dinner drama...

i love to cook...i love to eat...i'm very fond of supermarket shopping & strolling farmers' markets...

i enjoy finding new recipes & giving them a try...i'll make something before buying it in a package...i'm of the "homemade is always better" persuasion (because i'm cheap & because it is usually the much healthier option)

mike eats anything & everything...i'm not picky in the least...

so why do i have kids that totally don't eat???

i mean seriously...ryan exists on air and wheat bread...and kate survives on fruit and cheerios...kelly is the only one that won't be taken away by child services, i guess.  she eats & tries new things...thank the Lord or else i seriously would have to be locked up in the crazy house...it is some crazy mother bear instinct in me that rises up..."EAT!!!!!  YOU MUST EAT!!!!!"

i'm going slowly mad...i know it....

this week we thought we'd try a little chart & every time he ate his dinner, w/o fussing & stall techniques (omgosh...you wouldn't believe the craziness that is my dinner table...) AND tried something new he would get a smiley face.  after 10 smiley faces i will purchase him 2 packages of those ridiculous silly bandz that i swore i would never ever in a million years spend my $$ on.  but i thought...dude...if it gets him to eat, then so be it.  bring on the silly bandz....

so we are on DAY 2...seriously DAY 2 & tonight he was to eat 1/2 of a turkey & cheese sandwich for dinner. 

oooooommmmmmgggggggosh...the faces!  the tears!  you would have thought i was trying to make him eat liver & onions!!!! 

aaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

i know my mom is secretly laughing at me...

wish me luck on Day 3.  i'm going to try rice & maybe some grilled steak....

God help me...

happy wednesday :)

xoxo

gi

p.s.  the photo above is one thing he does eat (well...usually, if it is the exact correct temperature...you think i kid??  lol!) 

Parmesan Chicken

recipe by Ina Garten from her Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook

1-2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 extra large eggs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Unsalted butter

Good olive oil

Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board & slice each diagonally into four or five large strips

Combine the flour, salt, pepper on a dinner plate.  beat the eggs w/ 1 Tbsp water on a second plate.  Combine the bread crumbs and Parm cheese on a third plate.  Dredge the chicken on both sides in the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.

Heat 1 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp olive oil in large saute pan and cook the chicken strips on medium low heat for @ 3 minutes per side, until just cooked through.  Don't crowd the pan.  Add more butter & oil and cook the rest of the chicken. 

serve & pray they eat :)

Comments

[Krista Dougherty]

Gigi, if it means anything neither of my kids eat either. I love to cook and try new things, it drives me insane and we have lots of dinner drama too. The only good thing is that my husband will pretty much eat anything besides spagetti...and I love spagetti but never make it.

[Ronda Palazzari]

>>>so why do i have kids that totally don't eat???<<<

it's God's sense of humor shining through...i have one of those picky eaters too!

[Jan]

We are much the same way here at our house. And dont diss liver & onions-they are one of my favorite things. Seriously. :)

[Jaki]

and here on the other side of the world we have the exact same troubles with our son...he survives on milk and bread!
At the start of the year I insisted he eat peas, corn and carrot, he will only eat them mixed with rice, and it took 10 weeks to see any improvement on the fussing and stalling tactics...note I said improvement, there is still plenty of fuss and stalling!!
I don't know how I don't get indigestion each mealtime, the stress involved in getting him to eat :(

[Petrina McDonald]

boys!!! I must try that with my fussy boy. If it is any consolation I can now get Angus to eat lettuce and tonight he chowed down on a slow cooked lamb shank. Man food!!!

[Julie]

u poor thing!! i swear....brookie is the same way!! she is going to turn into a spaghetti-o!! LOL!!! Good luck girl with day 3!!! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

[jessi]

heehee!!
maybe we could ship ryan and dainey to a deserted island to live happily ever after not eating....ugh!! we have the same issues here!!!

good luck with day 3 and i cannot wait to try that chicken recipe...looks yummy!!

[Lisa (FunkyFairy)]

This sounds so so familiar. It's so good to hear other Mums having the same battles : )
Will be giving your chicken recipe a go.

[Suzitee]

Not sure how old your kids are but...my middle child who is now 9 survived on a diet of grapes and strawberries for close to 3 years! She is much better now, but wow, there were some dramas! Hang in there, try to stay calm...they love it when they see how much it bothers Mummy :)

[DaniH]

I feel your pain... I am fighting the same fight with my 7 year old son. Atleast, my 10 year old daughter came around! (Although it took almost 8 years to get here there!) Hang in there sista!

[Sasha Farina]

i feel you girl... i feel you. the sama craziness here too.

[mary w]

a very wise Dr. once told me to look at my childrens eating habits over the course of a week rather than daily and to not stress over it as long as I was supplying healthy food choices the child would eat when she/he was hungry-no child is ever going to starve herself/himself.The more pressure and drama that surrounds mealtimes the more problems you are creating. I prepared meals, the kids were told it was ready-if they didn't want to eat they were to sit quietly at the dinner table-maybe with a coloring book or something or just for conversation-no pressure to eat. BUT there were no "snacks" later. It worked like a charm-usually watching everyone else eat made them want to eat a few bites.
Best of luck to you.