2013 Food Challenge: Arugula

I have been doing a lot of traveling these past few weeks, and have been experiencing, first hand, a true, real... Food Challenge. How???

It really is a challenge to eat well when on the road for hours, and hours, and days at a time. Snacks, fatty foods, sweets, candy, ice cream, coke... it all becomes so tempting when tired and sleepy... NO!!!!!!!!!

I have learned to get on the ground and do a set of push ups or burpees every time I stop for gas and/or bathroom in order to wake up, and have managed this way to avoid any and all junk and crappy food and drinks. Yes it is embarrassing- at first. But what the hell. After giving birth twice, not much gets even slightly close in the embarrassment scale. And who cares anyway if someone I don't even know or will ever see again sees me doing burpees on the side of the building or by the pump? Fuck embarrassment, do the burpees.

So back to food. And traveling. Arugula is everything I would want of a great travel companion. Packs well, doesn't go sour, doesn't mind the music I listen to... low maintenance.

I can just eat it. All of it. No fork, no knife, no sliding fingers through the stem, no nothing. Just take a leaf... and eat it. It really does not get much simpler than that.

Munch it straight out of the bag, or box... or use it in sandwiches, as I did today. I had run out of the good hardy, whole-wheat crusty bread that Alex's Russian Bakery makes... so I had to use sandwich bread- please forgive me, Alex. But still, I spread butter on it, placed pieces of thinly cut salami, and threw arugula from Down to Earth Farm on top. Done.

At home, many times I find myself short on time to wash and chop vegetables. So I put fresh arugula on/in (still can't get my prepositions right to this day... so will use both from now on, just in case) barley or chicken noodle soup as I serve it. It goes great on top of pizzas, with burgers, cheddar cheese sandwiches... and salads of course.

Arugula to me is the equivalent of a ready-made meal for the microwave, except only easier. Take it out of the fridge, open and eat. No need to wash, chop, cook or even microwave. Imagine that!