fussy eaters

I've cooked for a fair few fussy eaters in my time. Mentioning no names - you know who you are! ;-) - there have been those with self-imposed regimes, the vegans and manic-organics, and others whose various, often quite bizarre allergies (or, possibly, phobias) forced me to rather drastically change my culinary habits. None quite top my darling daughter however.

It's not so much the fussiness that gets me, more the unpredictability. Just three weeks ago she couldn't get enough of some of my culinary creations: pear, broccoli and chickpeas flavoured with clove; red lentils, squash, ginger and garam masala; puy lentils, coconut, leek and sweet potato; carrot, coriander, roasted pepper and lentils. Rosie would happily gobble down up to three ice-cubes worth, perhaps followed by some natural yoghurt. Finger food, however, held zero interest to her, with the possible exception of the fun game of throwing something on the floor so Mummy and Daddy have to pick it up.

That's all changed. For the past couple of days the roles have reversed. Even the normally rapturously received greek yoghurt has prompted whingeing, while many previously favoured purees are now given the hamster cheek treatment: she'll keep accepting food, but rather than swallow it keep in in her cheeks until it reaches a critical mass where upon, with no small ceremony, it is expelled, bib-wards. However, she has now developed a serious interest in finger food - cheese on toast, pasta, roasted veg and mango are all top treats as far as the little tot is concerned.Babies. There's fussy buggers. But we love ours!