Mush(y)

13.01.12.

I'm writing this on 14th January, but I haven't cheated yet, and (true to the spirit of #366), I took this post's picture yesterday teatime. It was Friday yesterday, and Friday means a slightly earlier pick-up from nursery and tea at home with mummy.

Despite one of my earlier posts, the boy actually cried and reached his arms out to me this morning as I left him. Cue tears from me and quite a fetching Alice Cooper-esque look to start my five lesson day with. The terrifying red eyes and streaky make-up didn't even prove to be a particularly effective behaviour management strategy (normally a little madness goes a long way), but that's another story.

Weaning Dexter has been great fun, and so far, pretty successful. One of the ways I attempt to assuage my working mummy-guilt is by making the large majority of Dexter's food myself. I do not judge anyone who feeds their baby from pre-prepared jars/pouches, but it was simply a choice I made. Unfortunately, as well as being guilty mummy, I am also 'wimpy-mummy', and I didn't have the nerve to attempt 'baby-led' weaning like a number of my mum chums. Baby-led weaning (basically cutting out the purees to allow your bub greater independence), makes total sense, but my fear of Dexter choking on a carrot baton has made me a slave to the food processor. Whilst, Dexter's tiny buddies have been merrily chomping away on chicken legs and pasta spirals, I have opted for the Annabel Karmel school of mush.

If you have seen any of her books, there is something a touch Stepford about Ms Karmel, with her 80s power-hair and Cath Kidston aprons. However, she does seem to know what little 'uns like to eat, and so far, Dexter has munched(well, slurped and sucked as he's only just got a couple of teeth) his way through such culinary delights as Special Steak, Creamy Chicken with Winter Vegetables and a very garlicky Spinach, Sweet Potato and Pea puree. Meanwhile, husband and I have worked our way through numerous ready-made pizzas, pre-prepared vegetables and salads and frozen fish pies.

The other advantage to the puree route is that it really suits batch-cooking and freezing en masse, which means that a number of school holidays since the boy was born have been spent knee deep in vegetable peelings and ice cube trays for days on end.

I am starting to slack off a little on the preparing in advance, and Dexter is moving towards greater independence with food, so there's more cheese on toast, chicken balls (balls made of chicken, not the reproductive parts of poultry), and home-made muffins. The only disadvantage of this is the huge increase in mess. Having just spent the best part of half an hour, sweeping up crumbs of apple and oat muffins from the kitchen floor/my hair/the cat, I'm beginning to think there are perhaps some advantages to Dexter dining out at childcare...