Beans on Toast: 06/10 - The Beginning

 After being here in London for a week, I finally took a special trip to the grocery store and picked up the light blue can of Heinz beans, whole wheat bread (because whole wheat was slightly cheaper than white bread), and lactose free butter (because I’ve never heard of such a thing). And for £5, I finally set off to make the oh so famous Beans and Toast. In my communal kitchen, I toasted two slices of bread (slightly burnt), and put a little butter on each slice because bread tastes better with butter. Before consuming, I opened the can of beans which smelled like tomato sauce and put a hefty spoonful amounts of beans on each toast. I hesitated because the combination would never have been thought of otherwise in my household. I should have filmed my experience to show my future kids that their mom tried this outer world combination. With a deep breath, I took my first bite…. ? Why is this delicious? I don’t understand. It was so delicious. I don’t know if it helps that I like beans, or the tomato sauce adds a savory flavor. But I really like this combination. And the cost of everything for £5 when I have enough for 2 more meals of beans and toast, make this meal unbeatable as my new “college student struggle meal.” This beats my instant ramen and egg combination in terms of effort, cost, and nutritional value. In my instant ramen, it has more carbs than protein, and an overload of sodium. But my American food pyramid told me that whole wheat bread is healthy carbs, beans have beneficial protein, and butter is delicious. I am, surprisingly, a big fan. 

So far, in the past week I have visited, the City of London, two different museums, Kensington Palace, Greenwich, Nottingham Gate, and explored Kensington/ Chelsea area. If I know which trains to take or which bus to catch for class, does this make me a local or a well explored tourist? I think the latter. But throughout all these travels, I realized my most satisfying travels have been where I do the unexpected and not the checklists on the tourist guides you pick up at the hotels. For instance, I’m currently writing this on an hour long bus ride from London bridge to 221B Baker Street. On this cloudy Sunday afternoon, I have no plans nor any appointments, so I figure that I’m okay with taking the bus because 1) it’s free for me, and 2)I get to see more of London this way without having to walk the journey. I do appreciate the tube station, but it can be exhausting just going underground and walking. I’m a bus rider at home in the US, so I’m okay with the journey and time consumption of taking it. It also gives me opportunity to site see places I may want to visit in the future. What better way to fuel my day then with beans and toast to start my day of exploring.