Where's The Beef?

If you've ever tried to cook a meal for a couple of toddlers and their adults, you know it's a lost cause. There are very few meals that are appealing to both age groups, especially when the toddlers can love Mac and Cheese one day, but the other day find it more useful as an art medium, squishing it onto th table top and smearing it around to create pretty pictures.

Last night Steve cooked dinner. About once a week he cooks steak tips, or a roast, and YES, he even makes potatoes and veggies. And the funny thing is, we know the kids probably will not eat this food. We do everything we can think of, from making "yummy" sounds to cutting it up into appealing bite sized bits, to asking them to eat just a bite, then telling Nick he can't have more salsa unless he at least TRIES something else... And at the end of the meal, it's just more trouble than it's worth.

But last night Steve was cutting up the roast he made, and he took a bite as he was carving. "Mmmm," he said. "This is a good roast! Nate, would you like some?" and he extended a fork with a tiny, bite sized bit of roast at the end of it to our youngest son.

Nathan looked at the roast, and reached out hesitantly, as though he were afraid of the meat burning him. Then he carefully took it off the fork and turned his back to taste. "Is it good?" Steve asked. And Nate gave an enthusiastic "YEAH!" which is the answer he gives about half the time, no matter what. (the other answer being an enthusiastic "NO!")

Steve was bustling getting the rest of dinner together, and I was setting the table, and I looked down and saw that Nathan was chewing on something I couldn't identify, something large he was holding in his hand, which Gunther was also taking an interest in... and then I realized it was an Entire Slice Of Meat. Somehow he had managed to steal a whole slice of meat off the plate from kitchen counter, and was happily gnawing on it, sucking out all the juice he could.

I took the meat away from him and placed it on his plate, cutting it up into safe, non-choking-hazard sized bits. It was as though a transformation had taken place. Nathan no longer wanted anything to do with the meat. Apparently, only gigantic slabs will do, and only while running around the kitchen.