And anything with a delicious rich creamy sauce (usually pasta).
If I could choose the most comforting food for today, it would probably be my mom’s potato soup and some crusty bread with butter.
One thing I go for frequently is a warm tortilla rolled up with cheese and salsa. Weird, but quick and easy and satisfying.
My favorite cereal is a toss up between Honey Bunches of Oats (original, not any of these wild “vanilla” or “pecan” flavors) and Cinnamon Life (throwback to childhood). I mean, really my childhood favorite is Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, but I try not to eat that one anymore. ;)
I made cinnamon swirl bread and granola yesterday so that I could eat toasted cinnamon swirl bread spread liberally with butter and a parfait made with Greek yogurt, frozen berries, and the granola for breakfast. Sunday we made a Thanksgiving dinner, and lunch will be leftovers that we’re still enjoying from that.
I’m with you on the sweets things. I always want SOME, but I’m finding that as I get older, I don’t want as much, and I’d much rather have something like toasted sourdough bread with butter.
“But it’s more emotionally soothing because of knowing that lavender and chamomile are supposed to be soothing” is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a very, very long time.
The most emotionally soothing meal for me is Mexican food. Maybe some flautas or tamales with a side of rice and beans from pretty much any Mexican restaurant because I live in Southern California and am blessed with a plethora of them. 💖
A grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup will always be my ultimate comfort food! Mashed potatoes are pretty high on the list too. Not that brownies aren’t comforting, because I do love chocolate. But nothing beats grilled cheese for me.
Potato cheese soup for dinner, maybe homemade cinnamon rolls if i can find yeast in the pantry. Hard boiling eggs for breakfast because i want to start strong before carb loading later.
Here in England we are about to enter Lockdown #2. Mostly I am finding I’m so anxious, trying to keep myself and my asd son busy with distracting activities, that I keep forgetting to eat. Which is a) most unlike me and b) very silly. For comfort, chocolate remains my go to. But not fancy, and not even chocolate cakes or cookies.
Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is my real love! I
I also love Mediterranean food, anything vegetarian in that line is always comfort food for me. Or Indian food. On Thursday, our first day of Lockdown, I’ll probably do a meze table.
I used to adore Heinz tomato soup, but find it much too sweet and artificial tasting now, when I give into a craving to have it.
Oh, and I don’t like cereal! Occasionally have porridge with oat milk.
Sending all of you worrying and dreading what the next couple of days brings lots of love and hope that the results go the right way. We have our very own bunch of cockwombles creating havoc whilst purporting to govern our country, so are able to empathise and cringe along with you all.
Cockwomble. I think my family is going to be hearing that a lot today now. ❤️
Hmm. This is making me think perhaps I should have more than just coffee for breakfast today!?
For tonight, we have another couple coming over to do lots of comforting eating and talking and (for me and the other wife) coloring of adult coloring books with newly-bought, non-children-ruined markers. On the food docket we have:
-Bonchon (Korean double fried chicken; it is truly amazing and most of our friends associate it with our house because many of them were introduced to it at a party here at some point. I should note: we very much do not make this. We buy it from a restaurant)
-a variety of dips/spreads: smoked salmon w/boursin; whipped feta; kale pesto. I made these on Sunday night so I would be free to roam my house gnawing on walls today when I knew I would be unable to focus.
-lay’s potato chips + frito lay french onion dip (the kind that comes in a tin): so gross and yet so good
-vegetables to dip in spreads/onion dip as well
-I believe our friends are bringing pigs in blankets
-infinite varieties of booze and leftover halloween candy
I have no idea how to work today or tomorrow. I have a 4 hour meeting tomorrow with the full executive team @ my company. Blargh.
My grandmother’s meatloaf tastes exactly like my childhood, and I’ve got that down. I’m working on copying my mother’s beef stew, but all the extra sauces and spices trip me up. Today, though, it’s more of a sweets day, I think. I’m going to get a selection of baked goods from Great Harvest, and cut them into smaller portions and have some of each one.
Yesterday I started the no-knead artisan bread, then went to bed without turning off the warming element on the stove, where I had placed said bread ‘just for a few minutes’. Woke up at 4 to a disgusting mess that had to be chipped out of the bowl. Challah is now rising. Sigh. Later will be corned beef with cabbage, potatoes and carrots. And lots of adult beverages.
OK this post has already substantially brightened my day, because instead of my usual, sad little breakfast I decided after reading this to make myself a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll with a swirl of sriracha and a lot of salt. Everything looks so much better after a delicious and hot breakfast. Now I’m thinking (again, instead of a quick, cold lunch wolfed down while working) something similarly warm, cheesy and comforting for lunch like a grilled cheese with tomato soup.
I also have cookies and Halloween candy in the house, but as I’ve gotten older the sad state of affairs is that sugar makes me feel like absolute garbage so even if it seems like a soothing food in the moment, I can only have a little or we cross a line from “soothing/delicious” into “even more anxious but now with a terrible headache.”
Mallomars. I have two full boxes and I don’t think they’re going to last the day.
I have lots of emotionally satisfying foods (they tend to cluster at the dessert end of the table), but I am partial to a good soup. My mother makes lots of soups for Halloween each year, and so I have a fair amount of leftovers for lunch!
Also (and I know that it is not for everyone, a yuck for many, but a high favorite for me), I have some leftover duck meat, which I will put with roasted squash and romaine lettuce for a crunchy salad.
Then of course chocolate at night.
If we are talking about being sustained through a stressful time, I need help. My stomach gets in knots with anxiety, and I feel like there is a rock in my stomach (it is as unpleasant as it sounds). Nothing seems tempting, but I usually can eat eggs, or an apple (but only a really delicious apple, a mediocre apple turns my stomach). There are also these Amy’s frozen Indian entrees that my spouse calls “the official food of depression” so there’s that. It’s not ideal, but so far I’m feeling ok today, so I’m taking advantage of that and eating “normally” in case that changes later. LFG
help I am laughing so hard at “the official food of depression”
Can you eat oatmeal? Many years ago I had a bout with some kind of sickness-I was so sick for two weeks I lost 15 lbs. I went to various doctors, the ER for a spinal tap-no one could figure out what was wrong. Long story short, one of the first things I was able to keep down was oatmeal. I still remember the relief when it stayed in my stomach. I know that is different from anxiety and stress, but I still eat oatmeal when nothing else works. I’m lazy so I eat the quick oats in packages, I mix a packet of original which has no sugar, and one like apples and cinnamon that does.
I hope you find something that works for you!
In a probable grave error, I added a (very small amount of) Baileys to my morning coffee. And I’m WFH so… there’s that. I woke up wide awake at 5am. I’m not sure what comfort food I will eat today. Potato chips? Cereal?
Oh, my current favorite cereal is Peanut Butter Chex. I usually eat it as a snack or dessert with unsweetened almond milk.
Turns out the error was not putting enough in my coffee. Also, have decided takeout is the way to go for dinner.
*intrigued, looks up Peanut Butter Chex because that seems like a brilliant cereal*
My first thought was “food made by my Mom” and then I started crying (at work) so things are going well here
Same.
Thank you for all the chatty distractions with lovely comments to read from nice, sensible people!!!! I tried to start the day off with wellness also-big glass of water, scrambled eggs and toast for me and the kids, vitamins, tea…but I have candy corn, chocolate, and Utz cheese balls on standby. And a creamy pasta for dinner. And I’ve successfully his the cheese poofs from the children so may get to eat allllllll of them myself.
We get presidential election days off at my place of employment – but I still have some work to finish up tomorrow, so will be puttering around the house and maybe cooking in between doing bouts with the Horrible Work Task That I Hate.
(to be fair, I have been working from home this whole time so this isn’t an extra at home day for me)
I think I will make the wonderful and easy split pea soup from the Dairy Hollow House cookbook. It’s healthy , substantial and – incidentally – vegan. There is a lot of caraway seed in it which I love. There’ something very satisfying about a nice big pot of soup simmering on the stove.
Other emotionally satisfying foods for me: I like a nice big bowl of air popped popcorn with a bit of melted real butter, nutritional yeast, and za’atar sprinkled on top. Homemade pizza, which I’ve not made for a while.
I’d give my right arm to have my husband’s grandmother’s biscuits again. Back when I still ate meat regularly, we visited her and she made biscuits and beef stew and I am still thinking about that meal twenty odd years later. She made the biscuits with sourdough starter that had been in her family for decades, and they were really something.
I just make the Greek Lentil Soup from that same Dairy Hollow House cookbook. It’s so good and it makes such a big batch that my family can eat it for two meals! I also love that it has a ton of vegetables in it so I get that warm, virtuous feeling, too.
I’ve never seen the Dairy Hollow House cookbook, but of course now I want it! Looks like it might b out of print. It’s one ebay-does it have photos for the recipes?
Wow-I must be stressed-my typing has gone downhill. It might BE out of print, and it is ON ebay!
When I feel stress, I revert to some child-like behaviors. So yesterday I had Froot Loops for breakfast. But your suggestion of eggs and a bagel sounds so good that as soon as I wrap up this next call I am going to make a proper breakfast. (I live out west… still breakfast hours).
Is anyone else having Emotional Wellness Eating misadventures? I thought to myself, “I will cook a tasty and nutritious dinner for my family on this stressful day. I will go ahead and microwave the spaghetti squash, and then it will have plenty of time to cool so I can seed it and bake it up into something tasty, like a Cheerful Squash Puff, with a boatload of butter and Parmesan and eggs.”
Only instead I have Uncheerful Squash Volcano. I did not poke deep enough vent holes, apparently, because it exploded so forcefully that it blew the microwave door open and barfed out Uncheerful Squash Lava into my pan of Self-Care Eggs with Garlic and Tomato and Avocado (and Un-bonus Unplanned Uncheerful Squash Bits).
So! Maybe this is a message to order takeout instead. I am trying to tell myself that cleaning out the microwave will distract me from thinking about the election, but I suspect this is not actually true. Wish me luck — it’s a mess in there.
Turns out that it was weirdly satisfying to clean the microwave. So that’s good.
I KNOW it’s very unkind of me to laugh at your misadventure but…….😂
No, I’m glad it can spread some cheer! Laugh away!
I definitely gravitate more toward savory Emotionally Satisfying Foods: runny eggs and toast; risotto; pizza; chips and yummy dips; veggie-filled soups. I hope that the small grocery pick-up order I placed yesterday is ready for pickup before the end of the work day — it includes some chips and salsa I’m so ready to stress-eat this evening.
I am VERY appreciative of these distraction chatting posts today and of Swistle and her lovely commenters every day.
I had fruit for breakfast, because I can rarely eat more than fruit or yogurt in the morning. But, for lunch I made pasta with a rich meat sauce and for dinner we’re having beef tacos. Comfort food all the way.
This morning I had English muffin pan toast (butter both sides of the bread and cook in a skillet, so you get double the crispy butter) with two heavily salted fried eggs. It was very tasty and comforting. I also had a small bowl of candy corns/salted peanuts/Reeces Pieces for a snack which I recognize to be a controversial choice due to the candy corn (but I stand by it – salty + sweet, chewy + crunchy … it has it all!)
My favorite thing is a buffet. I like a lovely variety of foods, where some are salty and some are sweet and you keep saying, “I’ll just have a bit of that, and a dab of that, and a deviled egg, and one of these tiny sandwiches, and a brownie, and I guess I better finish the crab dip so it doesn’t get on the brownie, and—“
So today I have a variety of snack foods and dips and cookies out, and I’m having little bits of whatever I like best. The only flaw in my system is that I’d really like a regular Coke with this and if I have one I won’t sleep. But otherwise— chef’s kiss.
My emotionally satisfying foods are: air popped popcorn with lots of butter and (fake, from a can) Parmesan cheese; Hungry Jack instant mashed potatoes, eaten straight from the pot; and grilled cheese with thin slices of green apple, but for some reason I only crave this late at night. I always THINK I want to eat chips or Chex mix but then I get the salt bloat and gross stomach later and regret it.
My most emotionally satisfying (yet labor intensive) are the Swedish meatballs my mom used to make, and mashed potatoes. My mom was a really good cook who didn’t enjoy doing it, and it is one of the few recipes from my childhood I can reproduce without a recipe. Also-I could eat mashed potatoes every single day and never get sick of them. My second pick would be mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, which I consider to be the best part of Thanksgiving.