Washing, Peeling and Chopping. Is It For Me?

So - I sent my husband to the store to buy carrots and hummus for a snack.  (sounding healthier already, aren't I?)  Anyway, I may have mentioned how much my husband annoys me - and this is a perfect example.  I am sure you will agree with me that the level of ignorance is incredible.  You will probably have a lot of empathy for what I have to live with day in and day out.

There was something in this bag that I haven't seen since childhood!

He went to the store and returned with a plastic handle bag.  I was so excited (or at least I was trying to convince myself I was excited since it wasn't ice cream).  I opened the bag and the hummus was there, and the carrots were there, but something was amiss.  There was something in this bag that I haven't seen since childhood.  Something so completely obsolete that I didn't realize it even existed anymore.  I stood in shocked silence for a moment, staring with my mouth open.  I then reached in, and pulled out a bunch of whole carrots with the greens still attached.  These weren't the convenient baby carrots that come in handy  pre-packed baggies - peeled, washed and cut into adorable little oblong shapes - all ready to dip into the hummus.  These things required washing, peeling and chopping - three acts that I generally do not partake in.  I stared at them, confused, wondering what I should do.

I turned my gaze from these strange, foreign objects, to my husband, standing there with that silly grin on his face.  I was thinking to myself, "How could he just be standing there looking so proud when he messed this up so completely?  He looks like a little kid, or a terrier waiting for a  treat, or a scratch behind the ears.He really thinks he did this right."  so, before I went all Kate Gosselin on him, I took a deep breath and reassessed the situation.

UM, THESE DON'T LOOK LIKE BABY CARROTS.  WTF!

Here I am writing this blog about healthy changes - and maybe I needed a bit of an attitude adjustment.  Maybe I should try to appreciate all the things my husband does for me instead of focusing on how he ALWAYS MESSES THEM UP!  So, with a look of understanding and forgiveness, and a slight nod of my head, I patted him on the shoulder, took my bag to the kitchen, and said a silent prayer that we owned a peeler.

Turns out we have a very nice peeler.  It also turns out that washing, peeling and chopping aren't as bad as I thought they would be.  There is a certain sense of connectedness to the food and to the earth when one is involved in the preparation of fresh produce.  There is a feeling of accomplishment that cannot be achieved when eating baby carrots straight out of the bag so as not to dirty a dish.  There is a meditation-like awareness while chopping carrots.  The involvement with the food made me feel I was a part of the process, and therefore linked to the food I would consume.

So, it's not so bad - chopping carrots. It might even be good.  I will have to experiment to make sure the feeling passes over the various produce boundaries.  Like, can one feel connected to bell peppers, or to watermelon, perhaps?  What about bananas?  I will keep chopping and considering, and I will keep you updated.