Mama Mama Quite Contrary

Because I have three small children, I try to serve meals that have a lot of color and are appealing to both kids and adults. I admit that I am lucky because Vivi is a great eater and the babies are also pretty enthusiastic about food so I haven't had to travel the limited culinary road of noodles and butter. Our general house rule is that you don't have to like it but you do have to try it. Oh, and if you have room in your belly for dessert, then you certainly can finish what is on your plate. That being said, here is a sample menu for a week at our house. In the winter, I tend to make more soups and one pot comfort meals. In the summer, I make a lot of salads and sandwiches. There are examples of both in this menu. Sunday: Fish, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans (We have fish about twice a month and I usually broil it with some olive oil, lemon, and herbs. I make a huge amount of mashed potatoes so I'll have lots of leftovers, and then saute green beans with almond s...

Since I seem to post a fair amount about our family's adventures with food, a few of you have been asking just what exactly we do. As many of you know, we are pretty particular about what we eat and I try to steer clear of making separate meals for my kids. Here are some general guidelines we follow: -Avoid canned food and heavily packaged items (like yogurt cups and pre-packaged snacks) -Try to buy locally produced food and grow some of our own -Avoid processed food -No high fructose corn syrup or items with ingredients I can't pronounce -Purchase as much organic produce as we can afford -Put the time and effort into making a decent meal for my family -Stay away from genetically modified food This isn't really as hard as it looks. It just takes some organization and planning. Admittedly, there are days when I am just too tired but I don't beat myself up over ordering a pizza. Here is how I generally pull it off: On Friday night or Saturday morning, I make a menu ...

The birds are singing. The trees and flowers are blossoming. The sun is shining and I'm coming out. Well, not in that way... but I feel like a spectacular change is upon me. A change that feels so good. The change: I am really enjoying my children. I know. Sometimes I don't believe it either. That is all but, in many ways, it is everything. While I had a lot of mixed feelings about the Turtles turning one, we are no longer in survival mode and that feels like a reason to celebrate. I see my girls, all three of them, interacting in ways I never could have imagined when I was so desperately sleep-deprived and trying to keep my sanity. They giggle with one another. They comfort one another. They talk and sing and explore together. They all gather in our bed and snuggle. And now, above all else, they sleep. When I envisioned having my own family, these are the moments I pictured. There weren't any deafening cries from colic and constipation. There were no tears...

Lately I've been thinking about what it means to be a success. When I was a career woman, I could point to publications and results from our legislative advocacy. It was thrilling to see my name in print or to know that the work I did led to a better life for someone who had been tortured. All in all, it was a tangible offering for my resume and made me a rather marketable gal in the world of human rights. Ahh, that was SO three years ago. I think I measure success a little differently today. My kids and husband are healthy and my house is in one piece. Sometimes, that feels more like a miracle than testimony to all the work I put in but I'll still take it. Here's a highlight of a few other successful moments: A backyard picnic which resulted in next to no clean-up! Preventing a child from being run-over by a rouge Turtle on a Cheeky Chick. Three happy girls in the tub. (This is one of those miracles.) And, of course, my biggest success is happy kids who can make t...