Little Black Rain Cloud.

If you look out our kitchen window you can watch the storms come in. One day I started singing the "Little Black Rain Cloud" song and my husband had no clue what I was singing. Growing up I have been a Winnie the Pooh fan. Not die hard, but enough to pick up the songs and things. So in case you have never heard it, here is a full video of it. If you just want to listen to the song it begins at 2:13. You and your children will enjoy it. Then you can pretend to be black rain clouds all day long.



"Tut Tut, looks like rain." Christopher Robin

You Say Po-tay-toe, I Say Po-tah-toe

*Note: Just as I was saving my post last night, I saw Rachel's post about the very same book. How very serendipitous that we were thinking along the same path!

A favorite series of books at our house is Charlie and Lola. Recently, we laughed through this one:





I'm enjoying this phase in my daughter's childhood (babyhood) where she eats pretty much whatever I put in front of her or in her mouth, and I'm simultaneously mourning that those very days are somewhat in the past for my 3-year-old son. He's actually not too terribly picky, but where and when do they figure out that certain foods are ones they don't like, when they used to gobble them up??


Anyway, in the book, Lola states, in no uncertain terms, that she will never eat carrots, peas, potatoes, fish sticks, cauliflower, sausages and especially tomatoes. Charlie, humored by her stubbornness, ever-so-sneakily convinces her to eat "orange twiglets" and "green drops from Greenland" (very rare!).


Lola will not eat potatoes, "not even mashed!" only to be told they are not having potatoes, but cloud fluff all the way from the top of Mount Fuji. Mashed potatoes are not on the list of disliked foods in our house, but in case they make their debut on said list, I'll keep the "cloud fluff" idea in my back pocket. Until then, here's my favorite way to make mashed potatoes (they turn out a little different every time depending on how much of the ingredients I have on hand).


Garlic Cheese Mashed Potatoes
4-5 large potatoes, cubed and boiled until tender (*see note)
3 large cloves garlic, boiled with the potatoes
3 ounces cream cheese (I've also used Ricotta cheese when I have some)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
chopped herbs to your taste (chives, oregano, thyme, rosemary)


Put all ingredients except herbs in large mixing bowl and blend together until smooth with electric mixer. It is possible to overwhip your mashed potatoes, as they will turn into a glue-like mess, so just mix it until all the ingredients are blended. For smoother texture, put cooked potatoes and garlic through a potato ricer. Add more milk if you like it less stiff. Fold in herbs at the end or sprinkle on top. So delicious you don't even need gravy!


*Note: I like to use Yukon gold potatoes because I just scrub them and don't worry about peeling them. A little bit of thin peel is not enough to make it chewy but adds to the rustic-ness (is that a word?). The texture of the potato is more starchy and, hence, creamier. If you are using Russet potatoes, here's a great video on how to peel them in a snap - I tried it and it works!

"I Love to Eat Cloud"

I don't think words can really express just exactly the lovely thoughts I have about "Charlie and Lola". It's charming and whimsical and smart and fun and I love watching it with my kids. For a girl who shuns most television, especially kids television, this is high praise indeed.

This particular story, "I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato" (pronounce it "tom-ah-to") is one we can all relate to - Lola is a "very fussy eater". But her ever-patient and amazingly thoughtful brother comes to the rescue with lines like this:

"Oh,
this
isn't
mashed potato.
People often
think that but no,
this is cloud fluff from
the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji."
"Oh," said Lola, "in that case a large helping for me.
I love to eat cloud."

I have one adventurous eater - she'll try anything once, which is all we ask - and one who is fussy to say the least. So, how do you do it? How do you get your fussy eaters to eat? Personally, it's simply not a battle I've ever really wanted to fight. So I don't. I love this article by Catherine Newman (who wrote for the fabulous late Wondertime magazine and still writes for FamilyFun) about stealth vegetables - especially this part:

"I put kale on his plate and put kale on his plate and put kale on his plate, and my son tried it and grimaced and we praised him for trying it and pages flew off the calendar and his beard grew down to the floor, and then one day he ate it without comment. And then one day he ate it and said, "This is actually not as bad as I thought!" After which a pair of bluebirds draped around my shoulders the very banner of joy."

I like to think we have healthy eating habits around here, even those of us who are more ... um ... particular. But the real wish I have for my kids is that they not be afraid of trying new things. So I put salad on his plate over and over again, and we don't try to be sneaky about it. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun with it too - pretend we're rabbits or deer or cows, or that we're on a secret mission to destroy the evil plots of Captain Lettuce to take over the world. Or whatever.

So how about you? What's your picky-eater philosophy? Does it work?

P.S. I'm sewing as we speak! Stay tuned for the exciting next episode of our Quilt Along!