Esme loves rice. Loves it. Will whoop for joy at the mere mention of it. Consequently when we're hankering to eat out, we make a point to frequent restaurants where the ancient grain is readily available. Needless to say we've been eating a lot of Thai and Japanese lately. You'll hear no complaints here. At our favorite Thai spot Esme has been dubbed "Rice Girl" by the hostess. This is because the moment we walk into the joint, Esme starts shouting "Rice!" at the top of her little lungs. A month or so ago we took a trip into New York City. We rode the train in, another Esme fave. Wandered about a bit, then ended up at a restaurant called, appropriately enough, Rice. We used to go there in our Brooklyn days. And lucky for us, they've got a Midtown spot so we were able to stop for a quick dinner then catch our train. This was, perhaps, Esme's perfect day. A train ride, which she still hasn't stopped talking about. Followed by some time in the stroller people watching and pigeon harassing. And rounded out by a dinner of, none other than RICE!
Breakfast is primarily oatmeal these days. It's nice because we've gotten into a routine where I can make us both the same meal. I mix in some banana and apple for flavor and an added nutritional boost. Just about every morning when asked what she'd like for breakfast, Esme responds, "Cereal... hot." She also like her milk, "hot." She's a girl who knows what she likes! She has been mixing it up as of late asking instead for "yogurt" or "pancakes." The former is definitely becoming a new fave. The latter is a weekend thing.
Here she is after having invited her panda to join in.
The other night Kristopher returned from yet another trip out west. This presented the rare opportunity for us to enjoy a weekday dinner together. Ordinarily Esme dines alone for dinner, and Kristopher and I eat later, more towards 8:00 pm. Lately, instead of making Esme her own separate meal, I've been trying to simplify by giving her some version of what we're having. Here's an example:
We enjoyed a stir fry of tofu, spinach and asparagus over brown rice. Esme also supped on the asparagus (which she loved-- yay!), rice and tofu. I added some mango and black beans to her plate. It is unusual for her to clean her plate this well, but she is a pretty good eater just the same. Especially if rice is on the menu.
