Mealtime

As we were leaving the grocery store the other day, a man was walking out with his daughter and two cases of Hawaiian punch.  His kid looked totally normal and healthy and I sort of admired his audacity to purchase something that must be on some national forbidden list by now.  After all, aren’t sugary drinks the new tobacco? 

It also made me feel better about making a longer-than-usual-stop at the frozen food section.  I needed some new meals, and somehow frozen peas and pot stickers have become very reliable friends when kids are hungry.  (Pot stickers actually cover three food groups!)  So I thought I’d see what else was in those grocery store freezers.  Turns out there is quite a bit and we went home with the bonanza of them all – corn dogs! 

I mentioned my shopping observations and purchases to my dad in a phone call that afternoon and here’s my recollection of the exchange:

 “Ali, you can do better than that.” 

“I do Dad.  About 90 percent of the time I am making fresh food for them, but occasionally I just want them to eat.  Why not make it easier on myself every once in awhile?”

He was clearly dismayed that his grandsons were being offered frozen corn dogs; surely that food item must be on a national forbidden list by now too.

Alas, it wasn’t long before the corn dogs were offered up.  And of course, they liked them.

I’m sure everyone will be happy to know that I do make homemade chocolate pudding regularly.  And let me tell you, the kitchen is very quiet when that gets put into boys’ bowls.  No throwing food, no complaining, no special food requests, no moaning to get down, nope, there’s nothing going on but eating.  It even got Gavin to start using a spoon (thanks again for the nifty front loader spoon, Dad).

And yes, for my birthday, my dad and his wife (a fabulous cook herself) sent me a slew of new cookbooks.  We may have to try making our own corn dogs!

Nutrition value:

corndog

pb&j

chocolate pudding