Hmmm, salad or cake?

I know y'all will absolutely hate me for this post, but I honestly put this out with good intent.
Okay, so I have a daughter who is addicted to salad, and can live on it. I also have a son who could live on cake and lollies and would be right at home in Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory.
How does one raise two entirely different taste buds? I'm sure many parents would identify with this.
I'm big on health, if u haven't already noticed, i read labels all the time. I censor everything that comes in the door. Basically, i try to make sure that if i don't want the kids to eat it, its simply NOT available at home. Generally, you won't find much in this house made of white flour, preservative and food coloring.
Personally, I absolutely LOVE fruits and green veges, and crave them, and gag on overly sweet things. Hubby on the other hand craves the sweets and has a very glum look on his face when presented with the 'must eat veges'. So what's the effect on the kiddos? Genetically, I believe they've received different tendencies towards foods. That really can't be helped. But as for training, I think exposure and conditioning have had some impact. They both eat what we eat at meal times, they both love all fruits and enjoy them, and they both eat most vegetables. So the bottom line is - even if your kids are born with 'chocolate genes', what we DO (not say) and eat plays a big part, and limiting choices can be quite helpful.

Fruitopia

If there's one thing i'll miss about life in tropical oz, its the FRUITS!!! I'm a fruit freak, and mangoes and pineapples top my list of all-time favourites, due in no small part to growing up with them. These are the real deal, not the gassed, tasteless, flavoureless stuff sold in supermarkets. So here's my tribute to my good friends from the plant kingdom, who knows when we'll meet again....

Meet the Papaya (paw-paw) - entire books have been written about the health benefits of this fruit, and especially the seeds. A slice before breakfast, and my system is sorted for the day. They're even better than prunes and pears for you know what...

The green prickly strange looking thing is a fruit called sour sop. It's just that, sour and sweet, creamy white juice with an aromatic tropical flavour. This is the first time in years that i've had sour sop, and as with many of these tropical fruits, its as much about the childhood memories they evoke. I remember my parents getting the juice (can't think how) and freezing it - voila healthy troppo icecream! Turns pink when cooked. Just thought you needed that bit of useful info. Getting carried away here...

Bucket of mangoes from the local market - $6!! Juicy, you can smell them as you walk in the kitchen. The kids have been feasting on about 4 each a day, more if i let them. They grow all over Mackay, dropping onto the street, locals not interested. These are not a sought after variety as they are a bit fibrous.














Lady finger bananas, as they are sometimes called. Tiny, sour sweet and light.

Well, as i sit here avoiding the endless cleanup job and watch baby frogs hopping around the room, thanks to the storm we just had, here's a warm invitation to keep Queensland on your list of places to check out sometime!