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	<title>WIRL Project &#187; Food</title>
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	<description>What It&#039;s Really Like.</description>
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		<title>M: Memory &#8211; What It&#8217;s Really Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/m-memory-what-its-really-like/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/m-memory-what-its-really-like/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2015 07:30:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Brody]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food/Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home/Garden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love/Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABCs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Authentic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Concussions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grandparents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Memory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prized Possessions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roses in December]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Short Term Memory]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=8842</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post is part of a series titled, “A-B-Cs – What It’s Really Like”. Each week a new letter and its word will be revealed. Each word’s explanation will illustrate significant personal meaning, application and ultimately demonstrate, What It’s Really Like…  “God gave us our memories so we might have roses in December” You would be surprised how much you can pick up while dining on a ham and cheese sandwich, three bread and butter pickles and a can of 7up. You might even be shocked what you may learn on a Friday at noon while sitting around consuming a weekly traditional Friday McDonald’s Fish Filet. You would certainly be astonished to discover what can be absorbed while sitting around the dining room table after a Sunday family dinner over coffee and a piece of pie. Most of the memories in my life are not shrines to individual occurrences but a museum of eclectic experiences that draw on meaningful connections meriting reservation deep in the vault of my mind. These collections are deeply enriched with attributes of all the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch – the more of the senses that are involved with a meaningful experience, the clearer the memory. For me, emotion is the X-factor in my personal memory because in recalling a vivid memory I can likely tell you how I felt in that exact moment. Food plays an important role in memory for me personally. Most of the meaningful education that I would ever receive was not obtained in a classroom, on an athletic field, or on the job, but around the dinner table. This is where I learned to communicate, manners and respect and about my family’s heritage. It was here that I also learned the art of storytelling and to appreciate the craft of an authentic, genuine narrative. Maybe that is why I became a history teacher. Some of my most fond memories were of the chronicles, sidetracks and matter-of-facts that my grandparents would tell during and after a Sunday family dinner. Most often we would take turns exchanging material on a topic only soon to be lost in a distant memory of “who is he/she related to” and “how do we know this person so-and-so and to whom is he/she related”. This traditionally would go on for hours leaving me glued to the finish of our dining room chairs and convinced that my grandparents knew every single person on the face of the earth. Many of those stories are now lost upon me either because I could not follow the viney scaffolds and extensions of our family tree or because it has been replaced in my mind with something far less meaningful, for which I am ashamed to admit. One of my most prized possessions is my memory. One of my biggest fears is losing this possession. I often get after my wife because I believe that we do not take enough pictures of our family and experiences. A memory I will never forget is from the 6th grade. Our teacher chose to do a class service project for senior citizens in a local assisted living home. I was so excited when I learned that it was the same home that my great-grandmother was in. Each member of the class was to be assigned to one member of the home and to create a greeting card to deliver on a visit during the late fall. I made sure that my great-grandmother would be receiving my card during our class visit. My great-grandmother had been placed in assisted living because she was suffering from severe Alzheimer’s disease. Periodically, I would ride along with my grandfather to visit her. At a very young age I saw her on very good days and very bad days. I remember how scared and horrible I felt when she did not recognize my grandpa. During my excited preparation for the delivery of my greeting card to my great-grandmother, my mother cautioned me that she may not recognize me on the day of our class visit. I shrugged it off and had a strong feeling that she would be having a good day when I would stop by. On the day of our class visit the senior home I could hardly contain my excitement. I was the only one in my class who had a relative staying here and I of course let everyone know that I was going to see my great-grandmother that day. To help out, my grandpa let me tag along on a visit a few weeks before to potentially help increase the odds that she would recognize me. He never told me that, but I knew what that visit was all about.  When I arrived I spoke softly and clearly. I introduced myself and handed her my card.  After she read the card she thanked me.  I wanted to make sure she recognized me. I reintroduced myself by stating my name and that I was her great-grandson.  She replied, “Oh yes, you are Rhoda’s son.” I was elated! I couldn’t believe that she remembered!  Looking back to that visit I believe I had five good minutes with her. It was just long enough to feel confident to safely give her a hug and a kiss and introduce her to my best friends. Quickly, I would transform from family member to complete stranger. By the end of the visit she had no idea who I was. As I walked back to the school bus I did everything that I could to hold back my tears. I grew up a lot that day. Even as painful as that experience was I learned a lot from what memory can and cannot be.  Over my lifetime I have developed an innate ability to remember. I had a best friend in high school that told everyone that he didn’t need to remember anything because I would remember it for him. In high school I was a walking Rolodex, telephone book, sports encyclopedia and jukebox. I could tell you when, where, stats, lyrics and just about anyone’s telephone number (pre-cell phones, folks). I suffered several head injuries before I was the age of eighteen. With all of today’s neurological studies on the brain, most notably in contact sports, I would have likely been disallowed from playing high school football if these findings had existed then. One of the worst concussions I ever experienced was in 4th grade where a sled riding accident left me not knowing who I was for nearly 48 hours.  Several other minor sports related concussions would follow. Around the time I was a sophomore in college I started to notice that I was losing my short term memory at a very rapid rate. I was not sharp and I grew increasingly frustrated that I had become extremely forgetful virtually overnight. I feared that the consequences of too many concussions had caught up with me. I was scared to see a doctor, flashing back to thoughts of my great-grandmother and what a life without memory was like. I decided that rather than seek medical attention that I would try to retrain myself to remember day-to-day activities. I bought myself a bunch of post-its and began to write down various to-do lists for tasks that I had coming up that day, week, the following week and the month. Each day I reviewed the post-its (some days several times) and soon I retrained myself to remember short-term. Still do this day I have to write things down. I am convinced it is not because I need it, but simply good sound organizational practice to be thorough and reliable. My biggest fear is that at some point in my life I will have absorbed so much meaningless information that it will begin prioritizing space in my brain; much like a computer hard drive or the dwindling memory of a base model iPhone. What to store and what to delete? Do I/Will I have control over that? In education, we teach students that the brain is a muscle that must be exercised or it will atrophy. If you do not use your brain power you will lose it. How can you possibly exercise the brain enough to possibly maintain all that it possesses? My brother gifted all of the groomsmen in his wedding with a leather bound journal with each member’s name engraved on the clasp. He requested that we use the journal to record out greatest life experiences. Although I do not write in the journal daily, I have committed myself to recording my greatest experiences in order to answer the question I posed at the end of the previous paragraph. Hopefully this will allow me to take back my cognitive capacity, rid myself of the cobwebs and render myself less of a victim when it comes to degenerating memories. It is my hope that I can always remember the lessons I learned over lunch with my grandparents so that I can share them with my own grandchildren. Even the lesson on how to shoot the paper off of the straw while sitting at the table (thanks, GMa!). After all, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. “Nothing is a waste that makes a memory”]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Glamorous Life of Blog Photography</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-glamorous-life-of-blog-photography/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-glamorous-life-of-blog-photography/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2015 20:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kristen Miller]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology/Web]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Light box]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Studio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Blogging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6419</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let me take you behind the scenes for a few minutes at a glamorous real life blog photo shoot. I am a new blogger and I have a budget of practically nothing. I also have two small daughters, so the only time I can blog is late at night after they go to bed. Nighttime isn&#8217;t the best for taking quality blog photos, especially of food, but I that&#8217;s what I have to do if I want to be a blogger at this stage of my life. I researched light boxes online and although I found some that were relativly inexpensive &#8211; they just weren&#8217;t in the budget. So the cheapest alternative was a DIY project. I searched YouTube for DIY light boxes and learned how to make my own from a cardboard box, white tissue paper and white poster board. Here is the video I used to learn how to make this light box. I borrowed some lights from my husband&#8217;s garage and set up my &#8220;studio&#8221; in our living room. I did splurge on some natural white light bulbs at our local home improvement store. Good lighting really is the key here and regular light bulbs just give off a yellow tinge to everything. I also have a nice camera. When our first daughter was born a few years ago, we thought we would take a lot of pictures of her. And we do take a lot of pictures of her &#8211; just not with the camera. Getting a nice camera out when you have a baby or a toddler is just about the last thing on my list. Luckily iPhone cameras are very good these days. As my blog grows, getting a more professional set up is definitely on my To-Do list. But until I am consistently making money, I have to work with what I have and make do. What do you think of my &#8220;glamorous&#8221; blog photography set? Learn more about being a Practical Mommy and blogger on Facebook.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Double the Blogs, Double the Fun, Except Maybe for the Husband</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/double-the-blogs-double-the-fun-except-maybe-for-the-husband/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/double-the-blogs-double-the-fun-except-maybe-for-the-husband/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2015 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephanie Volkert]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obsessed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Blogging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6404</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m Stephanie, and I&#8217;m maybe-slightly-kind-of addicted to blogging. I don&#8217;t need, like, group meetings and an intervention or anything. I just really, really like it. I can quit anytime. I swear! (No, you don&#8217;t need to speak with my husband. Let&#8217;s just keep this between us. *wink wink*) I started several years ago, have been through three domain names as I finally narrowed down my focus, and now I have two blogs, run a wonderful Facebook group for bloggers, and contribute to several websites. “All the V&#8217;s” is my primary blog, where I share my love of photography, beauty, fashion, and writing. “Janus Lane” is a new venture and it&#8217;s where I let my creative side out through recipes, crafts, and homemaking. By the way, naming a blog is about as stressful as naming your new baby. That name is forever. I finally settled on “All the V&#8217;s” because our last names start with a V, as do our dog&#8217;s names. And one snake. Janus Lane is a throwback to a street I use to live on, so that one was actually pretty easy. By the way, naming a blog is about as stressful as naming your new baby. Blogging is a unique experience in that I never really turn “off.” I see the world in terms of, “Can I blog that?” My camera – be it my smart phone and/or one of my three digital cameras – are my faithful travel companions. My phone is filled with blogging ideas and reminders. I go through a LOT of Post-It Notes. My desk doesn&#8217;t know what it&#8217;s like to stay uncluttered. It was clean last weekend, I swear, but now it is littered with a portable hard drive, a camera, my wallet, a jar of maraschino cherries, a recipe, two picture frames, an iPod, an empty cupcake wrapper, Poster Putty, eye drops, a mostly-empty bottle of beer, my “I&#8217;d die without this” notebook, my cell phone, a syringe, and a seashell. Every single one of those items somehow relates to blogging. Except the beer. I just like beer. I started blogging because I like to talk. I like to talk a lot. It wasn&#8217;t until a few months in that I realized I could maybe make a little pocket change from it, and then I had to let go of the idea that I could have a successful blog for little-to-no investment. I had to spend money. My blog-related expenses so far this year are over $1,000. I have seen no monetary return&#8230; yet. I am hopeful to at least see both of my blogs become financially self-sufficient. I don&#8217;t see myself making six figures a month from blogging, but I do have long-term goals that are doable and probably lucrative. You have to think “big picture” if you intend to blog as a profession. It&#8217;s like choosing your major in college – there&#8217;s a lot of small goals you&#8217;ll need to achieve along the way, and you can&#8217;t slack off, but they all lead to your future. I blog full-time. I work 6-10 hours per day. I&#8217;m up between 4 and 8 am, depending on when I went to bed. I often do blog-related tasks until midnight or later. I have insomnia, so it&#8217;s not uncommon for me to be awake at 3 am, on Twitter or Pinterest, or editing photos. I&#8217;m on Pacific time, and so the rest of the U.S. is often awake before me, which means no sleeping in if I want to get in on link parties and anything else before I&#8217;m the last one to show up. The early bird gets the readers. Speaking of photos, one of the most time consuming and expensive aspects of blogging, for me, is photography. My costs and time spent in that area are higher than most, because photography is one focus of All the V&#8217;s, but any blogger that intends to have traffic from Pinterest will have to learn photography and invest in a good camera, or be skilled at finding and using stock photos. There&#8217;s just no way around it. You&#8217;ll often find me chasing the good lighting around the house so I can get the best photos. Like last week, when I set up a cupcake photo shoot on the living room coffee table. It felt a little silly, but the photos turned out great. You may be wondering what is so great about blogging. I&#8217;m wondering what isn&#8217;t great about it. There are so many things that I love about blogging. I get to interact with people from all over the world. I learn something new every single day. I have a place to share my thoughts and talents. Blogging pushes me to be the best that I can be in all areas of my life. You, the readers, hold me accountable. As long as I am a blogger, I will never stall, never stagnate, never stop learning and improving. What&#8217;s not to love about that? Speaking of that husband I mentioned at the beginning, he&#8217;s written up what it&#8217;s like to live with a blogger. Here&#8217;s his take on it: I am prepared to answer the following questions at any time, with zero stress: Which is the best tank of the Second World War? Which is better: Godzilla, or the Kaiju from Pacific Rim? How do I get a 70 ton tank across a river? (See end of post for answers.) I am not prepared at all to answer the following questions: Which of these shades of very similar/so-different-as-to-not-even-be-remotely-comparable colors is more attractive? Do you know any berries that have a really red color?  Not like, raspberry red, but really red? What do you think about hosted advertising on my blog? &#160; Needless to say, given the nature of this post and the fact that I am married to a blogger, you can guess which questions I am asked on a daily basis.  At any time, at any point, no matter if I’m on the computer, making dinner, or futzing around with my hobbies, that inquiring tone will sneak into what I’m doing and leave me to answer one of those highly crafty or bloggy questions. Not that I mind.  I actually enjoy being involved with Steph’s projects, and I’m happy she trusts me enough to ask my opinion (even if I’m totally clueless on the matter!) and I am continuing to encourage her to do more food blogging because she’s an awesome cook, and having to wait a few minutes to dig into dinner for photos is okay and worth waiting for. Being married to a blogger means you don’t really get to wander by random objects or consumables, because anything, at any time, could turn into a new project that you’ll be asked to hold up part of, or assess if it’s better THIS way or better THAT way. It means also accepting the small legion of projects in process, or the small scale disaster areas left by projects in the kitchen.  It disappears in due time, but the fact that 90% of the dishes in the house have been consumed by culinary experiments, or the dog has attempted to become entangled in wreath making materials, can occasionally be slightly trying. On the other hand, any healthy relationship includes being supportive of your spouse, and it remains a two way street for us. Just as much as I support Stephanie&#8217;s blogs and craftiness, she supports my desire to paint insane amounts of model tanks, or play board games that require four or so hours TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND SET UP ALL THE THINGS before even starting play. So it&#8217;s really not at all that bad. I&#8217;m happy she&#8217;s found something she likes, and I&#8217;m happy to help her make the cupcakes she just made disappear. The occasional odd questions or requests for help are well worth that much. (1. M4 Sherman.  Not the toughest or biggest, but having a tank all the time beats having a tank sometimes. (2. Depends.  Godzilla because it’s classic, but the variety of the Kaiju beats out fifty shades of green rubber lizard monster) (3. Haha oh God that was fun times.) So there you have it, a glimpse into being a blogger and being married to one. I&#8217;m incredibly grateful to have such a supportive spouse, although he kind of owes me. He did run off to South Korea for 18 months to have fun with tanks.]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Sample Food Menu for a 2-Year Old: One Mom&#8217;s Account</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/sample-food-menu-for-a-2-year-old-one-moms-account/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/sample-food-menu-for-a-2-year-old-one-moms-account/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2015 20:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Amy G.]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food/Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home/Garden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Menu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sample]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toddler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What to feed toddler]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5580</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Sample Menu for a 2-Year Old: One Mom’s Account The sample menu below takes you through some examples of what I have recently been feeding my 2-year old son. This is by no means a comprehensive list…we move and change with the times and current circumstances occurring in our household! Every family has their own unique schedule and challenges, and we’re no different! When possible, I try to mix up the food options from day to day so that our toddler eats a wide variety of foods. I find that serving a variety of foods and switching things up encourages healthier nutrition and an open palette; it doesn’t allow my toddler to get overly comfortable eating and requesting the same foods over and over, consequently rejecting other food options we try to serve. 8:15 AM: Breakfast is Served! Options for the Main Meal: Steel cut oats with cardamom and nutmeg Plain yogurt Greek yogurt Cereal with milk Blueberry waffles &#160; Options to Serve on the Side: Freshly diced fruit (banana, berries, pear, apple, watermelon, etc.) Cheese &#160; Drink: Milk or water in a sippy cup &#160; 10:00 AM: Did Someone Say Snack Time? Options for Snack Time: Fresh fruit smoothie for mom and kiddo (i.e.: mixed organic berries, fresh spinach, water) Cottage cheese with diced apples Fresh fruit &#160; *Note: We often skip snack time if we’re out of the house doing an activity. My toddler comes back nice and hungry for a hearty lunch that holds him until the afternoon. &#160; 11:00 AM: It’s Lunch Time! Options for the Main Meal: Dinner leftovers from the previous night Toddler Veggie Platter (served with hummus or yogurt dipping sauce for protein) Avocado, Tomato, and Hummus Sandwich Peanut Butter/Almond Butter Sandwich Black beans, spinach, and tomatoes with cous cous or bulgur Soft taco: Chicken or beans (previously made and stored in fridge/freezer), cheese, tomato, and spinach wrapped in whole wheat tortilla Spinach and cheese omelet with fresh herbs and toast &#160; Options to Serve on the Side: Diced fruit (i.e.: avocado, pear, berries, watermelon, grapes, peach, apricot, plum, tomato) Diced vegetables (i.e.: brightly colored bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) &#160; Drink: Water or milk in a sippy cup &#160; 3:30 PM: It’s Snack Time Again?! Options for Snack Time: Diced fresh fruit Dried fruit (i.e.: raisins, cranberries, blueberries, etc.) Whole wheat crackers with cheese, peanut butter, or almond butter Cheese &#160; Drink: Water or milk in a sippy cup &#160; 5:30 or 6:00 PM: Dinner’s On the Table! Options for the Main Meal: *Note: If we’re cooking dinner at home, our son is expected to eat what the family eats for dinner, and we rarely make exceptions. When possible, we try to include a protein, whole grain, and/or vegetable in the meal. On evenings when my husband and I can’t cook and we need a quick dinner, we’ll serve our son sardines (they’re high in omegas!) with some vegetables on the side or one of the lunch options listed above. If we go to a restaurant as a family, our son currently shares the meal we order versus ordering off the kids menu. Chicken, ground beef, or bean soft tacos Whole wheat pasta tossed with sauce and vegetables Slow cooker beef short ribs with Yukon Gold potatoes Chicken tikka masala Turkey cutlets Lemon chicken with fresh herbs Grilled salmon on a cedar plank Grilled hamburgers Lentil soup &#160; Options to Serve on the Side: Vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, spinach, kale, green peas, etc.) Salad Whole grain (i.e.: farro, bulgur, barley, wild rice, etc.) &#160; Drink: Water or milk in a sippy cup &#160; What are some of your go-to meals for your toddlers? Tell us in the comments!  If you like what you&#8217;ve learned here, visit www.whatagoodeater.com for free recipes and eating tips for babies, toddlers, and family-friendly meals!]]></description>
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		<title>How to Prepare Meat During Your Child&#8217;s &#8220;Meat-Fickle&#8221; Phase</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/how-to-prepare-meat-during-your-childs-meat-fickle-phase/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/how-to-prepare-meat-during-your-childs-meat-fickle-phase/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 09:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Amy G.]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food/Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kid's food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[picky eating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toddler food]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=4282</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Something happens when a toddler approaches 1 ½ years old.  It happens to the best of us: your formerly fantastic eater who previously dined on chicken, beef, lamb, and fish suddenly starts rejecting certain foods—especially meat!  You may not have changed a thing about the way you’re preparing it.  This new development may not stop at meat.  The banana you served him yesterday brought tears of joy to his eyes as he devoured it.  Today when you serve a banana, he squeezes it to mush in his palms as you watch apprehensively.  The horror movie continues: the squashed banana-mush moves from his palms to your clean kitchen floor.  He then peers at you, eagerly awaiting your reaction and next move. What happened?  As a parent, you may feel frustrated and concerned.  What am I doing wrong?  Is my child getting enough protein?  Is he going hungry?  Rest assured that you’re probably not doing anything wrong; this is likely just a phase that has to do with new, temporary texture and consistency preferences of food.  The great news is, this too, shall pass!  “What a Good Eater!” brings you 6 suggestions for meat preparation during this meat-fickle phase.  Remember that these are tips—not guarantees—that are designed to make this phase more manageable.  Toddlers are crazy little people with minds of their own.  Keep in mind that something that doesn’t work today may very well work tomorrow, next week, or next month. Tips for Preparing Meat During Your Child’s “Meat-Fickle” Phase: Pound it out, and I don’t mean with fist bumps. Take a rolling pin or meat mallet and pound the meat so that it’s thin and flat, no more than ¼ inch to ½ inch thick. If your baby or toddler gets a thick, tall piece of meat in her mouth, it might deter her during this phase. Let her slowly readjust to the texture and consistency of meat by serving her thin pieces that are easy to handle. Once she takes a bite of meat and doesn’t spit it out, pound it out with fist bumps to celebrate. Bread it. Once in a while, you can try serving the meat breaded. Try breaded chicken. Pound out the chicken breast, season it, and lightly coat it with flour, eggwash, and bread crumbs. The result is delicious, and it adds an interesting, crispy texture that your child may find pleasing during this phase. Immerse it in a delicious sauce. Bite-sized pieces of meat swimming in a delicious tomato sauce, for example, is often positively received! Two prime examples are Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Parmesan. The sweetness of the tomato sauce is often very appealing to babies and toddlers, and a sauce doesn’t make the meat seem like “the main event.” Slow cook it. I’m no slow-cooker expert, but I know many moms who are! They swear by their slow-cookers because the food is easy to prepare, delicious, and the whole family enjoys it, including their kids. Who wouldn’t enjoy meat so tender, it falls right off the bone? Our expert, slow-cooking moms swear by recipes such as crock pot lasagna, pulled pork, and chicken tacos: add chicken breasts, mild salsa, corn, and black beans to your slow cooker. Then, cook on low for 6-8 hours, shred the chicken with a fork, and optionally top with shredded cheese or sour cream. You can serve this plain, with rice, or in a tortilla! Serve it small. When you serve the meat to your child, cut it into pieces that are very small—slightly smaller than she’s used to. Getting large chunks of meat in her mouth may seem distasteful during this phase. Think small in terms of quantity, too. Start by placing only 2 or 3 small pieces of meat on her plate with the rest of her meal. Small quantities may help her feel less overwhelmed. Dip it. Toddlers love to dip! Serve the meat with a dollop of your child’s favorite dipping sauce, such as yogurt (regular or Greek), hummus, sour cream, mashed avocado, honey mustard, or ketchup. Show him how to dip the meat in the sauce and self-feed. This makes his dining experience more interactive, interesting, and enjoyable! For more tips on feeding your baby or toddler, visit www.whatagoodeater.com.  Sign up to receive our newsletter, and we&#8217;ll send you free recipes and tips on feeding your family!  http://www.whatagoodeater.com/newsletter-sign-up-2/]]></description>
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		<title>Peanut Butter Caramel Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/peanut-butter-caramel-toffee-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/peanut-butter-caramel-toffee-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Hollie]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food/Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caramel bars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caramel chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peanut butter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recipe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=4039</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is so much gooey awesomeness that combines peanut butter, oatmeal, caramel and chocolate that I think you should make today! Ingredients Caramel Filling 11 oz bag vanilla caramels 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 4 Tbls butter Cookie Dough 12 Tbl unsalted butter 2 c light brown sugar 1/2 c creamy peanut butter 2 eggs 1 Tbl vanilla 2 c flour 1 c old fashioned oats 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 cup chocolate chips 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter chips 1 cup Heath toffee bits Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal of the bars. Unwrap all the caramels and place in a small saucepan with butter and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat until caramels have fully melted and the mixture is nice and smooth. Set aside caramel to cool while you make the cookie batter. Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add peanut butter and continue mixing. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add the flour, oats, baking powder and salt slowly mixing until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and toffee bits. Evenly spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the pan. Slowly pour caramel mixture evenly over the dough. Drop the remaining dough on top by the teaspoon. Try to flatten evenly over caramel layer. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely and then cut into bars. Serve warm topped with ice cream or at room temperature. Recipe appeared on BabyGizmo.com.]]></description>
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		<title>Speedy Toddler Lunch Idea, Good Lesson for Mom</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/speedy-toddler-lunch-idea-good-lesson-for-mom/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/speedy-toddler-lunch-idea-good-lesson-for-mom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Amy G.]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food/Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baby food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kid meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lunch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toddler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What a Good Eater!]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=3595</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Super Bowl Sunday, my husband asked me what appetizer we should bring to share at our friend’s Super Bowl party.  We originally decided to bring jalapeno poppers, but on the day of the party, my husband got a text message from the host saying someone else decided to bring the same thing.  We quickly aborted our plan and decided to bring something else instead.  Enter The Vegetable Party Platter!     We chopped up some raw broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, and arranged it on a beautiful, white platter.  Positioned in the center was a bowl of creamy Ranch dressing.  I’m aware that there is absolutely nothing novel about this idea.  We’ve all seen and eaten this at parties.  Grocery stores even sell these prepackaged!  My biggest surprise came from witnessing my 1 ½ year-old son ogling the vegetables at the party and asking to eat them, even amongst the many bowls of chips, dips, and desserts.   Honestly, I think it was the presentation and blocks of beautiful colors that enticed him. I’d tried serving my son raw vegetables before without much luck.  Sometimes he’d eat them; sometimes he’d return them to me like I was a waitress at a restaurant serving sub-par food.  His change of tune at the Super Bowl party was a great lesson for me.  It reminded me that sometimes I can get trapped into incorrect, preconceived notions that my toddler doesn’t like a certain type of food.  I maybe tried a particular food once or a few times a while ago, and he didn’t care for it.  But try that same food again tomorrow, in a few weeks, or in a few months, and I’m always amazed to discover that often times, he’s changed his tune and will eat the food or at least try it.  Studies show that it can take 12-16 times for a toddler to try a new food, eat it, and enjoy it.  That’s a heck of a lot of tries, but a good reminder that we shouldn’t give up or get discouraged too early if they indicate they don’t like a particular food.  They might just need a little time to warm up to it, or they might like it prepared slightly differently: baked instead of sautéed, for example, or raw instead of roasted. After the Super Bowl party, I started serving my son The Vegetable Party Platter for lunch pretty often.  It’s especially useful when I don’t have time to cook or when I’m just too tired!  Here’s how to assemble it: Chop some raw broccoli, cauliflower, and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces that are small enough and safe for your toddler. If your toddler favors other vegetables instead, try those! Consider celery, cucumber, tomatoes, and black olives. Brightly colored foods are often super foods. Serving your child a variety of different colored foods ensures well-rounded nutrition, so mix up the colors! I like to chop the vegetables and assemble his meal in front of him, because watching me prepare his meal excites him! Serve them with your toddler’s favorite dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is key with The Vegetable Party Platter. Toddlers love to dip! My first picks are hummus, yogurt, peanut butter, or almond butter because they add good nutrition and protein to the meal. Other options are Ranch dressing or cream cheese. Dipping allows toddlers to exercise their independence, touch and feel their food, and heck—it’s just a fun, interactive eating experience—so let them dip away! Food presentation matters. Adults aren’t the only ones who eat with their eyes first…so does your child! Arrange the food on your child’s plate attractively, grouping them into bright color blocks. Place their favorite dipping sauce in the middle and show them how to take a vegetable and dip it in the sauce. Be a food role model for your child. How can we expect our kids to be great eaters if we don’t model good eating habits ourselves? How can I be eating fast food in front of my son for lunch while I try to serve him The Vegetable Party Platter? I don’t know how well that would work. It helps immensely if they see you eating and enjoying the food too. As Landon and I sat down for lunch together today, I made sure that along with my sandwich, I served myself baby carrots and raw broccoli on the side. I made a special point to make sure he saw me eating them so he knows we’re in this together. I can’t remember the last time I ate raw vegetables like that for lunch. I normally don’t enjoy raw vegetables, so I found that I surprised myself too! I actually enjoyed the way they tasted, and it made for a wonderful, crunchy compliment to my sandwich. It also gave me the opportunity to eat more vegetables in the middle of the day…something I find a little more difficult to do. &#160; I’ve got to say, this new lunch idea has been a win-win for my son and me, and a huge time-saver!  What are your favorite toddler lunch ideas?  Tell us in the comments section.  Visit www.whatagoodeater.com for more baby and toddler meal ideas, and sign up for our newsletter to receive free baby, toddler, and family-friendly recipes!]]></description>
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		<title>Toddler Meal Schedule</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/toddler-meal-schedule/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/toddler-meal-schedule/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lauren]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food/Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meal ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meal Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toddler]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=3358</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Creating a meal schedule for your child can be a difficult task. I often felt I left the doctor’s office with little answers. Like all mothers, I wanted Hadley to enjoy a variety of foods. When she first began solids, I did make her food and supplement with packets when needed. Around 8 months, she started to grow tired of my food and I did rely heavily on the puree pouches and other store bought food. After her nine month appointment, her doctor gave her the green the light on pretty much all foods. From then on, I became more confident in having her expand her palette. Here is a typical food schedule for Hadley. &#160; 7:00 AM – Rise and shine! Hadley has a full sippy cup of milk &#160; 8:00 AM – Breakfast usually includes scrambles eggs with cheese, toast with cream cheese, and some blueberries and strawberries to start her day. She also has water with all her meals. &#160; 10:30 AM – For a mid morning snack, Hadley munches on peanut butter and bananas. &#160; 1:00 PM – Lunch is one of Hadley’s favorite meals. Yogurt, string cheese and some diced mangos always fill her up. &#160; 3:00 PM – Hadley drinks a sippy cup full of milk and some grapes or goldfish. &#160; 5:00 PM – For dinner, I like to include a protein, veggie and carb. One of her favorites for dinner is rotisserie chicken, guacamole (avocado mixed with lime juice) and cheesy quinoa. &#160; 7:00 PM – Hadley ends her day with a sippy cup full of milk and some bedtime stories! When dealing with food, I always felt like I was feeding Hadley the same items. I like to switch things up a bit so she does not grow tired of certain foods. Here are a few options in case you are in a toddler food rut… &#160; Breakfast: Eggs Pancakes Waffles Bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter Oatmeal Cereal &#160; Snacks: Diced strawberries Bluberries Black beans String Cheese Peas Corn Grapes Diced mangos &#160; Lunch Meals: Peanut Butter sandwich Chicken and Cheese quesadilla Grilled Cheese Yogurt Guacamole (We mash up one avocado and squeeze lime juice on it!) &#160; &#160; Dinner Meals: Spinach Lasagna Rolls Rotisserie Chicken Pulled Pork Salmon Chicken pot pies Pasta Salad with fresh veggies Baked rigatoni]]></description>
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