Sunday, August 19, 2007

Getting in those fruits and veggies


It is blackberry time again. I confess to a love/hate relationships with the long vines that grow over into our yard from our back neighbor's place. On the one hand, I'm sporting definitive "ow-ies" on my legs and arms from the scratches I've managed to receive... but on the other, the kids love going out there to pick them (mostly watch me do so -- due to the prickly bits) and then eat, eat, eat. Free fresh yummy fruit - who could truly dislike that?
In an on-going attempt to eat healthier as a family and especially for our boy who can always use to add a few healthy pounds, I was headed to a local farmers market today when I decided to deal with dragging the boy with me. He came willingly along to pick up some free reusable shopping bags (although he got the idea of candy in his head and it was hard to let it go)... then he groused for much of the rest of the trip.
I figured however, that if he helped me to pick out the fresh fruit and vegetables for eating this week, that maybe, just maybe he'd be more likely to eat them.
So tonight we decided for a change to try a "make your own" burrito night. I must say it was highly successful! We put out tortillas, fresh corn (from the farmers' market), black beans, black olives, lettuce, cheese and cherry tomatoes (right off our plants) and each of us made our own.
The children each repeatedly THANKED both Dada and Mama for making such a yummy meal and the boy (who I wish had never experienced fast food but honestly knows his Wendy's from his McDonald's) said this:
"This is yummier than even Taco Bell!"
Given that said boy is currently on a "it's always better if it is packaged and from a store or restaurant" kick, let me just say we were THRILLED!
W
e shall see how much he likes parmesan chicken or marinated tofu -- wish us luck.
And I hope to have good news and a website for you to visit soon... stay tuned.

6 comments:

  1. Oooohhh a cliffhanger at the end.

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  2. Anonymous8/20/2007

    alas, make your own (in our case)taco night is relegated to those nights when we know the boys will be at some sport practice.

    You have blackberries?!! Please DON'T tell me if you make a yummy cobbler or fruit crisp with them as that would be unbearable...

    (on a tangent: after years of longing for a Taco Bell to be built at the entrance to the old neighborhood..there's one there now. How's that for rotten timing?!)

    Cathy, who had her own cherry tomatoes with her lunch, that weren't as delicious as blackberries, but still tasted like summer anyway

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  3. Wow - yummier than Taco Bell - now THERE's an endorsement! Sounds like a good dinner!

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  4. I saw mention in the latest issue of Fitness magazine that there's a book coming out soon about how to sneak veggies into your kids' food. It's called Deceptively Delicious, and the author is Jessica Seinfeld. According to Amazon it will be released on October 5 - thought you might want to request it from the library when the time comes and check it out!

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  5. Anonymous8/21/2007

    Oi! Tell that boy his uncle's coming to make him eat spinach!!! Uncooked at that!

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  6. Anonymous8/21/2007

    Hi Zuxi Zugalla! Well keep that up. I remember going to the old farmers market with mom at end of the old neighborhood. You know off of Olive St., and picking out fresh food from the farmers themselves! It was great even when I was being a brat! Our families always had dirt under our fingernails, let lil' indi have some too!!! Make ol' Jack proud and let's all eat OUR VEGGIES!!!

    Oh by the way have you heard about the campaign against bottled water? About friggin' time eh'?

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