Do you ever find yourself watching this week’s episode of your favourite T.V. show and somehow feel indifferent?

Out of the two writers employed you just know it had to be the dud writer who was in charge of this one.

It’s the same with me and this blog, except I am both the dud writer and the half decent writer depending on my circumstance.

Who shows up depends on how stressful a work week I’ve had, how many times my toddler interrupts me to “watch him walk sideways”, or how often my pre-teen asks me to smell him to make sure the verdict is good.

I’ll let you be the judge of who showed up for this one.

There is something wonderful about the scent of babies, or more likely the baby products we use to bathe them in, moisturize them and de-rashify them.

I LOVE the fragrance of lavender baby powder…I would douse myself in it head to toe every day if it didn’t leave a cloud of powder all over my work outfits…that, and I guess it would be weird for a grown woman to smell like a baby all the time.

I also love the “L’il Goats Milk"baby lotion, diaper cream and body wash products.

They work wonders on baby’s skin and they have this amazing fragrance that I can’t put my finger on.

It doesn’t really smell like usual baby products but it reminds me so much of something…if someone knows what it might be and can put me out of my wondering misery I would be grateful.

I came across a Facebook post from Gretchen Rubin of “TheHappiness Project” fame, where she was discussing a book by Rachel Herz called “The Scent of Desire”. She says that our responses to smells are learned rather than instinctive and therefore nothing smells good or bad until you learn that it’s a good or bad smell.

Our sense of smell is connected to the olfactory cortex which is the part of the brain that processes emotion, memory, and motivation so this sense is imperative to our physical and emotional well-being.

An article in Prevention further goes on to say that we all have a cache of fragrant memories stored in our brains and just a whiff of a special scent can evoke a happy, magical moment.

Research also shows it can lower our stress levels, improve mental and physical performance, ease pain, end insomnia and even help us lose weight.

It’s also becoming popular for retailers to use “scent marketing" in their stores to draw in customers and keep them lingering and therefore shopping.

Bloomingdales uses a baby powder scent in their children’s department, a lilac fragrance in lingerie, and coconut in their swimsuit section so people can imagine themselves at a tropical get away… and what does everyone need at a tropical getaway…oh ya, a swimsuit…of course I hope I can find one that covers all my baby induced extras.

All this talk about fragrances that evoke emotions is inspiring a baby food puree in me right now…PEACHES!

Thinking of peaches reminds me of summer, peach trees (of which I’ve never seen one in real life but somehow thinking of peaches reminds me of how beautiful I think a peach tree would be in real life), and the happy faces on kids and adults alike who take their first bite into the first, in season, juicier than juicy peach.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Just Peachy Puree

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

5 very ripe large peaches
Yes, that’s it

Baby Steps

Peel peaches using the “boiling water method”.
O.K. I should tell you what the “boiling water method” is…
Score an “X” on the bottom of each peach with a sharp knife and place in a large bowl.
Cover peaches with boiling water and leave for 2 mins.
Move peaches from boiling water to a bowl with cold water and leave for 1 min.
Remove from water and place on cutting board. Skin should easily peel back if they were very ripe. Start peeling from where you scored the “X” on the bottom.
Once all the peaches are peeled, chop into small chunks put into a bowl and mash or puree using a hand blender.
Transfer to freezing trays or a food storage container to put in the fridge.
The frozen puree should be used within 3 months and the refrigerated within 48 hours.

Note: If the peaches weren’t ripe enough and you’re having trouble peeling them, just use a hand held peeler, then chop them and cook in a saucepan with 1 tbsp. of water for a few minutes over medium heat until they are soft and juicy and then puree.

Makes 8 servings (1 serving = 2 tbsp.)

Hmmm…smells like Carter needs a change…this is evoking an “I wish he was potty trained” emotion in me.