Absence and Indulgence

After yet another too-long hiatus from what was once my nearest and dearest project, I've decided to take another swing at not abandoning my blog alltogether. The writer in me needs a personal outlet for my thoughts and the mother in me needs a spot to post cute pictures of my baby. That being said, I think it's time to approach this from a different angle.

The reality of my life is that it doesn't revolve around baby talk. During my pregnancy, I remember my mom telling me that even though it then felt as if nothing besides my child would ever matter again, the world does keep turning, and there are plenty of reasons to be a part of it. As my daughter now approaches one year old, we seem to have reached a still-evolving balance. Because I have so much to say about motherhood and other subjects, I think it's time for this blog to become a forum for the many pieces that form my happy life as a young mom.

I will, of course, continue to write about the many anecdotes of my sweet baby, but I also hope to write about my favorite recipes, crafts and pasttimes. To start things off on an entertaining foot, I'm going to make this post about Evelyn's favorite foods.

While this may not immediately sound entertaining, I assure you that although she has not yet reached one year of age, Evelyn has established her impressive culinary palette already.

She ate honey baked ham at Easter and fettucine alfredo from the Cheesecake Factory. She likes Spanish rice and marinated chicken. Evie is willing to try anything you put in front of her, but like any true foodie in the making, she has her favorites.

1. Honey wheat pretzel sticks
A couple months ago, I let Evie gnaw on a pretzel stick just to see what she did with it. She devoured it. Ever since then, I keep a supply of this lightly-salted snack in my purse at all times. She loves the taste and I love that it keeps her busy for a few minutes and doesn't leave more than a couple of crumbs for me to clean up. Bonus: you can find a store brand of honey wheat pretzel sticks almost anywhere, and they're dang cheap.

2. Oscar Meyer Turkey Bacon
On another whim, I gave Baby a tiny piece of bacon a while back just to see how she reacted. As she does with most foods, she made it disappear. Opting for a healthier alternative, we have since been purchasing turkey bacon from the grocery and eating it almost every morning. Unlike pork bacon, turkey bacon isn't loaded with fat and you can cook it with just a few minutes in the microwave. I break up the more tender strips into little pieces for Evie and save the crispier parts for myself. Win-win!

3. Animal crackers
This classic snack has been a recent endeavor. Just yesterday, I bought a large, teddy bear-shaped plastic container stuffed to the brim with animal crackers, and Evie approves. Since they're not super sugary, I don't feel bad letting her have a few after dinner.

4. Gerber Graduates for Toddlers Pasta Pick-Ups
Though I rarely purchase the over-priced mini entrees sold for toddlers, I will buy these little packages of ravioli. Evie really seems to enjoy the spinach and cheese. Turkey and vegetable- not so much. They cook quickly in the microwave and travel well since they aren't refrigerated. Since she can't quite eat the whole portion yet, we save the leftovers and they reheat nicely.

5. Pineapple bits
Like many babies, my daughter is a big fan of fruit. Always a fan of apples and peaches, she sampled a slightly more acidic fruit when her tummy could handle it. Now, I buy fresh peaches and cans of crushed pineapple for her. I dice the peaches, divide them evenly into a few containers, then add the pineapple with the juice. The juice keeps it all fresh and yummy, and these mini fruit cocktails keep in the fridge for a couple weeks. We also throw watermelon into the mix on occasion.

This short list doesn't even come close to summing up the many foods that Evie enjoys. At this rate, she's on her way to becoming a true lover of all cuisine. Since I've been a lifelong picky eater, I'm hoping some of her willingness will rub off on me. I can't wait to see what she does with a birthday cake...