Kids, You Gotta Feed ‘Em

During a recent grocery shop, I bumped into another mom from my daughter’s class.  We got to chatting about our girls, and then she said “oh, I just realized, you have three children as well“… there was a brief pause and then she said “what were we thinking?!“  We laughed, and she continued (with a joking lilt in her voice)… ”you gotta bathe them, and feed them…”.   Ah, I like this lady.  How refreshing to chat with a mom that can bring humor to the non-stop pace of motherhood. 

And, I need some levity when it comes to the matter of feeding.  Between nursing a babe, making baby food, and cooking for the rest of the family, I devote a large portion of my waking hours to “feeding”.  How much these children can consume!  And teenage years are still ahead of us.  I already clock significant hours grocery shopping, cooking, baking, and making lunches and snacks.  Admittedly, some of this work doubles as recipe development.  But, these energy-burning machines can eat, and it’s up to me to keep the food a comin’!

I grew up with five sisters, and I remember my mom cooking endlessly for our family of eight.  Many nights she cooked from scratch, and I really admire that she was able to prepare homemade food so often.  I also remember her quick-fix meals comprised of canned foods.  Some of it was bad.  Really bad.  Have you ever heard of  ”Fraser Meatballs“…?  It’s a running joke in our family that we ate these regularly.  Though, after looking at that ingredient list, we probably shouldn’t be laughing.  How could something that came so close to the consistency of soft dog food be called ‘meatballs’ and make it to our plates?  Opening a can revealed gelled gravy with solidified fat which melted with cooking to loosen the mushy and salty - but otherwise tasteless - ’meatballs’.  We ate it with white bread and sometimes fries or potatoes.  Anything to bulk up the plate and fill up six ravenous children!   While searching online for an image of these meatballs, I was stunned (and yet amused) to find a facebook page dedicated to Fraser Meatballs.  It’s rather freaky to know that this “food” has a fan page.  The photos in particular brought back some disturbing food memories.   Remember when nutrition experts termed Fettuccine Alfredo “heart attack on a plate”?  They clearly hadn’t met this plate!

We also ate similar convenience meals.  Things like Vienna Sausages or fried bologna paired with eggs, potatoes, or bread.  While us sisters poke fun at these meals as parents ourselves, I have come to understand why my mother kept these meals in steady rotation.  She had double the children I have.  And while she wasn’t out running to and from school, activities, or engaged in part-time work, she still had six children to feed and care for, and a house to keep clean and in running order.  And, us six girls ate like savages!  I remember dinners when there would be a race to get ’seconds’ of a favorite meal.  My poor father always sat back and let us girls get our fill.  Occasionally he got a second helping, but we all remember him finishing most meals with crackers and jam.  I now joke with my husband at the end of the meal – “want some crackers and jam, Ed?”  

Yes, I think when we reach the teenage years, hubby will be breaking open those crackers.   Either that, or I’ll be looking for the vegan equivalent of Fraser Meatballs.  No, I won’t go that far.  And, I’m sure our daughters will mock in years to come about  “the foods mom used to feed us”.   Though, their memories will undoubtedly involve mom’s ”kooky” quick fixes.  Things like adding hemp seeds to their cold breakfast cereals, goji berries in their smoothies, or adding grated carrots or julienned spinach leaves to their pb&j.

When they do come back to tease me, I’ll be quick to remind them what I used to eat as a child.   It’s like a wise woman once said… kids, you gotta feed ‘em.