Baby's Chopsticks

It's important for babies to be exposed to a range of different foods, as well as eating methods, from an early age.  I've been enjoying introducing Finley to small morsels of food (pepperoni, bits of vegetables and noodles, and feta cheese with hummus) using one of my favorite pairs of chopsticks.  My hope is that this unique tactile experience will get Finley familiar with eating in a variety of ways from an early age.

I still recall my the Autumn during my early teenage years when my father traveled to China for business and brought my mother, sister and I lovely Chinese chopsticks home complete with a lesson.  I've been using them about once a week to keep my skills sharp ever since!  :)
 
If you're interested in learning more about using chopsticks and aren't already familiar, the below link will get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSXwc9LwMuQ

2018 Best Breakfast Deal in Columbus

Fig. 1  IKEA's $2 Swedish American Breakfast

It isn't often that I feel the need to blog about one of the best meal deals in my area, but IKEA's $2 breakfast is definitely worth mention.  For a mere $2 plus tax, visitors to the Polaris IKEA in the greater Columbus, Ohio area can feast on scrambled eggs, turkey sausage links, home fries, and Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam.  For those with an IKEA Family membership, unlimited cups of coffee are free with breakfast.

See the below breakdown of the dining experience:
atmosphere- casual, cafeteria-style dining located on the second floor of the IKEA showroom.  I LOVE the fact that visitors eat from real plates with metal silverware and ceramic cups to reduce waste.  Windows bring in plenty of natural light and overlook the showroom's parking lot.

eggs-  definitely powdered eggs, but tasty with salt and pepper or a bit of ketchup

home fries-  outstanding balance of crispiness on the outside and creaminess in the interior

sausage-  like all turkey sausage, can be a bit on the dry side, but still very tasty

Swedish pancakes-  excellent flavor and tasty with the included jam

coffee-  outstanding flavor and balance.  I prefer the latte, but the machines in the cafeteria produce a range of beverages.  Decaf coffee is always on hand for those who need less octane with their morning breakfast.

service-  fast and friendly

cost-  unbeatable

See below for a complete list of IKEA's restaurant options:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/food/#restaurant

Fig. 2  Finley and I make our way to our seat for my breakfast and Finley's bottle