This evening I had just a few minutes to make and eat dinner. Since my eating habits have left something to be desired lately, I decided to go as healthy as possible. I grabbed some leftover chicken from the fridge, mixed it with apples, walnuts, onion, and a little mayo, and made a delicious chicken salad.
But what to eat it on?
Just outside my backdoor, lettuce and peapods are growing in an area that used to be home to vinca and geraniums. The peas are not quite ready to harvest, but the lettuce is on its third cutting. A few snips, and I had a bed for my chicken salad. I added to that a tomato from a local farmer that came in my CSA box, and I had a delicious, mostly local supper.
It’s the “mostly” that gets me.
As much as I believe in supporting local farmers and even growing my own food, the mayonnaise I used was not from around here. And those walnuts – also a stranger in these parts. Even with my best effort, I score only about 75% on eating locally.
But I am learning to be ok with that. I’m learning that “mostly” works well in the kitchen. “Mostly” works just as well in a lot of other areas of life, though that’s a lesson that is a little harder to learn.
I am mostly organized, except for that one area in my closet.
I am mostly disciplined except I have a hard time getting out of bed in the mornings. And a hard time convincing myself to exercise.
I am mostly on a budget, though that dress and those books were a splurge.
You get the picture.
Sometimes “mostly” is good enough, or at least better than rarely.
But sometimes, “mostly” is a cop-out.
Jesus, help me discern my “mostly’s.”
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I am writing in community with Ann Kroeker today, going for a ride on her Food on Friday carnival. Follow the button below to more food stories and recipes.
Wow, Charity. I’m impressed with what you can whip up in a few minutes. Nicely done!
As for “mostly,” I think that’s a great word by which to live. For my part, I can easily make an idol out of getting things just-so. Perhaps the mostly-standard is a great standard. Sometimes just making an effort at something *is* my very best.
You may think you’re about “mostly,” but this is a *totally* awesome post. No wonder you didn’t need to eat anything that night at Panera–you had a way better salad than anything you would have ordered there, and theirs would have been not-at-all local; or, mostly trucked in from out of state, frozen.
Nice picture.
Oh, and I meant to tell you that I plugged “Panera Cinnamon Roll” into the Livestrong calorie tracker, and it turned out to be 620 calories!!
I think mostly local is great! I love eating with the seasons, too. Moderation in all things is my motto. 🙂 I can’t see myself ever giving up bananas or coffee and those will probably never grow naturally in our fine state.
Close cousin to “mostly”–“good enough.”