Wacky Wednesday

Several months ago in an effort to expand our epicurean horizons, I created Wacky Wednesday, where one day a week we’d try a new recipe. I picked Wednesday because I work from home on Wednesdays so I’d have a little more time to cook. And who doesn’t love an alliteration? However, it didn’t last too long. I had to find something worthy of being called wacky, yet not so wacky that Astrid would refuse to try it. That took more time and effort than actually cooking. Astrid was turning into one of those kids who only ate about five things. Well, five nutritious things, plus an infinite number of sugary things. She used to eat whatever we’d put in front of her and we thought she was such an adventurous eater, then suddenly that stopped. I read somewhere that it’s biological. When kids are little enough to be around only their parents, they’ll eat whatever their parents serve them. Then when they get old enough to be more independent, biology kicks in and their palate refuses unfamiliar food in case they accidentally eat something poisonous when they’re out roaming the jungle alone. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s nice to have something to blame. Anyway Wacky Wednesday wasn’t working and I kind of gave up on it. Then I read this parenting book. I’ve read a lot of parenting books over the years although I don’t really know why because none of them ever made much an impression. Until this one: Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting by Noel Janis-Norton. Everything she says makes sense and every one of her strategies works (when I remember to implement them). One of her ideas is called First Plate. If there is a food that your kid doesn’t want to eat, you put a tiny bit of it on a plate and they have to eat it first. What makes it so easy is that it’s such a small amount that it’s hard to make much of a fuss about it. You can gradually make the portion bigger; the idea is that they will start eating a normal amount of it at some point. The First Plate idea made me okay with Astrid not eating an entire meal of something she didn’t want, as long as she tried it. For example, when Eliot and I eat our favorite farro and asparagus dish, Astrid gets penne and whatever other green veggie we have in the fridge (after her first plate of two grains of farro and a microscopic slice of asparagus). Everybody’s happy. So I’d been thinking it was time to start up Wacky Wednesday again, but I never made it past the thinking stage.

Then I started noticing those ads for Plated on Facebook. It sounded perfect: a new recipe every week along with all the ingredients to make it, delivered. On Tuesday! Just in time for Wacky Wednesday. I signed up for the trial membership and we got our first box this week. I made shakshuka (this link isn't the recipe I used, but it's probably pretty good) and it was surprisingly easy and delicious. (Well, Eliot and I thought so!) The only drawback is that it’s obscenely expensive, so I don’t see doing it again. My trial was $20 for four meals, which is what we’d pay for a big night out at Chipotle. But the regular price is more comparable to dinner out at a nice restaurant. And we never go to nice restaurants. And you still have to cook and clean. If I’m going to spend that much, I want someone to do all the work. But I love the idea of not having to think about it that much. Instead of searching endless recipes, deciding on one, then making sure I have all the ingredients, I just choose between three options, click, and it shows up. Hmmm, maybe I will try it just one more time...