Cooking: It's what's for dinner

I have kids that are somewhat picky.

 

 

 

Guess which one is picky...

 

Yet, I never make "special meals" or even variations on meals, with the exception of mine (no meat).

I know it is very popular to be a short order cook for your kids. I think that is a huge mistake parents never really recover from. Now, don't get me wrong, I feed my kids things that they like, and I take into consideration that one cannot eat spicy foods. What I don't do is bland down our food or create special menus for them. They eat what is on the table, or they don't. 

I don't keep a lot of snacks in the house and rarely have sweets.

Meals are meals and you sit down and eat.

 

 

 

Parenting has become a negotiation. I see it all the time. I am a fairly liberal person politically and socially. I am a conservative parent.  We expect good behavior, there are consequences for ignoring the rules and we don't negotiate what is good for you. 

Hence, my kids will try most things, eat bites of everything and maintain a healthy weight and unlike me, don't have acne. (I still have acne at 41!). They know they are expected to be polite and try the food in front of them and not insult the cook. In return, I make spaghetti, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese and quesadillas, which are foods they like. And I let them continue to eat dinner in my house.

Win/Win

It's What For Dinner at Casa Swann

• Salmon patties, roasted carrots with mustard vinaigrette, salad
• Hamburgers/ sweet potato fries
• Tomato Basil soup/ brocolli corn muffins
• zuchini lasagna/ baked meatballs
• Chicken Tacos/ black bean tacos