everybody is nuts

In the land of crazy this month, Nate has actually shown some good strides in eating better (of course this happens as soon as I start a column called The Pickiest Eater for Brooklyn Based, which is all about how he eats nothing. He added strawberries and eggs and sausage on toothpicks (brilliant strategy!) to his growing roster.

Unfortunately, Mack seems to be giving up eating. If he absolutely can't have a "baba" and we've made that incredibly clear and there's been tears and flying objects, he'll occasionally stuff a bagel or 8 pieces of pasta in his mouth which simultaneously announcing "DONE!" No amount of coaxing can get him back to the table. He's a firecracker, always moving and always about to blow. He also is the kind of kid who prefers carrots to chocolate cake. He loves fruits and veggies and this weekend sucked on a lemon like I used to do as a kid. I felt proud and excited. But why isn't he eating better?

And in the third ring, Michael has adopted the Paleo Diet ala Dougy Lebow, which is Paelo plus booze and coffee...oh and yogurt but only in the morning. It was supposed to last a month but he's going into 6 weeks. He has lost weight and wants to lose more but mostly he likes not being hungry and eating bacon every day.

This was breakfast yesterday.

This was breakfast today.

It's Easton farmers market smoked ham with our CSA eggs fried in bacon fat (which we now use as oil because the Meat Hook Cookbook told us to and they are the coolest guys I can think of.) Although I haven't gone full cavewoman, Michael's diet has changed my eating and cooking too. There is very little bread in the house and we never have pasta for dinner. I think it is a healthier way of eating in concept (I"m also reading the Paelo Code) but I have a hard time with all or nothing type things. So I also eat ice cream.

Creatively, I've enjoyed the challenge. In the morning, I used to put a cereal box on the table and now there's 2 or 3 pans on the stove -- eggs, sausage, ham, bacon. The kids are starting to eat this kind of breakfast too (though usually in addition to waffles soaked in syrup.) And dinner is always some kind of fresh from the farm meat or fish and salad.