Favorite Foods

I sometimes feel like I'm serving JD the same foods over and over. It's easy to get stuck in a rut.

I'm hoping that by posting some of JD's favorites, some of you will respond with some of your kids' favorites. I hope they enjoy them as much as he does.

Grilled Sandwiches
JD loves grilled sandwiches. I always serve them open-faced.

For breakfast, I make egg and cheese sandwiches.
-Start with a small frying pan, non-stick spray, one egg, one piece of bread, one piece of cheese.
-pre-heat the pan on medium heat. when it starts getting warm, use a bit of non-stick spray
-crack the egg into a bowl and scramble
-pour the egg into the pan and immediately put the bread on top. Allowing it to soak in helps it stay together when it's being eaten.
-turn the heat down to medium-low. On my stove, there are numbers 1-10. I preheat at 5 and cook at 3.
-when the egg is cooked, use a spatula to turn. Put the cheese on top. You can turn it down a little bit or not. Turning it down will allow the cheese to melt while reducing the chance of burning the bread. You can even set a timer for about three minutes. I use that time to cut fruit, pour milk, put a few dishes into or out of the dishwasher, or find JD halfway up the stairs to the second floor.
-when the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, put it on to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes. This will help prevent the cheese from melting back together as soon as it's cut.
-Serve!

You can use this recipe with tuna, chicken, or egg salad sandwiches for lunch or dinner. The difference there is to put the salad mix on the bread off to the side while the pan is preheating. Then put it in the pan with the bread down and cheese on top. Keep it on heat level 3 (med-low) and cover for 4-5 minutes. No flipping needed.

For fruit, JD loves bananas and grapes. He tolerates apples and pears. He likes strawberries, though they're only just coming into season. Rasperries are $5 per 8 oz container. That's about as much as 8 oz. of choice tenderloin from Costco. No way. Blueberries are also out of season but a favorite. Melon is good, but they're big and bulky. It's almost impossible for our family of three to go through one before it goes bad. Pineapple is too much work.

JD doesn't like vegetables! I'm not sure what to do about that. I offer them to him, or just put them on his tray. Force-feeding will not begin until he's at least two. Just kidding. Maybe three. Any ideas? Corn, peas, and carrots occasionally get a taste. He pushes broccoli and asparagus away immediately.

Let me know if you have ideas!
Thanks.