I think we're doing ok...?

Good for Bean! In more ways than one as well.

I had to laugh yesterday. We were schlepping round Asda and there was a wee chap in a trolley happily munching a whole lemon. Every adult who saw pulled sour lemon faces, but he was evidently enjoying his citrus!

Jules

It's good to know Young'un is getting his 5 a day

Good for you Bean and your mummy and daddy are doing very well too

When I was little (a million years ago) I hated cooked veg so my mum "allowed" me to eat it raw. I still prefer raw veg to cooked.

The Kid's not normal!

My friend's son was the same Scarey and his favourites were and still are, raw sprouts. Couldn't have tricked him on Halloween Night then!

Bean will be able to teach his friends about veg, there aren't many small children who would recognise them like he does!

Little Munch is very much the same, she prefers veg and fruit to sweets and is great at identifying them.

However I am a little concerned that one day she will be asked what to do with a beetroot and she will insist you make chocolate cake with it!

Oh and when asked where eggs come from..... "the shed in the garden"..... of course!

I am totally with you Wayne, makes you feel really proud that you kids are growing up good!

I do know some little girls that have been bought up to call their 'down below bits'........ plums! slightly concerned about how their veg a fruit lesson at school may go!

I have a video of Bean at about 9 months tucking in to the lemon from his mummy's lemonade. He loved it!

We've always introduced him to new foods, and he's always been keen to try. He gummed on pieces of pepper, celery, cucumber, carrot, apple and so on when he was teething. It just got him used to different flavours and textures from a young age. We put pieces of soft fruit into one of these: Amazon.com: Munchkin 2 Pack Fresh Food Feeder, Colors May Vary: Baby - he loves fruit even now.

He always wants to try whatever we're chopping/preparing - "what's that?" being his favourite phrase.

However - it does have drawbacks...

We were at the pub on Friday evening, and I ordered my usual "Vesuvio" pizza. The reason for the name is hopefully apparent. Bean had his lamb koftas, pitta and salad, but seeing mine he asked if he could have a pepper. We said no, but he persisted - so, being the encouraging parent I am, I said ok - and thought he'd have a little taste. Alas no, he bit it and then all hell broke loose. He and I bolted to the toilets as he started to cough and was about to vom. I took some of the garlic bread pizza with me to try and sooth, but his cries were heard by the whole pub (they knew what had happened). He eventually stopped screaming and I took him back to our seat where the kind landlord had provided us with a bar of DairyMilk to help soothe (and it did the trick beautifully if anyone is interested). He calmed down and all was well with the world again. I finished my pizza, and he tucked into chips and bread.

Here's what he tried: http://twitpic.com/7740on One of the birdseye ones.

Be warned. I felt horrible afterwards and it had nothing to do with the chillies in my belly.

You're a sick dude.

Make the most of it, my DD was the same when younger, now everything that is put in front of her is questioned, whats that....I don't like it.

You haven't tried it............I don't like it. Don't make me eat it, I don't want it..... I won't eat it....waaah.

Oh the joys of being a parent, last night singapore noodles got short shift, and swapped for plain old rice peas and sweetcorn.

I still wouldn't have given her a birdseye chilli though!!

We always offer a soothing piece of white chocolate to those souls who try our Chilli chocolate flavours and find it too much (always too hot for some and not hot enough for others ) but for those who have pigged out on the free samples - gone right along the row of 20+ sample plates scoffing heartily - there is no offer of rescue after they've troughed a huge lump of chilli filled chocolate from the last plate!

Very nice of the pub landlord to offer the chocolate. Anything dairy will help alleviate chilli burn.

Jules

In my defence, a few weeks prior he licked one and decided he didn't like it, but a quick mouthful of bread sorted him that time. I expected another lick, not a ruddy great bite.

He'll know for next time (I hope).

Oh, I forgot to mention that I was munching on some jarred cockles. I heard the "what's that daddy?" - I replied "cockles". "Cockles? Can I have one please?"

*chews*

"Bleaurgh!"

"What do you think buddy? Good?"

"No. Not good"

I'm with him on that one, cockles bleugh, and they are particularly good round here with laverbread so I'm told.

Oh and he's a boy, we very rarely learn.

I think I have bred in chilli and spice to my kids! My 10 year old will eat all kinds of chillis raw challenges us, and Little Munch love a good ol Chilli-con-cane made with fresh scotch bonnets!

I must add at this point I have tried eating a raw scotch bonnet........... yes under the influence......... yes very stupid.......... and NO - DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

On the sea food front, this is my middle'en loving hers.....

My Grandkids eat me out of cherry tomatos whenever they visit- Never ask for sweets, just "Have you got some of your tomatos Granddad?" Glad to let them have as many as they like, and being on the "Frugal" side it suits me that way as well LOL