My boys know that vegetables are really good for you, but refuse to eat them...like most toddlers, I am guessing. So, I thought I'd try taking them to a local Farmer's Market every Tuesday and let them pick out a vegetable they'd like to try. My plan is to let them help me in preparing it as well with the hopes that the "control" I allow them in picking and preparing the vegetables may peak their interest in actually eating them. It's a last ditch effort (for now) in getting them to try vegetables.So, today was the first day we made it to the Market. I thought it would be fun to include muffins as our Tuesday breakfast as well, making it "Muffins and The Market Tuesday's". I'm an alliterate theme girl. :)
We had a simple apple streusel muffin this morning, a recipe I found in my Betty Crocker cookbook and whipped up rather quickly, joined some friends (the Jones'), and made our way to the Market. Well, there were only 2 venders there today, but the produce and flowers looked gorgeous. I explained to the boys that they got to pick out the vegetable we'd eat for dinner, and instead of the beautiful zuchinni or leafy Romaine, they picked TURNIPS!!! Mind you, there was only ONE box of turnips...one box, and they had to pick it. ;)
I've never eaten nor prepared turnips, but I figured if I'm asking my boys to try new things, I've got to be willing to do the same.
SO, the turnips are boiling as I type this and will be ready for some salt, butter and milk (prepared like mashed potatoes is what the girl suggested). Fingers crossed and prayers prayed, I'll be serving these in just a little bit.
***Later this evening:
MY BOYS ATE TURNIPS!!!! I did, too...didn't prefer them. Judah gagged on the first bite but was willing to take a 2nd bite with a little encouragement! None of us preferred them, but I was so grateful that my boys even took 2 bites that I'm not going to feel badly about dumping $2 worth of turnips down the drain (unless, of course, some local really has a hankering for mashed turnips).
10 comments:
I tried turnips once. And only once (7th grade?) My mom was doing the same thing you were. Mind you, we WERE used to a whole lot of different veggies because she started us young, but turnips? Even SHE had avoided the introduction because she didn't like them herself. Let me know how they turnip out:0)
Okay, I won't be trying turnips. But hey, that's great the boys tired them. Maybe it will become an exciting little game for them.
Enjoyed going to the market with you guys! If it becomes regular, I can make muffins too. I'm thinking next time to get some of those beautiful yellow squash.
I made BBQ ribs for the first time tonight. Turned out well.
Yahoo!!! Way to go boys on eating turnips! sounds like a really fun ritual your muffins and market tuesday.
And I hate to say this because I think you (like me) may be in denial about how fast they're growing up, but your boys aren't toddlers (but Bella is) anymore - they're preschoolers now...and they're veggie eating preschoolers at that! Woo Hoo!
very creative...i can believe they picked them, they looked so neat. but ate them, now that is hilarious. some day they will eat vegetables...we have some sad/hilarious stories of our kids with veggies too. i was always slightly jealous of parents whose kids did eat them...isn't is odd how we can covet even a small thing like that? in retrospect, it was a battle that really wasn't worth having....they survived without them. gigi
First of all Yay you and the boys for being culinarily adventurous!
the trick is to buy yellow turnips (the big waxy ones) peel off the rine cut them up and boil them. mash them up and then fry with butter and chopped onions. YUMMY.. my boys love them that way. (that's the way that Ronan's granny taught me to make them)
What a fun and creative way to 'put the ball in their court' so to speak with getting them to eat veggies! And bravo on making muffins in the morning...at our house it's always cereal or yogurt or granola bars...MAYBE pancakes if it's a Saturday...LOL
I am so impressed... I totally would have steered my kids to a different veg. This past weekend, we went to a pub for a Fathers Day lunch, and Ethan and I were served parsnips with our meal. Neither of us had ever tried them, but in the spirit of encouraging our kids to try new things, we tasted them. Again, I didn't prefer them, but it was worth it to try.
Bri...this may be cheating on the veggie front but can I recommend the cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld. All of the recipes use veggie purees instead of other ingredients. It's a sneaky way to get veggies into the meal without the kids noticing. There are even desserts like Brownies and Pudding that have veggies in them. The pudding has avacodo in it and the Banana Marshmellow Dip has butternut squash in it. Just and idea. Let me know if you want to try one of the recipes to see if the cookbook is worth it.
My mother-in-law sometimes suppliments some of the potatoes in our traditional Christmas eve Polish salad with boiled turnips. There are so many other veggies in the salad that I never really noticed a difference. Even though I'm not a fan of potato salad, I really like this dish. (Could be that it's all held together with mayo!) :-P
Thanks for this.. I just had the best belly laugh. I can just see it. Oh.. so proud of you - I would have been like... no pick something else!! I love your idea~~
Thanks for the good laugh!!
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