Matters of Texture

Tonight I told the Toads that if they tried everything on their dinner plate, we could make brownies for dessert. Superkid has a storied past of skipping dessert in the name of protecting the delicate sensibilities of his taste buds. But with peppermint candy ice cream in the fridge, I got his number. I didn't want to drag it out, so I mounted a small scoop of mashed potatoes on his fork and told him he better eat it before I got to the number 10 or we weren't making dessert. I was 90% sure there would be no dessert. His eyes grew as large as silver dollars, he held his breath, closed his eyes and before I could say the number one, he jammed the fork in his mouth and gagged, involuntarily. Shocked that he actually tried the bite, I handed him a glass of water to help wash it down. His eyes got bigger and he actually turned green. His mouth sagged and mashed potato goop clung to the sides of his mouth. He retreated within himself. It was like he was trying not to touch what was actually inside him.
Then it all came right back up.
Splat! Mashed potatoes all over the kitchen table.

Pops took Abz and Superkid to KFC yesterday for lunch. Superkid is a major fan. Perplexed, Pops asked the kids how they could LOVE chicken nuggets and chicken strips but not the chicken cordon bleu we had for dinner the night before. Superkid said, "Dad, sometimes I just don't understand myself."

I think I've got it Superkid. If it is creamy and smooth, bottoms up!
If it is gritty and and course, take cover!