Kid Cultivation

Well Fed Garbage has become Kid Cultivation!

Despite the recent name change our garbage can still eats pretty well sometimes. This week it was chicken, rice, and broccoli casserole. White people food. When will I learn that any time a recipe calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup, I need to just stop. Seriously.

Still, it's exciting to be focusing on the thrill of food again. Reading back on some of my older posts I'm struck by what a whining, driveling fool I sound like sometimes. And while I can't promise that's going to change, I can promise that we're having a lot more fun in the kitchen these days. 

Yes, Roo still has food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), textural sensitivities, and barfs a lot, but for the moment, he's under control. He can't eat peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, beef, or peaches. So that leaves about a billion other things he can eat.

Mufasa's controlling diabetes with diet and exercise alone. No easy feat and he's rocking it with no help from his cake pop-crazed housemates. 

Looly prefers ice cream and pizza to salmon and Brussels sprouts but her self-control is unparalleled. Who eats half a cookie?!

Bean, my little Beanie Bean, dream child of culinary delights, counts kale, lima beans, pickles, hard boiled eggs, avocado, and filet mignon among her top 10 foods and is just about always willing to try a bite. Thank you for having been born.

And as for me, I'd still love to lose 5 (meaning 10) pounds. At some point I am going to have to face the cruel reality that two nightly servings of salted caramel gelato are not part of a healthy weight loss plan. Fortunately today is not that day.

Here in Whoville

We had such a good time tonight celebrating Read Across America Day. I thought I'd share a few photos from our Seuss extravaganza.

First we gathered and conquered our entire Dr. Seuss collection, with the exception of Dr. Seuss's ABC which has mysteriously gone by the wayside.  Here's what we did read.

While we read we enjoyed an afternoon snack of Cat in the Hat cheese and fruit leather hats. Salami would have worked as well as fruit leather and might have made for a tastier combination, but I didn't have any on hand. 

Aren't they cute?! I traced the hat from the cover of one of our books and used the template to cut out cheese and fruit leather. The kids loved them!

And of course we needed One Fish Two Fish Red Fish...but sadly no blue fish.

And for dinner, the much anticipated Green Eggs and Ham!

Since Roo is allergic to eggs, he enjoyed green ham and peas instead :)

Kind of terrifying but he liked it.  Last but not least, we topped off the night with this awesome idea for Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes that I discovered on another amazing all Seuss all the time blog: www.obSEUSSed.com. Looly, Bean, and Roo had a blast piling on the cotton candy. 

 I believe we have a new tradition!

Thanks for the invite, but...

I just received an invitation for a fun 3-year-old birthday party for one of Roo and Bean's little school friends.  The birthday boy is a sweet kid and I like his mom a lot.  Several of their friends will be there.  It's not too far away.  Doesn't interfere with nap.  Super.  Except that it's at an ice cream parlor.  A nut-crusted, egg-laden ice cream parlor.  So, as usual, we politely declined.

Yes if I really wanted that mom of the year award I could probably make this happen.  The routine would go something like this:

1. Call J's mom and warn her of Roo's allergies.  Plan to accommodate him while causing least disruption possible at party.  Reject her compulsory offer to provide a "safe" treat and tell her I'll handle it. 
2. Call ice cream parlor and ask about ingredients in ice cream as well as procedure for accommodating allergies (for example, changing gloves, opening fresh containers, using clean scoop, etc. to avoid cross contamination)
3. Bring back-up safe treat even if person on the phone promises on grave of loved one that none of their ice creams contain a trace of egg, nut, apple, peach, or beef (gross)
4. Arrive on party day feeling like my pants are lined with barbed wire at the prospect that a stray peanut or swipe of butter pecan accidentally migrated onto the table where Roo is sitting. Scrub table and chair with antibacterial wipes.
5. Ask person at counter AGAIN about all ice cream ingredients (usually we just stick with vanilla but it often has eggs in it  so we need to be flexible).  Possibly find a "safe" flavor. Ask for a fresh container to be opened, clean gloves, and clean scoop.  Allow irritated glares of busy counter staff to bounce off my skin like rubber balls.
6. Sing Happy Birthday to J
7. Hover over Roo as he eats exactly 3 tiny bites of ice cream, continuously examining his legs and belly for first signs of a reaction, and completely ignoring Bean, who by this time has surely climbed into her own oversize bowl of mint chocolate chip and is swimming in the greeny goodness. 
8. Leave party as quickly as possible to avoid the potential vomiting that's likely to occur after eating, allergies or not. 

So, yeah, I think we'll sit this one out.