July 13, 2012

Finger Food


I don't know if I am alone in this, but I spend an inordinate amount of time arranging beautiful plates of food for my toddler to tear apart in seconds flat. Obviously I do it for myself, but I sometimes have to laugh when I'm so proud, presenting this lovely dish only to have it scarfed down by fistfuls (yay!), smeared from head to toe, or worst of all rejected.

Little Smith is a good eater and pretty adventurous, but he does have some odd habits and often surprises me with what passes the test. I thought I was offering a real treat with berries and whipped cream. It's one of my favorite desserts and I was expecting a similar reaction to the thrill of ice cream.


Little S tried a few bites before he shuddered like he'd had a shot of whisky and proceeded to carefully pick out all of the blueberries and leave behind the cream. Maybe I don't make whipped cream with enough sugar for his tastes or it was just too heavy, who knows but more for me!

We now have boatloads of zucchini growing in the garden and the kid is just not a fan. I decided to try breading some ('cause what isn't good breaded?) and served it with a yogurt, mint, and lemon thyme dipping sauce... how fancy!


I thought it was delicious and was busy polishing off my own plate while he preferred the dipping sauce and smeared it everywhere within arm's (and toe's) reach. Good thing he was topless for a low maintenance clean up.


And then there's his oddest food related habit; I call it the 'banana ritual'. Every morning Little S gets a banana torn into bite-sized pieces, and he refuses to eat it if anyone is watching. He has to be left alone. He doesn't do this with anything else, just bananas. We give him the bowl and then go make the rest of his breakfast while he has his banana-alone-time... and every single day he eats all of the banana EXCEPT for one lonely piece which he rejects. He pokes at it and then  pushes it away. Strange right?


I do have to say that most often he is really good at the table. He eats a lot and is actually more tidy than many toddler's I've seen. Of course his favorite food is always fruit; berries and melons are never refused.


And now that we have a few more teeth on their way (finally!), I don't always have to cut everything into little bitty pieces which is a time saver.


We are currently enjoying some frozen blueberries on this steamy friday afternoon and looking forward to some good eating this week-end with so many fresh veggies thriving in the garden. Happy hot summer week-end!

16 comments:

  1. Everything does look fancy AND tasty! I'd finish off his meals for him. Funny about the banana! Toddlers are kooky.

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  2. Oh, that brings back memories! Its so funny what kids will take to-- my oldest loved cucumbers, my youngest wouldn't even touch 'em...and the boy, ah my boy- he was all about the sweet potatoes lol. Too funny!
    Wouldn't you just love to see through his eyes for a minute {especially to figure out what he is going through with the 'nanas lol}

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  3. He's so funny with his banana ritual. I have major, major food envy with that breaded zucchini and dip. Kellie xx

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  4. That last picture is too cute!! Love those little teeth! I giggled when I read his banana ritual.

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  5. Those teeth!! That last picture is so very sweet. What a great eater he is! Even considering the banana ritual. Such a funny thing to do! Audrey has a banana ritual of her own, but it's a little different. Every time we peel a banana, we break off the tip because we read somewhere that the ends contain the most pesticide residue. I have no idea if there's any validity to this. But we do it anyway. And Audrey has decided that the end pieces should be dedicated only to her dog Molly. If we have the audacity to throw them away, she becomes very indignant and demands that we give them to Molly.

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  6. That banana thing is hilarious! And it is so funny to see his food tastes become so apparent at such a young age.

    We're just a few weeks away from giving Alice her first bites of real food and I can't wait to see what she likes and dislikes! BTW... is that the OXO high chair? I've been researching high chairs and that one is on my list along with the Stokke and some other wooden one. How do you like it?

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    1. It's actually the Bloom high chair and we love it. It was expensive but has a lot of great features (can change the height easily, swivel, and has two trays... all things we use constantly surprisingly) and is a fun design. It is a very futuristic modern look though and has a lot of plastic so not for everyone. My friend has the Oxo and she really likes it. The one downside is that the tray can't go through the dishwasher. Of course a lot of people swear by the Stokke but we actually like having the option of a separate tray (as opposed to at table) and the tray attachment for that chair isn't great. I'm guessing your other option is the Svan which is beautiful- I have heard that the wood finish gets worn out fast though even with the plastic insert.

      I did a ton of research on highchairs since baby gear is a bit of a passion so I could write on this all day :) if you have any particular questions feel free to email me at projectlittlesmith@gmail.com. Happy highchair hunting!

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    2. I'll definitely check out the Bloom high chair as we have the Bloom coco rocker and LOVE it for it's sort of modern and futuristic design. All that cheap and cartoon-y and plastic-y and overbearingly baby-ish furniture is just not our style. Glad I have a friend who is just as passionate. ;-)

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  7. Oh what adorable little eating habits! :) So far Audrey is pretty much happy to try anything we give her, but I think it's mostly the thrill of being allowed to put things in her mouth. She has grown weary of certain foods that she originally seemed to like, though. It's so fun to see their little tastes develop! And Little Smith's new teeth are wonderful!

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  8. Banana alone time?! This is so funny!

    I was off the grid for the past week and can't wait to read what you've been up to!

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  9. I had some banana-alone week myself, so I understand the Little Smith! :) He is sooooo cute! :)

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  10. That zucchini breaded looks delicious! Almost as delicious as that smile in the last picture!

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  11. Very cute photos. You never do know what they will eat. Mine were great as toddlers and then they went astray. Now, they are (slowly) come back to a variety of foods again.

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  12. He is sooo cute :) I could really go for that bread zucchini...

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  13. Oh, that banana ritual is too funny! Our boys had to sit down on the rug in the living room with their juice looking out the back window every single morning. First thing. I guess little guys like their rituals just like we do. ;)

    xo
    cortnie

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  14. your boy is so cute, ohhh his smile on the last pic!

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