Chocolate. Day in day out.

Don’t know how it came this fast, and though at its time each and every day of the past year was well well felt, summing it into a thought feels like I’ve blinked and the new year’s here and fall too, hopping from one moment to the other I’ll blink again and we’ll be at the verge of 2016, and so on and so on huge chunks of time just fly.

 

Some very eventful months behind me, among everything rolling - little one started his first year at school. I had (at least) two months of anxiety over this, it was mostly the sense of loosing control (yeah, I’m admitting it…) And wanting this transition from kindergarten to be the easiest for him (which it gladly was…) And of course the usual fear of the unknown when your kids are breaking out of the safety bubble. As many of you know - complete anxiety.

 

So with this new start also new routines, among it on every school morning there’s a new topic to be covered and answered. I’ll be asking little one what he’d like to have in his sandwich, he’ll answer (as I already know he will but I still ask away) - “chocolate mom, like everyday, you don't NEED to ask me EVERY morning” (tune that as you wish). Afterwards I’d still try my luck and offer he’d vary with other fillings, but basically we’ve been going for chocolate almost every morning, the other three - four sandwiches were left uneaten. Yep.

 

The whole thing is an evolvement of an existing issue, which I would very much like to shift in my favor already, but the honest truth is (probably, not really sure though) that the kid was never too keen on food in general, and never too keen on my food in particular.

 

To set a better picture of this - those of you who know me, know that I rarely cook, there’s rarely a warm dinner (or lunch for that matter) at our house. Unless its a special occasion or a tryout or that we’re having guests over, most of the kitchen stays dysfunctional for most of the time. Sad, but true.

Maybe one out of ten times when I actually cook, he’ll grant me the sheer pleasure of eating it and melt my heart with the sweetest complements. For the other 9 times..? He’ll evil eye the plate with the most original excuses, trying to ease the disappointment on my face.

 

So what mostly happens is that I “fix” something quick and tasty(!) and call it done. Other than the usual pizza or white cream pasta, anything with a likelihood of 80% and up to be eaten goes - grilled cheese sandwich, eggs, some sort of salad.

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But since I do have some agenda with food, I want him to try out new flavors and enjoy good food. I keep on trying, and if I’m really really shady I’ll make him taste brand new dishes by plating them into a smiley face or as an animal of some sort, but even that has a 30% chance of success. Maybe.

 

Now all in all I’m quite a good cook, so with the constant chocolate choice every morning and moreover! because he would eat at others things he won’t even try at home, food choices here definitely became an issue. Another control issue? Heck, I don’t know, pouring my heart here, go easy on me and no worries, I never give him a guilt trip…

 

Trying to work this through, and for my next try on this - as of yesterday, I cut two deals with the kid - first, we’ll vary the chocolate with peanut butter and jelly for school, thats the best I bargained for now without risking he’ll starve. The second is that we traded two dinners during the week, one for him in a restaurant at his choice when he gets to pick for us both, and the second at home where I pick for us both. Little one usually holds up to his promises, and so we’ll see how that goes.

 

To wish you all a sweet year filled with sweet irresistible pleasures, scroll down for extra crispy Coconut Hazelnuts Nutella Palmiers recipe, which we made together for the New year’s eve, those were finished before the coffee had the chance to get to the table.