Results tagged “Food” from The Path to Lost End

Food makes me paranoid.

Especially since I have a toddler (and, as an aside, before Kylie I really didn't realize why the phrase "toddler" is so appropriate, but seeing her lurch from side to side like a sailor on a drunken bender, it's all become clear. But I digress...) food has become my nemesis. Not only am I paranoid about what's appropriate to feed her and how much and such, she also has become an incredibly picky eater over the last few months and has decided she'd like to subsist on a diet of milk and occasional apple juice if she's in the mood and I put it into a bottle.

This can be very discouraging.

Part of the problem is that I've always had anxiety about cooking in general. I don't enjoy it. Or, more accurately, I don't enjoy the time it takes. I have all the attention span of a caffeinated-squirrel and I have a bad habit of picking up a book while I'm waiting for a pot to come to a boil, only to realize a chapter later that my stove is on fire. This is not a good thing.

Also, it can be very stressful trying to cook for someone else (i.e. a husband). Because while I might be willing to try something new or even eat something that I've ruined, he might not be in the same mood. And then there's the "I've just got home from work and am tired and don't want to think about food" mood and the "I've just spend all day with a frenetic toddler and don't want to think about food" mood and... well, you get the idea.

I'd like to be a good cook, I really would. I think the first thing I need to do is to change my attitude -- telling myself I will always be a bad cook is probably a self-fulfilling prophecy. And I really want my family to be eating healthily (see this frightening series about childhood obesity in the Washington Post if you'd like some more anxiety in your day) and then there's the frugal nature of eating in, which I've also been thinking about lately. So, conquering my fear is a necessity.

Any suggestions?

Our last night in Disneyland, we went back to the park and watched the Parade. It was wonderful and fun -- especially watching Kylie's face. We were sitting right in front of the train station on Main Street, and while we were waiting for the Parade to start, Kyle took the opportunity to introduce Kylie to churros -- something he'd been planning to do ever since he found out we were going to Disneyland. (Churros at Disneyland are a tradition in his family.) Based on how quickly she sucked at it and how messy she got, I'd say it was a success. <grin>

It was an amazing trip and we can't wait to do it again!

For dinner that night, we all went to the pizza place in Downtown Disney (what is it called? Naples, I think?). Kyle and I had actually gone there for lunch on Sunday when we arrived, so when everyone was doing the "I don't care where we go, you decide" dance, we were able to make a statement with authority. "This place is good. We should go here." And so we did. <grin>

There was a girl there doing balloon animals, which is always fun. After watching her fingers, I've decided that one of the tricks to manipulating balloons is firmness. You have to know what you want to do, and not be afraid to do it. It's when you're hesitant and unsure that things have a tendency to pop. Or at least that's how it appears to me. Anyways, Maddie and Abby both got horses, Ryan got a hat with a shark on top, and Kylie got a pink poodle that lasted the walk from the restaurant back to Disneyland <grin>. I blame her darling bottom teeth. Cute as all get out, but those things are sharp!