Food on the brain

I have spent a lot of time thinking about food lately.  What shall I cook? Will my toddler eat it? Is it healthy? Do I care? Those are questions that run through my mind many, many times a day. It's an element that has come along with this stay-at-home gig that I didn't fully anticipate.  Instead of packing lunches (which is tough in its own right), I find myself cooking and cleaning up at least three times a day, and usually more often.  That's a lot of time in the kitchen.

Judging by some recent conversations with friends, this is a common time-sink for many people - especially parents. It gave me this idea: maybe I can write about my dilemma and share what I learn along the way, and then I'll be helping all of you. And you can help me too by sharing your ideas here.

At the moment, there are a few simple thoughts guiding my time in the kitchen.  I'd like to:

• eat as much whole food as possible, and get as much of it from local sources as possible.
• spend my time in the kitchen wisely so I have time to do other fun things.  This means hunting down some fairly healthy convenience foods that I can cook quickly in a bind.
• cook dishes that my whole family will eat - including A - so I don't have prepare more than one meal at a time.
• enjoy sweet treats, but in moderation. For me, that means not everyday.

Right now, I have some pasta sauce simmering on the stove.  I threw it together quickly using some local ground beef when A first went down for his nap. (We just bought a quarter cow, which is worth a post of its own!)  My plan is to work for an hour or so, and then head back to the kitchen to make a quick salad and boil some pasta for dinner tonight.  It won't be the most exciting dinner, but A has been on a bit of a "real food" strike lately, and I'm figuring this is one he should eat. Is your toddler also only interested in crackers and fruit?  Because that's my guy.

Anyhoot, please follow along as I become obsessed with food for a short while, until something else intrigues me. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Oh yeah, for the duration of this little experiment, you can see pictures of the things we make and eat at our Flickr page.