Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Chicks on Demand

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Chicks on Demand

I did it. I placed the order.

After years of wanting them, and months of talking, and weeks of getting serious about it, we're getting chickens.

They're supposed to be born next Monday, and delivered a few days later.

We used the chicken selector on the My Pet Chicken site to narrow down the selection. Decent egg layer, brown or colored eggs, slightly unusual breed. It came up with a selection and we chose the Brahma.

"Brahmas are gentle giants with feathered legs and feet and profuse, fluffy feathering. Originally from India, these birds were bred for meat production, though the hens lay relatively decently and are great setters and mothers. This fancy breed of chicken makes a great pet for its quiet and tame nature, tolerance to the cold, huggability and sheer chic-ness!"

Aw, huggability.

I'm so excited, but also nervous. I grew up with chickens, and loved having them, but doing it in the city is another matter. It's legal in NYC, as long as you don't have a rooster, and you don't create a nuisance. That's where the quiet part comes in. I just hope my neighbors are okay with it... (dry nervous laugh).

3 comments:

Sarah said...: Um...Don't you have a crazy neighbor who yells at you for merely existing? This should go well. Can't wait for an update and some fresh eggs.; April 26, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Larissa said...: yeah, I do! For anyone who doesn't know me personally and hasn't heard the horror stories first hand, we have the craziest neighbors. We probably would have gotten chickens years ago if not for our neighbors. So, maybe that fact will motivate us to keep the coop clean, and was one reason we chose a quiet docile breed.
Anyway, should make for some good blogging.
Fresh eggs for anyone who's nice to us.; April 26, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Cay said...: Did you see this? Apropos...

http://www.designmom.com/2009/04/city-chicks-by-amy-of-progressive.html; April 27, 2009 at 4:37 PM

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)