When I got to work this morning, there was a message waiting for me from my 11am visit: “Sarah, don’t eat lunch today. I’m cooking for you.”
And here’s the homemade mangu that greeted me when I arrived at their apartment:
Before you get all bent out of shape, I promise I have not been manipulating my clients into giving me their food when they can barely buy enough for themselves! This mom has been trying to feed me for weeks, especially since we were planning on ending at the end of my internship (not so now, since I’ve been hired and all. It seemed to mean a lot to her that I let her do this for me, so I finally gave in, sigh.
And ohhhhhhhhh my goodness! I’ve tried (and loved) mangu two times before when my coworkers have shared with me, but I’ve never had it homemade … which actually tasted better, even though I didn’t think that was possible!
The plate on which she served the feast (above) could have been a serving plate, but it was all for me! I almost had a heart attack just looking at it. I ate about half of the mangu, all of the little sausages, and half of one of the ham(?) pieces on the side.
The mom also made salad, thank goodness! I had about two cups of this:
As if that weren’t enough, she packed me a big container to go with what I could eat, plus a good two cups more of salad and her homemade tostones, of which I later ate two:
While we ate, I gave their three-year-old free reign with my camera, resulting in about 80 of these:
After my heavier than heavy lunch, I committed myself to produce for the rest of the afternoon with baby carrots from Jessica and my orange:
Umm, I meant that I committed myself to produce until Jennifer came through the office with a box of Good Humor cookies ‘n’ cream ice cream bars. I actually turned one down, but Jessica still sliced me about an inch of hers so I could take part:
On the way to class, I stopped into the market and noticed that they had goat gouda samples today instead of the manchego. I obviously had to try:
In class, my dinner started with leftover green salad from Mildred’s lunch today mixed with about 1/3 cup edamame salad from Deborah’s lunch today:
Main course was the leftover Thai seafood curry (shrimp, scallops, calamari, white rice, coconut milk) that my mom and John brought me this weekend. Yesterday, I bulked it up with brown basmati rice and broccoli to boost nutrition and stretch it through more lunches. Tonight’s cup:
Dessert was a cup of yogurt/part-skim ricotta with cinnamon, PB2, and 1/3 chopped banana:
What I did not eat today (but will eat eventually):
- the rest of the lunch I packed (more fruit and a parfait identical to the one I made last night; both still in the work fridge for tomorrow’s lunch)
- 2/3 cup of Vianni’s special rice (in my freezer now). OK, I had two little tastes before I put it away. It’s TOO good.
- leftovers from my mangu lunch (salad‘s in the work fridge for tomorrow; mangu/tostones/ham are in my freezer)
- 2/3 cup Hale & Hearty chicken vegetable soup and 1/4 Hale & Hearty chicken basil tomato pesto sandwich Emily couldn’t finish in class (soup is in my fridge; sandwich insides are heading to work tomorrow to dress the salad in #3 above; bread has been broiled to crunchiness and will be joining the carb-bag-club in the freezer soon)
- event leftovers that I encountered in the lobby of Hunter after class tonight: 1 cup grilled veggies extracted from the pile of mangled sandwiches and wraps (mixed into the remaining Thai seafood curry to stretch it even further), strawberries (in tomorrow’s yogurt), and two large and gooey brownies (cut into 5 pieces and in my freezer’s cake container). There might have actually been 6 pieces of brownie before one of them landed in my mouth along with all the m&ms that were garnishing it …
What didn’t YOU eat today?
Tales of Expansion: Baby Butternut Edition 
It’s really sweet that you let the Mom cook for you. Cooking is L-O-V-E
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Today I didn’t eat a FOURTH serving of candy. That is really sweet that the mom cooked you lunch!
http://eatingchalk.wordpress.com
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The mangu looks awesome!
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Great question…I didn’t eat the watermelon sour candy or mini pack of skittles we have lying around…and I swear I have never left candy alone for this long!
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Homemade mangu? It looks fantastic!
What didn’t I eat today? I chocolate bar I was staring longinly at ealier… I bring all my food to school with me on Tuesday’s so there’s actually a lot of good food I don’t eat b/c I can’t carry a fridge around campus with me! So sad 😦 Tuesdays = salad days
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what a great homemade meal, how incredibly thoughtful of your client! i did indulge in some sweets today, but i’m glad i didn’t eat the whole pan of blondies in my kitchen.
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you have so many more food opportunities than me! 🙂
I did not eat part of Nick’s candy bar since I wasn’t really hungry, or a huge cookie Beadie brought me – but that will probably happen tonight 🙂
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Silly toddler photos 🙂 Actually, he got some pretty artistic shots … 😉
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uhh I think I ate everything in site… it wasn’t pretty today..though most of it was healthy!!
how sweet that they wanted to show their appreciation
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great looking food!
I didn’t have chocolate! 🙂 and opted for fruit instead!
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Great looking food I had to click your link to see what it was and I can only imagine that those flavors taste wonderful together.
It’s early yet today and I’ve only eaten what I shoul have but I’m sure later on today I’ll be offered something I’m going to have to turn down.
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Whoa, mangu looks intense. Nom.
I don’t think I didn’t not eat anything. That was a bad sentence, but you get the idea. Alas, lack of spontanaeity in the day’ll do it to ya.
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I never tried mangu but it looks delicious! Hmm I have not turned anything down today..maybe later?
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Aw, that was so sweet of the mom to cook for you, and for you to gracefully accept.
You are such a mastermind! With the saving, with the combinations, with the food make-overs. I need to learn from you!
Hmm. What didn’t I eat today? I’d like to change that Q t: what haven’t I eaten YET today? I still don’t think I’ve eaten enough today, but so far I’ve avoided mindless munching and cookies! I’ve also avoided drinking water, which I should fix right about now.
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you are SO friggin lucky! i love mangu! and that salad looks awesome!! i say they are showing you their appreciation of your fabulous services by cooking for you.. plus there is always an over abundance of food in spanish peoples houses..
Im guessing they are spanish??? everytime i went over my ex’s house his mom had food like that and if i wasnt hungry i still had to eat something or she got upset “she doesnt like my cooking! she barely eats!” i ended up eating a lot of food i wasnt hungry for.. and going back for seconds when i didnt want any!
my ex tried to tell her that i dont eat a lot.. and i didnt want to eat tons of food and gain weight.. she said i needed to gain weight.. i guess my ghetto booty wasn’t big enough for the dominican moms! lol
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