At dinner tonight, the kids didn’t want to eat their green beans. Admittedly they weren’t the best beans, they were from one of those microwave steam packs that seem to work great with corn but not so great with other vegetables. Still, it was either that or having nothing with our Orange Chicken (Trader Joes!) and rice, and I couldn’t abide the idea of Meat and Starch for dinner. Let’s have some real nutrition.

Miles tried his, and rejected them. Beth tore a bean in half and munched, eyes upward, thinking carefully. After a few moments I said, “What do you think?”

“It doesn’t taste good,” she replied.

Greg looked at her seriously, and said, “Does it taste like dirt, or grass?”

Beth was perplexed at the question, and I imagine my laughter as well.