Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Pop music.  At mealtimes.  And other times.  Okay, nearly all the time, when we are home, playing in the front room.

A typical scene:  Archer's in his high chair.  His interest in the slop-of-the-day is waning.  He begins to pitch his butter beans onto the floor and screech.  Quickly cut to...

The next scene:  I stride over to the computer.  I deftly click "Dance Playlist" on iTunes and crank the volume.  A bass line drops.  I strike my best approximation of a hip hop pose.  Archer beams.  He sits, frozen and enraptured, while I pop it and lock it and drop it like its hot all around the kitchen and living room.  His head and chest begin to bob rhythmically as I adapt the lyrics, flirting and pointing and asking him "how he got that pretty little face on that pretty little frame."  This homemade version of a music video continues until...

The final scene:  Archer guffaws mightily, shakes his head in disbelief, picks up a butter bean and shoves it in his mouth with a sort of my-mom-is-so-crazy bemusement.

And for times like these, no one but Justin Timberlake will do.  Yes, we loooooove J.T.

Here's my approach (and my issues) with meals for the wee one: 

1.  pick a few grains, a protein source, some fruit, one green and one other vegetable,

2.  then I make up some porridges, purees and finger foods for the week, and then

3.  pack them into some Mason jars and store 'em in the fridge. 

Armed with the copiously informative Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, I fire up the mini food processor every Monday and get crazy.  This week I made a simple porridge of oatmeal with flax and another one of rice cooked with chicken stock.  I also steamed some carrots and blended them with fresh parsley.  Finger food will be cooked yam cubes.

When I'm feeling most saucy and capable as a mother, I introduce all kinds of new grains, legumes and veggies blended in exotic blends.  I approach Archer with these concoctions as if each dish will be his absolute favorite.  I try not to let my personal biases intrude into his dining experience.  Well, maybe my bias against sugar.  I'm a little nuts about restricting his sugar intake.  Sugar is my scapegoat for all things evil.  I say this with a bag of gummy bears open in my lap as I'm writing this.  I've got issues. 

When I'm feeling less on top of my game, I fall back on some old standards that I always have hanging around the kitchen:

1.  Plain whole milk yogurt mixed with flaxmeal, brewers' yeast and kelp powder 

2.  A box of Purely O's cereal

3.  Avocados

4.  Stewed prune puree

It is a great challenge to nurture healthy eating in this wacky, fast food-addicted, more-is-more, gastrointestinal bypass American culture of ours; at times it feels like a losing battle with all of the prepackaged, processed foodstuffs that are designed even for our youngest children.  Certainly the best thing I can do is set an example and be the type of eater I would like Archer to be. 

Pass the kelp powder.

I'm not sure why I am more fascinated with Amy Winehouse's descent into drugs, booze and legal trouble than, say, Britney or Lindsay or Anna Nicole.  Maybe because she has real talent.  Or because there seems to be an obvious soulfulness or substance to her.  Could be because she's British.

I love this clip of her singing "Valerie."  That outrageous ratty beehive, those self-conscious downcast eyes, jerky movements, spindly arms and all.  She looks like she wants to crawl inside the song, and the sound is so haunting...