The Buckets by Greg Cravens for March 15, 2020

That’s me! Although in my case I don’t think it was boiled carrots.

Ah yes, dinnertime as a child! I remember it well….

Mother: “Eat all your carrots or you won’t get dessert.”

Me: “What’s for dessert?”

Mother: “Nothing.”

Me: “I don’t think you’re doing this right….”

Yay, dinner and a show!

That could be me. I very much like to nibble raw carrots, dip them in herb or cheese dips, or have them grated as a salad with lemon juice and parsley and roasted Walnuts.

But boiled carrots?!? Ewwww.

Not as convincing as “Broccoli, shmoccoli! I say it’s spinach and I say to hell with it!”

Only way I will eat a cooked carrot is if it is disguised in some way, like in a stew or soup, or part of roast.

That’s great!

Didn’t have a phone camera ready to film it to show him when he’s older.

Lesson from my childhood, wait until they aren’t looking and slip them to the dog.

Never would happen in my growing up. Any complaints led to dad lecturing about growing up in the Great Depression only having a cup of watered down broth and a sliver of moldy bread, in the snow, with no roof, dirt floor, with no clothes, and had to share it with his sister. Later learned from grandma it was BS. Any other complaints about taste led to a backhand from mum which knocked you out of the chair. Now that was a reason to fake it being really good.

best carrots are those in a beef roast.

Practicing his angst.

My youngest was like this about salmon, and we always told him, just like we’d told his three older siblings on whatever they didn’t like that he had to try one bite. Which he fought against like crazy. Finally one day I wised up. I got the older kids in on it, and told them, Don’t say a word. I served salmon and it went around the table, everybody simply going, Could you pass me the… Totally ignored the fact that it was salmon and anything to do with youngest’s reaction, totally ignoring him. Which surprised him, because he was waiting for a big deal to be made of it and he couldn’t make that happen this time. I deliberately served salmon again a week later and as the plate was going by he reached for some and put it on his plate! The older kids were trying to catch my eye, with theirs going, MOM???! I flashed a silent, Remember—don’t say a word! and they didn’t. And forevermore youngest simply ate the salmon as if he always had. Had I had any idea it could be that easy, I’d have done that years earlier. So in case this helps anyone out there.

OT I hope that all of you stay well.