I know this is one of those things that unless you have kids may sound cheesy, but I don’t care, I am a proud mom and this is cute. Lately she’s been telling me things that she thinks are “hug-able” or not. For instance, she told me that fish are not hug-able, leaves are, ladybugs are not, blankies are, pink feather boa’s at Halloween stores are, ghosts are not (smart kid at age 3 that ghosts are intangible), and rocks are hug-able but we don’t hug rocks, Mommy. Randomly she will blurt out, “Mommy, that doggie is so cute. He is very hug-able.” It’s just so cute! Just wait til you have kids, you’ll do the same thing telling your “cute kid stories”. In other parenting matters, I have mentioned before I am auto-subscribed to parenting magazines. When you’re pregnant, somehow everyone gets your name and sends you magazines. For a very long time afterward. It’s closing in on 5 years since I was pregnant, but I am still on their mailing lists and they send them for free and have found me through 5 moves. Apparently American Parents are very confused about food for their kids. Because by toddlerhood, the publishers are writing articles every month in order to help correct toddler eating issues or tummy issues. September 2010 October 2010 Is it the schools or the parents responsibility to feed their children and not “fail them”? Hmmm…. November 2010 Yesterday I saw an article in the NY Times about “What Kids Want to Eat” “A traditional dish of peanut butter, jelly and white bread with a big pile of raw sugar for garnish in the wheelbarrow.” From yesterday’s post about Blogging as a Hobby vs. a Job. Most of you said of course, you’d love to make money at blogging but that you’re realistic and realize that’s probably not a huge likelihood. And in the meantime, you’re happy blogging as a hobby. Thanks for the thoughts about how you balance the time commitment of your “hobby” so that it doesn’t turn into a job. Many of us said that although we love our “hobby”, it can easily take on job-like time commitments, in a hurry. In Green Food Matters this was a good Rainbow Colored Veggie Feast dressed with Orange Coconut Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette Salad Dressing I also made a batch of Sweet & Sour Honey Lemon Tofu If you don’t eat honey, use agave, yacon, or maple. I love the sweet and sour vibe in this recipe. Dessert: Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Softserve Questions 1. Did your grandparents or relatives ever send you things in the mail as a child? Do you remember anything special? I lived nearby most of my relatives so they didn’t send gifts in the mail but I did have an uncle who used to send me money for my report card. Right or wrong, yes, that A Honor Roll was worth something to him and he sent me cash. I loved it! But I would have been on the A Honor Roll with or without his cash. Trust me, I was Miss Studious in my day. 2. Why do you think parents need help figuring out what to feed their kids? I don’t pretend to have all the answers in parenthood or life. No way! But it seems like such common sense to me to serve an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, modest amounts of (processed) grains, some protein, and everything else in limited moderation or not at all, i.e. junk food, processed food, candy, treats, desserts…for both kids and adults. We are not purists in our house, but junk food, treats, desserts, represents a tiny portion of our overall food choices. I post dessert recipes daily but don’t make or eat desserts daily. People love dessert recipes and I will be honest, the amount of click-thru’s on dessert recipes is about quintuple that of other recipes. You all love desserts and the google stats don’t lie…haha! I don’t believe in swearing off all candy or desserts for kids but I also don’t believe in a wheelbarrow filled with sugar to dip a white bread sandwich in. Cringe! Why is there such confusion about what to feed kids? I guess because people are so confused about what to feed themselves, but that’s a whole other topic, isn’t it… 3. Are you confused about what to feed yourself? Have you found your Groove? Or are you still searching? I went through my childhood eating largely a plant-based diet. In my late teens, college, and early 20s, not eating at home and mom’s cooking and not being a cook myself, I ate my share of processed foods. I was always largely a vegetarian or pescatarian, sometimes vegan, but I didn’t label it. The farther away I drifted from a plant based diet of unprocessed whole foods, the worse I felt. My food allergies were out of control, and I was not feeling strong and healthy. Once I eliminated my allergens from my diet, and in large part by “default” became a high raw, GF Vegan, I felt better than ever and this is my life path. I tend to eat the same types of foods over and over, I call this a Groove, Not a Rut. There are only so many ways to make fresh, raw produce “exciting” and “novel” but I am happy to have found my groove and if it’s little repetitive to some, that’s fine because it suits me just fine. Finding your Food Groove can take years, or for some, the better part of their lifetime. I think intuition, common sense, and a little luck are all at play to help each person find what works best for his or her body. Have you found what works best for you? What is it? How did you figure it out for you?
