Food Fights...

Hello, my name is Shannon, and I am a caffeine-aholic. Seriously, I am sitting here at 10pm drinking a coffee. Not sure what I am thinking. Then again, I am also watching Kourtney and Kim Take New York, so I obviously have other issues, in addition to my caffeine addiction.

So speaking of issues, remember yesterday when I mentioned that a certain little soon-to-be-4-year-old is a difficult eater. Actually, I don't think "difficult" even comes close to describing what our daily meal experience is like. 
This is an example of a common evening conversation with Harper:

Me: "Harper, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
Harper: (Silence)
Me: "Harper, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
Harper: (Silence)
Me: "Harper, HELLO, please tell me what you would like for dinner?"
Harper: "NOTHING!"
Me: "Harper, you have to eat something."

Now I should have prefaced this conversation by saying that Harper very rarely eats what we are eating. I gave up that fight long ago. No eye rolling here please. You do what you gotta do.

Harper: "Fruit snacks."
Me: "Harper, you cannot have fruit snacks for dinner."
Harper: "Fine! String cheese."
Me: urghhhhhh
(At this point, it is a matter of negotiation) 

Me: "Fine, I take your string cheese, and I raise you three pieces of ham.”
Harper: “One ham!” 
Me: “String cheese, two pieces of ham, and a strawberry.”
Harper: "String cheese, one ham, one strawberry.”
Me: “Fine!”

You would think the fight would be over, and all would be well with the universe, but no. Then begins the “harper-sit-down-in-your-chair-on-your-bottom-and-stop-messing-around-with-your-food” argument. 

So, this got me to thinking. Would she eat food if it was actually interesting to her? This has led me on a quest to find creative food ideas. New foods to try. Creative ways to present food. Ways to hide good foods in the not-so-good foods. And in the end, I hope that my quest will not only improve our meal times, but that it may improve meal times with your own little pain-in-the-butt (said with love). They make great school lunch ideas too!

1. Cute idea for spaghetti – from craftgawker.com
2. Lunchbox ideas – 5dollardinners.com
3. Fun bento box lunch ideas and more – cutestfood.com
4. Creative food – cashonandcompany.blogspot.com
5. Amazing lunch ideas – eighteen25.blogspot.com
6. Make your own placemats – thehappyhousewife.com
7. Toast stampers – cuteforkids.com
8. 10 ways to switch up your kids lunch – 100daysofrealfood.com
9. More creative lunchbox ideas – toysinthedryer.com

Happy eating (I hope).