Thursday, July 31, 2008

The dreaded - or loved - tuna fish casserole

One of the only meals my mom would make as a kid and be assured I would clean my plate was tuna fish casserole. Easy... boil some noodles and drain. Add a can of tuna, a can of cream style corn, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Season with Morton's Natures Seasoning (yes, it HAS to be this... I bought Morton's simply to have for my tuna casserole). Pop it in a dish, top with shredded cheddar and bake. Easy.

And delicious. I used to eat it all the time.

Emphasis on "used".

See my husband hates it. Hates it. Hates it. Hates it.

He is a lost cause I have given up on.

My son though, I always thought I could mold into a tuna fish casserole lover.

Tonight when I got home AB said to me, "did you remember I was going to the pub tonight with work people?"

No, I didn't remember since he hadn't reminded me over the last week. But I shoo'd him out the door after a quick visit with the neighbors. These rare occasions that AB goes out are my opportunity to mold my young son's mind.

I quickly pulled the ingredients off the shelves and got to work.

I came up with a plan while cooking. I called it "macaroni and cheese with corn". Afterall it was topped with cheese. And he likes corn.

I served Leif up making sure he got a good amount of cheese on his.

I sat on pins and needles as I chowed the yummy goodness, savoring every morsel.

"What is this?" he asks skeptically.

"It's macaroni and cheese with corn," I said. It sorta is.

"It isn't Spiderman macaroni and cheese," he says. (Thanks to N for forever hooking Leif on Spiderman mac and cheese - we can't just have regular mac and cheese anymore.)

"No, it's homemade, I made it," I said.

He picked up a bite and ate it. I noted he got a cheesy bite. He drank a drink of juice.

One bite down! Optimism was setting in!

He picked up another more "saucy" bite.

His face turned, the shell was spewed across the table and the whining ensued, "I don't like this!"

How many times exactly are you supposed to try a new food before declaring a dislike?

Meanwhile, my daughter has aligned with me. She ate all of hers. I knew she was the good one.

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