Pierogies!

Pierogies! YUM!

My seven year old daughter is becoming pickier by the day. This is the kid who used to eat anything. ANYTHING. I don't know what's happening except, as she says "Taste buds change, mom". Ok, fine, but how about ADDING some new things instead of just dropping old?

A few months ago she told me she no longer likes peanut butter. Peanut Butter! Now she doesn't like peas anymore (she'll eat a few) doesn't like green beans at all, doesn't like cantaloupe (I'm not sure when that one hit but it's been awhile). The other week she told me she doesn't like avocado sushi anymore. She loves sushi. Every time we go to Whole Foods she wants sushi and now, just like that, she doesn't want it any more.

So the other day I thought maybe if she got involved in cooking more she'd like more things to eat. I always hear that suggestion (along with the "if they help grow the food they'll want to eat it" which pretty much turned out to be bull for my kids).

I got out a really beautiful cookbook I have and the three of us went through it with Bridget and Owen saying "YUCK!" and "GROSS!" at almost every picture in the book (even some of the desserts). Bridget sort of liked the look of the fancy cut, peeled, parboiled and roasted potato recipe and both of them liked the Rose Sorbet but that was it.

So we made pierogies. The other day I bought wonton wrappers on a whim and once I got them home we realized we could make pierogies out of them. Bridget loves pierogies but hasn't had them in years because the ones in the supermarket were made with soy (she has a problem with soy). So we made them. Mostly Bridget made them. She chopped the potatoes, I put them on to boil.
















Mashing taters
















Forming the pierogies

She mashed them and formed most of the pierogies (I did some) and then lowered them into the water to boil. I took them out. Then she happily ate most of them. I had a few and her brother had none because he says potatoes are gross.

So yeah, it's something we already knew she liked but it's a start. Maybe if she gets into cooking with old favorites, she'll eventually work her way up to something exotic like, oh, I don't know . . . a baked potato in the peel? Well, let's not get crazy now, huh? .

And here is Owen, 4. This is his "recipe" (that's what it's called - "a recipe"). A wedged apple, carrot coins and frozen corn. And yes, he actually ate some of it.