Feeding a family of four

Now that there are four people in my family, mealtime has taken on a different 'look.' Mostly that means that none of us are eating at the same time. At some point one of us adults is eating, while the other is managing the two kids. Occasionally we get to sit down at a table and eat, but that seems rare these days.

Usually I am eating some cold leftover toast and a few bites of Samuel's left over banana for breakfast. And that's OK, because this is just a season. And while it might seem like a long season at times, it will be over in the blink of an eye.

For 8 years I only thought about what to feed my husband and I. Now I have to figure out what to feed my 13 month old. This has been interesting and challenging at times. When he started eating baby food he got all fruits and veggies. I made a lot of my own baby food - steamed carrots, peas, beans, potatoes, squash, pears, peaches, etc. And he gobbled it up. Now, it depends on the day.

I am not big on microwaved food. I believe microwaves suck a lot of the nutrition out of food. But since this season is not about making lots of homemade meals that need to simmer on the stove or roast in the oven for hours, sometimes dinner is determined by what can be quickly defrosted or heated up and put in hungry mouths.

That said, right now my goal is to just get food on the table that everyone will eat. Some nights its healthy, some nights its not as healthy. Some nights its prepared in 6 minutes, other nights 60 minutes (those are rare!).

In thinking about food and my family, most likely this holiday season won't find our dinner table looking much different than the past few months. We'll try to hit all the main food groups throughout our days, and once awhile even try to eat together as a family!