Smiles & Ceasar Salad

I think Vienna smiled her first non-debatable smile today during Church! She has been doing little grins here and there since birth, but this one was big, long, and involved significant eye contact. I think she is officially a happy little camper!

And I also think Ha's veggie-less days are coming to an end! She is very sensitive to sugar and such, so we've had to cut a lot of junk out of her diet (without fail, if she eats more than a bite or two of certain foods, she will have a meltdown within 2 hours) such as chocolate milk, Ovaltine, and some of her favorite snack items like chocolate chip cookies. It is amazing to see how getting rid of artificial sweeteners has broadened her appreciate of other foods. Yesterday she enjoyed Fig Newtons at the pool (she used to hate those) and she has been asking for fruits and also fruit juices regularly, which she previously avoided like the plague. Today took the cake, though (so to speak)--she actually ate several pieces of her Ceasar salad with dinner--and even said "Mmm" while doing so!! I am so proud of our little miss!

On another note, now that I finally have some energy, I have been trying out some recipes from Deceptively Delicious (the cookbook about sneaking veggie purees into family meals by Jerry Seinfeld's wife). I've tried 4 so far (sweet potato & brocolli in rice balls, "green" [spinach or brocolli] eggs, spinach in pizza sauce, and navy beans in mac & cheese). The rice ball recipe I hated--the time commitment was way understated and the breadcrumb topping was just weird--I may try it later in life using sesame or poppy seed. Hana was okay with it, and her friends Elise and Derek were split. The green eggs Ha wouldn't touch because she thought they were "dirty"--lol, she actually requested "white eggs" instead. However the pizza and mac 'n cheese went over well with everyone. If you're interested in this cookbook, I must caution you--don't expect the foods to be mouth-watering good. Martin and I both had the same critique--the meals are certainly good enough--but they are not delicious. Normally, when I cook a meal from scratch, I expect it to be a little tastier--these foods are average at best--however, Hana likes them, and she is eating a lot better now. And I am having a blast cooking with her and providing healthier meals for the family.