The Veggie Smuggler

I am recently re-thinking my position re: vegetables.  Not the "pro" or "anti" position (as a parent, I think you're required to be "pro")...but the "upfront" versus "covert" position.  

I came into parenting with an earnest conviction that you can persuade a child to eat almost any food with a combination of early, repeated exposure and denying them more interesting alternatives.  This worked OK with #1 who has developed into a reasonably adventurous eater (and a vegetarian...oops...but more about that later).  Then #2 came along, displaying an ability to hold out against unwanted foods that would make a hunger striker proud.  #1 and #3 aren't exactly banging on the fridge demanding more raw greens either.  While sticking to the party line of healthy (or in kidspeak, "wierd") meals gives Mom & Dad some moral satisfaction, it hasn't actually done a lot of good in terms of delivering anti-oxidants and fiber.  Combine that with child #1's discovery that making meat involves killing animals, and his subsequent conversion to vegetarianism, and you have a real head-scratcher when it comes to the family dinner table.

With all this in mind, I've been debating the virtues of "hiding" vegetables in otherwise kid-acceptable foods:  zucchini in the muffins, spinach in the pesto, and so on.  Point being:  do I want my kids to LIKE vegetables, or just EAT vegetables? As we gear up for another summer, season of garden produce abundance here in North Carolina, I'm beginning to think that while I dream of "like", for now I'll settle for "eat". 

I scored a quasi-success this week with some stealth-veggie chili -- #1 and #3 ate as much as I could dish up, although #2 steadfastly refused saying "I don't like chili".  What can you do with a human being who dislikes chili on principle?  I got him back by serving bran muffins as the side item.  Distracted by his hatred for chili, he gobbled them up.

Enjoy the recipe below.  I call this "Mom's Revenge" because the evil secret -- pureeing half the mix --means that even if the kiddos eat around the parts they think they don't like, they are unknowingly sucking down the same exact parts in puree form.  Cue evil laugh. 

MOM'S REVENGE CHILI

1 can low-sodium kidney beans (drained)
1 can low-sodium black beans (drained)
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained 
1/2 medium butternut squash, seeded and cut in half-inch cubes
1 purple onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/4 cups water or beef bouillon

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on High 4 hours or Low 6-8 hours, until squash pieces are very tender.  Remove appoximately half of soup and puree in a blender or mini-food processer.  Return to pot and stir together.  Add salt to taste before serving.  Top with cheese, sour cream or cilantro.  Makes about 6 small or 4 large servings. 

Life as a Six-Pack

Since our sweet boy #4 was born recently, I'm often asked what it's like to have four kids. In all honesty, most of the time being a parent of four doesn't feel that different to me than being a parent in general. But occasionally I run across something that might be unique to the 4+ experience.

You might be a parent of four if...

The size dial on your washing machine is stuck on "super"...and this is not a problem. 

You have a filing system for the different sizes of hand-me-down boxes in your attic.

You and your spouse consider going out to dinner with just one child a "date night".

You are excited that your kids have birthdays in the same season so you can make pediatrician appointments in batches.

You get the case discount at Whole Foods -- on milk.

You have ever paid your seven year old to babysit.

You bathe people in pairs.

The guy at the bagel shop doesn't actually know your name, but you've been coming in with a baby for so many years in a row, he just calls you "Momma".

A New Start to the Blog

I've been a little neglectful of the family blog as our family has grown (hey, at least it wasn't the family dog), but I'm making a fresh attempt to document the highs, lows, and frequent outbreaks of chaos that make up life with two parents, two jobs, four small boys and one large dog. I'll try to make the updates reasonably frequent!

As an enticement for you former readers to come back and visit often,  here's a link to some recent photos of the gang on Easter.  A good time was had by all, although the older guys weren't too thrilled with the "good sportsmanship" rules of egg hunting with toddlers. 

Easter 2012