Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Sounds Like...

Back when I was a baby Redhead-Next-Door, my mum (an emergency room nurse) used to pride herself on her home made baby food. She'd toil away in the kitchen (or so I'm told...over and over and over again) just so that my sister and I could have the healthiest (aka preservative-free, sugar-free, taste free) most nutritious food possible.

When I was a preschool Redhead-Next-Door my mum (still an emergency room nurse) used to pride herself on not giving my sister and I junk food. Instead she gave us raisins,
doesn't-even-taste-like-chocolate carib chocolate chips and mini marshmellows (or so my therapist tells me after our regression hypo-therapy sessions) saying they were "candy".

We didn't eat at McDonalds; unless you count my sister's 6th birthday party (talk about favoritism...I had to wait until my 18th birthday party). We didn't get popcorn at the movies; unless you count the butter-free low-fat kind mum smuggled into the theatre in sandwich baggies in a nap sack.

It wasn't until I was a teen Redhead-Next-Door that I discovered the wondrous world of junk food (and hair gel but that's a whole other story). And so began my secret affair with all things junk (which could possibly explain my first marriage but that's a whole other story).

Even after my son was born, I was shamed by my inability to follow the way of the carib. The pull of salty artery-clogging chips was strong it was. I vowed not to be so saturated-fat strict with my child but also not make it a feel good food free for all.

One day I knew my junk jiving had reached epic proportions. I was in the bathroom unwrapping a maxi pad and my son Aidan (aged 5) knocked on the door and asked, "Mum, what are you eating in there? I hope you're not eating all the chips!"

7 comments:

Jami said...

I hear you, girlfriend! Both my kids now regularly say to me as they exit the room, "Don't be sneaking bites of my -[whatever junk they're snacking on]- while I'm gone!"

Anonymous said...

Don't you know by now that your mother is always right? Marshmallows ARE candy. FYI, the ingredients are...granulated sugar and corn syrup with a bit of gelatin, vanilla and salt, and a dusting of icing sugar. That's it...nothing else! It doesn't get much worse for you than that as far as "candy" goes.

Erika said...

Jami: Kids are so subtle, aren't they :)

Amy: You've met my mom...she isn't always right. Have you ever thought about becoming a nutrientist? Mmmmmm...sweet delicious corn syrup.

Anonymous said...

Funny you should ask that...I did go to the Mount for dietetics, but ended up moving to Alberta before finishing the program. In retrospect, I think it is for the best. I'm pretty judgmental and opinionated...and often have a hard time keeping my opinions to myself. I wouldn't be able to tolerate people who come to me for advice and choose not to follow my "food rules".

Erika said...

Amy: What?!? You're opinionated. I never noticed ;)

Kirsten Sampson said...

You forgot to add that when we were teenagers and we forced mom to let us go grocery shopping with her we snunk in cookies, chips, pop, etc. To prove how deprived we really were. The day we got groceries: Dad, you and me were into the cupboard halfing all the junk we had got and putting our names on it. Not to mention we ate it all in one night. In regards to amy's comment, everytime she wants junk food/candy we should give her only mashmellows and see how quite she wants the really junk food. HA

Erika said...

Kiki: It's all coming back to me now :) Remember when we even had to buy our own hairspray because mum didn't believe in it.