Kids can be funny little creatures. I've heard enough stories from friends about their kiddos refusing to eat anything but toast and mac 'n cheese to kids who are scared to poop to know its pretty normal.
That doesn't make dealing with the stubborn nature of a three year old any easier. Fortunately for me, I am just the aunt... and my time with the (best-ever!) rugrats are limited to hours every other weekend or so... however, I am also the aunt who last Saturday night attempted to feed my neice dinner. Quite the feat!
My sister (the mom) had made fervent pleas that despite Emma's hunger strike (for anything not a cookie, it seemed) to only feed her little girl "healthy things."
The plan for dinner was rigatoni noodles, spaghetti sauce and meat balls. I thought if I engaged Emma with the cooking, maybe she would want to eat it. So, I had her lay out the meatballs on the cooking sheet.
But she got bored.
So, I gave her a bowl with some tropical fruit cut up inside. She already had a cup of cran-apple juice and there was a small cup of diet coke nearby. I also gave her some cooked green beans. It was like a buffet of nibbles... or the ingredients for soup du jour.
I gave her the little egg beater. She went to work. Mixing all the ingredients with passion not unlike that seen on an episode of Chopped.
I thought to myself... why not, let's make it fun!
I gave her a spoonful of grated cheddar cheese. And a cup of diced peaches. I think she stole a couple meatballs too. (She saw Dave sneaking them off the pan after they cooked...)
She went to work. She was so, so excited about her "Emma soup" and kept saying she was making her own dinner.
Here's the final product:
Looks tasty, doesn't it?
Dinner time. I gave Emma her noodles and meatballs (sans the red sauce, by request), and I told her to eat up! She took a big bite. I thought to myself: oh yeah, I am awesome. She's going to eat for me!
But then she stopped eating. Pushed her dish aside. Hunger strike?
Not quite.
She wanted her soup.
Yes, this is real. She sipped not one, not two, but three spoonfuls of the sweet 'n odd concoction.
And she said it was sooo yummy!
Oh boy.
The recipe:
Emma's Soup
1 8oz cup papaya and pineapple in extra light syrup (tropical medley)
1 4oz cup diced peaches in light syrup
1/4 cup cooked green beans, cut
1/2 cup cran-apple juice
1/4 cup Diet Coke
1/2 tablespoon grated mild cheddar cheese
2 small Italian-style meatballs
Mix together in bowl. Serves one wonderful little girl!
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