I’ve met so many wonderful, thoughtful, food-loving parents since I’ve started blogging, many of whom I’ve come to know through Twitter. One of my lovely Twitter friends is Jenna of Food with Kid Appeal, a self-proclaimed recovering picky eater who inspires parents to grow good eaters. Her recipes are wholesome, fun and thoughtfully take into account limited time, energy and budgets.
Without further ado, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Jenna. If you don’t already, check out her blog, follow her on Twitter (and me, too, while you’re at it!) and enjoy this great post inspired by the book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. You know that I’m a huge proponent of spicing up food for even the youngest eaters (offering such adventurous foods was the inspiration behind ChowBaby foods!), so I LOVE this post. Enjoy!
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When I’m asked by friends to give them some pointers on getting baby started on baby food, or the transition to table food, one of the things I like to tell them are about some super foods they might not think of as being good for baby. Most parents know that fruits, veggies and whole grains should be on baby’s spoon, but are herbs and spices front and center in your menu as good eats for baby?
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Between not posting regularly during the holidays and focusing last week on the “best of” ChowMama, there’s a lot I haven’t had a chance to say to you all. Okay. Not a lot. Just one big (ass) thing: I’m tired. So, so tired.
My adorable, sweet, smiling baby still isn’t sleeping during the day. He’s often (not always, though) happy sitting in his swing, mellowing out, but somehow it’s still exhausting. I feel like I rush through everything and don’t have a moment to savor my cooking, my writing, the silence… anything. For me, this kind of exhaustion has a domino effect. I’m not just tired from the legitimately tiring new baby stuff like lack of sleep, now I’m tired of EVERYTHING. Of wearing maternity jeans (I know it’s only been 2 1/2 months, but still!), of my back aching from breast feeding, my skin breaking out because I don’t get enough rest, of not being ready to give you a big update I’ve been working on… you name it.
So what’s a tired girl to do? Well, first, complain. (See above.) Then take matters into her own hands. I may not be able to control how much sleep I can get or whether my littlest ChowBaby naps, but I can start working on feeling better physically. I know this is going to sound a lot like new year’s resolutions (*yawn*), but I swear it’s just a coincidence of timing. See, I don’t like new year’s resolutions. They never work (for me). Plain and simple. Let’s say these efforts are about approaching the three-month postpartum mark. That’s a milestone, right?

So what’s my plan?
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Photo: tiny banquet committee

I bought a watermelon when I was visiting my sister out in Montauk last week but was so busy with new-baby activities (yes, everything turned out great and he’s absolutely gorgeous!) that we never got around to eating it.
Not wanting to waste what may be one of my last watermelons of the summer, I scoured some cookbooks looking for an alternative to watermelon lemonade or watermelon arugula salad and found a recipe for watermelon pudding that I adapted ever so slightly. I can’t believe I’ve gone 41 years without knowing the pleasure of this light and refreshing dessert!
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Photo: prettywar-stl

The ChowBaby and I were stuck on the train coming back from the American Museum of Natural History the other day. It was naptime and I was hell-bent on keeping him from falling asleep so that I could put him down when we got home—and actually get an hour or two of work in! So I regaled him with some of his favorite stories, including the one of my honeymoon in Tunisia.
Not only did I manage to keep him awake, I was also inspired to make something honeymoon-ish to surprise the ChowPapa when he got home from work. Without much time to spare, I whipped up one of my favorite North African street foods: the omelet sandwich. It reminded me that a simple change of spices can make something old Iike an egg sandwich new again.
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Photo: taratara69

I know, it sounds strange. But think about it. You eat blueberry muffins, right? And blueberry pie? And blueberry pancakes? All a combo of blueberries and something bready or doughy or crusty. So why not a berry pizza? Besides, it gave me an excuse to use my dad’s pizza stone. You know I’m not one for extra kitchen gadgets, but I have to say that it did wonders for my crust. I am tempted.

And my sweet and savory pizza pie was tempting too. For all three generations that sat down to lunch. So much so that in minutes, it was gone. Leaving us with only good conversation to share.

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Photo: star5112

I’m in Pennsylvania farm country for a few weeks. That means lots of just-picked peaches, more sweet corn than you can possibly imagine, and even a few stellar tomatoes that haven’t been decimated by the 2009 tomato blight. All good. Until a craving for crab cakes hits. And then what’s a rural gal to do?

With no fish market within 30 minutes, I had no choice. Cravings must be satisfied. So don’t blame me. I turned to crab in a can. It isn’t organic. And I’m sure the can is lined with BPA. But I’m posting as a reminder to you (and to myself) that we parents (especially) have to make the most of whatever you’ve got. Just for kicks, I made the recipe almost exactly as printed on the side of the can. And guess what? When I added a little love, these crab cakes were simply delish. Even Atticus (Mr. I’m-not-eating-fish-anymore-because-it-stinks) ate two—with his fingers, of course!

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