3Martins' Updates

As  spring turned to summer, my interests started blossoming. I’m sure you guys  have heard about our trip to D.C. and then to California. I’d have to say my  favorite part of D.C. was… the White House? No. The fancy hotel?  That was great, but no. The bee? Not really.

My favorite part was the restaurants we went to. I’ve been reading cookbooks  for a long time, but the food we ate there really inspired me. San Francisco  was full of World Markets and Farmers’ Markets, and I began to see some of the  crazy foods I’d read about. Medjool dates? Yup. Moussaka? You bet. When we  returned home, my family and I started making lots of different foods and Dad  and I even lived off what wild greens and berries we could pick in our yard one  day. I’m not a picky kid anymore, and I’ve even become somewhat of a food snob.  I don’t like storebought white eggs ( our chicken lays very good ones), local  hormone-free milk is really growing on me, white bread is not my bread of  choice, I prefer homemade jelly (OK, that’s  VERY snobby) and pale storebought cucumber is not my thing.

At home I’ve  been coming up with recipes like Celery and Mushroom Omelet and Baby’s First  Batch of Pretzels. As I enjoyed the bounty of summer (pears are a personal  favorite), the school year slowly crept onto the horizon. When I went back, my  healthier way of eating followed me. Organic cereals, whole-grain products,  healthy oils and local vegetables are  an  everyday part of what I eat. I’m definitely not perfect (far from it), but I  feel like I’ve jumped one of the barriers of childhood: pickiness. Okay, stewed  mushy greens still don’t appetize me. You get the picture.

But I’ve noticed that most kids have not really jumped this barrier yet. I’m wondering if they ever  will. Yes, I’ve heard about the obesity epidemic. I’m not as worried about that  as I am that kids will still be picky when they grow up. Chicken tenders, hot  dogs and Oreos are in a cherished position for many kids, and I don’t really  see them being given up. And that’s okay. It just seems that kids eat them every day.

I’m also worried about breakfast. When you walk down the cereal  aisle at the grocery store, what do you see? Oat bran, raisin bran, Special  K.  “Fruit-flavored” cereals. “Chocolatey  “ cereals. “Fortified” cereals. Fortified is fine, but fruit-flavored and stuff  are a little worrisome. I don’t think they are a very good breakfast all by  themselves. But they ARE heavily advertised. Ever seen a commercial for Oat  Bran? I haven’t.

Well, I could only think of one thing to do about all this  crazy stuff people eat. Please don’t groan: a book. I haven’t decided on the  name yet, but the book is definitely taking shape. Of course I have a different approach on all this in the book,  because the book is written not to the adults but to the kids.  Here’s a brief excerpt:

Have you ever noticed how much candy that’s available in the grocery store? From peanut butter cups to caramel
bars, people are always tempted by something sugary. But there’s more than chocolate  and caramel in the dessert world. In summertime, homegrown strawberries and  cream is a delight, and so is blackberry-peach cobbler. My all-time favorite is
a handful of black raspberries with some vanilla ice cream. Winter desserts include dried pitted dates, homemade nut cookies, sweet breads and the  occasional cup of hot cocoa. On those rainy Saturdays when you’re just bored, try asking your mom if she’d like to bake some cookies with you. Or if you have  a recipe in mind, ask her at the store for any of the ingredients you don’t
have. My mom and I have perfected our recipe for nut macaroons, and  they’re really flexible. Or, if you’re not in  a cookie mood (I am always in a cookie mood even though they’re a sometimes food), you and your family can make your own granola. There’s a lot of delicious desserts for each time of year, and maybe one that can ride with you in your lunchbox. Check out some of our recipes for cobblers, granola and cookies galore- but you won’t find any king-sized candy bars.

So there’s a little taste of the book, which won’t be coming out for a while. So, remember: The blog is back in action and could feature some recipes. Could.  Okay, will.

Shayley