This is not really about food but I wanted to share some thoughts on my past week.
The past week I have been stressing a lot about logistics. Fortunately my meal prep habit keeps my eating on track (even when everything else is a swirling chaos around me).
Why is everything so chaotic? you might ask. Well…
2016 has been the year of moving for me.
I started out in Japan (where else… >_<). Then I visited my parents for an intense organizing session following the philosophy of Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” (a book that incidentally has not been so magical or life-changing in Japan.) After that, I was living and working around Los Angeles. Now I am in Chicago for the summer. Soon I will be headed back to California for two weeks before jetting off to Japan for a month… before finally moving back in California for grad school.
By the end of all of that moving, I will have relocated over 7 times in 9 months. Gah. (Plus there were 3 mini-moves in Chicago from sublease to sublease but let’s just overlook those.) @_@
All my moves (so far) of 2016 in pictures!
January 1st – January 14th : Japan
January 15th – January 30th : Home in Massachusetts
January 31st – May 3rd : Living and working in Los Angeles.
May 3rd – present : Chicago
The Good of Moving All the Time
All the moving has been good in many ways. I love the adventure and stimulation of being in new places. Also sort of like exercising keeps your body loose and nimble, I feel like constantly moving from place to place keeps my lifestyle lean and flexible.
I arrived to Chicago with just a suitcase and have happily lived here for the summer. Yes, suffering from a lack of books, I raided my roommate’s bookshelf. Yes, I have worn the same pants day after day after day after day. Yes, sometimes I yearn for a cup of tea from my favorite mug.
Generally it has worked! I have a bed (that was my only requirement when choosing a place to sublease). The desk and chair in my room are an unexpected bonus.
Meal prep to the rescue!
In the midst of all that moving and change, my eating has remained consistent and reliable thanks to my “Make Now & Eat Later” diet.
Unexpectedly, I have become one of my blog’s biggest recipe readers. Ha! Since I did not have space in my suitcase to pack the original cookbook, I rely on my own blog when I want to cook on the weekends. Funny.
Sometimes I consider the joys of settling down. I think about how nice it would be to use my favorite objects everyday, to be able to accumulate larger kitchenware items (like a food processor) that cannot be easily packed and carried, to be able to grow a garden, to finally unpack my suitcase.
Honestly I do not see that day coming anytime soon. I am just trying to enjoy the journey for now! And (of course) enjoy lots of good food along the way.
MENU
- Snappy Steamed Asparagus and Broccoli in Sweet Dashi Stock
- Creamy, Dreamy Mashed Kabocha Squash
- Not-at-all-fishy Cucumber Salad (with Sardines)
- Sticky Chicken (Make Now & Eat Later MVP)
- Boiled Eggs (bring to boil, remove from heat, let stand 12 minutes, drain)
- Start the chicken first (it takes the longest to cook)
- Next start the eggs, while you prep the salads.
- All the salads come together pretty quickly, so cook in whatever order you like!
Want to learn more about simple, Japanese-inspired weekly meal prep? Read “What is Make Now & Eat Later”…
And for more delicious weekly menu ideas, check out Menu #1 , Menu #2, Menu #3, and Menu #4! Here are some of my favorites.
Packed with Veggies Quinoa Salad
Mushrooms and Zucchini with Shrimp Poached in Olive Oil
Grilled Sweet Bell Peppers and Mushrooms in Dashi Stock
See you next week with more yummy eats and musings on Japan! Thanks as always for reading.
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