Phở

6:25 am
I was -- shall I say -- excited to get up this morning and eat the bread I made. It turned out the way I imagined it to be; springy soft inside, not dry at all, and a crunchy crust on the outside.

9:15 am
Banana, coffee. It's funny, in 2009 I started drinking coffee. I always used to hate coffee but I found out if you add half a cup of milk to half a cup of coffee and a bit of sugar it's actually good. That's what I get for moving to Seattle right?

12:30 pm
Phở. This was just what I needed. Phở is a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup. Some places also make it with chicken. It is comprised of rice noodles and can be garnished with basil, bean sprouts, lime, and hot peppers. One of my coworkers has a son enrolled in the class I teach in. For a teacher appreciation gift she bought us Phở for lunch! I love Phở! It is such a comfort food for me. I had chicken, it was nice to eat meat again. I can't say enough about how good the warm broth felt rolling spilling down my throat and into my belly. There is a wonderful little Vietnamese restaurant next door to our building, "Bamboo Bowl," and they make delicious food. I was thinking about the tradition of monks relying only on what other people generously give them, and I felt like that was what my lunch was like.

6:30 pm
I ate the little bit that was left of the Phở, and the cheese sandwich that I had originally packed for my lunch. I kind of feel like I am eating worse than a monk. Brother V.-A. suggests salads and veggies and fruits. It's funny how easy it is for me to slip into "bachelorette style" eating; random bits, not really that well balanced. I guess you can eat prudently and still eat in a healthy way.