Stahlke Adoption

Seasonings

When we lived overseas and then returned to the United States, Jonathan and I noticed immediately that many American foods and drinks are quite sweet. In fact, in the mid-1990s when we returned to the U.S., it was difficult to find non-sweet drinks in convenience stores unless you chose coffee.

When our kids first came, they would beg for fruit or chips instead of cake or cookies. "Mom, it's too sweet!" And peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches have taken years to catch on with them. I feel a little guilty changing their healthy habits!

But their taste for salt rivals our craving of sugar! At the dinner table, we've relinquished the salt shaker very reluctantly. But this morning, I allowed Sarah to salt her own eggs. To my dismay, she quickly shook the salt shaker three times, not once. I immediately traded plates with her, and when she complained loudly, she earned a timeout.

Sarah's eggs were so gritty with salt that I could hardly eat them. Now I understand a phrase that the kids have used since they came, which is probably a direct translation from Ukrainian:

"Mom, this food needs more salt! Will you let me have some more? I can't FEEL the salt!!"

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:45 AM