The Importance of Snacking

There are some moments in parenthood that are hilarious.  Some that are tender, frustrating, and dull.  And, some are terrifying.  Yesterday I had one of the terrifying moments.  C and I went to the park with some friends.  We sat on a bench by the pond, and I put C on the ground to walk around.  I gave her a snack cup filled with cereal so she could nibble as she went.  When I turned to look at her she was standing on the edge of the pond.  Like no space between water and sand.  Immediately I stood up to get her to move away, but  it was a moment too late and she stepped into the water and was instantly submerged.

It was the longest 5 seconds of my life.  I fell to the ground, reached my arm in, and pulled her up.  It took me like 10 minutes to stop shaking.  C was obviously shook up, but recovered much more quickly than I did.  Over the course of the day a thousand "what ifs" popped into my mind and I became eternally grateful that the events, as tragic as they were, had such a good outcome.

The amazing thing was that C was still holding onto her snack cup.  Her tiny fingers were clenched around it, and as soon as she felt safe on my lap she reached inside to pull out the soaked contents.  That is of course disgusting and I had to tear them away from her.  I replaced her cup with something from my bag.  Later that day I was thinking about how much she wanted those snacks.  It was like she needed it to calm down.

I've realized in myself that I'm a nervous eater.  I eat more when I'm in a stressful situation.  I'm aware of it, so it's not that bad.  But, I think there's something reassuring about food.  It makes you comfortable.  C wanted cereal after a near death experience.  I wanted chocolate chip cookies.

This is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  They're good for snacking.

1 C. unsalted butter
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3 C. flour
Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter with granulated sugar.  Beat until pale.  Add brown sugar and then eggs and vanilla.
In separate bowl, mix salt, baking soda, and flour.  Add to creamed mixture and mix until combined.  Stir in your favorite chocolate chips, like a 12 oz bag.
Spoon onto baking sheet and bake about 8-10 minutes, depending on size.