(With all respect to Lionel Bart...)
I'll say it again: we have a little foodie. He has, so far, eaten everything we've put in front of him, except jarred peas. That, in my opinion, enhances (rather than detracts from) his reputation as a foodie. Indeed, sometimes he enjoys eating so much that he continues asking for food - opening his mouth and making insistent noises - when he's probably already full.
Better still, though, is that we may just have the makings of a little cook.
Although we have been known to give him jarred baby food (gifted to us - not to use it seems wasteful, although I sometimes wonder if it's the McDonalds of baby food... says the woman who admits to a huge weakness for fries...) usually we make our own. Simple enough - peel, chop, microwave, purée, freeze. The only problem is that our little food processor is a little loud. And that Asa's bedroom is right off the kitchen. So food is best made when he's awake. Which presents a bit of a problem, as he grows up and demands more attention.
Solution: for the peel-and-chop part, we sit together at the kitchen table and he watches me. As long as everything is out of his reach, we do fine. Better than fine: he's fascinated by the peeler and the knife, the bowl full of fruit or veggie bits, and the compost bin (which is kept
really far away from curious hands).
When the chopped bits come out of the microwave, we shift up to the counter for the puréeing process. The first couple of times, the noise startled him, but now he flaps his hands joyfully and watches the food spin.
After the food has gone into the ice cube trays to be frozen, we do a little clean up... which sometimes involves swiping my finger along the inside of the food processor or down the spatula, and popping what's there into his mouth. Nice little between-meals snack that he very much enjoys.
The meal this day was plums - out-of-season at the moment and therefore something of a treat. Also a treat because they are a
pain in the neck to make. Ever tried peeling a plum? Tossing it in the microwave really didn't help much, I ended up scraping mushy plum out of wilted peels with my fingers, smearing purple streaks all over the kitchen (and my sweater). Problem: he
loves plums. From the second I offered him a finger-full, he's been hooked. I haven't cleaned food-prep equipment so well without soap and water since the last time my mother offered me beaters of cookie dough.
Ahhh, the things we do for our little foodie/cook-in-training.
