Start Playing With Your Food!

Some people (my mother and husband) might tell you that I like to play with my food.  Apparently, I always have and it seems I always will.  You know, stacking broccoli (surprisingly hard), playing the color game (mixing foods on your plate to test the color wheel), and the ever popular try-to-peel-the-raw-red-pepper-stick-in-one-strip-without-breaking-the-skin (impossible).

You see, I really feel that I can't be blamed for what some people may call an impolite habit.  What I'm about to tell you is shocking, but true.  When I was a kid, a large clock hung on the wall above our dining room table.  My parents would have us play this "fun game" called, "Watch the clock and see if Andrea can make it 1/5/10 minutes without talking."  That's emotional abuse, at best, I tell you.  So, what else was I to do but play with my food while sitting in joyful silence?

When you have kids, one of the many truths that nobody tells you is this: You will never again have time to sit and eat a meal, let alone play with one.  On one recent night, I got up from the table 12 times (really, I counted) to refill milk, get a peanut butter sandwich, get plain toast because the peanut butter sandwich is no longer wanted, get another napkin, get a different spoon, get up to get the other red spoon while thinking that there is no way they can possibly tell the difference, get a different cup, get two cups, get the peanut butter sandwich that is now in demand, get a towel because the milk spilled, refill milk, dump out the milk that tastes funny....  You get the picture.  Obviously there are bigger issues at hand than the fact the milk spilled.  Should I be a short order cook and let the kids boss me around?  No.  Do I have the energy to fight it by the time dinner rolls around?  Nope.

So, when you find a food that the kids will willingly eat (2 servings, none the less) and that you can play with, well, I'd say that's a win-win.

You can buy zoo pasta at World Market stores, or here.