As you may remember, my wife and I were apart for about 7 months in 2014 due to her military training away from home. As you can imagine, that was one of the roughest times of my life. We truly do  everything together. She’s my best friend, and being apart for so long was hard on us both.

One of the hardest parts for her honestly was the food. During basic training, she had to learn how to eat meals in less than ten minutes. At that point, you’re basically just shoveling and swallowing a full meal that would fuel you through all your training. And on top of that, getting down 3 glasses of fluid. Let’s just say, food turned into something dreadful and not so pleasant. Many of her letters home said how much she missed my home-cooked meals and just being able to enjoy food.

When I saw this Western Union video, I was brought to tears thinking about how my wife must have felt being so far from home and her comfort-zone. I didn’t expect a Western Union video to be able to pull at my heart-strings, but when I saw what this was all about, I was reaching for the tissues.

It’s crazy how food ties us to some of our fondest memories. As children. As adults. We are drawn to food as a way to bring us closer to emotions that you’re longing to feel.

In one of my wife’s letters home, she specifically said she missed my meatloaf and cozy sandwiches. Those are the foods that made her think of home the most. And that’s really saying a lot, as my meatloaf is vegetarian. No meat. Just full of comfort, love, and deliciously real food.

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture, upload it to Instagram and tag me (@happyfoodholly) and use the hashtag #inspiredbyholly

You may be wondering how a company that helps money transfers take place is related to food. This whole project began when Western Union held a customer-appreciation event at their retail location, where they spoke with customers and invited them customers to share their stories around food, family and culture on camera. They were struck by the cultural diversity of the participants, their strong sense of family and their love of native foods. It’s clear that food is a part of someone’s cultural identity and a link to family and good memories.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Looking for More Vegetarian Comfort Food?

Veggie-Filled Enchilada Pasta Casserole – Kitchen Treaty
Melty Roasted Veggie Sandwiches – Happy Food Healthy Life
Portabella Stroganoff – Oh My Veggies
Nachos with Vegan Cheese – Happy Food Healthy Life

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