As if hummus wasn't enough to make a mother proud...

Julia has been a pretty picky eater lately. I hope it's just the silly two-year-old in her that's making her shy away from some of her previously favorite meals. For instance, just a few months ago she and I regularly ate avocado, sprouts, and tomato sandwiches for lunch several times a week. Now she won't even touch guacamole, which she used to down by the spoonful! It's not so bad, she'll still eat several things - including a few vegetables like carrots, celery (thanks to the Wonder Pets), frozen mixed veggies, cucumbers, and corn on the cob. (Corn is her recent favorite. She'll eat it any time of day, any day of the week - even raw.) She faithfully eats her plain oatmeal with a banana for breakfast, and any other fruit you give her. PB&J is hit and miss these days. Meals we can count on her eating: waffle and egg, french toast, pasta, mac & cheese, burrito, quesadilla, rice pudding (although she won't eat rice any other way), and pizza. And of coarse she'll eat crackers, cereal, and a treat or dessert of any kind. Hmm, the more I write, the less picky I think she is! I guess what gets me is when she suddenly won't eat things she used to love. (Plus, I am probably the least picky eater I know so nearly everyone else is a picky eater to me.) Oh well, the point of this much-longer-than-intended-post is that today we had a few breakthroughs:

She will rarely try anything new. But when I got out some hummus with our veggies this afternoon, she ate it all. First she daintily dipped the carrots but soon dug her fingers in and even tried to "drink it" like she does her oatmeal at times. Wow! (You can buy a pack of 16 serving size hummus cups at Costco. Awesome.) I was thrilled that for once this week her afternoon snack was something other than yogurt or grapes and goldfish.

And now, for the second and biggest breakthrough of the day. Dinner time is always tricky. I want her to eat what we are having but this is usually not the case. Today I tried out a new turkey meatloaf recipe from Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. (I just bought the book on Amazon and can't wait to pack my freezer with purees. I think it should be titled Deceptively Nutritious, though.) I was trying to decide on a back-up plan for Julia's meal when I remembered people telling me about presenting meals to kids in mini muffin tins. I decided to give it a try. Julia sat down to a muffin tin full or peas, carrots, ranch, ketchup, cheese cubes, and meatloaf. I could hardly believe it when she took a bite of the meatloaf on her own accord! By the time dinner was done, so was every speck of food and dip in her tin, except for one lonely carrot. I couldn't believe it. She never eats any kind of meat and even peas have not been a big hit in the past. I was elated. Few things make me happier these days than when Julia has eaten a good meal.

So, why the change today? Was it the muffin tin presentation? Was it the way we all took bites at the same time and cheered with our hands in the air after almost each one? (And then toasted after a drink. She's big into "toasting" these days, thanks to Uncle Drew, I believe. Or did Emily teach it?) Is she turning over a new leaf? Or was it just a dream day for Mommy? I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Whatever the reason, I am proud of my little eater and so happy to know she is sleeping on a healthily full stomach tonight. (As opposed to last night when she went to bed with only a few Edamame beans, half a corn cob, and two tiny bites of sweet and sour chicken on rice in her tummy. Jonny thinks she learned her lesson after going to bed hungry. Hmm, I'm not so sure about that one.)

Oh, and if anyone has any other awesome toddler food ideas, please send them my way. I think I'll try more kabobs. It seems things are more fun on a stick.

P.S. Sorry I didn't snap a picture of Julia with hummus all over her face. Maybe next time.