Browsing Category: Food

There is no dignity in motherhood

baby led weaning

Becoming a mom is a beautiful experience. I love my little girl, and most days I enjoy being a mom. It’s amazing the amount of love I feel for my little one, how deeply I feel for her, how profound the experience has been. Despite some ups and downs, I wouldn’t change it for anything. But that doesn’t mean it’s always pretty.

As I’ve mentioned, Harley is starting solids. That might be a bit of an overstatement, though. She doesn’t really eat yet. I actually don’t think she’s quite ready yet, so it’s more about the textures and experiences than it is about nutrition. That’s why I’m so glad that I’m going the baby-led weaning route – she gets to set the pace and we minimize the chance of making meal times traumatic for her or turning her into a picky eater in the future. Usually, I just offer her a taste of whatever I’m having, but today I thought I’d make her something just for her… but that doesn’t mean it was elegant to do so. Continue Reading

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5 Comments Breast feeding, Food, Parenting

A sophisticated palate

sophisticated palate

Harley is getting to that age where it’s time to start giving her solids. While I’ve loved breastfeeding – it was great for nourishing her as well as for us to bond – it’s time for her to lose the “e” in EBF (exclusively breastfed). She’s showing all the signs of being ready, but we’re still taking it slow. She has thrown up a few times as a result of eating her solids, so I want to make sure her digestive system is ready. I also have very specific ideas about what to feed her, and when, based on the research I’ve done on the topic.

That said, Harley surprised me and Dean the other night, and showed that she really is a unique girl. We were sitting outside after work, having a glass of wine and some crackers with tapenade. Harley kept staring at the food as I was eating, and it was clear that she was curious about it. So, I put about a half a teaspoon amount on my finger and offered it to her. She started with a small taste and made a funny face. As Dean and I were laughing about it, she then proceeded to lunge at my finger with her mouth wide open, eating the full amount. Continue Reading

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7 Comments Food, Parenting

Chicken Soup for the body and soul

I have been loving this cooler weather – it’s such a relief to not need the fan on all day, and nursing is so much more enjoyable when those warm cuddles are sought after on a cold day. Unfortunately, I did come down with a change of season cold last week, which I promptly went on to give to Dean. Being pregnant and unable to take nice cold meds, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Thankfully, the cold started to go away on its own, but was fully annihilated when I managed to make chicken soup.

Chicken soup is magic, I swear. There are plenty of delicious soups out there – I adore a luxuriously creamy butternut soup and I make an amazing broccoli leek soup – but nothing quite compares to chicken soup. Whether faced with a malady of the body or the soul, this soup seems to make it all better. Maybe it’s the veggies, or simply an uptake in fluids, but there’s a reason that New Yorkers refer to it as Jewish Penicillin. I’m lucky enough to have a recipe given to me by my mom, which she got from her grandmother. Going into winter, I fully intend to have this simmering on my stove at least once a month. Continue Reading

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3 Comments Food, Rambling

The dinner conundrum

Harley is growing so nicely, it’s amazing to see her put on weight and thrive just on my breast milk. It makes me feel so good to know that my body can feed another little body. Of course, I need to feed myself to make that possible, and I’ve been doing my best to eat well. However, I have a dinner conundrum.

While she is doing better, Harley still has her most needy and difficult time in the evenings. I usually spend the majority of the time between 5-9pm nursing, cuddling, bouncing, burping and otherwise looking after the little one. It’s the most inconvenient time – not only do I miss out on quality time with Dean, I’m also unable to do much to help with dinner. Dean is pretty wonderful about doing the cooking, but it’s not exactly an easy set up. Continue Reading

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Comment Food, Marriage, Rambling

My baby’s weight loss plan for me

I made a conscious decision not to think about my weight for the first year of Harley’s life. I figured it would take that long for things to even out with her, and until then it was silly to imagine that I could stick to any eating or exercise plans. I was lucky enough to already lose 5 kgs six weeks after giving birth, but I think my little one is determined to make me slim.

I don’t generally care about the number on the scale; I don’t even know how much I weigh at the moment. Instead, I focus on how clothes fit and how comfy I feel in my own skin. I’m also determined not to let my body image determine my self image – I need to be empowered, and right now I feel good about my body; look what it accomplished. And I’m not even feeling the need to fake some positive body image at the moment. I feel pretty good about how I look, even post-baby. Plus, Harley has me on a three-pronged weight loss plan. Continue Reading

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2 Comments Fitness, Food