food in our house

We have a house full of Pirates in Training. They are my punks...chicklins...loves.

So in addition to our normal children quota, we are are up to 5. Four above the age of 8. All with little glowing personalities and opinions.

I love having the girls here. Each time I am around them, I get to learn so many new things. Paisley and I got to talk yesterday about falling in love. Londyn has been showing signs of being my new guinea pig for fun foods...she sat flipping through my cooking magazines last night telling me which things look good. And Sydney is figuring out it's ok to not be included in everything...but ok to want to be included. Such beautiful girls. I am a lucky woman to have inherited them.

They also have HIGHLY different appetites and palettes than the men in my life. One doesn't like anything with melted cheese. One doesn't like anything that you offer that she didn't pick out of the fridge herself. And one doesnt' like anything that has added flavor or seasoning. So...that puts me and my overwhelming desire to use my FABULOUS new cookbook in a funny place. No more Lentil Stew with Chickpeas and Tomatoes. No more Falefal. No more White Beans, Diced Tomatoes and Steamed Spinach over Whole Wheat Pasta.

So I'm stumped. I spent the Sunday cooking for Christmas Day Part 2, only to have less than half the dishes I prepared even sampled by these tiny little Pirates. Our menu last night consisted of hot dogs, chili and cheese. Correction...THEIR menu last night...I couldn't bring myself to eat it.

Tonite...I've atleast convinced them to let me make my homemade chicken nuggets...but what has to go with it? Mac n cheese. At least I have found a version I can handle serving them without grinding my teeth too badly.