Junk Food Bonanza

I’m a little sad because I’ve already depleted my junk food stash and I’m not even sure how it happened. Well, I mean I do… but I don’t.

I’ve found that when I’m in a time of stress, my eating patterns can go either one of two ways: I barely eat anything or I eat everything in sight, honing in on garbage in particular. Unless I’m dealing with a heartbreak, I tend to fall into the second category.

Partially due to the fact that my kitchen cabinet is stocked with goodies from my home and native land, Canada, I couldn’t resist the temptation of the enticing chocolate confections. Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate drizzled popcorn, Girl Guide cookies… and to wash it all down, some vino from my new homeland.

So what’s got me so stressed? A couple of things. Though I am beyond grateful and thrilled to finally be in Italy, the bureaucratic processes for permits of stay and all those other fun legal documents have been a bit of a headache, especially given the circumstances surrounding Covid. All of that coupled with adjusting to a new roommate, new dwelling and trying to figure out how everything in this new life works, it’s been a bit of a challenge. But even if things don’t always go as planned, I’ve learned that sometimes that’s alright. You take the hardships (however shitty they may be) and try to grow from them. Luckily, I’m now in a position where I have the help of some delicious wines and snacking salami to help me cope with whatever challenges I face.

The funny thing about indulging in junk food and wine is that it makes me feel like I’ve reached some luxurious level of adulthood. I can have my favourite snacks from my chunky childhood, but couple that with an elegant beverage and suddenly it’s high brow. Potato chips and Chardonnay, baby.

Interestingly enough, this snacking combo isn't necessarily always the stuff of someone down on their luck. Wine and junk food pairings are actually a thing! As a kid I remember being fascinated with the LCBO’s complimentary Food & Drink magazine—not much has changed. I distinctly remember an article about pairing takeout with wine and thinking to myself, “Wow I can't wait to be a grown up and order KFC and have a bottle of Champagne to wash it all down!” While that fantasy has yet to fruition, I still remain quite intrigued at the aspect of mixing two seemingly different things. Molson and a Domino’s pizza, yes that makes sense. But buffalo wings and a bottle of Lambrusco?!

In doing a bit of research here are some funky pairings I can across…

• Chardonnay + White Chocolate

• Merlot + Meatball Subs

• Sherry + Peanut Butter Cups

• Lambrusco + Cotton Candy

• Zinfandel + Korean bbq

• Garnacha + Corndogs

• Moscato + Starbursts

• Rose + PB & J

• Pinot Gris + Hotdogs

• Riesling + Sweet and Sour Chicken…also an Egg McMuffin, which I’m obviously gonna need to try when I get back home!

Though my wine and junk food nights have not been terribly focused on pairing complimentary flavours, I think it would be fun to host a wine and junk food soirée in the near future. With Halloween fast approaching, keep your eye out for a candy and wine post.

Because my last few nights have been wine and chocolate-fuelled Netflix binges, I’m trying to ease out of the sugar coma and make some healthier daytime decisions. With the arrival of a new yoga mat from Amazon, I thought it perfect to get back into Chloe Ting workouts and protein-packed salads—a feat that’s proving harder now that I’ve adopted the carbolic Italian way of life. While I try to make smarter and more sustainable choices, I don’t think my nights of wine and junk food are even close to being behind me; but to be honest, I don’t really care. We all deserve to indulge a little bit.

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What’s your fav thing to snack on after a long day? Let me know and I'll make sure to harass my parents into sending me a care package of said goodies!