Oh, to be there again...

seriously, someone please make me get out of bed.  And for the love of all that is holy, please pry mac from my fingers.

I enjoy mornings in bed, drinking my coffee, and catching up in the blog world, but people, I move to kansas city in 4 days. I've GOT to start packing. seriously.

What am I doing instead? Trying to find a savory tart to christen my new tart pan.  I've got some ideas... I see tomatoes... fresh herbs... cheese... wine...

I need to be moving to Paris instead.

I got into a recent conversation with someone about the differences in the health care systems and overall well beings of people in America vs. people in Europe.  It's astonishing how there is such a lack of obese people in Europe.  However, look at what they eat? There's cheese, wine, and bread in France... Chorizo, paella, tortilla española, and delicious Tiggiani gelato in Spain... heavy pasta, pizza and wine in Italy...

but nobody is fat.  The only slightly obese people I saw in these countries were the elderly. To me, that comes with age and is indicative of a well-lived life.

I had meals of these sizes twice a day in Spain for two and a half months...

(The first course of a meal in Madrid)

(these are the remnants of a meal... I was actually given half a loaf of bread to pair with my roast chicken and half a tortilla española)

And almost nightly (sometimes twice a day), we followed up our meals with this...

And guess what? I hardly gained any weight.  Walking 30 minutes to class and 30 minutes back was my salvation.  Why don't Americans do this? I really am curious. And why do Americans not value their meals? Eating times in Europe are the chances to spend time with friends and family (They take a two hour break in the middle of the day to go home and eat)... they value their meals and the time they spend eating them.  In America, when lunch time hits, people run to the nearest fast food chain to scarf down whatever they can.  How did we get off track with this mentality?

Now don't get me wrong, as soon as I returned to the states my American ways set back in and are currently in practice right now (seriously, someone please make me get out of bed).

Contemplating these issues makes me yearn for the days in Europe all over again...

I'm all for my friends and family packing up and moving there.  Who's with me?