I’ve heard it said that you have to try something at least ten times before you can truly decide if you like it. Therefore, as parents, we should just continue to offer new foods to our kids and eventually, after trying it enough, they may like it.
I’m not buying it.
In my experience, kids predetermine if they like things based on color, texture, smell and what their siblings say. It doesn’t matter how many times they try it, if it’s green, or slimy or the older sister says it’s gross, nobody likes it. Case in point, asparagus.
John is a huge asparagus fan. So much so that when road construction started on his asparagus guy’s road, making it inconvenient to drive by and see if he had any available, John stopped in and got his phone number. Now we can call ahead for all our asparagus needs.
John also is the kind of person who will buy much more of something than he was planning on because it’s such a good deal. Marketers must love him. So I was shocked but not surprised when he called me in great excitement to tell me he bought twenty pounds of asparagus.
Yes, I said twenty.
It was a good deal.
I had been out of town for the weekend and was happy to see that by the time I returned home we were merely left with about ten pounds. That giant bag only took up one shelf of the spare fridge.
In the last week, we’ve had grilled asparagus, and broiled asparagus, and asparagus pasta skillets, and asparagus pizza and asparagus soup. If cooking was happening the asparagus was in it.
Now, when it comes to the kid eating it, even my pathetic math can figure that with twenty pounds of asparagus, the kids would have to try a bit once every two pounds that crossed the table to make it to the mythical “ten tries”. And that’s assuming that they had never tried it before, which of course they have because John has the asparagus guy’s name and number taped to the fridge. Every meal the kids would dutifully try it, reject it, and painstakingly pick it out of the rest of their food. Every day I found myself feeding piles of asparagus shinnbles to my chickens.
Ten tries, my assparagus!
My chickens should work on upping egg production this week. After all John could use a little thank you for the five pounds of nice fresh asparagus he bought them!
Behind the Willows 
I assume you don’t like asparagus either. 🙂 My in-laws have an asparagus garden – they blanch and freeze what they cannot eat soon. If your husband loves asparagus, the latter is kind of easy to grow. They come back each year and even multiply quickly.
One day, your kids might like asparagus, even though it gives a peculiar smell to expelled body water. 🙂
Actually I do like asparagus.. now. John converted me a few years ago when he grilled some super fresh stuff, I didn’t let the chickens have any of mine! I’ve thought about starting a patch and then last time I mowed the lawn I found a really negleted patch of super tiny shoots off in the corner I need to weed it all out and see if I can save it!
Awwww, I would agree that with some things you are predetermined to like or dislike. However, Ian has come around on a lot of foods he used to dislike, including white potatoes (yes, he didn’t even like french fries), lettuce, spinach, celery and onion. He now eats salad easily and prefers celery and onion to be chopped very tiny but there is no more picking it out. On his list of “will never like and tries to avoid eating” eggs and tunafish from a can. I don’t think he will EVER choose to eat those items and I stopped asking him to try them 10 years ago! Good luck!
Well, I’m with him tunafish from a can is one of the nastier substances on the face of the earth! And yes the kids have come around to somethings but I think it’s more of a random day that they are feeling open to trying new things rather than an amount of times they have had it. Especially since my girls have changed their minds on things they will or will not eat lots of times!
too bad I am in La Crosse right now… I LOVE asparagus! Lisa
Well, have I got the guy for you to talk to then- and a few new recipes as well! 🙂
I like asparagus. Wish I was closer.
Me too, we have a really big pot of soup that we need help finishing!
Jessie, you are hilarious, and this is so true! My assparagus! Awesome! I’m kind a with your kids on this one…lucky chickens!
Not sure if anyone had caught that 🙂 I used to be with the kids until my husband grilled me super fresh stuff. I’m a convert now!
That’s a lot of asparagus! I love it grilled!
Me too, of all the ways that’s still my favorite!
Don’t forget to make scrambled eggs with asparagus and swiss cheese on top. My Favorite. When I went to Germany years ago it happened that it was during asparagus season. Everywhere you went the restaurants would have so many dishes just honoring the asparagus. By the time I left it was strawberry season — need I say more?
That sounds good, we’ll have to try that. Strawberry season and you didn’t just throw your plane ticket out the window? That’s some good will power! 🙂
I’m a huge asparagus fan so this post made me smile (and I’m totally trying it with eggs now…).
As for kids? My 4-year-old’s food choices mainly come down to colour at the moment. She’ll eat anything pink – which has some odd benefits – for instance when we go out for sushi she happily eats salmon sushi!
We finally got her to eat pizza last night. I find it odd that was even a battle. Sushi? Sure! Pizza? Uh uh. Something to do with the yucky red sauce … I even pondered for a while how I might pink it up 🙂
Pink food? We’ve not done that yet here, in fact we recently had coleslaw that I tried to pass off as fabulous because it was pink and they totally didn’t buy it. I also love the asparagus in fritattas, but I’ve got to try the scrambled egg and swiss cheese thing next.
I tried asparagus once and didn’t like it. They were too bitter for me to like it. Not sure if my mother prepared them the wrong way or if the batch was old but it’s something I can live without eating it. Maybe I will give it a go again, once my memory of bad taste fades from my mind!
Bad, asparagus I’d say. Don’t try it again unless it’s super fresh (as in never from the grocery store if you can possibly help it) and just barely cooked!
[…] a post on Behind the Willows made me think about the way I make asparagus. It’s asparagus season in Northern Italy now, and […]
I know who to call for an asparagus recipe now. We currently have kale coming out of our ears and I am learning all about what to do with it, Fun post;)
Funny how we never plan what to do with a giant pile of veggies until it’s overtaking the house and needing to be eaten.. now! 🙂
Hilarious. 10 lbs of chocolate? Now I could get into that. 🙂 I agree, my kids have been forced to try things that they so obviously hate, but when gagging ensues, forget it. Thanks for linking up! Off to tweet this out now!
10lb’s of chocolate and I wouldn’t be trying to get my kids to eat it! 🙂
Sweet and funny observation…as always! I love your writing.
Thanks Patty! 🙂
My 9 month old and my chickens LOVE asparagus! The only thing they both love more than asparagus is watermelon and strawberries.
Oh my chickens love watermelon too, I’d be willing to be that it’s their favorite. Nothing left but a paper thin rind when they are done with it.
1. You have an asparagus guy. I’d love to have other classifications of guys. For instance, a root beer guy. Or a vanilla wafers guy. Even a beef jerky guy.
2. The thought of you conjuring up ways to prepare asparagus? Reminded me of Bubba on “Forrest Gump.” Instead of baked shrimp, broiled shrimp, grilled shrimp … it’s baked asparagus, broiled asparagus, grilled asparagus … ”
3. What’d the chickens think of it?
*-So glad Manic Monday brought me here again.
Wait, you don’t have “guys” how do you get the good stuff? To be honest it is my husband who collects “guys” he’s got…
the asparagus guy
the strawberry lady
the apple guy (or he did until we moved to our own orchard)
the HVAC guy
the car guy (who is usually just shorted to “my guy” because we have a lot of mechanic needs with our old vehicles)
I’m sure there are more but those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head!
Chickens like it so long as it’s cooked, they aren’t a fan of the tough ends you snap off… but who is?
Thanks for coming by again! 🙂
Maybe it’s an ethnic thing. What’s his heritage? Or maybe it’s regional. I just don’t have enough go-to guys and go-to ladies in my life. Maybe I should write about this.
I used to have a lottery ticket girl when we lived in Florida. But I’m pretty gracious in that title. I bought only from her, on Saturday mornings, because I’d twice won $5.
Haha! I was laughing so hard 🙂 I do the same thing as your husband. My pantry has basically nothing but Spaghetti sauce in it. It’s just so versatile and easy and ALWAYS on sale. Somehow, I’m suckered into buying in bulk every time.
I’m trying really hard to like asparagus. It looks/sounds so good to me, but it never tastes as good as I expect. I’d love to hear some of the recipes you tried with your 20 pounds this week! I think I’m on try 7/10 so we’ll see if the old adage is true soon enough!
Well at least you are filling the pantry with non-perishables, that’s way better than filling the fridge with bulk deals!
My favorite way to cook it is to make John grill it (because I suck at the grill) we coat it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and some kosher salt and then cook it over direct heat for only about 2 min/side so it’s still a bit crisp. That’s what got me to like it.
I also really liked the pizza I made in the picture. It’s got asparagus (just tips and skinny ones that would cook quickly) sun dried tomatoes and green garlic on it. Don’t tell but I made three of them last week! 🙂