Popcorn

     The other day I was chompin down on some caramel corn and Lily was fussing.  It took me a few minutes before I realized what was bothering her.  She wanted my popcorn!  She kept pointing at it and whining and even saying ball ball. This was one of the first times where she really got upset because she couldn't eat what I had.  Most of the time, she goes with the flow and eats what she's given.  But lately she's starting to realize that her food isn't the same as our food.  I'm thinking, that she's thinking, "the grass is greener on the other side."
     I knew this day would come...and I was seriously dreading it.  How do you tell a 15 month old that she can't have your food.  That she has to eat a hot dog that looks like crap.  That her meatball is actually a smelly mushroom!  We (Ryan and I) are constantly on the 2 older kids about making fun of Lily's food.  To be honest, it doesn't always look, smell, or feel like food that we would choose to eat.  We keep telling the older kids that Lily doesn't know the difference but she will if they keep saying "gross" when she wants to share her food!
     So with that being said, I was feeling pretty low when I realized that Lily was drooling all over the place for my popcorn.  Popcorn that she couldn't have.  Then a light bulb went off and I heard singing! hehehe  I remembered that with our first PKU food purchase, I ordered some Tapioca Pearls from Taste Connections.  I also remembered that we got a hot air popper for Christmas, thanks Mom and Dad!  So I got started on Lily's version of popcorn.

     I read the instructions about 5 times because I didn't want to make a mistake, like my bread disaster!  Plus I wanted to get her the popcorn quick.  Slowly her whining was turning into screaming!  All the noise brought out Ryan and Chloe.  They needed to be a part of the insanity too.  We looked ridiculous trying to make the popcorn.  We were expecting the tapioca pearls to pop and shoot out of the popper.  So when the pearls started to stink and fill the kitchen with smoke, we knew we didn't do it right! RRRRRR

Tapioca Pearls BEFORE they are popped.

     So as I'm cursing under my breathe and burning my hand to empty the popper, Chloe and Ryan are laughing and Lily is screaming louder.  Welcome to my life.  It is like a construction zone...constant noise, destruction of the house, and always a work in progress.  I do complain but secretly, I wouldn't know what to do if it was any other way (Actually, I would know- I would take a deep breath, relax, and then go insane due the eerie stillness)
     After I cleaned up the mess (notice no picture) I started again.  I now know that tapioca pearls do not pop and fluff like popcorn.  Duh, it's not popcorn!~  So this time it works or at least looks like it worked.  I popped a pearl into my mouth and instantly burned my tongue!  Damn, those things are hot.  They also don't look much different from the unpopped pearls.  Kind of like little cereal balls.

Tapioca Pearls AFTER they are popped.

     After cooling, we test them.  They are pretty bland but not bad.  Lily actually liked them ALOT!  She's getting tired of her staple snack of Oyster Crackers.  The best thing is that they are phe free!!! YES
Score one for mom and her persistence...without it, Lily would either starve or be fed burnt food!