11/12/2025
For my first official post, I have already fucked up. My intention is to write the post on the same day as I make the featured "Keshav Breakfast", but here it is a Wednesday morning and I am writing about food I made last Tuesday morning. But at least I am following another intention I set for myself with this project, which is to "be honest". And honestly, the above breakfast was so delicious!
I struggle to feed Keshav foods he likes that are also good for him, because if it were up to him, he would eat bread, meat and cheese for every meal. Oh, and cheese fries. Or pizza, which I guess is bread, meat, and cheese. While there is nothing wrong with these foods, a diet made up of them exclusively is obviously lacking in vegetables and fruits.
This means that I have to be creative, and make his vegetables and fruits hidden, look and taste like meat, or be so goddamn good that he can't complain about them. I think the above dish checked at least a couple of those boxes, with homemade guacamole spread on whole grain bread from Schat's Bakery in Bishop, followed with an egg fried in pesto, and the whole thing topped with hot honey chickpeas. Protein and grains, baby!
He liked it.
I made one for myself at the same time, which I don't always do, because I prefer to eat a bit later in the day. But if it is a workout day, I do like to get some food in my stomach ahead of time. And this was a workout day.
My workout schedule is varied, focusing on the three pillars of strength, flexibility, and balance. To those ends I incorporate weight training, HIIT workouts, yoga, and Shaolin so that I don't just look fit, I also move well in the world.
When I was younger, my workouts focused on making my body attractive, and while that continues to be important to me, it is important for different reasons as an older man. Mostly, it is about not looking old in the way people imagine people looking in their 60's. I am inspired by those centenarians who are featured in Blue Zone documentaries, who continue to work gardens, walk up and down hills, tend farm animals, and in general live active lives on a daily basis.
When I am taking the subway, I notice I am often the only one using the stairs instead of the escalator, but I take pride in the fact that I can climb several flights of stairs without becoming short of breath. Fun fact: Did you know that escalators were never meant to be "ridden"? I read that they were meant to make it faster for people to climb the stairs. You can fact check me on that if you feel the need, but I like the story whether it is true or not.
We have grown accustomed to comfort. And by we, I include myself. I love having hot water, heat and A/C, a secure home, cozy sheets, and all the food I need without having to grow it or kill it. But I am also aware of how that comfort can work against me, especially when I lose patience when things don't work or are not available. So I make things a bit difficult for myself on a daily basis, like when I climb three flights of stairs from the subway, or carry my groceries while walking home, or warming up leftovers in the oven instead of a microwave (which we don't have).
On the other hand, I make things really easy for Keshav, especially by waking early to make him a fresh, hot breakfast every day he goes to work. I provide comfort to him, while welcoming discomfort for myself. But it works--he is not as eager as I am to make things difficult for himself because he does not need to at this point--he is young and life is still plenty difficult for him without needing an invitation.
But last Tuesday morning his life was not difficult. He woke to a plate of Morning Glory Pesto Egg Avocado Toast, and an espresso. He was able to enjoy that before going to the ER and dealing with who knows what would show up. Don't we all need a springboard from which to jump into the pool? I hope my breakfast provided him a clean entry.
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