Together they've created www.2kidsandadog.com, a site that hosts an ongoing comic web series, which thrice weekly reveals in short clips what really happens backstage while making their ridiculous yearly family calendar. What initially started like a Christmas gift project turned into a popular webseries that documents the activities is a multi-tasking mom and a burnt-out pop, cooky costumes, home-made sets, an absurdly busy doorbell, a slow burning soup on the stove, surreptitious sibling rivalry, and a lot of barking.
I was kindly invited to be 2 kids and a dog's first guest blogger, and I gladly accepted!
Between Mom's lates bra problem and Dad's rap feat, I put in my own two cents about Roman kids, food, recipes and healthy school lunches... it's all there.
Visit 2 kids and a dog to read my contribution and... meet the family!
I am so thankful that my daughter is learning (some) very good habits from her Italian caregivers, first nido and asilo, and now prima elementare. Her habits are similar to those you've described of your son, with the exception that the kid loves pb&j and won't touch Nutella. However, I'm not so entirely sold on the idea that processed foods or sugar-rich, nutrient-free foods are not a larger part of the Italian child's diet (at least where I live). I've seen the breakfast cookies that are at times served to children, and they aren't very different from sugar cereals that we avoid. I've also seen some poor, poor, individually wrapped choices for merenda. Admittedly, it's nowhere near the level of the average American, but, there are times, even in Italy, that I am just appalled by what the children are allowed to eat. Saltines are considered a healthy snack.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER. . . I'm much, much, much happier that my kiddo is learning and growing in this culture than that of the Fast Food Nation. It's a no-brainer.
HAve a great week!
Dana
Hi Eleonora! Thanks for visiting us at "2 Kids and a Dog" and sharing about Little E. I can't wait to try out your tasty gnocchi recipe... sounds pleasingly delicious... even for big people.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteDana~ Thank you for your engaging comment. Well, of course processed foods exist here too, and the TV ad campaigns don't help. I curse "the white mill" and all that it churns out! Does your child go to public school? In that case the merenda snacks and cafeteria foods should *by law* be 100% certified organic. Younger generations of parents have lost the healthy habits of their Nonnas, like 'pane e oilo,' or 'pane e pomodoro' etc. It's our duty to go back to basics and teach our kids to steer clear of packaged, processed junk.
Alexia, Nick, Luce, Liam & Amleto~ ...guess who swipes E's leftovers when I make this? Hello.
You know, in my (admittedly limited) experience, the merenda provided by the school is generally okay; it's those times that snacks are packed by parents that the choices are questionable.
ReplyDeleteIt's just an observation I've made. But you know, when in the States this summer, I quizzed my neice about her school, including her favorite lunch item. Innocently, her answer was "nachos" -- this from the culinary capitol of America, South Louisiana! omg. . .what's next? lol
I don't see that as part of the mensa any day soon.
D
Just joking about that "culinary capitol" claim . . . but we do have a rich culinary heritage with such diversified foods -- not nachos!
ReplyDeleteDana~ She said nachos? Oh boy... How is the South Louisiana food scene taking to the gulf oil spill? I hear historical fishmongers are out of business... what a tragedy!
ReplyDeleteHello,
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