What is the taste of an empty lunchbox?

Doodlebug's lunch today was a big hit! He came home with another empty lunchbox!

His lunch consisted of 2 slices of American cheeeeeze, sweet peas, banana slices, trail mix, and a corndog muffin.

The trail mix was a combination of foods he already eats; Goldfish Colors, honey nut toasted O's, Honey Nut Chex, and peanut butter chips. I put it in a snack-sized baggie and cinched the middle with a twist-tie so it looked like a butterfly. Although, Doodlebug apparently used it as a mustache and a bowtie (because "Bowties are cool!".

Corndog muffins were super easy to make and turned out so scrumptious looking! I took a cornbread mix and added 3 tablespoons romano cheese, 1/3 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, and 1.5 tablespoons niblet corn. I then filled paper cupcake wrappers halfway with the mixture, leaving some in the bowl to pour over the hot dog bits. I added hot dog bits and then covered them with the rest of the cornbread mixture.

Doodlebug started off telling me his lunch was "good", but then added that he didn't like the whole kernels of corn in his cornbread, but that is wasn't so bad. We still need to work on his flavor and texture words. He has also asked that tomorrow be a normal lunch day. I am willing to oblige because I am so proud of how well he is doing so far. Of course, we haven't introduced any NEW foods/flavors, yet. But, I feel it is important to go at a pace he is comfortable with.

We sat down last night and talked about adding a newish food, something he has tried before but didn't stick with. We talked about beets, pineapple, raspberries, and carrots. Doodlebug enthusiastically picked carrots and even suggested honeyed carrot coins (basically carrot slices sauteed in honey and butter). I noted that he wants it to be sweetened, but he chose honey over brown sugar. I think we will play around with agave nectar in the future. I suggested apple carrot honey bran muffins and he said that would be okay, so those two foods have gone on the Brave New Lunch list!

After talking with friends, I think that if the carrots go over well, or as well as can be hoped, that in a couple months I might mix in some parnips whenever I fix carrots. Then after a few months, maybe mix in turnips. Still trying to work on a game plan. Breadth or depth? How slow/fast? When will it be to push a little?

Baby steps. But, a goal I have set is that when we have our big family meal on Christmas day that he eats more than his great-grandmother's honey ham and dinner rolls!