A Palate

So let's talk food. A favorite topic of mine. I love to cook, eat, plan meals, and generally geek out about food and dining. It has been a dealbreaker for me in relationships - I dated a Midwestern farm boy once that only ate beige food. Chicken with gravy, rice, potatoes, vanilla ice cream. Oh, and well-cooked red (now grey) meat. It made me crazy, because he was hesitant to try colored things, like vegetables. It ended up being a dealbreaker for me - how could I be with someone who wasn't into trying all my cooking? Who didn't want to go get pho, or ethiopian, or any other "weird ethnic food." Or even just a nice salad somewhere? It was a no-go for me.

When I began thinking about solid foods for the Critter, I knew I would try to make most of her food myself. I cook for Mr. P and me pretty much every day, why not add something for her too?

So after the library paste, errr, I mean baby cereal, debacle, I said to myself, if it does not taste good to me, why do I expect her to like it? A palate is born, but it is also cultivated. Expose her to good-tasting things, and a wide variety of things, and she will not expect things to taste processed or bland or overcooked.

I've made her sweet potatoes, which went over pretty well, and last night we tried peas. I just blanched the frozen peas, whirred them up in my food processor and strained the skins out. I thinned them out with a little cooking water. Nothing else, no salt, no fat. Just peas and water.

She LOVED them! They were bright green, as opposed to that overcooked, grey stuff they label as peas in baby food jars. They were sweet and yummy (yes, I ate some too - like a fresh spring pea soup!). And she gobbled those things up.

I know not everyone has the time I do as a SAHM to make baby food. But in 15 minutes, I made enough for her for at least a week. Freeze in ice cube trays, and it becomes just as easy as opening a jar.

It is really important to me to cultivate a good palate in that Critter Girl. I know there will be times she wants chicken nuggets (but hopefully she'll prefer the ones I make!) and pizza, and that's ok. Sometimes I want those things too. But I also crave fruit and veggies, and I hope she will too.