Food is such an important topic our lives. For me personally, I have some dietary restrictions and allergies. Dairy is my big dietary battle. I am lactose intolerant, perhaps even allergic (I never bothered to get tested after my doctor had me quit dairy). I get sad faces and condolences when I tell people about it. I do miss cheesecake, but I also enjoy avoiding feeling like crap after eating something. Today there are SOOOO many dairy alternative options, I'm confident that I'm really not missing anything. Including cheesecake, there are non dairy options for that too!

Being dairy free has put me into a pickle every once in a while when we eat out. There's only a few pizza places that offer dairy free options. Many have vegan options, which I always opt for. I'm not vegan, but I truly enjoy eating vegan foods. It is a safe go to, I admire the creativity and I do love vegetables. Feel my side eye to those who are just going to troll me about that.

I'm not here to lecture anyone about food but, I do highly recommend David Chang's Ugly Delicious series on Netflix for some cultural insight on food. (Bonus for an Eric Wareheim appearance! #fangirl.) The series is so good, it was worth a rewatch for me. It got me thinking about how my family's life revolves around food. We sit down as a family every night to a meal and talk about our day. It's centering and it makes me feel good to be thoughtful about what I make for us to eat. You should see our fanfare around Thanksgiving. Also, the series made me appreciate my "hapa" heritage and that I survived the "strange lunch" phase of my life. That food is now cool? Life has come full circle for me.

On a whim I felt that some food related magnets were in order. Something with a bit of a retro vibe as a nod to my childhood. Let me know what you think about them and tell me about your food life. Are you like us and consider what type of food will be in the area when traveling? Do you want to break the cycle of microwavable meals? Are you like me and don't own a microwave. Or are you and adventurous eater out to try new things? I'm interested!

Lasers and love - Thea