Sometimes I think mealtime with a three-year-old and a two-year-old is enough to drive me to drink. I have semi-seriously considered instituting a "no eating in the house rule." Maybe if the weather is ever decent again we will move at least part of our meals outdoors. Just the instructing and clean-up with these children through three meals a day plus snack is a monumental part of my day. So, here are some of the things that typically are said at least a time or 20 during any given mealtime at my house.
"Sit on your bottom."
"Use your fork, not your fingers."
"Mommy has the same thing on her plate as you."
"Stop drinking your ketchup/salad dressing. No, I will not get you more."
"Please say 'excuse me' when you make that noise."
"Get out from under the table."
"Stop digging your fork into the table."
"Eat like a little girl/boy not a doggie."
"No, you cannot have a cookie instead."
"Sit on your bottom."
"Eat at least two bites of everything."
"I'm sorry you don't like it but this is what's for dinner tonight and you need to eat some anyway."
"Get back in your chair."
"Stop picking your nose."
"This is the squash/pepper/whatever that YOU picked out. This is YOUR special vegetable."
"Sit on your bottom."
"Get your fingers out of your drink."
And finally, from Hubby in his best/worst British accent: "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"
Really, it's no wonder why I barely eat my dinner and then have waaaay too many snacks after they go to bed!
Showing posts with label kid food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kid food. Show all posts
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Service with a smile...
Today, in honor of the rain, I took the kiddos to a very special lunch out. When we pulled up, a snappily dressed man with a black umbrella rushed out to greet us. He held it over my head as I unbuckled both of my children from their car seats, then made sure to keep all three of us covered as we entered the building. At the door, two more employees in matching black and white held the doors open for us. We placed our order and were escorted to a table with a fresh floral arrangement while we waited for our food to be delivered. While we ate, a nice young woman periodically checked on us to see if we needed anything, anything at all. After we were finished eating, dessert was quickly brought for my children to share. Then, another woman asked if she could clear the table. Finally, we were ready for the main event: shoes off and into the noisy chaos of the play area. Yep, that's right, we went to Chick Fil A!
I love Chick Fil A; it's pretty much the only fast food I feel good about feeding my kids. I love the healthy-ish options, the cute books and games that they give with the kids' meals, and the fact that the stores are always clean and staffed with friendly people. But, the Chick Fil A in Moore is going above and beyond! Seriously, people with umbrellas? Fresh flower bouquets? And I'm not talking about a single carnation, these were some serious floral arrangements. Not to mention that they have always been a great friend of the Moore Library. What a fun treat for a rainy weekday. Way to go Chick Fil A of Moore!
I love Chick Fil A; it's pretty much the only fast food I feel good about feeding my kids. I love the healthy-ish options, the cute books and games that they give with the kids' meals, and the fact that the stores are always clean and staffed with friendly people. But, the Chick Fil A in Moore is going above and beyond! Seriously, people with umbrellas? Fresh flower bouquets? And I'm not talking about a single carnation, these were some serious floral arrangements. Not to mention that they have always been a great friend of the Moore Library. What a fun treat for a rainy weekday. Way to go Chick Fil A of Moore!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Love Your Mother...Earth
Today, in addition to being Good Friday, it is Earth Day. I don't know why, but it makes sense to me that they share time. While reflecting on the cross and w hat it means to be a Christian, we can consider the ways in which we can be good stewards of this planet that God so lovingly made for us. Of course, times are busy and money is tight and the baby needs changing and life is banging on your door, so here are my "lazy mama's" tips for some greener living!
Recycle: yep, it's a no brainer if your city has curbside pickup. I read once that in our progressive town curbside recycling participation is about 30%. That's craziness! You're paying for it anyway, you may as well use it. I just wish they'd take the cardboard, why not the cardboard, Norman?
Reusable grocery bags: Another no brainer for me really. I hated having an entire cabinet filled with plastic bags. Yes, you can use them for a few things, but not in the massive quantities in which they seem to enter the house. For about $.99 you can get a good quality reusable bag at just about any grocery store and most stores (Target, Aldi, sometimes Homeland) will give you a small credit for bringing your own bag. I toss mine on the delicate cycle of the laundry every so often so they don't get yucky.
Farmers' Markets: yes, I can't say it enough, I LOVE the farmers' market. There is something about giving my children cash to hand over to the people who actually grew the food that I find so nostalgic and satisfying. Some of the food there is a bit more expensive, but some of it is way cheaper. Plus, cute kiddos are almost always offered free samples! I can't tell you how many times I have convinced my daughter to eat something completely different by saying "But this is the vegetable YOU picked out at the farmers' market." Ours has the added bonus of an amazing demonstration garden, also with some edibles, and amazing gardeners to answer questions, give tours, or offer a cold drink of water on a hot day. It's a beautiful thing, truly.
Along the "buy local" lines, I also shop at the Oklahoma Food Co-Op. In all honesty, the food is significantly more expensive. I don't buy everything from this site, but I do get all of my ground beef here. Watch Food, Inc. or do even a quick Google search on ground beef and you'll quickly see why. Really, I just want to feed my family food that is what it says it is, and is made in a reasonably humane and careful way. Also, at least one farmer always has a sell on beef and you get a discount if you buy in bulk, like 10 lbs or more.
Cloth diapering: Yes, it seems pretty radical and is not for everyone! I tried it with my daughter and it just wasn't happening. She was cranky, I was cranky, it just wasn't worth it. But I gave it another shot with my son and has been a great experience. He no longer has the terrible diaper rash that he used to and frankly, I think he looks adorable in the fun colors FuzziBunz makes. Yes, there are nights when I think "I do not want to wash a load of friggin' diapers!" So then we use disposables the next day. I'm not too picky about it. But overall, it hasn't been much different. It's not like I'm scrubbing them on the porch, they go in the laundry and come out clean just like everything else. Of course, it helps that my son has little rock hard poops that can easily be rolled into the toilet. I probably wouldn't be as happy about the whole process if I had to actually scrub the dang things. Okay, I'll stop talking about poop now. It's surprising how much time poop can occupy in the brain of a mother of two, for one reason or another. Okay, now I'm done!
Finally, I'm trying to grow some veggies again this year. Usually, this does not work out great for me but I keep trying. There is some virtue in that sort of optimism, right? Since we no longer have a dog, I am attempting tomatoes and cucumbers in the back yard. For some reason I have pretty good success with bell peppers in my front flower bed. I suspect that the neighbors think it's weird but I'm okay with that!
So that's it, easy and cheap green tips! Enjoy Earth Day, Easter, and this beautiful time of year.
Recycle: yep, it's a no brainer if your city has curbside pickup. I read once that in our progressive town curbside recycling participation is about 30%. That's craziness! You're paying for it anyway, you may as well use it. I just wish they'd take the cardboard, why not the cardboard, Norman?
Reusable grocery bags: Another no brainer for me really. I hated having an entire cabinet filled with plastic bags. Yes, you can use them for a few things, but not in the massive quantities in which they seem to enter the house. For about $.99 you can get a good quality reusable bag at just about any grocery store and most stores (Target, Aldi, sometimes Homeland) will give you a small credit for bringing your own bag. I toss mine on the delicate cycle of the laundry every so often so they don't get yucky.
Farmers' Markets: yes, I can't say it enough, I LOVE the farmers' market. There is something about giving my children cash to hand over to the people who actually grew the food that I find so nostalgic and satisfying. Some of the food there is a bit more expensive, but some of it is way cheaper. Plus, cute kiddos are almost always offered free samples! I can't tell you how many times I have convinced my daughter to eat something completely different by saying "But this is the vegetable YOU picked out at the farmers' market." Ours has the added bonus of an amazing demonstration garden, also with some edibles, and amazing gardeners to answer questions, give tours, or offer a cold drink of water on a hot day. It's a beautiful thing, truly.
Along the "buy local" lines, I also shop at the Oklahoma Food Co-Op. In all honesty, the food is significantly more expensive. I don't buy everything from this site, but I do get all of my ground beef here. Watch Food, Inc. or do even a quick Google search on ground beef and you'll quickly see why. Really, I just want to feed my family food that is what it says it is, and is made in a reasonably humane and careful way. Also, at least one farmer always has a sell on beef and you get a discount if you buy in bulk, like 10 lbs or more.
Cloth diapering: Yes, it seems pretty radical and is not for everyone! I tried it with my daughter and it just wasn't happening. She was cranky, I was cranky, it just wasn't worth it. But I gave it another shot with my son and has been a great experience. He no longer has the terrible diaper rash that he used to and frankly, I think he looks adorable in the fun colors FuzziBunz makes. Yes, there are nights when I think "I do not want to wash a load of friggin' diapers!" So then we use disposables the next day. I'm not too picky about it. But overall, it hasn't been much different. It's not like I'm scrubbing them on the porch, they go in the laundry and come out clean just like everything else. Of course, it helps that my son has little rock hard poops that can easily be rolled into the toilet. I probably wouldn't be as happy about the whole process if I had to actually scrub the dang things. Okay, I'll stop talking about poop now. It's surprising how much time poop can occupy in the brain of a mother of two, for one reason or another. Okay, now I'm done!
Finally, I'm trying to grow some veggies again this year. Usually, this does not work out great for me but I keep trying. There is some virtue in that sort of optimism, right? Since we no longer have a dog, I am attempting tomatoes and cucumbers in the back yard. For some reason I have pretty good success with bell peppers in my front flower bed. I suspect that the neighbors think it's weird but I'm okay with that!
So that's it, easy and cheap green tips! Enjoy Earth Day, Easter, and this beautiful time of year.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Girls' Day, With a Twist
Today, thanks to the wonders of my church's Mother's Day Out program, I get to spend the day with just my daughter doing girl things. Sometimes we shop, sometimes we go to the amazing (free) art classes at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art , sometimes we get pedicures, you get the idea. Today, we tried something a little different and unexpected.
We had tacos. From a truck. On the side of the road. Just me, my blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter, and about 10 Mexican men in jean and work boots, guzzling brightly colored sodas in large glass bottles and talking animatedly in their native language. If it wasn't for the wind, it would have been glorious! The food was great (a little spicy for a three-year-old), the atmosphere was authentic, and it was fun to just do something so out of the ordinary for us. My daughter seemed to like it, until we got home and she still demanded her "regular" lunch. Hmmm....we really are in a rut!
Street food is just not something that you often see in suburban Oklahoma, but I'm interested to see that it's making huge headway. There are a couple of other taco trucks in our town and Big Truck Tacos in Oklahoma City has a pretty evangelical following. I haven't tried it but once people go there they seem practically possessed by the wonder of the place. What the heck are they putting in those burritos????
Overall I'd say it was an experience worth having, and I'm thrilled to be giving my lunch money to an individual hand-making fresh food, rather than the corporate monolith that is your typical fast-food restaurant. We will certainly try it again, although maybe on a less windy day!
We had tacos. From a truck. On the side of the road. Just me, my blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter, and about 10 Mexican men in jean and work boots, guzzling brightly colored sodas in large glass bottles and talking animatedly in their native language. If it wasn't for the wind, it would have been glorious! The food was great (a little spicy for a three-year-old), the atmosphere was authentic, and it was fun to just do something so out of the ordinary for us. My daughter seemed to like it, until we got home and she still demanded her "regular" lunch. Hmmm....we really are in a rut!
Street food is just not something that you often see in suburban Oklahoma, but I'm interested to see that it's making huge headway. There are a couple of other taco trucks in our town and Big Truck Tacos in Oklahoma City has a pretty evangelical following. I haven't tried it but once people go there they seem practically possessed by the wonder of the place. What the heck are they putting in those burritos????
Overall I'd say it was an experience worth having, and I'm thrilled to be giving my lunch money to an individual hand-making fresh food, rather than the corporate monolith that is your typical fast-food restaurant. We will certainly try it again, although maybe on a less windy day!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Perfect Pizza Sauce
1 T extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium shallot, minced 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 small can no salt added tomato sauce Coarse ground black pepper Dried oregano Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped Preheat oil in small saucepan and add shallot. Cook on medium heat until semi-tender. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium-low (you do NOT want to burn the garlic). Cook for a couple of minutes, then add tomato sauce and seasonings, except parsley. Turn heat to low, stir, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, add parsley, smear on pizza crust with your favorite toppings and say yum yum! This sauce can be easily converted to enchilada sauce. Use 1/2 medium onion instead of shallot, double the amount of tomato sauce, and add 1t cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. Viola, two sauces in one!!! Pizza is a great way to sneak veggies into food your kids are almost guaranteed to eat. Here are my favorite kid-friendly, healthy pizza toppings: Turkey pepperoni, sliced fresh mushrooms, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, and a few fresh spinach leaves (hide them under the cheese if you must). As for cheese, grate you own if possible. It is literally 1/4 the prize of the shredded stuff, and the shredded cheese always seems to have some sort of suspicious coating on it. Yes, I am aware of my own food paranoia, but it's not an issue that I feel like tackling at this point in my life! Pizza pizza!
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