Current Food Policy and Translation

Originally Posted 7/19/07
Our house is not a democracy. It's more like a dual-dictatorship. We are also running a one-income homeschool program. This affects our policy on food. In other words, nothing gets wasted. At least, that's the goal.
Here's how it works. I cook a mostly nutritious meal, which causes one or more of the children to say either, "I don't like this.," or "I'm not hungry right now." Translation-this food is not hot dog, mac & cheese, or chicken nugget.
To this I reply, "Eat it now, or eat it later. It doesn't make any difference to me." Translation-eat it now, in its current form, or eat it later in the week, cooked into something else. P.S.-no dessert if you don't eat it.
Another illustration-today, Hannah was walking through the kitchen as I was cleaning out the fridge. This always frightens the children, as they are sure that I will take what I find there and cook it into a casserole or soup-like substance.
I had beside me a plate of meat scraps, that I was planning to feed to the dogs. Hannah said, "What's that?", quickly followed by, "Are you throwing it away?" Translation-please, please tell me you're throwing it away and not making it into something we will have to eat later.
As a whole, they are continually lobbying for a diet that includes more soda, fries and Happy Meal toys. However, we feel that in the interest of nutrition and finances, the current policy stands.
Lord help us if they ever decide to form a union. I don't know if I have the negotiating skills to fight the Teamsters.