Kids are funny little creatures. Lately, it has come to my attention my children are fairly well versed in food, as they should be, but lack the knowledge of a few things i'd consider necessary experiences in a lifetime. Take for instance their favorite vegetable, Brussels Sprouts. I don't care what planet you are from, your average child is never going to ask for these with dinner though mine regularly do. Along the same vein though, beets are met with such repulsion their mere mention elicits a physical response. Well, my guys are 16 and 17 and as people of this age are want to do, repeatedly make me want to give them shaken adolescent syndrome. Earlier this week, both of them gifted me with emails from their teachers about classroom performance. Perhaps i'm expecting too much as a parent, but at their ages i believe they should be able to handle their business in school and a teacher contacting me for some day to day things would be a last resort. So, i asked them about what is going on in school and once again i get the canned answer of either "nothing" or " oh i've already taken care of that". I explained to the guys that if this were indeed true why would their teacher be emailing me? They both told me i worry too much. What?? Like that's not my job or something?? In the past i have warned them with beets and spam for dinner every night they aren't making their teachers happy. As i stated earlier, the mention of beets brings about a physical response to a pair of Brussels Sprouts eaters. Okay, back to hearing from teachers for both of them this week. Again, i got that i worry too much, so i decided to have a little fun with them. I added squash to the menu over the next two weeks and told my guys they'd love it. I got the "i swear he just threatened us with beets" face and i told them they worry too much. Okay, here's the funny part. Both of these clowns love sweet potatos. So what two squashes did i add to the menu?? Acorn and Butternut! While they look forward to sweet potatos, they seem to be absolutely horrified at the prospect of the squash. I guess i'm about the only one who will enjoy the joke in this house prior to actually eating them. In case you have never had Acorn or Butternut Squash, They are both sweet and cook up soft, smooth, and for lack of a better example mimic the flavors of sweet potato and pumpkin. However, in the meantime i will enjoy them getting all worked up over the impending doom of the meals. It's like Thomas Jefferson said, don't let the evil which has never happened cause you pain.
Until i write you again, Peace be with you, D
