Sleep Training: Saga #23

1.5 hours of:

rocking
walking
bouncing
one poopy diaper change
3 "time alone" aka sit in crib for one minute to calm down when aggressively kissing mom to avoid sleeping
Constant shushing sound
11 oz of milk
second filling of bottle gave in and warmed it
4 times dog came in and out of bedroom
yelled at whining dog
plethora of M and M's aka my drug of  choice
3 times "I mean it this time. It's time for night night."

Finally napping
Then 45 minutes later a little more bouncing.
and napping again.....


1.5 hours of work for 1.5 hours of napping = unusually bad afternoon.

Oh to Be Young

The other night while rocking Mr. B to sleep, he giggled in his sleep.  Not smiled, but an actual cute giggle.  I wonder what a 16 month old could dream about to make him giggle.
 
Then, tonight he fell asleep during dinner (because the little guy was too interested in the zoo, his buddy I, and then later his dog, T, to take naps today).  Yep, he slumped over asleep with a green bean in his mouth.  I should probably confess to my husband, D, that I did the same thing as a kid.  Or maybe I should save that story for a cold winter night with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate....mmmmm.....oh yeah, funny sleeping stories, I lost myself in chocolate world for a minute.......Gotta go the kitchen now

Dreamily yours,
T

My new Love...sorry D...it was a lovely marriage

Actually it is a threesome that I am lusting after...myself, a salted caramel apple, and a caramel apple covered in crushed pretzels.  Mmmmmmm....I need you....I can't live without you....oops a little drool on my keyboard.
I found these ideas on one of my favorite blogs. The Pioneer Woman...She seems so genuinely herself, a bit of blogger inspiration for me.  So, back to my new love affair.  I have 6 days until Halloween, a messy house due to next item, ongoing family illness, work to do, diapers to wash, a playdate, weekly bread baking, disinfectant all purpose cleaner to mix up, a costume to make, and apparently I now need (yep, I mean need) to make these apples.  Just take a look at this picture
my new love.

I know the combinations sound odd, but let me explain.  On family vacation this year, my husband D and I shared a concrete with crushed pretzels in the front seat while Mr. B napped in his carseat in the backseat.  It was so heavenly, soothing all my taste buds.  I regretted "sharing" it with D, although I think my son missing out added a guilty pleasure component to the overall yum.

So, please do yourself a favor and try this.

My husband, D, just brought me a salted caramel (ok, so I won't leave him for a caramel apple).  I thought it was meant as a request to not add another task of making caramel apples to a busy week.  Instead, he said go ahead and make them, "But please don't get the kitchen sticky!" He knows me well and brings me caramels.  He's definitely a keeper.  Thanks D! Love you!!

Laundry Confessions...My Soap Opera

No this is not a post detailing my never ending piles of laundry...no one really wants to hear about anyone else's literal dirty laundry.

As I was taking sun bleached cloth diapers off the line today, I noticed they do not look as good as they once did. The cloth inserts are developing holes and general wear and tear, likely worsened by the occasional tumbling in our gas dryer. I love to see the white diapers hanging on the line since it appeals to my frugal and green sensibilities.  The honest or as I call it, I can't tell a lie to save my soul, side of me must admit that this has not occurred with every diaper cycle recently.  Due to weather, ongoing family illness, and working hours I made a laundry compromise to use the gas dryer more often.  I really enjoyed hanging almost all of our laundry on the line this Summer.  It saved us money and became a new way to be green, plus I learned a new skill...aka I got good at it.  I know just how to hang most things to prevent wrinkles and we found out that only towels are a problem.  The first use of each sun dried towel provided an after shower exfoliation (they were scratchy).  So, I am back to machine drying most things since the cool of Autumn does not keep up with the frequency of my loads even though I have two long clothes lines. 

Diapers due to poop stains and durability get on the line as often as possible.  I wash diapers every other day and each time about 2/3 of the diaper stash is washed.  So, I figure in his 16 months of life, I have washed each diaper 160 times...Wow!!!  I really should be amazed they only have holes in them.  The thing is I want them to last through potty training (yep, that's the frugal and green part of me again) and since as you know Mr. B is of the boy persausian this will not likely be anytime soon.  If each diaper has been used on average 160 times, I wonder how many diaper changes I have done so far?  I am currently refusing to do that math.  If I change my mind, you all will be the first to know.

BTW, the laundry confessions will likely continue since our washing machine appears to be dying.  This should come as no surprise since it has been in hospice for several years now.

Sincerely,
Mr. B's laundry service

A Yummy way to stay warm while camping

A while back, I learned an interesting social service provided in Canada.  To help the homeless, warm baked potatoes are given away inside a new tube sock in the evening. It serves many purposes including warmth for the night, food the next day, and a new sock.  What an awesome idea!!! Cost efficient, humanitarian...what's not to love. Thus, I quickly adopted this idea for my own use.  Several years ago, I started with two white potatoes baked in a camp fire.  One for my feet and one for my trunk to stay warm in my sleeping bag and the next morning for yummy, warming campfire hashbrowns.  This weekend during a family camping trip, we tried it, but with a new twist.  We didn't actually need the warmth (ironic, given the weather shift that has me huddled under a blanket right now).  This time I used sweet potatoes with the intent of soup.  Although I must confess I have never made this type of soup, I love a challenge and tend to prefer cooking without recipes.  Because measuring spoons do not get packed for camping, I am estimating the amounts based on sight, so feel free to season to taste. 

By the way, one compliment I received is "I just want to bathe in it."  It was yummy and soothing and as I savored its warmth it blanketed my mouth and stomach in every important way.  I am adding this to my winter repertoire...black bean, chili, minestrone, squash, Provincial White Bean Soup, Kidney Bean and Kale Soup, Black Eyed Pea and Greens, etc.  I make a very large batch of each and deep freeze, typically only making each 1-2 times per year. 

So without further ado, here is my new Sweet Potato Soup, which serves 10 adults a good sized serving. Cut in half if this is too much for you.  I will probably double this the next time I make it.

Bake in either your oven (great way to decrease potentially wasted energy when preheating for baking bread) or a campfire or your fire pit out back when you have friends over, 6 pounds of sweet potatoes. 
Peel potatoes, waiting until a little cooled if you  like your fingertips to remain in place.

Chop 1 lb of onions and cook in oil in a large soup pot
When beginning to brown add 2 prunes (next time I will likely try 8 prunes)...this adds depth of flavor and natural sweetness, much like my homemade BBQ sauce.
Then add 1 Tablespoon of each of the following sweet curry powder, Chinese 5 spice powder, garlic powder, and ground ginger (the kind in the jar). Also add 1/2 Tablespoon black pepper. Stir and cook for one minute. Then deglaze pan with 1/2 cup of orange juice.
Add all the potatoes and 1 quart of vegetarian stock.
When warm, puree with an immersion blender (small and easy to take camping if you have electricity at your cite)
Then add, one more quart of vegetarian stock and 1 cup of cream or half and half (we used the latter since we had it already for camp coffee.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy either alone as we did or with a dollop of creme fraiche or candied orange peel.

Sorry there are no pictures, it was a busy weekend...3 families, 2 dogs, 1 playground, 1 festival, 2 loaves of homemade bread...yum, loud neighbors, 2 hours drive each way, 1 stroller strapped to the roof of a car, 1 pack n play (seriously recommended when camping with a little one), and 1 visit to medical professionals ;) yep, that's how we roll.

BBQ Sauce with a Twist

Warning: This recipe contains something quite unexpected.

We do not eat meat and thus I must find ways to add depth of flavor so that my sauces will meet the taste my imagination creates.  A few odd things that I use are garlic in multiple forms, blackstrap molasses, button mushrooms, and .....the secret ingredient for today......prunes for natural sweetness, the depth that comes from the drying process, a pleasing purpley brown caste to the final product, and thick sumptuous texture.

So here goes, this is my basic BBQ sauce and I will describe how to alter it to fit your taste and style...or if you are low on the style quotient then just go with the recipe, but instead of basic call it Original, that'll get people wondering and expecting something yummy.

BTW, this makes a large quantity, but you can easily cut it in 1/2 or 1/4, just taste and adjust the basic seasonings.  It's all in the eye of the beholder taste of the eater.

12 oz package of dried pitted prunes
1 1/4 cups of boiling water
8 cloves garlic peeled
1 large onion
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons of chopped chipoltes in adobo
1/4 cup dijon mustard, honey, molasses, worsteshire, packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons allspice
3 Tablespoons of paprika (smoked would be awesome)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
all the prune liquid

Pour boiling water over prunes and leave to steep in the bowl for 20-30 minutes.

Chunk up the onion and add along with garlic to full size food processor and run blade until finely chopped.

Add all the remaining ingredients except the last two.

I am not usually this neat and organized with the food processor, but I wanted a cool picture.

Now while the machine is running add the last two ingredients to increase the smoothness of the sauce.

Now find the pan in your cupboard that is just barely the right size as I have done here (see final picture for full proof.)  It increases the fun, but if you would like life to be slightly easier and of course less messy...not that I know much about that...please use a bigger pan.

Turn on to medium low heat and add 10 small cans (6 oz) of tomato paste or 5 (12 oz) cans or 3 (18 oz) plus one 6 oz can.  (tomato paste has a raw, undeveloped taste that begs for a bit of cooking...in addition facilitates the digestion of the lycopene)

Cook for a few minutes

Then add all of the contents of the food processor, stirring, and then cook gently on low for 10-15 minutes.

For a more mustard based sauce, double or triple the dijon mustard.
For a sweeter sauce, double the brown sugar and molasses.
For a deep but not sweet sauce, double the molasses.
For a spicy sauce, increase chipoltes to 1/2 cup and add to taste any ground hot pepper

The final sauce bubbling away....yummm, where's my bean burger!!

I was pairing this one with black beans and ribs for some meat eaters.  So, I made a sweet and deep sauce....very yummy!!!

Yes, this does make quite a large quantity of sauce.  I was cooking for a large crowd of 65 people, but I find that in order to have more homemade foods free of HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup)...try to find a good BBQ sauce without it in your normal store with a reasonable cost.  Therefore, I like to make sauces in large quantity because they take time, yet make later cooking of healthy and homemade dishes simple and quick.  This sauce freezes well.  I personally find a deep freeze essential in maintaining our healthy family.  Of course, you could cut all ingredients in half, but if you are getting out your food processor, might as well go for it.

The Compromise:  Prunes in your BBQ sauce, yep people might start calling you a nutrition freak

The Sweet Reward:  Yummy food that is healthier and one less reason to run to the store during summer grilling.

Easy Carmelized Onions

Yep, this is the solid truth.  They are easy.  I found a crock pot version of making caramelized onions and my life has never been the same again.  It is so easy that I do not even look up the recipe on the website anymore. I just do it.  First slice as many onions as you can fit in your largest crock pot leaving at least one inch of space at the top.  I have a large one, so typically I my husband, D, slices up about 4 pounds of whatever onions we have on hand (I cry when I run out so we always have some.  Actually, I also cry when I slice them. Typically, I can not even get through the second one, so my knight in shining armor comes to my rescue. Thanks D for doing what I can't). Last time he found out the mandolin (we just have a cheap one) worked like a charm. Have not tried my beloved food processor yet, but guessing it would be helpful too.  Put all the onions in crock pot, add one stick of melted salted butter (or add a bit of salt if unsalted butter is what you have on hand).  Turn it to low and let it go overnight or for about 8 hours.  They are cooked, yummy, and even have a bit of liquid. The onion liquid is perfect if turning this into soup or stirring them cooled into sour cream for the best french onion dip you have ever had.  Or you can take the lid off and turn crock to high for about one hour, stirring occasionally.

They are essentially steaming so they are not quite as tasty as the original method in the pan. Thus, I use this method when they are going in something, such as dip, soup, sandwiches, or pizza. For pasta and appetizers, I still prefer the energy draining method on the stove top.

The compromise:  Your house will smell like White Castle

The sweet reward: so many caramelized onions and they keep for a really long time in the fridge ready for an easy meal.  And you look so cool when you have the neighbors over for pizza night and you have a big bowl of these yummies.

Our pizza toppings from a dinner with good friends

I can not resist bowls full of yummy things

Toppings include from the top: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil from my garden, arugula from my garden, garden pesto, caramelized onions, mushrooms, regular mozzarella, dried figs sliced, black olives, homemade BBQ sauce (recipe coming soon), slivered almonds, cream cheese, golden raisins, blue cheese.  We love the combo of golden raisin, mozzarella or feta, almonds, and a sweet spicy sauce

D's hot sauces....love the still life...the pretty girl upfront is peach habanero (so yummy)

Coffee for Babies...or just the grinder

As I was grinding coffee beans today--a much needed first second third task of the morning...Mr. B and well visiting a certain room always come first...  Back on track, I promise ;) As I was grinding those fragrant beans (I do love all kinds of bean...I am sure that I mentioned that), I remembered the trick that I figured out that saved my baby food making, yet somehow was nowhere to be found in my research.  Here's the thing:  my first inspiration to become a blogger was the frustration (mother of all invention, right?) I developed when encountering a lack of knowledge about how to make homemade baby food.  I dislike processed food, meat, additives..... so it just was obvious that I should make my baby food, but how?  So, of course I turned to the internet.  But, with being a busy mom of a 2 month old, this was easier said than done.  I had plenty of time since I planned to wait until he was 6 months old to make sure that breast milk continued to be his primary nutrient, but I knew that at 3 months old, I was back to work full-time. I found information on nutrients, when to start each food (even unusual ones like kiwi or kamut), recipes, and how to introduce.  I was so excited, until I tried making the cereals, which is the traditional first foods to offer.  I ground them in my mini food processor per the recommendation.  Then, I cooked and cooked and cooked them down, adding more water as I went, but still there were small bits of grain.  So, like a broken record I put the cooked grains back in the mini chopper (I am smart like that) with very little progress.  As luck would have it, my kiddo was particular about texture (which continued past one year of age...oh no do not give me smooth yogurt with chunks of soft fruit. I will eat them separately.).  This only marginally worked for the typical first grains of oatmeal and rice. The problem began wtih barley and continued well into kamut, until one day I was grinding spices for chili, and I had a relevation (my made up word for a small revelation).  I began grinding all his grains in the coffee grinder and life as we knew it changed and my kiddo began happily eating rice, barley, oatmeal, kamut, quiona, millet, buckwheat, flax seed, winter wheat berries....Life was easier and I knew in that moment that my previous frustration and my new found inspiration from the coffee grinder would probably lead me to become a blogger.  It only took 7 more months to get the courage and time to put my fingers in action.

The Compromise: Not being able to find all the information and ideas I needed to put my aspiration of homemade baby food into action in an easy fashion and thus resorting to trial and error, lots of error.

The Sweet Reward:  I am a blogger now...and well you know the rest of the story.

Yours trully, coffee inspired on a daily basis,
Tracy

Baby Food is not for Hypocrits

I made almost all of Mr. B's food and I learned a great deal along the way.  I made this compromise in our lives because it fit a few of my aspirations including homemade food, nutritious food, cost effective, organic when possible, and green lifestyle.  In addition, I have seen what comes out of a jar...YUCK...the colors are unnatural and everything tastes like canned food.  This foodies definitely could not do that to my little sprout who has been used to a yummy variety of food while still in my womb, but that made me realize another problem. What if the food I make is not very good either? What if lack of salt leads to lack of flavor?  So, my golden rule was that I would not feed him anything that I would not eat myself.  So, yes, I taste everything.  This decision led to a turning point in my life. He began foods in winter time and I did not realize just how unavailable some foods are no matter where you shop.  No plums....well how about prunes.  But, I had never eaten a whole dried plum, just chopped up in stuff (btw, this is a cliffhanger).  So, my husband, D, gave me the necessary courage and we downed one together (no problem for D who had done this before).  Guess what I found out, I like them.  Now we buy them just to eat them and yet I still picture my grandmother eating them out of the bag with a fork because she didn't want to touch them.  That translated into my young brain as a disgusting food, so I am now surprised to find out I like them.

The Compromise:  Trying all baby food I give to my son, which includes prunes.

The Sweet Reward: I LIKE prunes...still sounds weird.

Well, this topic came up again this past weekend when Mr. B got Montezuma's Revenge on top of still getting over croup...pour guy right.  We picked up Pedialyte as that seemed the route to go. No matter what he would not drink it, I do not like it warm, I do not like it cold, I do not like it watered down, I do not like it in a sippy cup, I do not like it in a bottle, I do NOT like it Mr. B I am.  (Sorry Seuss).  So, I remembered my rule and decided to try it...We had Walgreen's brand fruit punch.  It actually wasn't as bad as I imagined.  Drinkable with a vitamin type aftertaste, but not overly sweet.  My guess is that because Mr. B has never had artificial flavors, it was just gross to him because he happily drank the honey water I made for him instead and later milk once he could hold his cookies...and dinner for that matter.

The Compromise:  Drinking Pedialyte

The Sweet Reward: A kiddo who prefers natural tastes...that's my boy


If anyone has a homemade recipe for a similar drink to treat little ones when it comes out both ends, please post the recipe or website link in the comments section. I would love to have a more natural remedy ready in a pinch because that's when these things occur, which explains a quick trip to buy the dreaded Pedialyte. Even in his dehydrated, puny, weak, pale state he found plenty of strength to push it away.

Autumn Ginger Apple Salad

This is the promised recipe.  The one that led me to find out that apples may come shellacked, what food producers tell you is a same animal  insect by-product, so vegetarians and vegans in particular be warned.  Wow, I sound depressing today, maybe it is the gloomy rain.  Actually, I love rain...the smell, the sound, the calming effect, the coziness, the filtered light that can be perfect for my eyes and mood and taking pictures :)

Speaking of pictures. I love my new camera, but I am still getting in the routine of downloading pictures to my computer and thus I am getting a log jam of blog posts again.  It truly is unfortunate that I can not telepathically blog as I tend to write posts in my head while walking or driving.  Okay, here it is.  There is peanut butter in this, so if you have an allergy, simply leave it out. In this it is more for depth of flavor, umami on the tongue (I love this word...I have a love of words that sound interesting...check out this website I just found and plan to explore more in the future...What is umami? .... yes curiosity does get this cat sometimes, but satisfaction certainly brings me back).  You could sub tahini for the peanut butter.  Here is another interesting tidbit.  I agree that food allergies are frightening and I am so thankful we do not deal with that.  If you do I have a good website in my list for you.  The new theory is that we are overprotecting our kids from foods and need to introduce them sooner rather than later to prevent allergies and build immune response.  So armed with this new knowledge and my pediatrician's blessing (which I don't typically get given my unusual parenting choices at times), we tried  (gave it in the morning on a weekday with carseat ready and phone ready in case an emergency loomed...the only emergency was needing more PB quickly...yep he is a PB fiend and certainly not allergic) PB very early. I think Mr. B was 10 months old.

Okay without further ado, I am really good at tangents. Here is the recipe

1/2 cup greek yogurt (we make our own so my thickness might be different than store bought, so adjust as needed to your taste)
3 Tablespoons peanut butter (we like natural type, so you have to work harder at stirring...good exercise for flabby arms...no comments on my arms please)
1 Tablespoon Honey (any sweetner of choice could be subbed
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1-3 teaspoons of ground ginger to taste (the kind in the jar...we love Penzey's brand...look for them in my website list...we are lucky to have a local store front though)
If you love ginger top with chopped crystallized ginger, about 1/4 of a cup

Top with granola if you like a little crunch like I do.

Dip about 3/4 of a 3 lb bag of apples, into boiling water for 20 seconds to melt away wax and shellac.  Dry and rub with a towel to remove extra residue.

Chop apples.

Stir together all other ingredients, except toppings.  Add to chopped apples in a pretty bowl.

Serve immediately, although leftovers are fabulous.  I ate the leftovers for the next two days...yum.

Here is a picture of the leftovers topped with homemade ginger granola, sitting in dappled light in my window.

Apples...For Carnivores Only? :(

Compromise:  Buying organic less often to suit time constraints and the economy, but not compromising on healthy food groups and non-meat home.  :)  Yep, parenting always involves compromises and don't believe people who tell you otherwise.

Sweet Reward:  A yummy, healthy apple salad that I love to make but with a new twist...recipe to come.

1. Buy Apples check
2. Read Label
3. See Shellac
4. Freak out, but be happy had already planned to dunk in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove wax coating that disgusts me when I buy apples every time.
5. Do research on Shellac read this info about "Food Grade" Shellac
6. Get even more concerned
7. Non-meat house now has animal product
8. Think to self Hmmm, we do have milk and honey in our house...and oh how I love cheese...mama taught me everything is better with cheese...sorry to anyone not from Midwest, but seems to be in our nature
9. Don't know what to do now
10. Ahhhh.......answer =  blog about it...the weapon of all self-respecting SAHM or anyone with a computer and internet connection.

Have I ever mentioned my addiction to list making....my favorite part is the crossing off when an item is completed...pure and natural satisfaction at its finest...Although husband, D, thinks I overdo it...warning: a story is coming your way...one time after writing out a to-do list and feeling a little self pride, D, who was standing next to me, gave me an unwarranted pinch.  I look over to see him cross off a final item he had added to the list "Pinch wife!"....Yep, that's how we roll around her.  The Compromising Mother gets pinched...now is that his compromise or mine?

The Final Sweet Reward = A new apple salad recipe to share with all of you that held up so well I ate leftovers for the next two days and it didn't turn weird colors or get watery...my new fall treat...although the extra dipped in boiling water apples are a dull brownish, reddish type color in my fridge...yeah, yeah, I get why they coat my apples, but do we really need a bug's secretions in our daily diet...

T

How to Feed a Toddler with Infant Food

In my baby food making mode, I typically made a large amount at a time so that my efforts were even more beneficial. Even when he was eating only a few spoonfuls at each meal, I would cook up 3 pounds of sweet potatoes to freeze up, for example.  We still have some foods and although Mr. B is officially a toddler, given his zombie style walking all over my house, I will not waste all this carefully prepared homemade food.  It is most green to simply use what you already have. So, here are the situations when it is helpful. 

1. Toddler dislikes adult meal and you really want him to have a full belly so he will be happy and sleep well
2. Toddler loves to dip foods....fruit purees match with waffles...vege and bean purees with anything savory..and you feel good knowing that ketchup is not a part of your life
3. You get a call at 7 am asking that you work and only have enough time to throw a few frozen cubes in a container
4. Squash purees make a great "sauce" for mini pizza
5. Vegetable purees make a quick pasta or rice sauce
6. throw together grains, protein, and vege chunks or puree with a bit of water or broth for healthy toddler soup
7. Put a frozen cube of anything in a safety feeder for healthy gnawing when cutting teeth
8. Easy meal on the road since frozen cubes will thaw at room temperature fairly quick

The Compromise:  Leftover baby food that you put your heart and soul into and thus can not bear to feed to the landfill or your compost

The Sweet Reward: Easy healthy food ready in minutes.

The Joys of Croup

Yep, you read that right.  I have been a little too busy for sake of myself, my family, and well anyone who dares to get in my path.  NO worries, I am not dangerous, unless you are a chocolate bar. Well, beware, but you should have known better than be in my house :)  I have been using my telepathic means of blog posting that I have mentioned in a previous post and been honing ever since.  What that means in real English is that I am giving you a short tidbit tonight early this morning as I stay up late working on my computer doing my job.  The tidbit is the joys of croup.  Although Mr. B continues to have coughing bouts, he is so much better and beginning to be his ornery, dirty boy self again.  By dirty I mean that he wore 6 different pants today due to levels of dirtiness and wetness that I could not allow to continue each time for sanitary and health reasons (i.e., some messiness on the clothing of a toddler is normal...if you can't live with that please wait a few years to visit us).  Wow, I really get tangential at 2 am, better bring a road map.  Back to croup.  One of the best treatments is steam.  Easy solution to this is let your kiddo play in the bathroom while you shower.   We are as green as we can be, so showers are not usually long.  But, croup improves with 20 minute steams.  So, I have been taking one for the team and suffering through thoroughly enjoying long, hot showers, while Mr. B  plays with his bath toys and occasionally sings to me or giggles or gets too quiet (the latter sometimes means he is unrolling all the toilet paper).  He is so cute like that.  I wonder if I can come up with another good excuse this winter so that I can quiet beat into submission the green side of my conscience in order to continue long, hot showers....

The Problem: Croup

The Compromise:  Kiddo needs 20 minute steams to control congestion and get the junk out of his lungs (and nose...don't worry I won't get graphic)

The Sweet Reward:  Long, Hot Showers for a tired mama

Stay tuned for more recipes I have been working on.....

A Kid Is Still A Kid

I think, it must be ingrained in the collective conscious of humans. Yep, all kids really are cut from the same cloth...we just try to influence in the ways that we think are healthiest.  And each family's view of healthiest is and should be different, but you can not deny the kidness in all kids.  I still remember Mr. B's first exposure to mac-n-cheese, the all American delicacy. We were at a fish fry and I was feeding him squash and beans and some sort of grain when he reached over and grabbed a whole fist full of yellow stuff that I am certain previously lived in a box.  Of course, the entire contents of said fist were shoved into the respective mouth over and over and over again.  Baby Happiness!  Well, it happened again on an outing where we had two kid's meals with a package.  Being the sensible mother, I decided to bring Mr. B's lunch and I would have the kid's meal, so as not to waste.  Well, the only option for non-meat eaters was a PB&J, heavy on the J, on white bread that we can call Angel Floss, extra light on the nutrients. Guess who does not eat that stuff, but grabbed for it shoving a gooey, sticky fist into his mouth.  I think, we can be frank here.  Kids are kids and somehow in their brain they love the junk we want them to hate.  My kiddo eats my homemade sourdough bread, quiona, tofu cubes, blueberries, kale, and whole fruits, yet he loves mac n cheese from the box and white unnaturally bleached bread. Does he not know all the research I have done to determine the best ways to meet his nutrient needs, that fermented sourdough unlocks more nutrients, and that HFCS is pure evil and included in most foods?

The Compromise:  Eating the pre-made not very tasty kid's meal sandwich, finding out the kiddo wants it instead, and thus less nutrients for everyone as he steals the food I was supposed to have and ignores the well balanced food I packed)

The Sweet Reward:   An excuse to make only french fries dipped in honey mustard my lunch...(too bad they were cafeteria style crinkly cut instead of crispy skinny fries....mmmmmm....hungry....did I mention my best nutrition tip is to NOT own a deep fryer)

Love,
Mom of still normal kiddo (even if other people think we are weird)