The Toddler Who Ate Everything

From an early age, Monkey has enjoyed eating eggs in all forms – scrambled, over-easy, deviled, you name it.  But nothing satisfies her more these days than giving a good-smack to a hard-boiled egg, listening to the crack and peeling off the battered outer shell.  And now that her fine motor skills are improving, it’s not quite such a mess for me either.

My toddler is not quite so picky about the inside of the egg, but I do hate to see an olive-green edge around the yolk.  Thus began the hunt for a perfect hard-boiled egg.  What I learned through experimentation is that the key is two-fold: a)  the egg needs to be thoroughly submerged in the water, at least by an inch and then b) the egg does not need to be boiled for very long at all.

Try this recipe:

Hard-Boiled Eggs

• Place half-dozen eggs in a deep sauce or saute pan and cover with water by at least an inch.  Bring water to a boil using high heat.  Once the water is boiling, remove the pan from the stove, cover it, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
• After sitting, immerse the eggs in a ice cold water bath for about 5 minutes or return eggs to the carton and put back in the fridge.

At this point, I usually make a mental note to come back later and mark the hard-boiled eggs with a big black H so that I don’t mistake them for uncooked eggs.  Incidentally, these eggs are perfect for use in an egg salad or a deviled eggs recipe – both ideas that have on occasion worked with my picky eater (but not universally).

I know that there are a few of us out there trying to understand on some level what makes kids so picky!  Researchers and scientists have long taken up the topic, and now, at least in my area, a TV program devoted to the subject will be airing on local PBS stations to discuss the topic.  The episode called “Smell; Taste” is part of a series, Human Senses.  The show promises to tell us exactly what is the most disgusting smell known to humankind.  Should be fun!

We made these super easy gelatin treats for Halloween, but they would work just as well for a fall-themed event.  You can easily buy pre-made gelatin already in a cup formation (which I did to save time, but also to get a variety of colors) and use any leftover Halloween candy for the body parts of the spider or monster that your child is creating.  I also invested in a small tube of black frosting that Monkey could easily grab and use to create the eyeballs, etc.  I know it seems like a lot of sugar all at once, but I was there to regulate her intake, and it turned out that she didn’t care for the gelatin one bit.  She mainly enjoyed making her “jiggly critter.”  We were inspired to make this dessert by one of my mom’s magazines (she’s been in town visiting), but I can’t find it on their site. Here’s a picture of the page that we used to guide us:

One of the pleasures of living in wine country is the easy access to all things grape and wine related.  Harvest has ended early this year, but we made it to a winery in time to see the production process in full swing.  Although Monkey is too young to drink wine, she has certainly seen her parents drink enough of it to recognize the special glasses when they appear on the table and request a sip on occasion.  Showing her the grape sorting and crushing and fermenting process was a great deal of fun, and at this stage of the game it’s all still grape juice – perfect for sampling.   If you’re lucky enough to bring home some juice from a visit to a winery, try this recipe for sorbet:

Grape Juice Sorbet

3 cups of grape juice

1 cup sugar , divided into quarter cups

Dissolve the sugar into the grape juice, a quarter of a cup at a time, adding only enough sugar until it tastes good to you.  Place the mixture in the refrigerator until it is very cool, at least 4 hours.  Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturers instructions.  Store in freezer in popsicle molds or freezer-proof container.

We were a bit nervous about trying something new, especially since we’ve been bombarded with “no!”s when new food appears on the table.  (We’re working on “no, thank you,” too.)  Maybe the stars were aligned this day, but Monkey ate clam chowder with gusto.  Of course, we were in clam chowder country, up in the Northwest, where every bowl is better than the last one.  It’s not something I’ve attempted at home, and canned clam chowders are often not very tasty.  What a thrill when Monkey moved her dad out of the way and gulped the rest of his soup.  Maybe that’s the trick – just have her taste our food, but order her favorites when we’re out at restaurants.

I’ve gotten so used to a turned up nose that sometimes it feels like the norm.  Gratefully, I’m discovering that it’s not all about the food.  I’ve been killing myself to deliver VARIETY when in reality I think my monkey would be happier with the standards and a better presentation.  To that end, I’m experimenting more with colors on the plate and, since she is a girl, accessories.  By accessories, I mean straws, fun utensils, placemats and plates – anything to make eating together more about the dining experience and less about “please, PUH-lease take two bites of the soup, and then you can have the clementine.”   One of my friends calls it distraction.  A rose by any other name, I say.  I’m all for peaceful meals, and for me that means less on the floor, less waste and less whining.  In the meantime, I’ve invested in some crazy straws.  I’m channeling my own craziness out of the meal prep and into the straws.  It seems to be working.

Tomato season is drawing to an end, so we didn’t want to waste an opportunity to have some fun with tomatoes from our garden.  Monkey was delighted to create this smiley face, with some help from me.  We also made other faces before slicing them up and eating them in a salad.

Sometimes, the whining is just too much and I give in.  These are baked cheese crisp things.  Who knows?  It’s seems so futile some days to fight the good fight.  All the other kids seem to be eating them and Monkey just wanted them so badly.  I’ve dubbed them cheesy-oaty puffs after a great line from the kids’ picture book, Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney.

Ah well, by the next day she was no longer interested.

We’ve been reading the fantastic book Zen Ties by John J. Muth a lot recently.  Since it’s fall, it’s a happy coincidence that this book features apples.  I decided to have a little apple tea party with Monkey by having her help me make an apple galette, and serving apple tea.  We shared a wonderful afternoon, first admiring and selecting apples in the store and then preparing this freeform pie.  We purchased the tea, which was too spicy for us.  The pie turned out beautifully.  Here’s the recipe:

Apple Pie

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup very cold water (+ more if needed)

Apple Filling Ingredients

• 2 mediums-sized baking apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and sliced very thin
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 teaspoons apricot preserves
• Vegetable oil spray

Instructions

1. Combine the flours, sugar and salt with a whisk in a large mixing bowl.  Add in the shortening in small chunks, cutting them into the flour mixture with each addition until the dough reaches a crumbly stage.
2. Mix the vinegar with the cold water together and then, using a fork, add it to the flour mixture in a couple of batches.  If needed add up more cold water until the dough holds sticks together uniformly.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface a couple of times, then shape it into a ball and flatten into a disc as if making pizza dough.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 425.
5. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
6. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.  You may roll out the dough into one large galette.  The dough should be not be any thicker than 1/4″.
8. Place the dough on the baking sheet, and spread the apricot preserves on the crust.  Then arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles, working from the outside in, leaving a 3/4″ border around the edge.  Sprinkle the apples with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
9. Fold the extra dough around the edges up and around the apples, overlapping the dough to create a rustic event.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges of the crust are golden.

Make sure you let the galette cool down before eating.  Serve with your choice of ice cream.

Our sparkling water bills have been skyrocketing ever since Monkey caught the bug from her father.  We have friends who have invested in some of the various systems out there, so we undertook a highly unscientific taste test and study of whether we find a home carbonator system palatable.

In this tasting, we put Crystal Geyser, Lauretana and some home-brewed sparkling using the very portable iSi system to the test.  The big surprise was that each water could be enjoyed, and while we had grown accustomed to the big bubbles of the big brands like Crystal Geyser and San Pelligrino, the iSi delivered very nice quality, delicate sparkling. We were convinced that this could be done at home.

We were initially attracted to the iSi (pictured above) with its handsome good looks, the fact that you simply add one cartridge to the canister, pump it, and you’re done.  There is no appliance to set out on the counter and my friends were able to carry their system to our house.  A quick check on the Web confirmed that the price was right, too.  We weren’t completely sold, however, since we’d learned to prefer a really powerful carbonated water and with the iSi, your choice is one cartridge or two.  There is no ability to customize the water, if you will.

Soon thereafter we were able to see The Penguin demonstrated at another friend’s place.  The Penguin does require a ‘machine’ to house one huge container of CO2- another something to set out on your counter.  However, the advantage of this system is that you get to control the amount of CO2 going into your carafe.  The Penguin comes with attractive glass carafes.  The initial investment is more steep than the iSi, but at this point it gets difficult to do a true cost comparison, because it depends on how much CO2 per liter you add to each bottle.  We were sold, though.  Not only is our daughter occasionally picky, but her father can be a stickler about what he drinks.  We decided on The Penguin.

The good news is that when we went online, we learned the manufacturer of The Penguin, Sodastream, has a more lightweight and less expensive model called The Fountain Jet.  We were familiar with the system, so we purchased a starter kit and have been delighted with the results.  We do require more CO2 than is demonstrated or recommended in the company’s promotional materials, so we are probably not saving as much money as suggested elsewhere, but we have already made our investment back.  The system is extremely popular, though, so our only complaint was the initial wait while the company worked through its backlog.  It’s been two months and we’re still using our first CO2 cartridge.  Our daughter loves her sparkling water (has to have it before bed every night) and the rest of us are drinking more water.

What better way to encourage healthy eating than by staring at this wall of beautiful apples on display at this weekend’s Harvest Fair.  Naturally, there were samples of the various types of apples – and, naturally, we tried them all.

I maintain that food should be fun.  In that spirit we checked out all of the animal barns – dairy, draft horses, rabbits, llamas, and the pygmy goats (one year old contest pictured above).  We also watched the clown show (2x!) and a grape stomping competition.  The downside of the grape stomping is that I now have to convince my daughter not to do that at home.

At the end of the day, after the rides and the treats and the clowns, what was Monkey’s favorite part?  The pumpkins – you betcha!

Once you know what your kid will eat, this machine is a life saver.  I can’t rave enough about how much time this thing saves me.  We have a freezer and we’re not afraid to use it – for everything.  Make life simpler for yourself:  batch process and then freeze, freeze, freeze.  (BTW, I know we have horrible 70’s counters.  I think that they’ll be in style again in about 20 more years.)

Part of the whole “dial down the picky eater-ness” philosophy is to connect kids with where their food is made.  On a road trip this summer, we were delighted to spend some time at the Rogue Creamery in Central Point, OR.  It’s not a huge shop – but it has all the essentials.  There is a large glass window into the cheese-making area, a sampling area along with some cheese paraphernalia, and a couple of deli counters with bricks and logs and wheels of some very divine cheese.

Monkey especially liked sampling.  To her credit, for a 2 year old, she did watch the video about the cheese-making process and seemed to get that it would be an excruciating wait before the milk that was being hauled in at that moment would be available in a cheese form.  She was also mildly disappointed that there wasn’t any goat cheese – her favorite.  Nevertheless, the kind people behind the counter gave her tastes of some exceptional cheeses like the Rogue River Blue and the Oregonzola (how many toddlers like blue cheeses?).  I think they converted her by the time we left.

P.S.  If you go, there is a chocolate store next door called Lillie Belle Farms that serves up heaven in little chocolate squares.  Save time to visit both places.

Okay, talk about eating your words.  With all of the confidence in the world, I prepared a very delicious-sounding soba noodle and spinach recipe from the NYT columnist Mark Bittman last night for dinner.  I talked it up big time, too.  My daughter was so excited to try the noodles with all of the good things she likes - edamame, spinach, lime juice, soy sauce – what was there not to like?  Apparently, everything.  Noodles didn’t exactly come flying back into my face, but I think they might have if it hadn’t meant a time out.  I’m not sure that this qualifies her as a picky eater but it sure doesn’t make things a heck of a lot easier.  So, in hopes of redeeming dinner, I made a quick little miso soup — ha, ha.  Remember me?  The LAZY mom-chef.  She asked for, and I gave her, a few slices of prosciutto, some goat cheese, cucumber slices and baby tomatoes along with milk.

But, for you diehards, here is the miso soup recipe I should have made last night (one that Monkey loves):

Ingredients

• 3 cups dashi soup stock, prepared according to directions
• 1 block tofu cut into 1/4″ cubes
• 4 tbsps high quality miso
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 tbsps seaweed leaves

Preparation

Prepare and measure ingredients first.  Put dashi stock in a large  pan and bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer.  Add miso to stock, and dissolve.  Add in tofu cubes and seaweed leaves.  Heat for 2-3 minutes and then serve into bowls.  Garnish with the chopped green onion.

*Makes 4 servings

Using the “sqaure foot gardening” method developed by Mel Bartholomew way back in the day, we’ve created some garden boxes along our driveway.  This is the place where Monkey likes to hang out if she’s not painting on her easel.  We have a pot full of kid’s tools and purple gardening gloves that she almost fits into.  And she digs right in – literally.  Her favorite parts of gardening are planting and harvesting.  It’s hard to find enough green beans for a meal because the little scavenger has already been through all of them before I can get to them.  If there is any magic bullet to getting a child to eat their veggies, it has to be having that child help to grow them.  I wouldn’t have believed it until I saw it with my own eyes.  My daughter seems to intuitively understand that we pick and eat whatever is ripe and ready - concepts she picked up by observing us in the garden.  I have seen this with children at Farmer’s Markets, visits to farms, family garden, neighborhood pea patches, and even from container gardens.  It doesn’t take much and it’s well worth the effort.

Feeding toddlers who are picky eaters seems to be a hot topic on the web these days.  I’m sure that the number of websites devoted to the subject is in exact proportion to the level of frustration that parents of picky eaters feel.  If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of strategies for making meal times less fussy, the Dr. Sears website has created a pretty thorough catalog of the basics.  (Earlier posts on this same subject are on the toddlerwhoate.com site as well.)

Reading through the list at Dr. Sears just makes me smile.  Haven’t we all tried these tips before?  Why do some of them work only some of the time?  The truth is that every child is so different, and different from day to day, that in reality there is no comprehensive list.  There is only your list for Susie or Johnny, or in my case Monkey.  It’s my little toolbox that I reach into at least three times a day to try to find anything that will help me “construct” a workable meal.  One that doesn’t have three of us eating three completely different dishes.  The other great thing about my toolbox is that I’ve finally remembered to add another tool to it.  I’ve labeled my new tool ‘perspective’ (which I don’t always have on hand after 2:30 a.m. wake up calls).  My perspective tries to remind me that all in good time, we will be through the prosciutto-craving, strawberry-loving phase.  And at that time, Monkey will have undoubtedly found a new wrench.

A recipe to try when you think your toddler is open to it:

Spiced Nuts:

• 1/2 cup each of raw pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts and cashews
• 1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp fresh pepper
• 1 tbs sugar

Warm oil and add rosemary until fragrant (1-2 minutes on stove).  Pour over nuts and mix in other spices.  Roast at 325 for about 15-20 minutes.

We’ve been really experimenting with the garden – table connection, and having a lot of fun with it.  Not too long ago, Monkey had a couple of friends over and we set them up with some seedlings, water and soil.  Each girl planted some plants that we had on hand waiting to go in the ground anyway.  We used cardoon, pole beans and strawberry plants, but you could use anything appropriate for your zone (talk with someone at your local nursery).  It has been wonderful to watch the plants grow and the girls come by to check on them and snack right off of the plant.  (Once again, I’m able to maintain my hands off, raw food, vegan philosophy on the table without hitting anyone over the head with it.)  The best part is that the girls treat these fresh off the vine fruits and veggies as treats!

As I’ve already confided, I believe in keeping things simple.  There’s no way that I would skimp on the chance to engage my toddler in something fun that involves food!  We invested in a paella pan and got busy making this delicious and relatively simple Spanish dish.  The best part of Paella is that there is usually something for everyone in the dish – rice, seafood, sausage, chicken.  Although I’ve recently turned vegan, I did spend some formative years in Lousiana, where I grew to appreciate jambalaya, a paella cousin.  Thus, I enlisted my foodie husband to make the dish – a pleasure for him – and then we called over some friends, who brought the Spanish wine to accompany our meal.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed picking through the dish and eating their favorite parts with their fingers.  It was also reassuring to see the toddlers try something with different spices.  We just set it out in front of them without any kind of hoopla, and they were willing.

Want to cook for a picky toddler?  (Now, I know you shouldn’t actually use the word “picky” in front of your little one – but feel safe to vent, I meant write, it on this site.)  As with everything that I try, I learn that it all comes down to the basics, right down to the equipment.  Cooking well requires, at a minimum, some decent pots, pans and knives.  Pictured are two recent acquisitions, which have made turning on the stove a breeze.  These are both by All-Clad – one is a Stainless Steel 12-inch Fry Pan and the other is a Stainless Steel 4-Quart Saute Pan.  Don’t ask me what makes the pans work so well.  All I know is that the heat seems to distribute evenly throughout the pan, everything slides right out and they are a snap to clean.

Here’s a quick tomato sauce to make in your saute pan. Try it and I think you’ll agree that having the right pans makes this already simple recipe practically effortless.

Quick Tomato Sauce

• Approximately 3 pounds of heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Around 1/4 cup of chopped herbs such as basil, oregano or marjoram
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Olive oil to taste

Place tomatoes in saute pan over medium heat along with herbs.  Cover pan, but stir periodically.  Allow tomatoes and herbs to cook for about 10 minutes until they have softened.  Run the mixture through a food mill to get rid of the skins and seeds.  Place sauce back in saute pan along with salt, pepper and olive oil to taste (try out a couple of tablespoons) and then simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.  Sauce may be kept in the fridge for about a week, or frozen for several months.

Here is something interesting that I read recently.  The gist of this new research, as reported by Don Sapatkin for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that:

1. Your children will choose smaller portion sizes if you allow them to do it for themselves.
2. If you use tall, narrow glasses instead of short, wide ones, your kids will think that they are getting more (and so will you).
3. Portion size and control is one of the largest contributing factors to overeating.
4. A smaller number of larger pieces (rather than a larger number of smaller pieces) may contribute to eating less; this is in contrast to adults who tend to judge portions based on the quantity of items rather than the size of each item.

Of course, thinking about picky eaters, there is some discussion about the role that breast feeding plays with the development of food preferences and eating practices.  Some researchers believe that breast feeding, as opposed to bottle feeding, introduces a variety of flavors from the mother’s diet and consequently affects how much is eaten, since babies play an active role in getting the milk.

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