Over the past year or so (and maybe even longer than that), I’ve gotten into a bad habit of doing other things while eating a meal. Breakfast is always a quick smoothie I can consume while getting ready for work. I eat lunch at my desk (while continuing to work) most days and dinners are spent in front of Hulu or a book or magazine. I barely notice the food, which seems to be a weird practice, since I enjoy cooking it so much.

So now I’m seeking to return to food awareness and put my full focus on the meal in front of me. No distractions. For today’s 31 Days of Adventure, I took the opportunity to practice this by noticing the little things while eating lunch today. I closed my eyes. I chewed slowly. I found there was a lot to notice while eating this tasty salad:

So much kale and cabbage goodness mixed in with a tangy sweet homemade dressing! Each bite was a little different than the one before. Some came with the leafy texture of kale, some with a bit more onion, some with a salty pumpkin seed punch that seemed to accentuate all the other flavors. I was really surprised at how intense the flavors and textures were when I really paid attention.

Next I enjoyed a slice of 5-year aged cheddar from the great state o’ Wisconsin:

Again, an intense flavor experience. Far more than I remember before.

I’m going to have to eat with this much attention more often.

This post is part of the 31 Days of Adventure. Follow the prompts here or at #31adventures.

Stars dot the dark sky as the wind picks up a few leaves enough to scraaaatch along the ground. We rush across a busy street into a quiet neighborhood, our favorite place to roam. Isabel prefers regular stops to sniff and instead of pulling her along in a rush, I find myself stopping too. Pausing is more like it. Noting the neighbor’s grass is shorter than last time. One light is out on the porch across the street. This tree has dropped all of its leaves. We meander toward the bigger houses, the ones with stained glass windows and elaborate landscaping. The smell of onions cooking fills my nose as we pass a few houses and then drifts away. Dinner’s on.