{highchair chronicles} turning two!

{Q and his favorite food - pasta! photos by Jennifer Martine on Instagram}

Babe: Quentin
Mama: Jennifer
Q's Birthday: September 17 

Remember the adorable blue-eyed boy named Quentin who I featured on The Highchair Chronicles when he first started solids? Well, I follow his mama, Jennifer Martine, on Instagram so I can keep up with them on the other coast where she's busy shooting any number of amazing cookbooks and Quentin is busy turning from a babe into a boy. I got a look at his latest feeding frenzy on her stream (above) and once again fell hard for those baby blues.  

Earlier this week Quentin turned two, a milestone that's just around the corner in our house. I thought it would be fun to check back in with Jen and see what's new in her world of feeding toddlers, and since she's an amazing food photographer too, exactly what she's been up to when she's not feeding Q. Here's our Q & A. 

{Make a wish. Q turns two. }

SC: What's different about feeding Quentin now that's he's two? 

JM: I would say the biggest difference is that I am having so much more fun feeding him. Being able to take him to a restaurant and have him eat what we are eating is just so much more fun.

SC: When we first spoke about feeding our babes, you said your rules were to create a formula of flavors that works, and to let him try everything, as long as it's safe. What are your new rules for feeding Quentin as a toddler? 

JM: I live by two mottos: 

1. If I give put a few good options in front of Quentin (if he is hungry) he will eat. And giving him the chance to choose, makes him feel grown up. Knowing I have already had my chance to choose makes me feel in control. 

2. I try to limit too much snacking so that he will be hungry when it's time for a meal, and make it a rule that we always sit down to eat. Taking the time to enjoy the food and be relaxed, I think helps him feel comfortable to eat at his own pace and not feel rushed. 

SC: What are Quentin's favorite foods, and is there anything that really surprised you that he absolutely loves? 

JM: Recently we started a tradition of going for sushi date on Friday night with my good friend and her toddler, Ruby who is Quentin's best buddy, (pictured in the shots below). He mostly eats the edamame, rice and dumplings. He will also eat some of the fish, but I limit the amount just to be on the safe side. The day he started picking up the bowl and drinking the wasabi and soy sauce, I was cracking up. He would get chunks of the wasabi in his mouth and stop to say "hot!" with a smile. But I guess I wasn't so surprised, I ate tons of spicy food while pregnant and just about every time I put something spicy in front of him that I think he won't like, he eats it right up--salsa, spicy tacos, spicy Asian food, you name it, he likes it. 

SC: Ooh, when Greta was tiny and just starting to taste, I dipped my finger in the soy sauce, forgetting there was wasabi, and let her suck on it. Her eyes got really huge but then she kept licking her lips. She still loves that flavor. 

Do you have a go-to fast-easy and healthy meal that's always a hit with Quentin? 

JM. Pasta, any kind of pasta, he absolutely loves it. Spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni, ravioli and it's a basic palate to add some veggies in there to make a complete meal. 

SC: Ditto! I don't make it very often, but I always get a big excited "Pasta!" squeal when I do. It is the perfect place to add in more vegetables and keep changing it up. And, I think it's a brilliant idea to do pasta feeding shirtless. We finally figured that out after Greta christened about half of her sweet summer dresses with marinara splatter. 

So when you're not feeding Quentin, what new projects are you working on? 

JM: I feel so lucky to say that I have been pretty busy these days, hoping the momentum will continue! Here are a few things: 

Salty Snacks by Cynthia Nims (Ten Speed, September 2012); 

The Inspired Vegan by Bryant Terry (DeCapo) and I will soon shooting his new book (Ten Speed); Best Lunchbox Ever by Katie Sullivan Morford of Mom's Kitchen Handobook (Chronicle Books, 2013); Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon (Ten Speed) and New Good Food by Margaret Wittenberg (Ten Speed). 

What an incredible lineup! I know there's at least one book on that list in particular I'm especially excited for. More on that soon. In the meantime, thanks to Jennifer, Quentin and Ruby for giving us a little window into your world today. 

Mama's, I love to hear from you. What are the top two rules you subscribe to for feeding your little ones, and where did you learn them? 

{Q and his bestie, Ruby, eating veggie purees at the park}