Okra

There are times when I know that a vegetable isn’t going to go over well, and I employ brute force tactics. My kids’ have recently become obsessed with the movie Ghostbusters, and I figured gooey Okra, gooey, ghosts, maybe that reference will get them to try this bizarre and sticky vegetable. No dice. But popcorn? Sometimes the greatest tricks come from the kids themselves…

ME: Guys, look at this. You know what this is called? It’s called Ghostbuster food. Who wants to break it open?

SAM: Me.

ME: What do you think is inside?

SAM: Seeds.

ME: Yeah?  Do you think Ghostbuster goo is in there?  Break it right open. Is there goo  inside?

SAM: Yeah.

LAUREN: I want to try!

ME: Ok.  Here you go. Is there goo inside?

LAUREN: No.

ME: What? There’s no goo inside?

LAUREN: Whoa, look at this!

ME: Yeah!  You found the goo right? You can touch it.

LAUREN: Eew.

ME: Yeah!  That is why I’m calling it this our Ghostbuster’s vegetable.  Do you know what it’s really called?

LAUREN: What?

ME: It’s called Okra.

LAUREN: Eew.

ME: Yeah, It’s all slimy inside.  Emma, do you want to see the inside?

SAM: Look.  Watch this.

ME: What? 

SAM: I’m going to eat it!

EMMA: Ewwww.

SAM: Just kidding.

ME: It’s gooey, that’s right. Look at that big long string of goo between the two of them.

EMMA: Ewww.

ME: It’s like a ghost got in here. Um, who wants to smell it?  What does it smell like Emma?

EMMA: Um, watermelon.

LAUREN: Is this what we’re having for dinner tonight?!

ME: Yeah.  What do you think it tastes like?

LAUREN:  (Takes a bite) Um Hum.

EMMA: I don’t want it.

LAUREN: Really gooey.

ME: No, it doesn’t taste gooey.

LAUREN: When I opened my mouth, I was like—well, it was really sticky.

ME: Yeah?

LAUREN: And then I was like—this is like a Ghostbuster. And it tastes like popcorn.

ME: How cool. And Emma, you know how earlier you were saying that you wanted to eat popcorn tonight?  Do you guys think it tastes like popcorn?

SAM: I don’t know.

LAUREN: Do you eat it raw?

ME: Um, I don’t know if you can eat it raw.  Maybe.  I doubt most people eat it raw.  You could pickle it though. Sam?  I know that you love green vegetables.  Try one and tell me if it tastes like all the other green vegetables.

SAM: (shakes his head no)

ME: You don’t want to try your Ghostbuster vegetable?  I got it especially for you thinking that you would love it.

SAM: (shakes his head no)

ME: You guys are going to let me have all of it? Even when it tastes like popcorn?

EMMA: (nods her head yes)

LAUREN: Look.  Look! So when you cut it in half I think it looks like a circus tent.

ME: That is such a good description.  It looks exactly like a circus tent with the circles.

ME: Sam, does it make a crunching noise when you crunch the circus tent in your mouth?

SAM:  Yeah.  A little bit. But I’m just going to eat this (the seeds).

ME: So who wants more okra?

SAM: Just the seeds.

ME: Sam’s  eating it just like popcorn.

LAURNE: I’m taking out the seeds too.

ME: Should we get this Ghostbuster’s vegetable again?

SAM and LAUREN: It’s popcorn.