Bon Appetite

Ah, what do I have in common with Mrs. Julia Child. Let's see, she loved to cook, and I love to cook. She went to culinary school, and I went to culinary school. She wanted kids, and I wanted kids...she was a woman...ok, so it seems to stop there. But let us take a step back. She wanted children, but I had children. Four to be exact. Four of the most beautiful boys one could ever hope for. They're good in church, and do well in school, and they are polite, for the most part, in public. However, they are still boys, and my three year old is home with me all day long. Would Julia ever have progressed as far as she had, had she had to contend with cooking with and for children? Hmmm? I know many cooks do wonders with kids' meals, and advertise them as such. Great for them. However, I'm still in the learning process. I make things, I offer it to them to try, and I encourage good nutrition, but I am a realist. I know I did not like tomatoes and other things until I got older, no matter how many times I had to eat them. And I still don't like liver. I recall a night or two with my sister falling asleep at the table while my parents were waiting for her to finish whatever it was she didn't want to eat. I think it was after the second or third incident of such that my folks finally gave up and gave us the option of cheese or peanut butter or cereal. We all want to take our stands in life, until we can't stand it anymore.
So, yesterday, feeling quite alive and ambitious, I began the day with a dozen homemade blueberry muffins. They were in the oven before I even started making the kids' school lunches. As the baking aroma filled the kitchen and crept into the back room, several inquiries were made as to their contents and e.t.a. From a bakery standpoint, they were exquisite. They were light, fluffy, fruity, with a touch of citrus from the lemon rind, but not too sweet or sour. Even my wife agreed to their delectibility, albeit smothered in butter. Then came the kids. They were sampled by two of my children, neither of which did more than that. They did say that they were good, but I guess they were only good enough for one bite or two, At least they sampled them. Right? So, I enjoyed these fruity delights throughout the day as I dove into dinner offerings.
Now, I should have learned by now, and now I have, but when you try to please everyone, you usually end up dry, and seldom happy yourself. Chicken Tikka and Iowa Corn Pudding was on the menu for last night. I should have just made it and been done with it, especially since I had made a tasty mango chutney the night before to accompany it. However, I had to go and make inquiries as to who might try and eat it, and who might not. So, very quickly, the corn pudding fell to be revisited another day, and the Chicken Tikka became one of three bbq chicken offerings. Jim, my three year old, napped well, and I was able to cut and skewer and blend and marinate easy enough. In fact, he even stayed asleep long enough for me to pump out a batch of chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Now, if he slept that well at night, we'd all love him the more. The barbequeing commenced when my wife came home and when all was said and done, the Tikka was being eaten by my eldest, my wife and myself, with pleasant reviews. The other two chicken offeings sat practically unmolested, with the youngest three of my children eating cereal. I figure I can offer it, but I can't force them to eat it. The worst part is I totally forgot to put out the mango chutney. However, all did like the chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Self lesson learned: Decide what's for dinner; make it, serve it, and have cereal handy...but always have a good dessert.