Chaos in the Cart

My son has changed the way my family eats. Sure, many moms dummy down their cooking as their families grow and young kids become pickier, but this isn't it at all. Instead, my 2 1/2 year old has fallen in love and it's changed everything. The object of his affection: Trader Joe's. Clearly, it's not just any old supermarket!

Every Tuesday and Friday of this month (the days he's not in preschool), we start the morning with a trip to TJ's. He insists there is something we need. Once there, we do fill up the cart. It's just not always with anything I ever remember wanting in the first place.

But this is not a case of loading up on Fruit Loops. Last time as we stood in front of the pre-wrapped produce he sang out, "fennel, fennel, mommy, I love fennel...GET IT!" He didn't use his manners or his indoor voice, but in the name of nutrition I'm willing to take one for the team.

Personally, I adore fennel, but resisted buying it for years thinking no kid would come near it. Left without an option, I brought some home. Later that night, we tossed it in a little olive oil with cauliflower and mushrooms (that he also demanded) and roasted up a mighty good salmon side dish. I'm not saying that every purchase he resulted in a steady membership in the clean plate club, but more often than not, I've been pleasantly surprised.

Now, finding your own gung-ho two year old to tote isn't always easy, so here's what I suggest. If you're tired of your hum drum recipe regimen, swap shopping lists with a friend, spouse or some other family member. Maybe a little random chaos in the grocery cart is just what we need to perk up our everyday plates.

Chaos in the Cart posted by Meryl on October 2, 2007 @ 12:44 PM
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