Who Are The Manufacturers Kidding?

Today I fed a friend's baby some babyfood. Having eaten mushed pears and raspberries earlier, she was an unsuspecting victim when I gave her the first bite of Herbed Chicken and Pasta. Her expression and subsequent wails as we continued the meal clearly said, "Why are you trying to force me to eat Weirdly Flavored Chicken Gunk and Pasta Globs?"

It was not fun for either of us.

Personally, I'd eat chocolate cake for every meal if I could get away with it. Alas, that's not possible. I remember my college meals of popsicles and cold cereal. Cooking was not a skill I had acquired at that point in my life, plus my roommates never cleaned up after themselves in the kitchen. After helping them get organized once, I wasn't interested in staying on as their housemaid. Thus the strange uncooked meals.

But I do feel a little bit for those under the age of 18 months who have to eat baby food. You don't even know how to say the word "yuck," and you are totally at the mercy of the adult with the spoon. In my case, I can't quite bring myself to try out Weirdly Flavored Chicken Gunk with Pasta Globs. But I guess in the baby's case, it's a good thing that people don't remember much of what happens to them before the age of three.