WBW - Let's talk about food.

My family has always been obsessed with food. We plan every day of every vacation around what and where we're going to eat. Once we have that figured out, then we are free to relax. We plan our menus the week beforehand. I wake up in the morning and know exactly what I'm going to put into my body on any given day. It's one thing I have complete control over. And I love it.

I've been thinking a lot about food lately, partly because Dirk and I are on a diet, partly because I am just like my mother, but also because being a vegetarian makes eating a lot more difficult. I have to think about things like iron and protein and to make sure I'm getting enough of everything. I am so much more conscious about what goes into my body now. And it's a good thing. But it's not easy.

I've also been thinking about how certain meals or foods can bring back memories, and how a lot of my memories are triggered by these things.

Picking strawberries out of the garden is one of my earliest memories. And the raspberries and how there were always tons of wasps to run from in the raspberry bushes.
Brooke and I used to plan parties for Mama while she and Jane Fonda were sweating in the living room. These consisted of a lot of marshmallows and peanuts. This one was a little bit more elaborate with the grape juice and streamers.
Vacation meals have the most sentimental value, because we were allowed to eat things we didn't get at home: white bread and raspberry jelly, for instance. My Gomar made an amazing PBJ with white bread, raspberry jam, and creamy peanut butter. Oh, and we got lemonade and cheese curls, too. This lunch can always make me nostalgic for eating on the balcony with my cousins, overlooking the gulf of Mexico. Always in a hurry to get back out to the beach.
Another delicacy that these beach vacations provided was fresh seafood, mostly shrimp. Fresh boiled shrimp with a french baguette, and drawn butter is about as good as it gets.
I've been a little bored with my lunch routine, lately. I have no problem switching up breakfasts every week, but lunch is tricky for me. I can't just slap a slice of ham and some cheese on bread and call it a day, oh, no. I usually eat a packet of mixed nuts, a string cheese, and a mango smoothie {mmmmm}, but this week, I went out on a limb and created this yummy chickpea sandwich spread. Paired with broccoli sprouts, cucumber slices, and some lettuce on a sandwich thin, it's pretty tasty. Although today I found a recipe for a vegetarian asian pita that I'm going to try next week.

So what meals make you bloggers nostalgic? Are there certain comfort foods that your family thrives on {grilled cheese and tomato soup, for instance?} What is your lunch of choice? Motivate me!