Never too young to start!

I must take a moment to brag…. I’m so proud of my family!

My teenage nieces have been practicing their cooking lately, and they are already light-years ahead of where I was at their age. Actually, they are light-years ahead of where I was 3 years ago.

My oldest niece has been mentioning a desire to learn how to cook, and I’ve been mentioning a desire for her to learn to like vegetables (a lifelong strong dislike of hers). So for Christmas, I gave her a cookbook that has recipes (some more healthy than others) that use fresh ingredients. No processed yucky stuff. Real foods & whole ingredients. THEN I created the gift that keeps on giving… I designed a blog for her and presented the following challenge:

Merry Christmas Christina!
Here is the challenge… learn to cook what’s good for you, and try to learn to like the foods you make! I’m supplying you with a booklet of recipes & cooking tips & tricks to get you started, and will be happy to continue sharing more along the journey.
Blog here about your experience. Take photos of the process. And have fun!
Love your Veggie Loving Aunt
PS… keep cheating to a minimum. Processed foods, TV dinners, and microwaves don’t count.

Her blog is called: Reluctant Veggie Girl. I’m quite fond of that name, actually…. Considering her childhood (& sometimes beyond) tendency for veggies to initiate her gag reflex, I thought it very appropriate.

I’m so proud, she’s been making some progress!!! Every attempted meal counts! She managed to tackle Orange Molasses Sticky Pork with String Beans, and even enjoyed the finished product. Sans gag-reflex.

I had the honor of being with her & her sister as they attempted their first recipe together over Christmas: Breakfast Crepes with Fresh Blueberry Syrup. …I know, no veggies in that, BUT I made sure we used organic ingredients and stayed clear of bleached flours. SO, for a breakfast crepe & blueberry syrup, it was as healthy as it could be! And they turned out BEAUTIFULLY – with zero help from me in the cooking process.