We're more than half way there, and it's not even four months. The main premise of this blog when started in April was to create tasty, healthy meals without meat for our family. As in ONE evening meal, not one for baby Billie and a second installment for ma and pa. I wanted Billie to embrace food and eating with the passion of her parents. To yearn for different textures, colours and flavours.
Well, Billie must have been listening. And watching.
On Saturday we took Billie to her first big festival. It was the perfect introduction - the very baby-friendly Chicago Folk and Roots Festival. Put on by the Old Town School Of Folk Music, the $10 admission was the best tenner ever spent.
Despite coming prepared with the ubiquitous banana, Billie grew bored after a few mouthfuls and wanted some of the black bean cakes with mango salsa that mama was chomping on. And a bit of that red beans and rice that dadda was downing. Thumbs up to the festival organisers for inviting Wishbone restaurant, and keeping food vendors to a limited quality few.But Billie's bean feast wasn't that surprising - she asserted her fondness for handling beans (unmashed please) the previous weekend while staying with her Italian Great Grandfather. (STAY TUNED FOR AN INCREDIBLE ARRAY OF RECIPES SWIPED FROM GREAT GRANDMA EVE).
Our festival party stared wide-mouthed as Billie demolished most of a large slice of this Chicago institution. If you haven't been here you probably don't know what I'm talking about. At first I was reticent when Miles tried to take me out for stuffed pizza on my first Chicago visit. But it's not like that Pizza Hut stuff. Chicago stuffed pizza is more like a pie.
We've yet to try Billie on regular thin crust pizza, but something tells me we couldn't keep her away.
My mission has caught up with me sooner than anticipated. There's no more slipping Billie some mush while the adults dine on a smorgasbord of dishes.
Recipes to come...
Below: Billie tonight after sampling soft-shelled crab at local Oak Park restaurant Poor Phils
Oh wow! Looks like you had a great day! Go Billie :)
ReplyDeleteYum soft shell crab and all the rest. Petrina taught Paul the Spearhead song "red beans and rice" and he sings it when we have chilli con carne and rice.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is much important eating and music watching/listening to be done here. xxx
ReplyDeleteToo cute! Great that you are letting her try her had (literally) in lots of different foods and textures. They always wash up as good as new.
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