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Thanksgiving food and kids
How much, if at all, are you catering Thanksgiving dinner to what your kids will eat?
MIL is bringing mac'n'cheese, which I wouldn't normally associate with Thanksgiving at all...but I want my kids to eat something.
Heather will eat cranberry sauce. They both eat rolls/bread. They don't really eat any other traditional Thanksgiving foods.
I'm thinking of making sweet potato fries instead of baked sweet potatoes and I will either serve a side of fruit or fruit salad (just like I do for dinner every night.) And just like every night, I will put a little of everything else on their plate...
I guess I'm wondering if I am the only one with the freak kids that don't like turkey, stuffing, gravy or mashed potatoes, not to mention the veggies. I still can't believe that they don't like mashed potatoes...
Re: Thanksgiving food and kids
I tell Jake every year that the turkey is chicken. He eats it up. I'm sure if I said turkey, he'd make a face and say he doesn't eat turkey.
Liam is still in the phase where he will eat nearly anything you put on his tray, and Jake eats mashed potatoes, veggies, and "chicken" so I don't normally worry about him.
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
My kids are less picky than I am. Brinley was devouring deer heart the other day--and she knew what it was. My mom made real cranberry sauce last year, and I think it was the only thing that Brinely didnt' eat--so it will be the traditional thanksgiving dinner for us.
I never stress about dd's eating. Some days she eats well at dinner other times she eats nothing but I know she eats decent at least during 1 meal a day. And she usually gobbles up fruit so u give that as an option. If I know we are having something she has tried before and hated I will give her something else but I think with tday there are so many options she can find something.
so nothing special for tday. I don't think she usually eats the turkey but may this year. She doesn't like mashed potatoes. I've made a sweet potato casserole the last few years and she likes that and corn. I'll probably have applesauce on hand as my catering to her.
i did make Mac n cheese one year for holiday dinner for her. It was a couple years ago when she was younger though.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not worried about it. They certainly won't starve. If nothing else, they'll eat pumpkin pie. That's a vegetable, right? :-P
Emmy - I would try that if they ate chicken, but they only eat it breaded...
Heh. This is 180 degrees to my MIL's philosophy. She will make multiple veggies for the same dinner to cater to the preferences of various family members. And no matter how specific I am when I tell her what to bring, she'll still bring additional side dishes because SIL or BIL or niece like them. Every year she knows that my mom makes 2 pumpkin pies...and yet she will still bring 2-3 additional desserts for our gathering.
So I figured since she will bring too much anyway, I might as well request a side that I'm 90% sure the kids will eat.
Ultimately, if I could get her to NOT COMMENT on what the kids are or are not eating, that would be a Thanksgiving miracle.
Haha! We've done that in the past too.
DD doesn't eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc but she'll eat some veggies. We usually end up doing dinner at my brother's house since it has the most room for everyone, and my SIL ends up making something extra for the kids like mac & cheese.
Conall is our picky eater, but he may manage some turkey and mashed potatoes. I'm not holding out hope for the jellied cranberry, stuffing, mashed turnip or brussel sprouts.
Gavin, on the other hand, is the one I need to remind to slow down!
My three sons!
Catering to Mason's extremely picky eating habits would mean serving Cheerios at Thanksgiving dinner, and that's where I draw the line!
They had a Thanksgiving party at school yesterday, with a full on Thansgiving dinner lunch, and he only ate the rolls.
Jake started the whole thing one year (2 years ago maybe?) I put it in front of him & said "here's your turkey!" and he said "No, this is chicken. I like chicken." I made a "shhh" noise to everyone and just simply never corrected him. Now, he just assumes it's chicken.
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
We don't cater at all. Partially because he's the only kid and partially because it's one meal - he won't starve if he doesn't eat it. Plus it's Thanksgiving! Might as well learn now what to expect at Thanksgiving dinner!
I'm going to play a little drinking game with myself. Everytime MIL mentions the kid eating/not eating/how much or little he's eating or tries to guilt him into trying something, I'll take a sip of wine. Sure hope DH is driving. And that we have more than one bottle of wine.
I served Jude breaded veal last week. He took a few bites and told me how much he liked the fish without tartar sauce. Um, ok.
LOL! We're hosting, so if I play that game I can just collapse in my bed as soon as MIL leaves. Although I might get alcohol poisoning...
I love it!