"We're hungry..."
My family is always hungry! Feeding them nutritious meals and snacks is one of the most stressful parts of being a mama. If I lived alone, I could subsist on very little...I'm just not a big eater. I guess I'm of the "eat to live" variety.
Don't get me wrong. I'm very thankful for the amount and variety of inexpensive food I can prepare for my family. I'm just not very creative in the kitchen!
It REALLY bothers me when I spend a lot of time preparing a meal for my family...and then they just aren't that impressed. (I'm speaking about the kids - D will eat anything!) I find myself wondering why I didn't just make some peanut butter and jellies, slice up some fruit, and pour the kids a glass of milk!
My children aren't that picky. They will eat (and enjoy) a variety of fruits and vegetables and will usually "try" anything I put on their plate. They just don't like anything "mixed." I don't even attempt casseroles anymore!
I end up preparing the same seven or so meals...and I'm bored! What's a mama to do? Waste food? Be continually frustrated? Eat a later meal with D?
I love the family meal...when the kids inhale their food! I feel like I've accomplished a great feat! They've eaten a nutritious meal I lovingly prepared for them.
On the other hand...when they hardly touch their meal it's very frustrating for me. Am I taking cooking too personally?
Snacks are an entirely different issue. I usually try to provide a large variety of fresh fruit with either crackers and cheese or graham crackers and peanut butter. We eat A LOT of popcorn... The kids drink a lot of chocolate milk. And water. And some sweet tea. (No sodas in the Hamlin house. Except for cookouts or the occasional "coke float.") Does anyone have any quick, healthy snack ideas for me?
I guess what I'm saying is I spend a lot of time thinking about food, purchasing food, and preparing food. That's so weird for an "eat to live" person like me.
