🍝 Chickpea Mac Fail: What My Toddler Taught Me

Today’s post is brought to you by a bowl of creamy, orange, totally rejected pasta.

I set out to make a dairy-free mac and cheese alternative for Ermias — something he could eat that still felt like comfort food. I grabbed what I had: canned carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas. Added nutritional yeast, soy milk, pepper, a touch of mustard. Blended it until it was silky smooth and sunset-colored. Honestly, it looked like a win.

So I said, “I made your mac and cheese!”

Ermias looked at the plate… and said, “Eww.”

He didn’t even try it.

Just poked one elbow noodle with his finger and knew: this wasn’t real mac. No cheese. No magic. Just mama’s well-meaning attempt at creamy chickpea deception.

---

🫙 Ingredients I Used (in order of appearance):

 — potatoes, chickpeas, carrots lined up from light to dark.

• Canned white potatoes

• Canned chickpeas

• Canned carrots

• Soy milk

• Nutritional yeast

• Black pepper

• A spoonful of mustard (I went with dijon)

---

🧀 The Sauce

 — beautiful, creamy orange sauce.

Smooth, thick, and rich in color. But not quite the cheesy vibe I hoped for. Chickpeas, while protein-packed, added a flavor that reminded me too much of hummus.

---

🍝 The Pasta Scene

 

— sauce over the elbows.

— stirred and served.

Visually? Chef’s kiss. But toddlers don’t eat with their eyes alone — they feel, they sniff, they know.

---

The Takeaway

Every picky eater moment is a new clue. Ermias is a texture detective and a flavor purist. If it doesn’t feel right or smellright, it’s a no. And honestly, I respect that.

This wasn’t a win, but it was a try. And I’m documenting it anyway, because not every recipe needs a ribbon. Sometimes, it just needs to be remembered.

Here’s to real life, real toddlers, and real learning in the kitchen.

— For the sweet tooth, the tired heart, and the real ones, Destiny