Small Slice

Denise (again) makes a very good point by mentioning my silence on the emotional issues that have helped hoist my chubby little fist full of snackies. I'm going to take a stab at revealing some of the emotional issues I have, and the way they have twisted my relationship to food.

Demon #6 - Recognition and Appreciation
Food has long been a way to reward myself.  From my earliest years:
"Finish your dinner, and you can have a popsicle." 
"Get good grades, and we'll go out for ice cream!"
Let's not forget the Starving Children in China argument.  I'm making it sound like my parents were plying us with sweet rewards daily.  This isn't the case at all.  But times of celebration, large and small, generally called for something yummy. 

In my adult life, a job well done has always been marked by a little something edible. As an office worker, a balanced ledger meant it was time for a visit to the vending machines.  As a new mommy, every breastfeeding session 'earned' a little treat. The thankless day-to-day grind of dirty diaper and dirty laundry and dirty dishes was sweetened by a little "thank you, Jenny!" in the form of a Pumpkin Spice Latte, or a handful of cookies.  This last year has brought me major improvement on that front.  No longer do I 'celebrate' each folded load of laundry with a fun-sized Snickers (or three) from a hidden stash.  No longer do I 'celebrate' the end of the day by polishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry's. 

However, the snacking urge remains.  I believe that there are several complicated emotional triggers behind this.  My need for appreciation and recognition is abated and soothed by chocolate and sweets.  I realize that I cannot continue to feed this need with food - but I am not sure how to fill the hole.  At the risk of sounding like an ungrateful wretch, I will admit that I find many of my hausfrau duties to be completely mundane.  Not only that, but I'm not particularly good at them.  Which brings me to Demon #7.

Continue reading "Emotional Demons" »

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Today is my day on the Mother Talk Blog Tour for Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook - a charming cookbook inspired by the stories of Dr. Seuss.  From the back cover:

Award-winning cookbook author Georgeanne Brennan has joined photographer Frankie Frankeny to whip up the very first cookbook inspired by the wildly outrageous food references that abound in the Seussian oeuvre.

Well, then.  With its bright orange cover and large, glossy pages, it is quite a visual treat.  Throughout, the classic artwork and verses that inspired various recipes are prominently featured.  I sat down with the kids and had them check it out, and help me choose what we should try to make for this review.

I was gratified to recognize plenty of recipes (over 40) for kid-friendly foods, without dumbing down the process, eliminating herbs and spices, or relying on packaged foods.  The focus is on creating a delicious meal, not on special effects, although the suggested presentations are quite clever. 

You'll find a recipe for ricotta stuffed noodles "Cat's Mac and Cheese" - a multi-bean chili made with several canned ingredients "Zans' Cans Chili" - assorted charming snacks, and lots of recipes that my kids eat anyway,  hot dogs with baked beans "Nook Hook Cook Book Dogs," crispy fish and coleslaw "Finney's Freshest Fish" and more.  The process for most of the recipes is not difficult, but would obviously require adult supervision and assistance.

Last night, we chose to make Schlottz's Knots - which involved a  package of refrigerated bread-stick dough and some salt.  These were fun and easy to prepare, and were a great accent to our other dish, Hoop-Soup-Snoop Group Potato Soup.  A basic, creamy potato soup (made from potatoes, onion and milk) topped with your choice of cheddar cheese, bacon, croutons and green onion.  It was quick to prepare, and delicious. 
Behold:
If you are a fan of Dr. Seuss, you'll smile with recognition as you flip through these clever interpretations.  If you like to try jazzed up recipes for some of your everyday staples, this is a great book.  If I had one wish, it would be that the finished foods would have been more prominently featured in the artwork.  The food photography got lost amongst all the Seussian goodness.  This is a minor complaint, however. 
Georgeanne Brennan and Frankie Frankeny have created a fun, inventive addition to family-friendly cookbooks with the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook.  You can check it here.

To see what other Mother-Talk Tour guest have to say, visit the Mother-Talk blog.

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