I have a ton of packing to do (and we all know how I feel about that)…
The Current Packing Situation
The Packing List
… Plus I have some things I must do in my personal life before heading overseas. I need a “free day!”
I would also love a free day because I’m having such a difficult time concentrating on anything other than my upcoming trip. Whenever I’ve opened up a document to make some edits at work today, my mind starts thinking about things I cannot forget to pack or about how flippin’ excited I am! I’ve clearly got ants in my pants!
Fortunately filling up a tumbler of hot tea puts me into “work mode” for some reason, so I have managed to get some pivotal things done at work this afternoon. Phew!
Lunch
Lunch today was so, so good! I love it when I pack a lunch for myself that ends up being exactly what I’m in the mood for when lunchtime rolls around.
Today I made a big salad that included lots of fresh veggies.
Every Veggie Salad
In the mix:
- Butter lettuce (My new favorite kind of lettuce!)
- Carrots
- Orange, yellow and red pepper
- Grape tomatoes
- BBQ pulled chicken
- Balsamic vinaigrette
So Bright 'n' Pretty
The chicken was definitely the highlight.
The lowlight = Grape tomatoes. They were too squishy and honestly made me gag. I ate one before eating my way around the rest. What a bust of a buy!
The totally off-putting texture of the grape tomatoes got me thinking about how texture affects what foods we love and hate. For the most part, I can put aside texture in favor of flavor, but there are certain foods I just can’t enjoy because of their odd texture, namely canned green beans, canned mushrooms and overly ripe tomatoes. Bleh!
Question of the Afternoon
- Are there certain foods you avoid solely because of the texture?
P.S. The Fashion page was updated!
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I usually LOVE grape ‘maters but if they’re squishy…oh helllll no! Mealy, mushy veggies/fruits/ANY food is just no no…reminds me of puke. Oops, sorry, glad you already ate lunch 🙂
SO pumped for you to go to Europe! it’s gonna be amazing!
Cooked eggs. Bleh. Seriously, I don’t know what it is about the texture, but they just make me gag!! I’m okay with most foods in general, but every once in awhile I’ll eat a bad or weirdly prepared version of something and be absolutely grossed out!
Too squishy grape tomatoes are THE worst!! I don’t love canned artichokes by themselves (fine in a dip)–they are tad too squishy!ha.
SO excited for you and your trip-that is quite the list 🙂 But at least you know you have ANYthing you could possibly need over there. I hate packing, so I am not so jealous over that situation 😉 haha. Love the chicken in a salad idea-btw.
AHHHHHHHHHH bad grape tomatoes are a fate worse than death. Squishy ones are usually half rotten and also taste terrible. Tragic.
I don’t really have too many texture issues (but if something smells even ever so slightly off, forget about it!!!) but my mom cannot eat anything with a squishy texture! She’ll literally gag.
Canned mushrooms are something I cannot stand, and it’s why I can’t order mushrooms on a pizza. They just taste so …. squishy. And I can’t eat soft grapes! Grapes have to be crunchy, otherwise I can’t enjoy eating them.
Usually texture doesn’t bother me and sometimes is what makes the food awesome. With that said, I cannot and will not eat the seed part of tomatos… unless it’s paired with the “rough” part. The texture is disgusting and wayyyy too slimy. 🙂
Have fun on your trip!
I love massive salads with everything and anything in them!
That salad looks delicious and so colorful, im impressed with your packing skills, I packed for my vaca today and literally just threw some stuff in a bag, hopefully I have what I need haha
Ick! I hate squishy tomatoes like that! I also hate when grapes get like that. Ew!
So exciting about your trip! I can’t wait t read about it! 🙂
I avoid, at all costs, frozen green peas! For as long as I can remember I have hated them, and the feeling is still there!
Canned mushrooms? Blah!!! Hope you find time for everything!
Mayonnaise, or anything similar to it in consistency (I’m looking at you, pudding!). Seriously, it makes me gag.
Btw, you might want to make a list of things to buy when you’re in Europe so you don’t have to pack them. I’m thinking mainly toiletries, which take up space. Buy some when you’re over there and don’t need to worry about carry-on size and rules, then toss it when you’re done with your trip.
Also, don’t bring any really expensive jewelry unless you’ll be wearing them nonstop (like your wedding and engagement rings or your watch). If they’re on you they’re less likely to be stolen, and I’m sure you have plenty of awesome jewelry that won’t break your heart if they go missing somehow.
Hot tea puts me in work mode too!
I’ve been sitting at my desk all morning and have needed 2 big tumblers of tea (so far) to accomplish anything
I think you are very organized for being 2 days away from your trip!
a little caffeine can certainly help!
I hope you are able to get to all of your to-do’s I know the feeling of being behind!
I tend not to ever make soups because I prefer foods/meals with texture and crunch! 😛
I like chicken but sometimes the way it’s cooked makes the texture just too nasty for me to stand eating! So weird how that affects what we enjoy so much…
I usually need a vacation after my vacation.
Weird textured foods include mushrooms, eggplant, soft tofu, sprouts, and sour cream / mayo.
yes! eggplant gets me too sometimes.
I definitely have texture issues! I used to hate pudding and yogurt because of the texture, but they’ve grown on me. I can’t think of any other examples, but I know they exist – I wouldn’t have eaten those tomatoes, either!
I have a feeling you are going to want a vacation AFTER your vacation as well!!
My mind is mentally checked out before i go on vaca so being at work is so pointless!
Honestly mushrooms in general are no good — sometimes in a stir-fry I don’t mind them. Other than that I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to food!
I LOVEE grape tomatoes!! but regular are better!! I cant stand chia pudding for the texture! slimy-=yuck!
Your coming trip that’s so exiting! And packing, I know this can be reaaally hard! I used to travl with twice my weight in my suitcase but I try to work on it ^^And I see you’re organised!
I also hate packing, but I do the exact same thing as you with the list!!! I also used to hate eating raw tomatos and even now can’t do it without scooping out the seeds and mushy bits. Something about the texture, like you said, I just can’t handle!
I can’t eat peas and mushrooms because of their texture. I’ve tried but I just can’t get over it !
Mushrooms !!! No matter how they are cooked I can’t handle them !! It’s a shame too because they look so tasty :-/
I would like to share with you the simplest, yet most brilliant way to pack: google docs. Yes, it is revolutionary. I feel like it is so much easier to have everything on a digital list that can be constantly updated… also, you can share this list with your sister for example if she is going – and she may have things to add or things that you may just want to bring one of (like a blowdryer, which of course you’ll need a converter for)!
Good luck- I haaaaaaate packing too, and focusing on work before vacation!
Where do I start?! 😉 The worst texture for me is Jello – I cannot gag it down for the life of me.
I don’t really have texture issues so much with food (okay, maybe just a few!), but with other random objects, like just things that have creepy textures. I don’t really understand it, and I probably sound completely crazy. My husband thinks it’s weird and hilarious. 🙂
I don’t eat fruit because of the texture (and taste….but mainly it’s a texture thing). Yes, that includes all fruit except for the occasional apple….but I usually only “eat” apples when I juice them.
Hey girl — don’t waste your precious suitcase space packing shampoo, conditioner, etc! Maybe bring the face wash and face lotion that you like, but just buy a bottle of each when you get there, share them with your mom/sister, and toss before you leave! I promise you won’t regret it 🙂
Jello for me as well! it’s so mushy !
So excited to see blog posts about your trip to europe! 🙂
Water chestnuts! Yuck!
Glad to see water chestnuts made the list – YUCK!!
Not too many issues with texture, but a mealy apple or tomato totally puts me off! I love grape tomatoes when they’re good, though! Perfectly poppable and I love the little burst they make in your mouth! So good!
I love having a trip to look forward to! It definitely makes it hard to concentrate on anything else.. but it looks like you will be well-prepared (I always make lists as well).
And that salad looks amazing!
I hate packing. I always forget things even when I make a list. Every time.
Your salad looks great.. something I would have been in the mood for!
I can’t do tomatoes or mushrooms because of their squishiness.
I cannot handle raw fish in the form of sashimi. It makes me skin crawl just thinking about it!
Hey Julie,
It looks like you have “curling iron” on your list. Anything with a heating element does not do well with a converter. I personally fried my curling iron in Italy. Rock your gorgeous straight hair!
You’re going to have an amazing time! Take lots of pictures so we can live vicariously through you! <3
Texture doesn’t really bother me… it usually happens after I take a bite that doesn’t go the way it was supposed to. Like your grape tomato episode today. I had a nasty squishy strawberry yesterday amidst my good ones and almost gagged.
That’s too bad about the tomatoes….I’m definitely like that!! I can’t stand anything too squishy! 😛
That is quite the packing list! I like to think I’m pretty organized, but definitely not that organized.
As for texture – an overripe banana. Cannot eat those. They gross me out. Regular banana is just fine. So I save those overripe ones for smoothies and bread.
Also, blackberries – I don’t like the seeds in them. I love the flavor, but no seeds, so I can’t eat them.
I tried tofu for the first time the other day and the texture made my gag!
I’m the same as you with making packing lists! It must be done! Is Ryan going with you or is it just your immediate family?
Hey Julie!
I forgot to ask … is Ryan going on this trip as well? How do you guys plan on getting through the rest of the year with no vacation time? I haven’t been in a corporate job for so long now (I’m self-employed) … I was wondering how the stresses of hoping to not get sick, need time off, etc are going? Not to be a downer … this trip sounds like a lifetime opportunity 🙂 I hope you have a great time 🙂
no, ryan is not going. 🙁 he had a hiking trip planned for the end of the month w/ a bunch of his guy friends & my family’s trip came up afterward & we had to go at this time b/c my sister starts her new job on may 16 and only had these 2 weeks off. i’m bummed!
about me using up all of my vacation time, stay tuned… 😉
Oh yippee. I think I have an idea …. just call me Ms. Intuitive 🙂 Can’t wait to hear all about it! Good luck with finding time for all this vacation prep 🙂
I’m the same way before vacations. All I can think about is all the fun I’m going to have. I hate overripe tomatoes. Definitely a salad killer!
It is totally understandable that you could need a free day before leaving! I always make lists and pack and repack and then repack again yet I am always in need of that extra day!
Cottage cheese. I’ve been trying to get myself to like it because there’s so many great combo’s out there, but I still can’t stomach it!! 🙁
Oh & if I were you I wouldnt be able to concentrate either, your gonna have an amaaazing time on your trip! 🙂
OH MY GOSH cottage cheese
I can’t eat quinoa burgers because of the texture. My sister is vegetarian and will make these occasionally..and I don’t know why, but the texture bothers me. I also don’t like the texture of tofu. If I eat it, I have to try really hard not to think about it.
I hate mealy apples. Any apple that isn’t absolutely crunchy just grosses me out! And butter lettuce is my new fave too! I just recently discovered it. It actually tastes good!