I am the best mom in the universe!

This post was inspired by HuffDaddy. I agree wholeheartedly that we are all role models. All that we do and yes, all that we say impacts everyone around us. I am a firm believer in the value of eating delicious healthful food, and even many non-healthful foods in moderation. That we should support our local food producers and reestablish a closer connection to the land have long been pet rants of mine. That our new president could perhaps be a supporter and motivator of the people in this area is exciting to me. Better lunch programs, fewer giant corporate farmers getting paid to not grow cantaloupes, and the possibility of a kitchen garden at the White House-things could be looking up for our "Fast Food Nation". We need some better role models and I hope that President Obama and his family will be.

What does that have to do with me being the best mom in the universe?

B was telling me today that her friends think I am the best mom. Not because I am cool and like their music, my house is definitely not party central and they all know that B has to earn money and buy all her own clothes and gadgets, and does chores including her own laundry. They know I am rather strict and don't put up with too much foolishness. But I do cook. It seems their moms don't. Maybe never. And B takes leftovers-often bento style, and often prepared by me-to school for lunch. Not sandwiches or prepackaged lunch kits, B takes real food and enjoys sharing it with her friends. She takes whatever protein we had, veggies, fruit, rice and, yes, usually a chocolaty treat. Guess what, she is the right size for her age/height/activity level, unlike many of her friends who are overweight from eating crap. B even has a few friends who skip meals on a regular basis to be thin-beginning anorexics for pete's sake! School lunches in our area are terrible. "Chicken nuggets" and tater tots are ubiquitous and share space with chocolate milk and sports drinks in the cafeteria line. How could I in good conscience allow my daughter, whom I love, to eat stuff that is barely classifiable as safe for human consumption when even on our tight budget I can fix delicious goodness for her and the rest of us from scratch?

Here are a couple of her lunches. Yes she ate every bite.

Moving on.

How do people think that preparing rice a roni or hamburger helper is cooking? And don't give me that crap about not having enough time after a busy day. I am busy, and I fix most of our meals in less than 30 minutes and sometimes just 15. It is not that hard. I am pretty sure the only prepackaged dinner in my pantry is one box of macaroni and cheese. But even that is organic. I am not telling you that just because it's organic it is good for you-that is definitely not true, and a trap that some people fall into.

Of course I am fortunate that I learned to cook at a very young age and from all the women in my life. And I am trying to pass on that knowledge to my children. B is learning cooking skills, meal planning, how to shop at the grocery store and how to use everything in your pantry. The Baby "helps" me in the kitchen(OK, mostly she annoys me but I want her to understand- just like her big sister- about food and preparation and to be comfortable in the kitchen). I have even offered to teach B's friends these vital skills-especially the ones whose parents(in my opinion) don't have a clue.

Enough, I think I had a specific point, but you get the gist. Oh yeah, we need good role models for this nation of overindulging instant gratification seeking people who by and large seem incapable of making good choices for themselves.