Oh man, oh man...only 24 hours left. I can do this. I totally got this.
This morning was pretty exciting, as it was the only day this week I was able to have something OTHER than PB&J for breakfast. I also managed to feed my partner off of this meal, so that was really awesome! I scrambled up 5 eggs, a quarter cup of cheddar cheese, and 2 cups of spinach with a little bit of salt and pepper and served it with toast and jam on the side. The thing that saved the cheese from being "not enough" was adding it just at the end, right before the eggs were done. That way, I could still SEE pieces of it in the eggs, which helped me perceive its taste better. It really is the little things, like choosing extra sharp cheddar cheese for its extra flavor, that have made it easier to get through the challenge.
Since breakfast was really more of brunch, I only ate a handful of tortilla chips and PB&J for lunch, which wasn't too bad. It held me over until dinner, and inspired me to come up with YET ANOTHER way to use my black beans to fill my belly. This time, I used my lime to pep up the flavor a bit.
1/4 C of onions, finely diced
1 t of vegetable oil
1 1/2 C of black beans, cooked
1/4 C of water
1 Roma tomato, diced
Juice of half a lime
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
Sautee onions in vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add black beans and water, and using a fork, mash approximately half the beans in to the water to cook. Allow to boil, thickening the water slightly, and add tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve with a fork, or tortilla chips!
By eating mine with a few tortilla chips, I got extra crunch and flavor, but I was otherwise happy wolfing this down with a fork.
It was odd tonight, going to a party where my friends were serving delicious cheeses and taco dip (one of my favorite things) and all sorts of other edibles, and having to turn them down in favor of a glass of water. It definitely limited my time at the party, as I knew that in the battle of wills with the cheese platter, I would eventually lose. On one hand, I am thrilled and delighted that tomorrow marks the last day of my hunger challenge. On the other, I feel more sad and frustrated than ever for the people for whom this isn't just a week, or who don't have a choice to stop doing this at any time. I'm debating trying to raise money as well as awareness after this week is over, something tangible I can give to my food bank and feel like other people shared in too. You've all been so helpful to me through this, do you think we could reach out and help a few other people in need too?