People reach out for quick fixes in moments of insecurity. Even though in the back of our minds we know it's not healthy, a small voice inside justifies our actions with some excuse to make it seem okay. When we are sad, or hurt, or angry, or frustrated we are hungry for attention. Sometimes insecurities are so divinely raw, we could dip them in ranch like a stick of celery.
One night shortly after a break up, I was out at a bar having drinks with a friend . I felt fine, really, and I knew the choice I had made was the right one, but it still left me feeling a little raw. Truth be told, I felt a little sorry for myself. Instead of continuing a relationship that never completely satiated me, I had decided to take my chances and face loneliness. I was searching the bar for a decent man, but could just as easily have been sitting at home hungry with no food in the fridge.
A guy eyed me from across the bar with a Jaegermeister Spritzer in hand, looking at me like I was the missing twist of lime for his drink. I naturally grabbed my cocktail and trotted over. He was everything that I would never go for. Overly sleazy.... Terrible pick up lines, that I was taking as bad jokes. Total frat boy, and not the kind that got into the brotherhood for community service. Lime green polo with a popped collar, white visor (don't get me started on visors!), dark washed blue jeans, his high school pinky ring, and a yellow Livestrong bracelet to signify how sensitive he is to important issues. I accepted a drink from him, partially in fear that I might be left to stand alone with all the other late night binge drinkers at the bar. I was faced with a choice: eat what was put in front of me, or wait for what I was craving. It's like viewing the late eats menu, knowing that it's not worth the money because the food always sucks. It's like ordering a crisp dish of chow mien only to drive home and find you were mistakenly given the limp noodles of lo mien.
Reaching for the phone in the middle of the night seems like the right idea at the time, and it may leave you temporarily fulfilled. However, the options available in the darkest hour are limited, and usually leaves you wondering why you dialed the number. Is it better to gratify the gnawing hunger of loneliness, or to fast until a brighter hour and then feast on what will give your body, your mind and your heart exactly what it needs? The right choice isn't always the easy choice, and the easy choice can leave you with a belly full of heartache and a heart full of acid reflux in the morning. So if you do make that call, make sure you are stocked up on TUMS before the pizza man arrives.
Chicken Lo Mien:
Ingredients:
6 oz. lo mein noodles
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup chicken broth
Pinch red pepper flakes
½ tbsp. canola oil
1 medium chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 cup snow peas
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the lo mein noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned and cooked through. Add in the vegetables, each a few minutes apart, starting with the onion and bell pepper and ending with the mushrooms. Cook just until tender-crisp. Add in the garlic and saute just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the sauce to the pan, and then the cooked lo mein noodles. Toss the mixture well to coat everything. Drizzle with the sesame oil and toss once more. Serve immediately.
This is one of my faves.
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