From Arkansas, with Love

This morning Kevin loaded suitcases, snacks, Nick, a scatterbrained wife, and two large travel mugs of coffee into the car. We were off on a whirlwind visit to my inlaws in Arkansas.

It took 6 hours of Barney and Sesame Street to get here, but we survived, and baby is now blissfully asleep. My husband was born and raised here. I have particular affection for the town because it is where I discovered that Piggly Wiggly is a real grocery store (I thought it was a made up name when I saw Fried Green Tomatoes back in college).

No cooking to report today, but it was a ridiculous eating day, so I thought I'd offer up the absurdity of my ways for a few laughs. For those of you interested in such things, this was inspired by the blog option on the food and drink forum egullet, where people chronicle every morsel of food and drink that passes their palates for at least a week or two at a time. I won't make you suffer through a fortnight of my food ways, just one day of my unenlightened conduct.

The day started off well. I had a bowl of plain yogurt with some dried blueberries stirred in and lemon honey on top (I made an extra batch, without rosemary, after making the fish on Sunday). Oh, virtuous me! That was at 5:20. I suppose I should add that I taught a 6 am spinning class before we left. What was I thinking? Anyway, all good intentions went out the window afterwards.

Behold:
(we hit the road at 9:04)
9:05 jumbo cup of coffee
9:10 5 animal crackers
9:15 5 more animal crackers
9:30 2 bites of chocolate brownie energy bar (a brand I like, but yuck; 2 bites was too much)
9:35 final slurps of jumbo cup of coffee
9:40: 3 piece Orbit mint chewing gum
10:03 2 more animal crackers (honestly, more like 12)

Intermission: fall asleep for 15 minutes; awake to Nick screaming "EAT!"

10:20 Let the reduced fat Cheez Nips eating begin (3 handfuls? four? I lost track).
11:45 Soggy arugula salad (I couldn't bear to throw the last of the arugula away, I love it that much. Or, I did, before the soggy salad)
12:00 Heaven help me, more Cheez Nips
12:30 4 pickle slices from Kevin's sandwich
1:00 Mini can of spicy V-8 (a very bad move)
1:10 3 more pieces Orbit mint gum (accompanied by annoying remarks from husband about my hogging all of the gum)
1:30 1/2 of a smushed banana (the part that Nick would not eat)
2:00 Pit stop. I eat the 2 animal crackers I find I've been sitting on.
2:15 16 ounce Diet coke
(Meanwhile, Kevin had drunk and eaten nothing more than his coffee, a simple sandwich, some water and a single piece of gum. Curses!)
4:15 Latte at the local coffeehouse (yes, they have coffeehouses in small towns in Arkansas these days; this one is very good) and 2 bites of Kevin's brownie.
6:10 Oh good grief, more Cheez Nips (small handful) and 10 or 11 stale dark chocolate Hershey's kisses.
6:20 Arkansas Dinner: 2 bites boiled green beans, 3 bites ham, 1/4 of a baked potato, 1/2 of a small sweet potato, 1 glass unsweetened iced tea.
8:40 half a piece of apple pie.
9:00 Pledge to start anew tomorrow.

Bon nuit, and may tomorrow bring enlightenment, at least on the food front.