A Tale of Two Meals

Meal One
Saturday at a restaurant chain:
Spinach/Artichoke Dip
Sirloin Steak, Baked Potato, Salad, Steamed Veggies


Why do we go out to eat and think it is a treat when the food is laden with fat, salt, sugar, and preservatives? The dip had no discernible artichoke and only a tiny bit of spinach. The salad was iceberg lettuce, hard grape tomatoes and croutons. The steak was so tough I chewed one bite for 2 minutes and sent the rest back to the kitchen. The steamed veggies were cold and mushy. And for all this, I received a big bill... at least 4 times what I would have spent preparing the same meal in my kitchen. No doubt, it was also orders of magnitude less nourishing than what I could prepare in my own kitchen as I will describe in Meal 2.


Meal Two
Sunday in my kitchen:
A Salad


I had been to the grocery earlier in the day and started pulling wonderful goodies from the cabinet and fridge. First, I added the following to a large bowl: baby spinach, red leaf lettuce, turnip greens, and some fresh herbs. (I don't know what they were! Maybe basil.) I delighted in smelling the aroma of the fresh herbs, and enjoyed contemplating the colors and textures of the greens. I chopped up green pepper, yellow squash, red tomato and green onion. So far so good. Here's where it gets really fun: I added some slices of perfectly ripe, creamy avocado, a few tablespoons each of crunchy pine nuts and tangy Gorgonzola cheese, and a tablespoon of my favorite balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over the masterpiece. It was scrumptious. Healthy. More than Satisfying. Delightful.