Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Is this cookie organic?

Recently I had the opportunity to join a friend of mine for lunch downtown. After a nice meal and chat, she returned to work. I got into my car in typical autopilot mode, thinking about the best way to get home. And then it struck me. The kids were still in school. I was alone. I had nothing requiring my immediate attention back home. I could have a little “me” time and gallivant around wherever I wanted. Oh, the possibilities!  
A wave of excitement rushed through me. I hardly ever get to explore downtown just for the fun of it. Where should I go? Then I remembered the amazing two-story toy store. Uh oh! I realized that my mind had immediately filled the mommy-moment-of-freedom slot with a kid-related activity. Of course! It’s completely hard-wired into my brain. I could do anything at all and I wanted to go to a toy store. Figures. Well, I really do like the store. It’s fun to walk through and see all of the cool toys I wish I had zillions of dollars to buy. I almost convinced myself to keep on driving by, but I spotted a parking spot near the door, so I knew I had to stop. I took my sweet time strolling through the store, looking through every row and display. It was really fun and I ended up getting a few small items for the boys that I knew they would enjoy.
After I left the toy store I decided to head over to a nearby boutique bakery. They have all sorts of delectable goodies, but the one thing that makes them special is they offer several gluten free and vegan options each day. I walked in and began admiring all of the sinful delights. Drooling may have been involved. There were lots of things to look at and I could feel my hips growing wider while I was standing there. I found something that I couldn’t resist. It was a cookie bar that had everything but the kitchen sink. My father-in-law would have called it a “Goo bar.” He coined this term in reference to the sweet treats you would likely see at a Lutheran potluck after church on Sunday. He would jokingly talk about how after you ate such a bar you would need to ask for some insulin! Gotta love that. It’s a perfect name!
This particular “Goo bar” had a cookie crust, coconut, chocolate chips, caramel, and other things I can’t even remember. It was chock full of sugar, fat and other goodness. For the boys I found a gluten-free vegan cookie made from quinoa. It was essentially an oatmeal raisin cookie without the oats. It looked soft and delicious, so I thought I would give it a try.
I brought everything home, hid the toys, and had the quinoa cookie out for the boys to try when they got off the school bus. Both of them have sensory issues related to food, so when there is something new it is always scrutinized thoroughly. Monkey has a pretty strong gag reflex, so if one of them might not tolerate it, I knew it would be him.
They were excited for the special treat but realized it was something they had never eaten before. Both of them started to sniff the cookie suspiciously, pondering whether they should take a bite or not. Then, Monkey did something he had never done before. He asked me if there was soy in it. I hesitated from my surprise at the question, but then told him no. He asked me if there was gluten in it. Once again I was surprised and told him no. As if that wasn’t enough, he came back with one more question, asking if the cookie was organic. At that point I couldn’t stifle my laughter anymore. I love that kid!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, they ate the cookie! J

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