Gwack-a-mole

Today I am hosting a toddler/preschooler cooking class for my MOMS group. I'm terrified. More terrified than the day I was snack mom at preschool. [Maybe I'll post that story sometime!] These ladies have such nice, pristine houses. Everywhere I look I see some kitty grit or hair clumps, or mystery crunchies we missed. (In my house... not theirs!) I'm intimidated by them all... I feel like an impostor. Not through anything THEY do, it's just how I've always felt around adults. I'm older than many of these mommies, and I feel like I'm a kid going incognito amongst them. I know they're all going to be super nice and positive, and only note my crusty housekeeping politely behind my back, but I'm still terrified... I feel like I'm in elementary school again. What if the other kids don't LIKE me?

The plan is to make guacamole and cheese melted on tortillas. Quesadillas? I got sliced olives and turkey chili with beans to add on if they want. I made guacamole with Little Z recently and she enjoyed it, and will now eat avocados. I've read, and discovered to be true so far, that kids are more likely to try new foods if they help choose them at the store (either a 'Go find something interesting you'd like to try in the produce section' or 'We're getting kiwifruit. Help me find a good one') and/or if they help prepare the food. So I decided it might be fun to do toddler cooking classes this summer. Since my house is only ever halfway decent once a year, for my daughter's birthday party, I scheduled this class to be within the 'still clean-ish' zone. I had planned on no-cook only items, to do in a park, but decided this one we could try in my crusty kitchen. Plus, while the weather here is nice for April, it's supposed to be June, and most of the outdoor events this month have been cancelled due to rain!

Last night I got thick-cut turkey (not disgustingly thick, just double the deli's normal thickness - setting '2' she called it) and used a flower and butterfly cookie cutter to make shapes. I also sliced some cheese and did the same. I got a hummus variety tray, some whole-grain Flat-Out thing to dip in it, a veggie tray, sliced some strawberries, bought blackberries and raspberries (under $2 per 6oz container at Winco!! The best price I've seen them at before is 2/$5!) and we have some blueberries from a few days ago. I don't think I made enough cheese shapes though, but I wanted to keep a big chunk of the block for easier handling to grate it for the quesadillas. I forgot the crackers, but luckily I still had a box of Pepperidge Farm assortment crackers that were never opened for Z's birthday, plus more Ritz's than I remembered. I DID remember the tortillas for the quesadillas and chips for the guacamole (and the avocados!) so at least my head was halfway screwed on yesterday. I forgot the apple juice though. I remember picking it up off the shelf, comparing labels and sugar contents, checking prices per ounce, choosing the Langer's smaller bottle (cheaper per ounce than the store brand AND a larger size!) but apparently never put in the cart! Doh!

I should be tidying up or worrying that I didn't cut enough cheese flowers or something, but my brain is too terrified to focus anymore. Oops. Princess woke up. Show time!