Jared Lang

The food in my life

Jared Lang | Highlands Today
Published: March 6, 2013

Between baseball, homework and sleep, I can hardly find time to do anything else. No matter how busy my schedule is though, I always find time to eat.

To me, eating is more than a necessity, it's a hobby. I'm constantly hungry and always munching on something. It really amazes me how fast I become hungry again after finishing a meal. I've come to believe that my mind makes me hungry when I get bored. Whether I'm doing school work, cleaning or watching TV, I always have a snack in my hand.

Around the house, I rarely eat big meals. Instead, I eat small portions all day. I usually have no prejudice against breakfast, lunch or dinner food so whatever I find in the pantry or fridge is usually what I eat. My mom knows what to keep stocked around the house.

Most of my favorite snack foods are frozen. I love frozen pizzas — especially BBQ chicken ones — and eat one at least once a week when I get home late from baseball. Also hiding in the fridge are usually a box of Uncrustables (PB&J sandwiches), frozen waffles, bacon, and — recently — frozen enchiladas. I love frozen food because it's so quick to make and actually quite delicious. It may not be the healthiest choice, but it sure is the easiest.

My refrigerator is always full of fruit. Fresh fruit is my favorite food in the world. I especially like blueberries, pears and kiwis. My mom knows to buy a lot of each now because I used to go through all the fruit in the house in about a day and leave none for her.

The fridge is also full of leftovers. I've found that no matter what we had for dinner the previous night, it'll always taste better on a sandwich the next day. That goes for chicken parmesan, meatloaf, tacos, steak and even spaghetti. There's nothing better than a good left-over sandwich.

At my house, I only drink two things: orange juice and chocolate milk. I've grown up on orange juice and developed what some would call an addiction of it. I drink a glass every morning and night and even wake up in the middle of the night sometimes to have some. I probably drink more than a carton a week and still haven't lost my love for it. I love chocolate milk almost as much and drink it after sports or a long day for its protein and carb content.

When my family goes out to eat, they don't even ask me where I want to go. They already know! Cang Tong is my favorite restaurant and never disappoints. The Chinese and Japanese cuisine is always quick and the staff is always friendly. The business just moved into a new building in the Sebring Square and now features a hibachi grill that is both entertaining and delicious.

Even with all of these tasty food options, I can honestly say that no food is ever as good as a home-cooked meal. During the busy school year, my mom doesn't get the chance to cook a lot. When she does, though, the entire house is in a good mood for a few hours after eating. The best dishes my mom makes are her chicken parmesan, meatloaf, cinnamon toast, and her stuffing and gravy.

Holidays in my family have always featured the wonderful cooking of my mom, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Maybe all the good memories that occurred around food founded my love to eat. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.