Cl- thank you for the well wishes Boop- it wasn't for a week or anything. Plus I knew he'd be eating lentil tacos with cauliflower rice for dinner. I would never encourage my kid to load up on junk food, however I want him to learn flexibility and gracious manners. I tend to agree with mtnrdredux sending a snack box wouldn't help foster independence and politeness. Anyway, just wanted to weigh in and say he had a great time. While he complained about the lack of his milk he sent far more time telling us about games and toys. He was extra appreciative of his milk yesterday! Again thanks for all the advice. I think because of the cool headed advice from GW I was able to avoid the potential pitfall of always having to send snack packs for short visits. Gold, I don't even know how to respond. I hesitated to ask the question because I assumed some misinformed person would rail against vegetarianism and children on the basis of nutrition. I never anticipated your comments. I find the whole idea offensive that because one raises a vegetarian child then that parent is more prone to zealotry or nurturing psychosis. I only mentioned we follow a plant based diet.I gave no indication we maintain any sort of unhealthy relationship with food. Nor did I imply we have food rules. I merely indicated my picky (polite word for adventurous food snob) didnt like dairy milk or processed treats. As for milk, it is a texture and taste thing: he previously darnk dairy milk but after the age of 2 we allowed him to try nut and hemp milks. In the last year he choose to drink those exclusively. He enjoys cookies or a cupcake occasionally. But he wasn't raised on processed food or sugar, therefor he prefers veggie sticks with almond butter or hummus. I don't see the harm. It seems you may have a skewed perception of vegans and vegetarians. We, admittedly, follow an abstemious diet of fruits, legumes, vegetables. However that in no way indicates we are more prone to nurturing psychosis. We enjoy food. We don't quiz people mercilessly when we are guests at their homes on what went into the food. Im sure over the years I've eaten vegetables with butter on them or something that was cooked in chicken broth. I also know a few of those times I spent a lot of time in the restroom later as my body wasn't used to those additives. Sometimes we bring along dishes to share when we attend dinner parties or cookouts but only after asking the host if it would be all right if we did so etc. But often our hosts graciously accommodate our lifestyle choice by having something we would eat there. We don't discuss food politics around dinner tables etc. I don't see how my eating style is any more likely to encourage unhealthy relationships with food than any other lifestyle. We shop at whole foods or have our CSA deliver a box of produce every week. So I spend 0 time reading labels in front of my child. Unlike other women who are constantly obsessing over food points or calories etc. That to me sends a very perverse message to children especially girls.

punamytsike, my kids are 15, 14, 12, 11 and 9...Plenty old enough to make their own breakfast...however, their attention to detail lacks a lot...plus they will make WAY too much if I am not there. By "attention to detail" lacking, I am referring to those important details like turning off the stove caps or oven...or taking the fork out of the bowl before putting it in the microwave. Or using the timer so that food doesn't burn. I have tried SO hard to teach them to pay attention to these things but after nearly 3 house fires, I had to make a "no baking for frying rule..." Especially since 4 of my 5 are up by 6:00 on the weekends and I don't get up until 7:30 or so. Their use of household appliances is limited to the toaster and microwave. I also have to set limits. Three waffles, one cup of juice and one cup of milk for breakfast. One banana. If I don't do this, one child will have 8 waffles and the late risers will get nothing. This makes it very difficult to buy in bulk. I shop often. No less than once per week...because if I shop for 2 weeks everything is still gone in one week. I blame this on the fact that I have 4 boys who could eat themselves through a brick wall. LOL! The macaroni dish is one my mother fixed when I was growing up. I have wanted to try it here but I'm afraid to. Two of my kids are very very picky...I think I'll try it this week though. I always LOVED that dish!

Ann T: Last week I made a recipe that called for smoked turkey and some canned pumpkin in a sauce over pasta. They said to sprinkle on seeded pumpkin seeds over the finished dish, if desired. Well, I thought, OK, and went to the regular grocery. (Now that I think about it, maybe a health food store would have offered a better seed.) Bought a bag of pumpkin seeds, but it was ridiculous to try to seed them. So I didn't sprinkle them on the recipe, ans am just eating them as the salty snack they are.

Not really a big bridal shower game person but the last shower I attended had a different spice game. They had spices in little numbered dark bottles that were passed around and you had to identify the spice. Some spices were common and others more unusual. We all enjoyed this novel game. No shower for my daughter, although a few friends offered to throw a one, she felt strange about it, with her super small wedding and no reception booked at the time. My daughter said the only thing she missed about not having a shower was not doing the “ toilet paper bridal gown” game. This was too funny to me, as she is so not a shower game person. Love the recipe idea. I have a collection recipes from the guests of one of my showers. I still make some of the recipes that I was given. The hostess presented the recipes to me in a lovely recipe book, the type where you slide the recipe cards into holders. I have kept the book and in the past added to it, it is wonderful to see the handwriting of friends and family members I do not see often or who have passed away, such as my husband’s grandma.