Flight Delay: Eating in Crazy -- can I take your order?

Photo credit: weblogs.baltimoresun.com

"Would you like fries with that?"  Every mother's most ashamed admition of guilt: feeding their child fast food.  I'll be the first to admit, I am guilty of swinging through the drive-thru when I'm in a pinch and little man needs some grub. After all, who carries chicken nuggets in their diaper bag? Not us.

Even though I avoid fast food if at all possible, I find myself quite often in search of a quick, simple (and healthy) meal for lunch or snack time at home. These are the conclusions I have come to.

#1 -- Frozen chicken nuggets aren't that bad.
Every kid (with the occasional exception) loves chicken nuggets, right? I know mine does! The truth is, there are nuggets out there that are healthy for your little eater! I prefer Tyson -- as does J!  A few nuggets along with some green beans or celery sticks and lite ranch dressing -- happiest kid ever.

#2 -- Messes are unavoidble, so don't avoid messy foods.
PB&J, crackers and hummus, celery and peanut butter -- all messy foods we tend to avoid at all costs. Truth is you can't avoid messes. It's inevitable. Toddlers learning the concepts of proper eating are going to make messes. So give him that ice cream, Mom!!! ;)

#3 -- In the words of the great Taco Bell, "Think outside the bun!"
Or, outside the bread, in this case. Who says that lunch has to consist of a sandwich of some kind? And if it does consist of some sort of sandwich, who says it has to be on plain ole' wheat bread? Kids, picky eaters especially, enjoy food more when it's fun or out of the ordinary! Use things like tortillas, pita bread, or my personal favorite -- fun-shaped bread! Pepperidge Farm makes an awesome goldfish-shaped bread that any goldfish fanatic is sure to love!

Photo credit: parenting.com

#4 -- "It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno!"
Or, even better, it's homemade! Every kid (once again, with the exception of those few) loves pizza! And as a busy mom, you have to admit you've chosen pizza for dinner more than once due to it's easiness and convenience. But what you may not have known is homemade pizza can be just as easy and convenient as delivery (or Digiorno) and it's cheaper and healthier, too! English muffin halves with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a few pepperonis, and voila! Pizza!


Being a crazy, out-of-control, mom-wife-student requires mass use of imagination and creativity -- and not only when it comes to grub time. Do not be surprised if you see us using shoes strings to mend a broken baby gate, towels and safety pins for diapers because we ran out and forget to pick up any at the market, or our t-shirt to wipe a snotty nose because we don't have a tissue close by. These, my friend, are just a few of the fun -- and sometimes disgusting -- perks of being a busy mama!


Attention passengers: We are pleased to announce that the engine has been repaired and the flight will re-launch at approximately 1700 hours. Please rest assured that had we stumple upon any other issues, we will inform you promptly. Please buckle up and prepare for take off.


Oh -- and Happy Easter by the way! Here's my little man enjoying his Easter goodies!

J -- Easter 2012