A Stand-Up Lunch
There's a torrent of nutrition and diet tips coming at us these days, and one of the mandates is, "Don't eat standing up." I agree. Never, ever do that.
Unless you have three minutes to eat your lunch before your child puts herself up for adoption. Or unless you are trying to answer the phone, put bills in the mail, email a client, unload groceries, and change laundry all before your physical therapy appointment in 20 minutes for a back injury that's a year old because you couldn't afford decent health insurance. Unless you are in one of those categories, always sit down to eat.
Actually, I manage mindful meals quite often, but it's because I prioritize it. Everything in our busy, over-scheduled culture seems to include a "to-go" suffix. And yes, I have been to Italy (the one big trip of my life), and yes, I came home talking about how NO ONE drinks their coffee to go and even business lunches are savored. So, if remotely possible, I put my lunch on a real plate (even in my old office life), walk away from the computer or list-making, and spend a few minutes getting nourished and quieted.
Today the quieting scenario wasn't possible. On top of that, I made the mistake of going grocery shopping while famished. Isn't that something else nutrition gurus tell us not to do? I bought brownie mix, potato chips, pretzels, and ice cream, and by the time Loretta and I got home, I had made lunch 50 times in my head in an effort NOT to eat the bag of potato chips. 
While unloading groceries and making Top Ramen for Loretta (who had been whimpering "I want Top Ramen" all the way home), I made these little open-faced sandwiches. And ate them standing up. And (here's the ridiculous part) was mindful enough to take their bleeping picture. They were stand-up little tidbits. Don't you love that old-fashioned phrase? As in, "Sarah's a stand-up gal?" You, of course, are my stand-up readers who may be eating your meal standing up and reading this. I love to picture it. And I'd love to hear about your favorite stand-up snacks.
Stand-up Sandwiches
Take a couple slices of stale-ish artisan bread or fresh if you have it. Lightly toast them. Slather some type of soft cheese on them--I used Cambozola, but you could use ricotta, chevre, cream cheese, etc. Fan slices of avocado over that, then rounds of tomato. Top with a pinch of kosher salt and red chile flakes, then drizzle with expensive olive oil that was a gift from your loving mother last weekend. Close your eyes for a second, be grateful for all the abundance in the world, then race off to your next appointment.
June 8, 2009
Reader Comments (16)
Hi!
I live in Bellingham and have a cheese shop- Quel Fromage. Your mom and I were chatting while ordering a pizza stone for me at Greenhouse and she told me about your blog. Love it! I always appreciate chomper marks in a sammie. Or anything for that matter. My husband is still trying to figure out why everything I put before him has those same marks. I tell him it's because I care about him and have thrown myself on the sword on his behalf. Just makin' sure it's safe to eat honey...
Rachel
Ha, Sarah. Very funny and realistic. I try, really REALLY hard not to eat lunch at my desk. This time of the year it is pretty easy - I can walk over to Barkley and hang out but during the winter it can be a challenge. We have a lounge in the basement...bleck. No windows. Bleck. Had to laugh though. I am going to make your mom's cookies for a potluck tomorrow at the office - they were a hit here at home and I expect the same tomorrow. Kevin probably won't be so happy they are all going to work...maybe I can leave him a couple. As long as he sits down to eat them. Happy you had a good visit up here this weekend. Take care - Beth
Hi Rachel - I LOVE your website. It is absolutely beautiful. I also happen to love cheese. If I could eat cheese all day long every day without getting fat, I would. I'd add some bacon and cream to the mix, but generally it'd be cheese. If ever I'm in Bellingham, I'll definitely be stopping by. Your site is bookmarked.
sister you're killin' me. i eat "standing up" in front of my computer a lot at work and for a time had a post it note on my computer monitor saying "Leave the office at lunch and on breaks." It worked for awhile and then blended in with the surrounding notes. But, what does work is the sun and having books to read. I've been awesome about slow meals outside during the work week the past several days, including dinner on the way back to the office tonight. Now I have a hard time getting back to work on time :) By the way, that strawberry shortcake looks fabulous and reminds me of watching Wyatt and Loretta on your birthday last year and making you strawberry shortcake for when you and Yance got home. Wyatt schooled me on how to make the whipped cream from scratch and you were very generous to love the biscuits I picked up at QFC. I vow to try your from scratch recipe sometime in the coming year. xoxo.
i LOVE your recipe and ingredients index!
Oh my goodness. That sounds ridic delish! New reader here, I'll def be back :D
I've been to your cheese shop! Quite awhile ago, and not often enough. What a beautiful place. I love that you noticed the chomper marks. Growing up, my sister and I would open our sandwiches at lunchtime, and see that my Mom had taken exactly one bite out of them. It was the big joke in our family. Guess she was just falling on the sword, too.
that just solved my dinner dilemma. thanks, sarah :)
That stand-up, make-while-bringing-in-the-groceries lunch may have involved working with more separate ingredients than any meal I have made in the last 10 years... huh.
Your sandwiches look wonderful! I'm totally with you on idealizing meal times as respites in a typical day of chaos. However, I am queen of the stand-up breakfast and have finally come to terms with it. Or queen of the sit-down-in-front-of-the-laptop breakfast. No, that's not pb toast next to me right now. Not at all.
i just got over the flu and haven't had an appetite for anything....until now!!!! omg...i want that right now.
I love these sandwiches. They are my kind of stand-up bites. I usually snack on chunks of feta cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes. Yum!
stand-up snacking is a staple whenever my brothers and i are at my mom's place in van, and it's one of my favourite way to eat. hummus, god's dip (let me know me the next time you go up and i'll tell you about the greek deli where this heavenly nectar is made), kalamata olives, pita, feta, cambazola (good call on the sandwiches!), tomatoes, cucumbers are the usuals chez helen. you will find us hovering around the kitchen island for a serious amount of time when this spread is laid out.
and also, your sandwiches look SO good!
This sounds delicious, Karl. And I'll bet your Mom lives for those times when you're all crowded around in her kitchen :)
My favorite stand up lunch ends up being what is always around, and I never get tired of eating, cheese and crakers. I'm always on the lookout for the best cracker around, or trying to duplicate one I've tried, and there is ALWAYS some kind of cheese in my fridge. If the cheese is boring I top it with some spread of some kind (which I also always have some of),chutney or plain ol dijion..........add a piece of fruit or crisp veggi and call it good.
It never dissapoints me, and it actually taste better standing up eating it.
I guess I come by it honestly, Mom. I love to stand over the counter with cheese and crackers, too. And I love how your fridge is always full of spreads. Amazing.