You Want to Buy What?

Today I stopped by Publix grocery store while running some errands. The boys and I picked up lunch while we were there. I got two drumsticks and two chicken tenders for the three of us to share. I need to admit to myself that although white meat is so much better for you, I am a fan of dark meat. That is, if I don't have to deal with too many bones. Drumsticks are easy to eat, and that drumstick today hit the spot! I ate the drumstick first, then started eating a tender. After about two bites of the tender I was tired of it. I wanted more drumsticks! Brett is a white meat lover, and I used to think I was too. I certainly prefer using boneless skinless chicken breasts when making dinner for my family. But if someone else does the work for me, I would much rather eat dark meat. It's more tender and flavorful . . . funny, now that I think of it. A "tender" really isn't that tender. . . .

We also browsed the produce section of the grocery store. The boys spotted the turnips. "Can we buy a turnip?" "Umm, okay, as long as you try to eat some of it when we cook it at home." So, we pick out two small turnips-one for each boy-which they hold for the next few minutes. Occasionally they would stand up in the cart (while it was moving), hold their turnip up high and say, "A TURNIP!! . . . No, Duck." This behavior was inspired by a very funny picture book we recently read in honor of my birthday called "A Birthday for Cow" by Jan Thomas. [That sounds like I'm insulting myself, huh?] Caution: spoiler ahead. In the book, Pig and Mouse are trying to bake a cake for Cow. Duck is obsessed with contributing a turnip to the cake, much to their frustration. In the end, Cow is more excited about Duck's turnip than he is about the cake. I guess the moral of this anecdote is: if you want your kids to try turnips, read this book.

We walk by the juice section and the boys point to a particular juice they would like me to purchase. Grapefruit juice?? I don't think so. I'm not a big fan of grapefruit and I don't want to buy a half-gallon container only for everyone in the family to drink 1/8 of a cup of juice and decide they don't like it after all. That leaves me with seven and a half cups of grapefruit juice in my fridge! We compromise by buying a fresh grapefruit, which the boys are excited about trying. I don't expect them to love it, but I will still present it with enthusiasm.

We move on; I hover near the lettuce. Todd says, "Mom, can you buy one of those?" Of of these? "Yes!" You want me to buy some bok choy?? "Yes!!" Bok choy??? "Yes!!! We haven't had bok choy in a long time!" So, into my cart goes the bok choy. I'm amazed as I review our produce purchases today: a container of precut honeydew melon (part of our lunch menu), a green pepper, a package of romaine hearts, two avocados, Brussels sprouts, two turnips, a grapefruit, and bok choy. Do preschoolers really eat this stuff? I guess mine are living proof that, yes, sometimes they do. Or, maybe the moral of this anecdote is: if you want your kids to eat more vegetables, take them to the grocery store hungry, hang out in the produce section for a long time, and let them pick out the veggies.

Just to balance things out, I'll confess that they ate their complimentary sugar cookies (with sprinkles) before we picked up lunch. And I couldn't resist buying a slice of vanilla cake for myself. Publix has the best grocery store cakes around, and I was craving some. Ryan asks what I am buying the cake for, to which I answer, "My birthday." Todd finds this amusing, "But your birthday passed already." Yeah, but did anyone make me a cake? I didn't even feel guilty for not sharing. And, surprisingly, they didn't even ask me to (share, that is).