« A little talk | Main | Cranky say relax »
02/20/2006
Lunchblock
Charlie eats well. Do not mistake me: I am not smug or self-congratulatory on this issue because I know this, like everything else to do with child-rearing, will inevitably change, probably several times. At the moment he likes vegetables as much as he likes other things; is receptive to new foods; and even good-naturedly tries foods he's rejected in the past. I am very well aware that as early as dinner tonight, he could be refusing to eat any but white foods, or objecting to items touching each other on his plate, or turning down any morsel that is not perfectly cubical, machined with NASA-grade equipment to measure precisely 1/2" on a side.
But for now, he eats. Breakfast is invariably yogurt, fruit, and a handful of Cheerios; he does not enjoy eggs and has gummed pancakes and waffles only politely and without relish. A midmorning snack consists of fruit and a graham cracker. Lunch is usually a meat item and/or slivers of cheese, a starch item, and a vegetable item; if there's still fruit remaining from the piece he began eating at breakfast or snack time, he'll have that, too. At his afternoon snack, a graham cracker features prominently, usually including fruit, sometimes including cheese. Dinner is whatever Paul and I are having, with occasional substitutions; if our meat item, for example, is something Charlie can't chew, we substitute what we call Charlieburger: ground beef patted into a layer approximately 1/4" thick, seasoned, cooked, and then sliced into long fingers of easy-gumming goodness.
And sometimes there is lunchblock.
Lunchblock came into being when Charlie first started to eat table food. His keen desire to feed himself became evident long before his teeth did. Foods he could easily grab (solid chunks of anything) were foods he could not chew. And foods he could easily eat without teeth (smoothish pastes) were foods he could not grab.
Extra-firm tofu, my first bright idea, was too slippery. Beans, ditto. Even pasta was difficult for his clumsy pre-pincer efforts, as we learned one night when I offered him Annie's shells and cheese. Disappointed, I packed the leftovers away in a small container and shoved them into the refrigerator. But in the confines of the little plastic box, in the cold dark of the closed refrigerator...well, that's where the magic happened.
Crammed tightly as it was into the container, forced into a compression so profound that I'm surprised it didn't turn into diamonds, the pasta got molded into a brick, with the cheese sauce acting as an adhesive to hold the shells together — an edible portland cement, if you will. By carving the resulting brick into slices, and from there into strips, and finally into cubes, Paul found what had been missing from Charlie's dinner tray: a foodstuff that was soft enough for Charlie to chew, but solid enough — with the added luxury of convenient finger-holds — for him to grasp and lift to his quivering lower lip.
Lunchblock.
Charlie gets lunchblock a couple of times a week. It is a perfect food for travel or to take along to restaurants, as it is perfectly stable at room temperature. It's a vital part of the lunch we send with him to day care, because it's easy for him to eat without close supervision and without making a mess. And when I serve it with cut-up meatball — which, God help me, I cannot stop calling meatwad — I have a good excuse to break into a '70s-style voiceover for a cop show called Lunchblock and Meatwad. And to lurch around the kitchen chanting the Aqua Teen Hunger Force theme.
You know, just in case I need an excuse to do that.
Today I found out that it is not advisable to make lunchblock using shapes other than shells. I can't explain why we had a box of Annie's disembodied-heads-of-Arthur-of-PBS-fame and cheese in the pantry, but we did, and I cooked it. I am told Arthur is an aardvark, which is a ridiculous contention. As the illustration below plainly shows, the cartoon Arthur bears no resemblance whatsoever to a real aardvark:
I mean, what self-respecting aardvark would be caught dead in a V-neck sweater?
But that's not the source of my objection to Arthur-themed lunchblock. No, I am more concerned that Charlie will notice the bloated face of Arthur peering out from within the gluey cheese, decide he's having a religious experience, and refuse ever to eat it again.
I guess we could manage that, though. There's always grilled cheese, right?
Comments (64)
Verify your Comment
Previewing your Comment
This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
$28k? now that's something to work for. new meaning to WAHM. best part? screw ups are edible--for the most part.
I hope you realize you are treading awfully close to Lunchables territory here...the steps from pre-molded, compressed organic mac n' cheese to pre-molded, compressed people parts masquerading as lunchtime treats, are few indeed. (Arthur, I think, provides the essential missing link in that chain.)
I'm just saying...
I LOVE Lunchblock! I just never knew to call it that! My son, however is terribly fussy about having his Annie's mac & cheese fresh off the stove. Yippee, more lunchblock for me.
BTW, I wouldn't try the bunnies either. Could scar him for life.
Now blocking Jen from ever commenting again...
I am so tempted to actually make meatballs tonight just so I can say we are having meatwad for dinner...oh golly (wiping tears from my eyes) meatwad....
ah, meatwad. you just brought back memories of the baby not sleeping and us watching tv at obscene hours of the morning... whoo! funny stuff!
anyway, i have some recipies to share, since you were kind enough to let us in on the cheese-as-glue brilliance!
since the wee one refuses to eat oatmeal in a bowl (which i personally think is the food of the gods, with its super high fiber content and subsequent... regularity qualities) i make oatmeal block with a bit of cinnamon, brown sugar and salt to bring out the flavor. i also put in a wee bit of breastmilk (i boil it with water and add the milk for creaminess) but NO BUTTER because it will ruin the stickiness, i find.
second recipe: i am from georgia, and we are religiously devoted to grits. i make grits, add pre-made scrambled eggs, veggie sausage crumbles, salt and pepper and put it into a rectangle pan to congeal. named "grit loaf," it makes THE BEST hand held crumbly food! i cut it up and give it to her, and she almost always eats it. or hides it under the throw rug to be found later by my clean socks, but thats another story for another time.
You know, as I was reading this I was wondering what would happen to D.W. in Alfredo Sauce.
Oh, that sounded bad. Oh well.
http://www.annies.com/products/dw_pasta.htm
In just a few years you'll find yourself all too familiar with the evolution of Arthur. Suffice it to say, at some point he did, in fact, have a nose job, despite what the book says... http://tinyurl.com/q66ga
a ha ha ha That picture of the Arthur pasta cracked me up. As for lunchblock: brilliant. Might have to try that with Anna Sofia when the time comes.
I have been a mother for a very long time (ok, 18 years, but it feels longer!) and I never once thought of the lunchblock! It's too late for me, but think of how many others you've helped today.
I am gonna try that grits thing though, and I don't much care if the 3 year old likes it, I want it for ME! (Though it would be lovely if he likes it and I'll totally (probably) absolutely (maybe) share if he does.)
Upon first clicking it, the "bloated face of Arthur" link opened on your image of the said face(s) but then refused to close. It did this weird blinky thing and would keep reloading. Things were set right only when I allowed the Arthur window to remain open and proceeded to click on the grilled cheese link. Hm...
I think that qualifies as a religious experience, don't you?
Aw, c'mon, Julie, don't block me!
I speak in jest (while perhaps cruelly preying upon your well-known, well-merited fear of Lunchables)!
I think that you--unlike the creators of Lunchables--have stayed firmly on the right side of the ingenious/evil lunch food divide. I would strive never to feed my kids Lunchables, but Lunchblock would be fair game.
Lunchblock...*snork* .....so thats what it's called. We love it here...and the grits and eggs thing will be tried ASAP. I love this site...so many good ideas.....
I love you! Aside from the pure genius of words like Lunchblock and Meatwad, and the TV show they form when they unite, you've just touched on my frustration. Jacob loves to eat and has an excellent pincer at 9 mo's, but can't figure out a utensil. So far I haven't been able to find a starch he can feed himself other than cheerios and arrowroots.
And thanks Kenya for the other recipes - we'll try them all - I LOVE grits. Though I can't say I really know how to cook them right. I always pick up a couple of boxes when coming back from the South.
Sounds to me like lunchblock might be cousin to something called Spaghetti Pie (SP). SP is warm, though, with a crust of baked swirled spaghetti topped with sauce and cheese. You slice it like a pie, hence the name) and the little pasta strands look for all the world like little wormies holding up your cheese.
Be careful, Julie. This slippery slope leads not exclusively to lunchables. There are other compressed noodle dangers to consider, as well.
I so enjoy reading your posts. The adventures we have never really seem all that humorous until we read them ourselves on paper (computer screen)!
I hearby dub these creations, from this point forward, for now and forever:
Lunchblockables.
Carry on.
I regularly read your blog and look forward to updates. I think you're a really good writer and you often amuse me but "the bloated face of Arthur" finally made me laugh out loud. Thanks.
It's so true... as soon as we think we've figured something out, all the rules change again. I think it's enough uncertainty to make us constantly feel like we're flailing through parenthood. Your lunchblock idea seems like the perfect thing to do with our leftover Annie's (which usually end up in the trash after being refrigerated for a week or two).
I come here for the hints and stay for the religion.
This will be tried out next month when the twins are 9 months. Their older brother, who REFUSES to eat Mac and Cheese or any pasta with sauce ("its dirty"), will be consumed with competitive zeal and try it. I just know it.
If we've made it to year four without any lunchables or McDonald's, then you can too. That I'll never see the Virgin Mother in a Big Mac is something I have to accept.
Kel
I can tell I'm on a diet - that actually looks appetizing to me!
And, mmmmmmmm, meat wad...
What a creative idea!! I will have to remember that for when I have kids!! Of course with my luck my children will be more picky than me.
For those of you familiar with traditional Jewish food, KUGEL! It consists of noodles, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins bound together with egg and oil. Cuts into bite-sized cubes when cool. There are lots of variations of kugel too!
But those Arthur heads? Whoa!
Arthur's an aadvark?!?
(Greetings from a long-time lurker.)
I like to make wine and fruit juice popsicles - I will henceforeth refer to these as "Lushables". For me, of course. It's winter, after all. The babies would get cold!
My 11-month old twins will now self feed previously frozen veggies and Veggie Booty in addition to Oatios, but the only starch that holds together well enough is sweet potatoes. I don't know how they can stomach cold grey chunks of sweet potatoes, but they love them. Thanks for the Lunchblock tip- I plan to put it into action immediately. Because these babies need to pick up the slack around here.
I'm with Jen. When I first read "meat item" my mind went down the slippery slippery slope to spam, and from spam, the original luncheon meat (slice it. dice it. bake it.) it's just a very small hop, skip jump to the unmentionable-things-that-start-with-L.
And thanks to Bella, I'm now picturing noodle kugel with little pasta bunnies in it.
Another long-time lurker, who finally got her own blog!
Genius!
Makes sense, looks nasty.
Do you serve Lunchblock cold? *shudder*
Nooooo. Lunchblock is gently warmed in the microwave until it is precisely body temperature.
I've been wondering for at least 6 months what kind of animal Arthur is. Last week I finally read the back of one of the DVD cases from the library and was stunned to discover that he's an aardvark. Um, OK.
Does anyone else think it's odd that the anthropomorphized animals on some shows have animals as pets? (Arthur has Pal, the pigs on Piggly Winks have dairy cattle and sheep) It creeps me out.
Someone left this link up on an Ask Moxie post about feeding babies, and I thought it was kind of cool about giving kids foods they can feed themselves (and the research behind it):
http://www.borstvoeding.com/kleintjes/rapley_guidelines.html
Also, if anyone has a baby with low iron who won't swallow the disgusting iron drops, you can make yummy high-iron strips thattravel well adn that kids can feed themselves. I call them Farina Stix:
Cook Cream of Wheat or Farina (fortified with iron) with chicken stock, then spread it out in a thin layer on parchment paper or a silpat. Cut it into strips when it's cooled, and fry the strips to tasty golden-brownness in a little olive oil. You can stir in some bits of roasted red pepper while you cook with the chix stock to aid in the absorption of the iron, but don't add too much roasted pepper or the stix won't stay together.
Okay, I'm glad the lunchblock works and all, but can I just say, Ick? Ick. Thank you.
*still giggling*
That's genius! And it actually sounds sort of yummy. Hmm. Next time I'm home at dinner time (oh, Friday, maybe?) I'll have to make Annie's, at least, and I might try to Lunchblockify the leftovers. For, um, me. I don't have any kids yet.
Arthur once was indeed an aardvark, but then he (or at least Marc Brown) sold out. Very sad. Either mamacate or Raising WEG posted about it at once point.
Next thing I know you'll tell us you're giving him 'dirty worms' for dessert. Yum, yum, although I suppose he's not quite old enough for those yet. But the menu sounds so enticing, lunchblock, meatwad, and dirty worms - what more can a kid ask for?
Is it wrong that it reminded me of Prison Loaf?
Please send recipe for lunchblock immediately. Exact instructions - no 'a bit of this' or 'a pinch of that', you know that doesn't work for me.
The trick for making lunchblock is the compression. You stuff about a quarter again as much pasta as will fit into the little shoebox, and then cram the lid down and weight it if necessary. And don't make the sauce too liquid.
The compression is another reason Arthur and the rabbit make lousy lunchblock: they don't nest the way that shells do.
Flash forward 25 years. Charlie to Mrs. Charlie - Why can't you make Lunch Block like my mom used to?
BWAHHHHHAHHHAHA
Julie i frigging love you
Am very, very tempted to buy the Annie's mac and cheese just to re-create that impressive block of cheesiness.
Hey, Moxie, thanks for the website!
I have no children yet, but I have been a nanny for many children... it made sense to me to let them feed themselves but I never had any research to back me up and you NEVER go against Mom's wishes... if she says feed him nasty mush, you do it, even if it breaks your heart to see the horrified faces they make...
What?!?! No picture of Charlie actually enjoying the Lunchblock and Meatwad?
I just want to encourage you that your child's good eating habits may indeed last longer than most people tell you. My daughter is 4, goes to daycare, and still eats her veggies, fruits, and other healthy alternatives. We talk about eating healthy and being strong. People told me it wouldn't last, I believed them, but they were wrong. Just keep going and he may just surprise you! Kids are pretty neat.
Love the post... It's good to know I will have names for food my boys will eventually be eating!
I'll only start to worry when you begin making little lunchblock molds and cut outs using fun shaped cookie cutters.
Not that I've ever thought about doing that for myself or anything..
(leaving blog now)
Those who shudder at the lunchblock should try it first. Annie's mac & cheese is one of the yummier things on earth. Many FAMILY meals of mac/chs, canned baked beans, cucumber salad, and turkey dogs have been consumed at our house when it's too darn hot or late to do anything else.
And Tertia, if you go to Annies.com, I'll bet you can get whole cases mailed to you!
Of course he eats pancakes and waffles without relish. Relish is for hot dogs. And, hot dogs are available in Lunchable form.
Ew, you put relish on your waffles?
okay, okay, cracking up to the point of missing my pre-baby bladder...
"lunchblockables", "lushables" and this quote:
"Flash forward 25 years. Charlie to Mrs. Charlie - Why can't you make Lunch Block like my mom used to?"
ah, yes. this is why i shirk the dishes to read blogs. i love it!
Well what kind of ardvark wears classes and red shoes?
Kenya...I too put off housework to read all my favorite blogs! It's addictive!
Just you wait - your kid will eventually rebel against any and all leftovers, including the beloved lunchblock.
My 12 year old son insists that leftover macaroni and cheese - even lovingly cradled sans compression in a protective tupperware container in the refrigerator for less than 24 hours - is now unfit for human consumption.
Even when heated to the right temperature, even when favorite foods are mixed in.
Revel in the acceptability of lunchblock as long as you possibly can, I say...!