"It's Too Fancy For Me!"

A few nights ago I made dinner. I love cooking and this is mostly all joy, but the experience is completely amplified if the food is gobbled, ravenously or otherwise, by the people I'm cooking for - mainly my kiddos. I chose a recipe that has been a family favorite (even with the kids) for years - More Than Minestrone Soup. Simple. Delicious. A great combination. The boys love smoked meat and this recipe has plenty of it. A little bit of bacon and a lot of kielbasa. Nothing new. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The boys always start their meal in this way - fruit first, salad if it's there, milk, then the main course. It's predictable and if I could set my clock by it, I would. After gobbling the above, my youngest, H, just sat. And sat. And sat. We tried encouraging him to eat his soup and in his adorable two year old voice, he said, simply, "No, I don't want to (which actually sounds like, "No, I want to"). He said it politely. No tantrum. No fuss. Very respectful. So we encouraged a bit more. "But H, it has kielbasa. You LOVE (insert dramatic voice here) kielbasa. Here (scooping a piece onto his spoon). Try it. You'll like it." And just as we were trying to get him to eat in a dramatic way, he had a dramatic response. Hands on table. Head on hands. Head shaking from side to side (still respectfully I might add). "No. It's too fancy for me."

I wish I had my camera. The moment was precious. But you know if you try to recreate a perfect little moment like that it can never be reproduced in the same way...especially when it involves kiddos.

What did we do? We laughed. It was funny. Our little one expressed clearly enough how he felt about trying something he has already eaten on plenty of occasions, but in this moment the kielbasa was too fancy.

Sometimes life is like that for me too. I've tried something or done something a million times, but sometimes in the moment doing it again feels too fancy. Kind of like writing this blog. I've been writing for years. Journaling for years. Telling stories for years. Taking pictures for years. Blogging, inconsistently (sorry J, H, K, M, M, R) for years. And the thought of starting a new blog with a different purpose has felt too fancy. But just like my little guy eventually tried (and liked) his kielbasa that evening, I am trying again with a different approach this time.

This blog is about life. Our life. The adventures we take and the mistakes and triumphs we learn from. It will involve crafty things, sporty things, cooking things, kiddo things. Things that make us, us. So, enjoy.

And in case anyone would like it, here's the More Than Minestrone Soup recipe that I made (and gobbled). Try it. You'll like it.

5 slices of bacon, diced

1 c. onion, chopped

1 pkg. turkey kielbasa

2 celery stalks, diced

2 small carrots, diced

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 28oz. can Italian-style tomatoes

1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped

6 c. chicken stock

1 10oz. can each kidney beans, great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 9oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 t. each dried basil and oregano

1 1/2 c. small seashell shaped pasta

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Saute bacon in lg. pot for 5 minutes until soft and crispy. Add onion, kielbasa, celery and carrots. Cook until veggies are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT pasta and cheese. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pasta shells and cook for 8 minutes longer, or until pasta is al dente. Stir frequently to prevent pasta from sticking. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy, then tell me what you think.