Sit In Your Food

As I write this post, a ruddy-breasted, rather portly Robin is plopped down in my tray bird feeder. He is nestled in among sunflower seeds, peanuts and millet. Occasionally, he reaches toward the nearby suet feeder and grabs a beakful of delicious fattiness. He is a smart bird given the vicious north wind, snow and ice we are experiencing at this moment. Spring is often just a word on the calendar for those of us in the upper plains. The birds know they have to pivot and find alternate food sources when nature throws them a curve ball.

I sense that my Robin friend is finding comfort in the easy access of favorite foods. I am hopping on this train of thought and here are a few foods I would like to "sit in".

Potato Chips--I know, I know, sitting amongst potato chips is ill-advised but let's keep this a thought experiment, not reality. Potato chips are the perfect snack and they are technically a vegetable. I like Ruffles (not Wavy), Lay's classic plain chips, Cheddar Ruffles and sour-cream-and-onion Lay's chips. Lay's does not sponsor me so you can be sure my adoration is authentic.

Cheetos--Air-puffed cheesiness cannot be beat. It is dangerously easy to polish off a bag in one sitting considering their melt-in-your-mouth tastiness. The Cheetle left behind on the fingers is also delicious in a lip-smacking sort of way. I could sit in a vat full of these things.

Cheese--Milk is not my favorite food but I am in love with its offspring. It is almost impossible to name a preferred cheese. I consider myself a non-snob when it comes to cheese so I like everything from Velveeta to aged Cheddar to Gruyere to Havarti to cheese in a spray can. A plate of crackers and cheese is a snack fit for royalty in my estimation. Jeeves, more cheese, please.

Cooked Veggies--I am not a fan of most raw vegetables, too much chewing and macerating for my taste. But, give me a plate of grilled summer squash drizzled with olive oil and a dusting (or more) of parmesan cheese and, whoa Nellie, that is tasty. I am not even opposed to canned green beans, a winter staple in my part of the world. That being said, I do love juicy summer tomatoes from the garden. No cooking needed for those delicacies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies--I have made thousands and thousands of chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime and still have not lost my love for them. In fact I have a batch in the oven as I write this. Chocolate chip cookies are the perfect little dessert after a meal or as a pick-me-up when you are feeling a bit peckish. They also have an almost universal appeal. Rarely am I turned down when I offer someone a cookie. Frankly, I am suspicious of those who do.

I hope you are able to enjoy a few of your favorite foods this week. But, remember, it is not about the food you eat. It is about the people who sit across the table from you.

Enjoy.

(P.S Mr. Robin sat in the tray of food for almost an hour, much to the consternation of the Downy Woodpecker. I guess what they say about an early bird is really true.)