Vegetables

We grow vegetables, and so we eat vegetables. I certainly eat more of them than I have at any other time in my life, and even the kids are pretty good at it. D will eat pretty much anything—his rules are that it should be 1) peeled and 2) cooked thoroughly (both of which I admit to having problems complying with at times).

The kids eat broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beans, peas, bok choy, celery, corn, potatoes, tomatoes. The Boy turns up his nose at onions (it’s really hard for me to cook without these) and sometimes peppers. Both avoid mushrooms. The Girl will eat kohlrabi. Neither is a big salad/lettuce fan—it just doesn’t have any taste to them. I cook most vegetables plain, no fancy sauces, sometimes butter or cheese but usually not.

The Girl once asked why books so often feature kids who don’t eat their vegetables, a literary convention she doesn’t understand.

Recently we had our first beets. D grew up with them, loves them, no problem. Per his instructions, I cooked them like carrots. The Boy tried a couple, then asked for seconds. The Girl tried them, but wasn’t overly fond of them.

Here’s my bad mom secret: I didn’t have any. I don’t know if I like beets or not. I’ll eat eggplant (anything cooked in butter and topped with cheese is palatable), but I wouldn’t try the beets.