Edible Experimentation

Words Dawn Cromar / Image xxxxx

Dawn Cromar realises it’s not just the kids that can be fussy eaters . . .

The next time I give my kids into trouble for not trying something new, I should stop myself! For just last weekend, I realised that I am guilty of thinking I don’t like something, just because I haven’t really tried it before!

I took the children on a Santa train ride, which involved a short trip on a vintage train before heading into the restored station for refreshments and the all important visit to Santa’s grotto.  We were there with my friend, her two children, my sister and another friend, and three of us adults declared that we didn’t really like mincemeat pies, so we would just have a biscuit with our cups of tea.

It wasn’t until we thought about it, that we realised we hadn’t actually tried mincemeat – it was just one of those things we had decided we didn’t like.

So we elected to give Christmas mince pies a go; and were surprised to realise that we all actually did like them, much to the delight of my other friend who watched this with some amusement. (She has since dropped off a pack of luxury mincemeat pies for me to enjoy).

After mistakenly believing that I dislike mince pies for my entire life, I have obviously never thought about making them. So perhaps this will be a project before Christmas!

It made me think, that I am very quick at telling my kids off if they won’t try a new food; perhaps we do just think we don’t like certain foods by the look or thought of them. Perhaps the sight of a Brussels sprout or a parsnip conveys the same messages to them, as mincemeat pies had to my friends and me.

I now promise not to be so judgmental when my children show a less than enthusiastic approach to something new – I can make it my New Year’s resolution along with being more culinary adventurous myself!