Signs

Just a few weeks into living back in States and fresh from a European mindset, I found myself staring at this sign while Hubby ushered Tadpole into a convenience store bathroom:
Good stuff. Never having too much. Junk food. Oh my. Welcome back to America!

Tooth Time

My chunky Cubby, who is now 19 weeks old, just cut his first tooth - a bit on the early side, but perhaps he is anxious to be up to speed with his brothers. For mom, however, the first tooth is a bittersweet milestone: exciting, but somehow marks the end of the newborn phase. I guess I am just a sucker for a baby's adorable toothless grin.

Anyway... sigh... we celebrated Cubby's milestone with the introduction of rice cereal! Cubby's been going through a growth spurt which has indicated he's been ready for awhile. The first taste and he didn't stop opening his mouth, downing about 2 oz of the stuff! The four subsequent feeds he's been a bit less eager, but hey, who's rushing him to grow up?

Not me...

Crazy Glasses

What I’ll Miss About London, Part 4: High Streets

It won’t be anytime soon that I’ll walk into my local Super Target and be greeted by name, asked about one of the kids’ birthdays last week, and extended verbal credit when I discover I have left my money at home.

There is definitely something special about the High Street shops and shopkeepers that I have grown to adore about life in London, and will miss severely. They may be criticized for their general lack of creativity and charm, but in my mind High Streets offer their own unique personality and unmatched convenience for daily life.

And after spending four years living in less than a minute’s walk from the shops on St John’s Wood High Street – the necessary bank and cashpoint, everything-you-really-need grocery, an amazing bread shop, requisite Starbucks, quaint local library, stocked pet shop, expensive but first-class fishmonger, brilliant butcher shop, adorable boutiques, eclectic charity shops and more – well, let’s just say that getting into my new minivan to drive to the one of the neighborhood’s many superstores lacks desperately in charm.

But give me a few weeks, and I’ll be blogging on how much I love, love, love Super Target (which is the absolute truth)!

Hats & Hands

Three of my four boys, strolling together in the burning sun of the lazy beach town of Apalachicola, Florida.

What’ I’ll Miss About London, Part 3: Fewer Preservatives & Additives

It took all of about 15 seconds to realize that the food in the UK, in general, contains fewer preservatives and additives, or “junk.” We first discovered this when a loaf of bread went bad after about three days, and the milk went bad after about four.

I love this. I absolutely love this. Of course, the lifestyle led in London allows it, too: nearly everyone lives literally a stone’s throw from the nearest green grocer and corner shop, with a “real” grocery within 10 minutes walking distance. And nearly everyone has a tiny refrigerator so miniscule that you can’t buy and store more than about a pint’s worth of milk anyway.

This issue was made even more obvious once we discovered that Tadpole had a severe allergy to milk, and a half dozen other products (soy, nuts, sesame…) that he has since outgrown. The allergy instigated the need for me to meticulously read product labels.

Let’s take bread, for example. A favorite purchase in London was Hovis Wholemeal, who’s ingredient list includes: WHOLEMEAL FLOUR, WATER, YEAST, MALT FLOUR, SALT, BROWN SUGAR, VINEGAR, MALTED WHEAT, TOASTED WHEAT, FERMENTED WHEAT FLOUR, VEGETABLE FAT, SOYA FLOUR, EMULSIFIER: E472(E); FLOUR TREATMENT AGENT: E300

My usual American purchase was Nature’s Own Whole Wheat, who’s ingredient list consisted of: STONE GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, BROWN SUGAR, YEAST, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SALT, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL OR CANOLA OIL), DOUGH CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM, STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM IODATE, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, DATEM), CULTURED WHEY (MILK), VINEGAR, CALCIUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, YEAST FOOD (AMMONIUM SULFATE)

Now I’m no scientist, nor am I an expert in food additives, and [DISCLAIMER ALERT] I am pulling this example off the top of my head while writing an unofficial, casual blog from inside Panera Bread Company. So don’t sue me if this isn’t the best example or comparison – you get the idea.

But these two things you can’t argue with: 1) the UK bread label is much easier to understand and 2) the UK bread will still go bad about 10 days before the US bread.

And this alone is compelling. At least, compelling enough for my simple mind to miss food shopping in the UK and wonder this about lots of US food: what in the world am I putting into my body?

I won't get started on organic food now…

No Love Lost

Bye-bye to my disastrous, slow, inefficient London washing machine. Trust me, there's no love lost here!