Trying New Things…

THAT is the picture of the dinner table on Monday night.  I don’t think there’s that much food on the table on a normal day, but there are so many recipes that we want to try (and I want to make sure that I’m cooking the “staples” too, that I know the kids will like.)

So, in the picture, you’ll see oranges and watermelon, baked potatoes, and then sweet potato fries (which were to die for — we are SO making them again!) and the veggie burgers which are made out of black beans, potatoes, corn, onions and a host of other things.  They were pretty good, too.  All but Thing 2 ate that… but she at least tried it.  Oh and Thing 3 skipped out on the meal.  He stuck with some crackers and toast which was the first thing that he had kept down all day seeings how he got the stomach bug that Thing 4 passed on to him this weekend.

Yes, leave it to me to combine the stomach bug with a post about food.

What’s not pictured is the salad which Thing 4 gobbled up, but this is the same child that will sit in the garden and eat veggies as fast as she can pick them.

All in all, they tried new things, and when they left the table, they were stuffed.

Which was the same comment that I got tonight after dinner.

Tonight was Faux Fried Rice which had tofu, and some other stuff, but it was on the spicy side.  The boy?  Insanely excited to have something with “flavor” and even though we aren’t big fans of the spice, it was good enough to tolerate the spice that accompanied it.  In addition, we had Asian Noodle Salad which they all picked at last night while I was making it.

It was a do-again as well.

But, like any kids, they like snacks.  And the granola recipe I found has been a huge hit for us in addition to the home made corn chips and roasted chick peas.  What’s really cool?  We’re experimenting with the recipes and the kids are helping in the kitchen and they love eating their creations as well.

Are we sticking to the fast totally?

No.

I accidentally had some cheese today.  I had a lunch appointment with a client and they picked a Mexican place.  I chose a bean enchilada thinking that it was a safe bet but I forgot to tell them to eliminate the cheese.  And I was about half way done before I realized that I was eating cheese.

The kids had Cheetos for snack at their after school program… and I pack their lunches still with the bread that they are used to and like…and I don’t care.  I know they enjoy those things and it’s not like we’re going to hell if we don’t stick to it religiously.

But at home?

We are trying.

It’s a balancing act, as with anything else in life.

But in thinking about it, cutting out meat for us was really just cutting out chicken as we cut out red meat a few months ago… short of the occassional burger that we would eat.

And I know that the elimination of caffeine has done wonders for me already.  I actually got up like a normal person this morning.  I didn’t feel like a zombie when my feet hit the floor and I actually felt mentally awake before 10am.

I’m anxious to see how the boy and I feel over the next few days, since we are the only two who are truly doing the fast without modifications.  I know from past experience that I felt great, but this time?  I’m cooking more and trying different things.

And so are the kids.

And that’s pretty cool.

Secretly, I’m glad that the older two realized that the weekly fast they chose was not for them.  They are back to eating with the rest of us.  I’m proud of them for trying but knew that they would struggle.  I never discouraged, because they need to learn certain things on their own.

But the best part of all of this?

The boy and I are preparing the meals together.  We make them the night before and are able to chat and laugh and spend a little more time together.

Regardless, of where we go with the fast, I’m hoping that we continue that in the future.

Until next time…