Today’s menu: cheese ravioli, spinach, bread, applesauce
The cheese ravioli looked and tasted exactly like a Michelina’s microwave meal. I say that as a compliment. I spent years eating microwave meals for lunch (and for about half the week my husband still does).
Compared to yesterday’s meal, this meal is positively refreshing. Pasta has always been a comfort food for me. I consider it to be deeply satisfying. I think that the people making the food went back to the drawing board with the pasta – compared to cheese lasagna cheese ravioli is significantly better.
I paid $3.00 for today’s lunch, just about what I would pay for a Michelina’s. In fact, I missed my bi-weekly trip to the bank and had to bum $2 off of my husband before leaving for work. Before the project I never paid attention to how much cash I carried around. Now I make sure I have singles because I don’t want to burden the lunch ladies with making change. They have enough to do and certainly no time to make change for a lazy teacher!
Yesterday I had a headache after lunch. Today I didn’t. I’m wondering if the hot dog did it? Both days I ate wheat and today I also had lots of cheese. Today’s lunch was meatless. Both days I drank about the same amount of water. Curious, but it could be unrelated.
***
I’m going to cut it short tonight to focus on cleaning my desk, my house, and my car. I have let everything slide. I even missed a credit card payment, which I have never done before. I have been blogging away all of my free time.
Maybe I’ll have a chance at going to bed before 11:30! Here’s hoping… I’m working on exciting stuff and I hope to share it with you by the end of the week…
(Surprised that nobody commented on the glaring typo in the title of yesterday’s blog post. I am in need of rest!)
Wonder if the headache was a result of the high sodium content of the hot dog. I know if I eat too much sodium, I definitely know it. Those pounding headaches are evil.
As for going gluten free. Don't go all out until you've done all the tests. If you're not eating gluten, they won't be accurate. My 3yo has been gf since her 1st bday. Her blood test was neg due to her age at the time & we refuse to put her back on gluten for 6w to do a biopsy. It's just not worth if when we know she can't have gluten. You wouldnt recognize my child on the off occasion she actually gets contaminated.
There are all sorts of things in hot dogs that can cause headaches. Sodium, nitrates and other preservatives. My daughter gets horrible headaches from hot dogs, SPAM or other overly processed meats.
At least today's meal looks a little more balanced. Still, the grease on the ravioli still bothers me. Why do the pasta dishes always look like they are swimming in grease?
I wonder about MSG with the hot dog. Always gives me a headache (And sometimes worse). I was looking at hot dogs the other day at the store and surprisingly (to me anyway) several brands have MSG in them.
I agree with Mrs T, It was probably the level of processing of the hot dog rather than the fact that it was meat. Hot dogs got the boot for my family. Fortnuately, the kids don't really remember ever eating them.
How did the pasta make you feel? I am down to wheat once a day or once every other day. I always eat more wheat on days when I am hurried and crazy and looking for something quick. I only notice a bad wheat reaction when I eat too much. Perhaps you are the same way, so you can still enjoy pasta, just in more moderation. I love love love pasta, so I don't ever want to have to give it up.
Celiac is progressive, so it is possible that one's sensitivity can grow worse in time…
I hadn't thought of it, but how has this project affected your budget? Do you find you are spending more for your lunches or less?
The "grease" on the ravioli is just the fat separating out of the cheese that was sprinkled on top and subsequently melted.
I must say I agree with hot dog comments. They and other highly processed meats cause my daughter to have migraines. Every. Time. Doesn't matter anymore though, my kids watched one episode of How It's Made in which they made hot dogs. Now they refuse to eat them. (Can't wait to see what happens when they see Food Inc.!) 😉
That sure looks delicious!
I noticed some days when I eat really salty foods, I get a head ache, maybe this could have happened to you? I have no proof that salty foods give you a head ache, but it's just a small patterned that I noticed.
Just Better Together
These look heartier than the cheese raviolis from a while ago, did they taste different also?
I'm also curious about the budget question posted by another user, sounds like that might be worth an entry!
And yet another comment on the hot dogs making you sick. I too have gotten sick since I was a child, whenever I eat a hot dog. Like uncontrollable vomiting sick. The only ones that don't do this to me are nitrate free ones from Trader Joes. As much as I love an occasional hot dog, I really try and avoid them all together.