Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Chicky Deedly Dee

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Chicky Deedly Dee

Gosh diggely darnit, those chicks are some cute.

I was at work when I got the call from the USPS today (hey, let's here it for the Van Brunt Station, usually the worst mf'ing post office anyone's ever heard of, but I got two calls from them, and, unprompted, they put the chicks on the truck and hand delivered them -- something the hatchery acknowledged happens in Portland, ORE, but never mentioned Brooklyn, NY -- and then when I wasn't there, the delivery guy called me at work, and we back-and-forthed all day until the chicks got home.)

I'm sure that waiting for a baby to arrive from Korea is more painful and intense, but... I don't know. We were definitely tapping from the same well. We could NOT WAIT for these little chickies to arrive.

So I got the call, and I called my man, and he left work early to get the delivery. Then the kids came home, and I got a series of emailed photos and texts of cute pictures and comments.

such as these.

Now I am finally home, and I can sit and watch them and the oxytoxin just oozes in this free-flowing river of love and joy. Seriously, you could cut the cuteness with a knife, as I sit there watching these little bumpkins go for some feed and then in mid-reach decide -- OOPS!, actually I'm SLEEPY, I'll just tuck my head down here right in the feed bowl and rest on my beak and take a little 5 min-er

Like this:

They CHEEP! CHEEP! and it's uncanny, they sound exactly like a little chicky toy. How did they figure out how to make that cute sound?

whew. It's cute stuff around here. So glad we're doing this, and the eggs aren't even coming for six months.

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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.)