Posting A Day Late

Tuesday was National Pretzel Day.  I did not know this until I checked another blog I follow.  This blog is also where I found a fabulous soft pretzel recipe.

I didn't get around to doing this post until Wednesday, but in honor of National Pretzel Day

and because I had given all my soft pretzels to my dad when I visited him over Spring Break, this is what I did yesterday...

Mmmmmmm.....  This was the last batch and was sprinkled with salt (I do half salt and half cinnamon-sugar).  I know this was the salt batch because I finally broke down and had one!  Soooooooooooo delicious.  I really make these for my older son.  He takes them to school for snack.  I try not to eat too many of them since the carbs have lots o' calories.  But I couldn't resist and it was soooooooooooooooo worth it.  DELICIOUS.

I also love that they freeze well (since that keeps me from eating them).  And then they thaw in time for my son's snack at school!  Win, win, win!

If you haven't tried making pretzels you should TOTALLY do it!  Worth the time.

Sorry if you missed out on National  Pretzel Day.  Maybe next year!

Picky Eaters Suck

I love my family, really I do.  But my children are such picky eaters... well one in particular (oh little one you try my patience) is really bad.  The big one will take a bite and try things but then he politely says "I don't care for the noodles (or whatever he is eating)."  The little one will just whine like a big baby and/or vomit at the dinner table.  Drives me crazy.  I think there are only about 2 home-cooked meals I can prepare that the family actually ENJOYS.  Tacos (little one will only eat meat and the hard taco shell - but will do so without complaining).  And spaghetti (little one will only eat garlic bread dipped in the sauce - no noodles - 90% of the time without complaining).

Everything else is a big no-no.  That list is so long I get sad.  Some of the things I would like to make are soup, macaroni and cheese (homemade or in a box), any noodle-bake dish, any rice-bake dish, any noodles or rice period, pasta dishes, mashed potatoes... i could go on, but I'm getting depressed with this list.

Things they will eat but only in their whole form - never mixed with any of the above... broccoli, most fruits (not bananas though), asparagus, cauliflower, carrots (not cooked), chicken bites (even plain non-nugget style), plain BBQ meat.  This sounds like the list of meals would be wide open right?  Nope, because I can only get them to eat these things if they are REALLY hungry.  If they are even a little filled up, they won't eat a "good" dinner and then they complain about being hungry later.

Now I know that there is a MOUNTAIN of research out there that I could read that talks about how to fix these problems.  I have tried including them in the cooking process - doesn't work for the little one.  He wants to cook, but still won't eat the food.  I've tried making them eat it later or even the next day for breakfast - doesn't work.  I've tried letting them choose the meals - sorta works but boring for me because I never get to try new recipes.  I've tried having them eat the food repeatedly (the exposure method over and over) - doesn't work - they still won't eat rice or pasta.  I'm at a loss.....

I hear about families with boys where they complain that the boys eat them out of house and home... won't be me.  Won't be my kids.  EVER.  Unless I let them eat only chicken nuggets, pizza, hotdogs/hamburgers (for the big one), waffles/pancakes (for the little one), and maybe bacon.

What spurred this rant?  Dinner tonight.  I made this yummy Sour Cream Noodle Bake from Pioneer Woman's blog.  Oh my gosh, I thought it was delicious.  But alas the dinner did not win the hearts of my children and got only a mild "it was good" from the husband.  I enjoy cooking but the family does not get excited about food and could care less when I try new things...

What did my family get excited about most recently????  This recipe for Monkey Bread also from Pioneer Woman's blog.  Why did they like it?  Was it homemade and super delicious?  Homemade?  Not by my standards - it involved 3 "cans" of biscuits.  Super delicious?  YES!  The little one liked it because it has LOADS of sugar.  The big one liked it because it was his idea - he had it at a friend's house one time.  The husband liked it so much that he ate too much and the declared that he felt sick - oh how I love to hear my food made him sick.

I have no idea what to do.  I want to try new recipes, but alas it just isn't worth listening to the complaining and whining at the dinner table - it stresses me out and makes me not enjoy my meal.  And on the occasion when the little one vomits... well that is obvious how that makes the night go.

So what's for dinner tomorrow night?  I HAVE NO FREAKIN' CLUE!  I may have to just leave the house and let my husband feed them whatever...  I'm so exhausted from trying...

Carrots vs. Cookies

The never ending battle in my world...

VS

Do I eat the carrots that I know are healthy and good for me?
or
Do I eat the cookies that I really want because they taste SOOOO good?

I don't get how people can "eat in moderation."  It doesn't come naturally for me.  I have to REALLY work at it.  Which I totally hate.  I love to feel healthy and strong, but I HATE having to weigh and measure everything I eat in order to eat in moderation.  It TOTALLY does not come easy to me. 
I want to be the kind of person that eats very healthy all the time, but the cookies taste SOOOOOOOOO good.  And the cake.  And the ice cream.  And the homemade bread.  And the Belgian waffles.  And the bacon (Mmmm... bacon).  And the chocolate.  And pretty much anything with cheese.

I know that eating right is all about being good to myself.  Eating right so I can be healthy for my family and myself.  I know how to eat right - lots of fruits and vegetables and I even like fruits and vegetables.  But I see these yummy looking recipes and I just can't resist.

I actually don't mind the exercise part.  I enjoy working out.  I would love to be a runner but I have a heel spur that makes the running too painful.  But even with the heel spur, I will endure the pain just to feel strong after exercising.

But the battle with food - the never ending... "Do I eat the carrots or the cookies?" that just never goes away for me.  I have times when I can do really well.  I did manage to lose 50 pounds (and yes I have kept it off and yes I'm proud of myself, blah, blah, blah)!  But I eventually fall off the wagon and that makes me angry.  I would love to lose about 15 more pounds.  I would really love to be the kind of person who can stay on the wagon ALL the time.  It is just SOOOOOOOOO hard.  I HATE that.

I did workout today.  But I didn't eat really well (there is homemade bread in my house).

Did I mention that I like sugar?  Did I also mention that I like working out and feeling healthy?  Did I mention that I just don't get these people who are naturally healthy and fit?  Some people just don't seem to have to work at it and that makes me so frustrated!

I do strive to eat the carrots.  I just wish the cookies didn't call to me every second of the day.

Cookies for Breakfast

"I don't like it."  and  "I'm full."
These are the two comments I get VERY often from my picky eater.

So I have a plan.  I think to myself, what kid would not want cookies for breakfast?  Seriously.  Chocolate chip cookies.  They are these WONDERFUL Giant Breakfast Cookies from a blog I follow.  I decided to give them a try this morning.  I figured my kids would be oh so excited about cookies for breakfast and the cookies turned out awesome.

My picky eater decided to shun the cookies.  "I don't like it." he says after taking a microscopic bite.  He has the BIGGEST sweet tooth on the face of the planet and he still turned them down.  Yes, the cookies have oatmeal in them.  And yes, I was trying to sneak some healthy food into his body.  But you can't really tell the oatmeal is there.  The cookies are not dry.  They are very yummy.  The chocolate chips definitely mask any "healthiness."  I think he is just completely insane.  I'm considering locking him in a closet until he outgrows his weird picky eating.

The non-picky eater did eat a whole cookie.  When asked if he wanted "another cookie for breakfast?"  "No, I'm good." was his response.  SERIOUSLY!?  It's a COOKIE for breakfast!  What is WRONG with you?

So I went to my backup plan and sliced a pear for the kids to eat.  What happened to the pear you wonder?  All consumed.  No begging, pleading, or nagging.  Pear, gone.  I'm not complaining that they ate the pear.  I just totally don't understand not wanting to eat the COOKIES.

By the way, the picky one finished his pear and had 98% of his cookie left and said "I'm full."