Panda Express Yourself

Mesa, Arizona is not exactly known for any one kind of cuisine.

And when you are used to living in the Chicagoland area where choices are bountiful and pizza houses are plenty, satisfying that gnawing craving is just not as easy a feat out here in the desert. 
Living in the southwest for 9 years total, I've had to assimilate and take what I can get. 

Let's start with one of my favorites...Chinese food.  My Mom always told me that she ate this food religiously while pregnant with me.  Thank you, Mom for keeping the fried rice flowing.  And she is great at cooking it too, I can attest to that.  So, whether that has any bearing on my love for a good egg roll, I'm not sure.  But I do miss the places that we used to eat: Jade East, Tao Chen, The Rice Bowl to name a few. 

Here in Mesa, the choices are rather limited: P.F. Chang (if you really want to do it up fancy), Pei Wei (Chang's more casual younger brother), and then there's the fast food of Chinese food and my guilty obsession--simply because it is right around the corner from our house--Panda Express.  W

hile pregnant, I probably visited the place twice a week just to get my sweet and sour fix.  It certainly is not anything to write home about, but sticky white rice with some concoction of peppers, pineapple, onion, asparagus, and string beans just hit the spot for me.  Not to mention those fried won tons filled with cream cheese and green onion. 

Well, on a recent visit, I took Jackson in the car seat and went in to get some dinner to-go.  It was pretty busy this particular night, and behind me in line was a mother with her son about 5 years old.  He was pointing out things that he wanted to eat, and I was simultaneously getting my food packed up in little Styrofoam containers. 

That night's fare included this really rich--and not so calorie conscious--honey walnut shrimp.  He told his mom that he wanted what I was getting, to which she replied, "No, that's not very healthy at all.  It's not good for us because it's fried." 

(Of COURSE it's not healthy, that's why it tastes so good). Mind you--she was looking RIGHT AT ME when she said it.  With a look of disgust. 

And then she went on and on about making the healthier choice, blah, blah, blah...Really, Madam???  Must you look at me with such contemp?  I was sort of just shocked that she was more concerned with my food's nutritional content than being a good example to her son.  Not exactly a sweetheart.  And hasn't she ever heard of "everything in moderation??" 

Well, anyway, I paid and passed up the "Health Department" on my way out, and decided not to really care about what she had said.  C'est la vie, and to each their own.  Mine tasted wonderful and I bet hers was just okay. 

Little lesson here:

Express yourself if you must, but don't be condescending

For little ones pick up on the messages you are sending.

Does this bath tub make me look chubby?

Helping with the laundry is hard work...
I think I'll just take a rest in this warm basket of clothes.