Green Beans

'Daddy!  I want Something!'

Something?

So starts the guessing game.

'What is it you want, Alex?'

'You know, Daddy, Something!'

I wasn't off to a good start.

'Would this Something be a toy?' I ventured.

'No Daddy... SOMETHING!'

Well, if Something wasn't a toy, that narrowed the field down from the millions of items on the Amazon web site to just three: tender loving care, clothes or food.

'Are you cold, Alex, do you want a pullover?'

'No Daddy, I want Something.'

Would this Something be food, Alex, are you hungry?'

'Yes Daddy, I hungry!'

'But you have just eaten pancakes with lemon juice and honey!'

'I still hungry Daddy, I want Something!'

'OK, Son,' I said, 'pull open the fridge door and see if you can find Something,'

He rooted around in the fridge and came out with a yoghurt.

'Yoghurt!  Is that Something?'

'No,' he said as he switched his attention to the contents of the freezer.

'This!' he exclaimed as he held up a bag of frozen green beans, 'this Something!'

Any parent will know just how hard it is to get kids to eat the greens they need.  I was off my chair in a flash.

'You want me to rustle up a plate of green beans for you?'

'Yes Daddy, pleeeze'

Five minutes later the salted water in the pan was boiling and I tipped in a generous portion of green beans.  Ten minutes after his initial request I was placing a steaming bowl of green beans in front of him along with the necessary eating irons.

He opened his yoghurt (he likes to do that by himself now) and tipped the contents over the beans.  Now this surprised me but I had the good sense to stay stumm.  With his eyes glued to the TV, he spooned the lot down his throat.

I can't see me putting boiled green beans with yoghurt on the restaurant menu but you can't deny, it is bloody healthy!