The Hunger Monster

Today was one of those days. The kind of day where everything went wrong. I lost my phone, I woke up grouchy, I had to go to work earlier than anticipated, work was particularly tricky, etc. Oh, and to make matters worse, I hadn't eaten.

Anything.

All day.

(a baby bell cheese orb and a few crackers does not count as food).

I got home rather late, with a headache, starving, practically in tears from the stress of it all. I have a very inconvenient personality quirk in that I become a more picky eater the hungrier I get. So, I came home to an assortment of odds and ends in the pantry and fridge and nothing looked edible. Now, normally in a situation like this I exhibit my creativity and throw things together to make tasty happen. But we were far, far past the hour when positive thinking and imagination are options for me. So I sat and whined to my boyfriend via facebook chat for a while, secretly hoping he would magically understand that I wanted him to appear on my doorstep with food (sometimes I am a pathetic person who wants to be taken care of but I don't have the guts to step up and communicate what I want- which is a habit I find excessively annoying in other people). So, rather than become irrationally irritated with him for not being the sort of mind-reader I desired in my deranged mental state, I got on the internet for inspiration. And, just as she always does, Smitten Kitchen saved the day.

I saw that she had made toast, spread it with a thin smear of mustard, topped it with some sautéed spinach and onion, and for a stunning finish, a single soft boiled egg. It was gorgeous, cheap, quick, and met my criteria for hitting the sweet spot between decadent and healthy. I had to have it. However, since my spinach looked worse for wear, I used some kale. I grated the onion because it was faster than chopping, and I heated up some black-eyed-peas with jalapenos for the added stick-to-yo-ribs factor. It was amazing.

Lessons learned:

When breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all in the form of a midnight snack, go for quick and filling.
When it seems as though there is nothing to eat, SK will prove you wrong.
When you are wanting someone to just know what you want without having to ask for it, you are being dumb and should go feed yourself.

The Hunger Monster has been vanquished. The villagers may now go about their usual activities.