I married at 26 and a half years old. So, for more than 26 years, I lived at home and had my momma to care for me. Even when I craved so deeply to have independence, my momma was still there to provide for me. And simply for the written record, she is still here to care and provide for me when I most desperately need her.
Now, at age 30 and a half, I am starting my turn at caring and providing for another. My three tiny children all depend on me for food. Two of them require me to cook, and the littlest one needs me for all of his nourishment. Long gone are the days of putting off a meal for an hour or two because I haven’t the time or I’m simply being lazy.
Nope. When hunger strikes a little one, it strikes. The first thing out of my toddlers’ mouths after morning greetings is “Food!” A “please” may or may not follow depending on how shut their eyes still are when demanding, I mean, asking. Our tiny little baby, weighing in at 6 months old and in full growth spurt mode, will let me hear it a mile away when his belly gets hungry.
What about me? Sigh. I miss dearly the days when I’d suddenly realize I was hungry and could walk out of my room back at home into the kitchen, and delicious food would miraculously appear. That miracle? That was my mother. Nowadays, if I am hungry, there is no food that magically and, most importantly, quickly appears on my kitchen table.
Oh, that’s right. I have to cook for the food to be there.
Silly me. I wish there were tons of good, healthy (and I mean whole-heartedly healthy meals, not just salads for weight-loss), and organic options, all with a drive-thru for mammas with a {crazy} posse like me. There isn’t. So we will splurge, sometimes often, on our favorite Whataburger or treat ourselves to some pizza. But homemade burgers always taste so much better, no matter how quickly you can get one from the drive-thru.
So, down from la-la-land and back to reality. I am the mother, the matriarch, of this household. It is my duty and honor to feed my family. The current season of our lives involves feeding tiny little growing babes. They require sustenance, and it needs to be something I can make myself and convince them to eat. Good thing I have good eaters!
Today, we had hamburgers for lunch. They were yummy. I’m not quite sure what i’ll make for dinner tonight. Perhaps I’ll invite my mom over… ha ha ha! Cheers!
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Cheeseburgers with Spinach
- Ground beef: Shape your own patties or skip this step and use pre-made ones like I did today.
- Cheddar Cheese: Pick a good one! We love Tillamook Medium Cheddar.
- Baby Spinach: Or your favorite leafy green. I love to feed my children spinach in everything.
- Sprouted Honey Wheat Bread: Ours has Flaxseed. We love this one and recommend for your tiny tots.
- Fresh fruit: We used strawberries today, just a couple washed and sliced. Use whatever yummy fruit your tot(s) like!
Total cook time: 10-15 minutes, depending on the cooperation of your kiddos.