Old and New Experiences

My university has canceled classes for Thursday and Friday for fall break, so I went home on Wednesday afternoon.  Once again, eating around your parents' interests is challenging, but it can be done.  The pictures below are some of the items that I have eaten while I have been on fall break.
 

On Wednesday night, before church, my father, my mother, and I ate at a small restaurant.  This restaurant specializes in southern, country cooking.  Most dishes usually come with a type of meat and two side dishes.  However, as a vegetarian, I could not order the usual dish, so I had to order three side dishes:  macaroni and cheese, corn, and mashed potatoes.  Also, the meal came with a delicious roll.  The mashed potatoes were rich and thick; the corn and macaroni and cheese were creamy and nice.  This comforting meal made me nostalgic for the rural life even though my dream is to move to a bigger city.  All in all, it was a great time to reconnect with my parents in a way that, once again, brought me back to cultural roots.

Today, I wanted to eat a snack.  In my dorm room, my wardrobe rarely has snacks, so having an entire kitchen to myself was a very nice yet tempting experience.  When I opened the freezer, there were a myriad of unhealthy and non-vegetarian items such as a can of chili that was filled with over 700 calories.  However, I found a "healthy" ice cream sandwich that was only around 150 calories.  The sandwich was half-frozen, so I placed it on a plate and placed the country inspired plate in the microwave.  I shut the microwave door and let the sandwich cook for 15 seconds.  It melted, but it made the sandwich so much better than before it was microwaved. 

For supper, today, I ate a vegetarian plate at Castillio's, located in my hometown, with some friends and family.  The vegetarian plate consisted of rice, a cheese enchilada, and a bean burrito covered in spinach and cheese.  I have eaten at this restaurant a plethora of times, but I have never ordered this to eat.  I would of probably never ordered this if I was not a vegetarian, and, thanks to vegetarianism, I have found my favorite dish at the restaurant. 

People should try foods that are completely out of their cultural and dietary comfort zones because they will never know when they will find the meals that culturally exemplify and complete them.  People should try certain foods that they think they might not like because it could change their life for the better, and they might enjoy foods more than the ones they enjoyed before.  Who knows?  It might make them a vegetarian.