Sunday, June 13, 2010

Picky Eaters

My in laws are coming today.

They are going to be in town for Kai's 8th grade graduation.  Along with my whole family.  We are taking our family, 15 people all together,  to a small hippie graduation here in Eugene.   These are people who wear things like make up and high heels, and ties.  They are in for a shock.  There will be more than one tie-dye ensemble at this graduation.

Anyway, back to the in-laws.  They haven't been out for a visit in over a year, I might not have even seen them at all in over a year, I can't remember.  I wish that we all lived closer, because kids need there grandparents.  We are all looking forward to the visit for just that reason.

The one hitch in my giddy up is that my father in law wouldn't eat anything that is in my pantry if his life depended on it.  Things like french green lentils, quinoa, steel cut oats, raisins, goji berries, stoned ground crackers.  Nor would he eat what is in my fridge, lettuce, green beans, sprouts, unsweetened yogurt, kombucha.   You get the picture.  They always bring  plenty of snacks that he will eat though.  Things like red vines, runts, cookies, pringles, sodas.

Now, I am no purist.  I had a visit with some purists this weekend,  it scares and inspires me at the same time. Last week I saw a bumper sticker that said, "If it isn't Organic, it is poison".... fundamentalism is  not by gig, it isn't healthy in my opinion, even when it comes to food.  Like I said, I am no purist about my food.  I had a little thing with the wonder snack Bugles and Nilla wafers some years back.  There were other chemical compounds involved  that aided the love affair, let's just say I wasn't make very good choices in any aspects of my life.  But now I have a family and I choose things that will support their bodies and minds.

Now for some reason I have this burning need to feed my father in law vegetables, whole grains, fresh fruit.  Last time he was up I fed him zucchini cakes with zucchini from my garden.  He liked them.  It made my month.  But mind you they were fried, with flour, salt.  I considered this a "junk" meal for my family....a treat.

I just don't know why there is something in me that wants to nourish him with food.  It is a victory for me every time he eats something at my house that he wouldn't eat otherwise.

 For some reason,  I love the challenge.  Maybe because I think that we all have room to grow.  To learn new things, to do things better for ourselves.   To push ourselves outside of our comfort zone and eat kale.  Maybe because I think that no one is a lost cause, it is never too late really.  Maybe I am fooling myself.

But this time, I have made rice salad, cold grilled spinach and feta chicken sausage, sauerkraut,  cherry tomatoes, and basil.  He will take one look and say, "No thanks!"




 A girl can try though.


But to be nice, I also make oatmeal apricot bars.  There is oatmeal, coconut, apricots, whole wheat flour, molasses, organic butter...he has to be able to get some nutrients out them.




I may decide to be even nicer and make these later this week.


Picky eaters, sooooo not at all my thing.  I just don't get them.  But I love them anyway.

1 comment:

  1. Oh yah...all I can say when I see that meal is, Yes please! I am with you and the picky eaters. I remember the first time Josh's mom came to visit and looked into our fridge, she could into get over the organic thing. One night she made us all quiche...but kept saying she didn't know how it was going to taste or if she could make it because she had never cooked with organic stuff before (the comedy of it all was that most of the ingredients she used were not organic at all, the were just bought at Trader Joes) I feel it is my personal mission as well to convert all people to eating good unprocessed, nutritious food and to have an awareness of where it al comes from! Rock on sister, spread the good word! XO

    ReplyDelete