feeding kids

I often say the cooking for my kids can be compared to Bach composing music to be performed at the School of the Deaf. I find that the more effort I put forth, the less the kids want to eat. Forbid I put anything green in food.
I have experienced several pleasant exceptions lately. On Friday, I got my pasta maker out for the first time in a while and made pasta. This is a great kid activity. The kids can pull a chair up to the counter, watch me prepare the pasta. When it is time to cut the pasta, they can each cut a few pieces and they feel they have helped, but they are getting bored and I can finish cutting the remainder myself. Since they have so much time in the kitchen, they are more than willing to leave and do something else when I begin to boil the water. On Friday, I served the pasta in a simple, kid-friendly brown butter, parmasean sauce. When I served the pasta, the boys knocked of the whole bowl in minutes. I had a modest serving, then they ate the rest. They were still begging for more after it was gone. I am willing to make the extra effort to make fresh pasta when I know it will be passionately consumed. David was bummed when he got home and did not have any left overs to enjoy.
Today, after church, I stopped by the organic grocery to check for free produce. I found lettuce, cucumbers, corn and bread. I brought it home and made a lunch from it. The only things I used from my kitchen were, oil, vinegar, parmasean and butter for the corn. We had a lot of corn, so I shucked four for our family and the rest was for the chickens. I let each boy take a corn cob out to the chickens. David went out with them and Christian gladly gave the chickens the corn. Liam would not. He is a hoarder who does not like to share and he is also not a big fan of delayed gratification. Today, he could not wait for me to boil corn. He ate his cob, intended for the chickens, raw. He ate all of it. David and shrugged our shoulders and commented to each other that we should be greatful that we have a child who is so passionate about fresh produce that he will eat even if it is uncooked.
Here are some recent layouts. I have some fun ones coming on Tuesday from kits getting released on Tuesday at Elemental Scraps. Stop by and see the site remodel
I used Daisy Fantaisy by Liz Thompson & Impressions of Peace the March Studio Graphics Collab kit for this

I used Grate 4 u on this layout

I used papers Altered Ego & Frosted paper by Jennifer Howland and Stitching by Becki Kress for this layout.

I used Spring Mist by Lindsay Jane Designs for this layout.