please welcome guest poster: tara gentile, scoutie girl

do you eat broccoli rabe? i didn’t until about a month ago. since i went vegetarian, i’ve been trying new vegetables like, well, a vegetarian! i was going to say crazy person – same difference.

also up until about a month ago, my 20 month old only had 4 teeth. she sat, crawled, walked, talked on time – but her teeth were stubborn.

trust me, this is related.

she’s always been a good eater but was always limited to foods of very soft texture because of the lack of munchers. coincidentally, she started getting her molars when i started buying broccoli rabe. one night at dinner, she pointed at the bitter, garlicy, vinegary broccoli robe sitting on my plate and demanded a taste.

then another taste. then a bite. until, over the course of a week, she decided it was one of the best foods ever.

i looked at my husband and exclaimed, “i’m not even sure i like this yet… how does she like it?”

i’ve always been one of those people who wanted to take my fingers and give a good flick to a parent who sad, “oh honey, you won’t like this [insert adult food here].” how do you know? what if they do like it?

if they don’t give it a chance, the parents not only put into the child’s mind that the food doesn’t taste good. they’ve given him the idea that trying new things isn’t fun or exciting.

i think new things – strange things – different things are horribly exciting. in fact, i pretty live every day for something new! not surprisingly, i get bored easily.

this mindset keeps me learning new things, reaching new goals, and always pushing forward. i’m never content with the status quo.

likewise, this “lesson” doesn’t just apply to toddler-types.

what signals are you sending out into the world right now? are you telling the universe (or your customers, your friends, your colleagues) that you’re ready for something new and exciting? or have you put up a wall that tells everyone “oh i won’t like that so don’t even try?”

i really hope you make the choice to day to give something new a try! and maybe make some broccoli rabe for dinner tonight, too.

tara gentile is the editor of scoutie girl, the blog with a penchant for the passionately handmade. she’s teaching an ecourse in may on learning to tell your story online.

[images: fresh broccoli photograph by honeyandjamphotos, red matzo bowl by atelierbb, and

wrap up: {broccoli} {guest post} {rabe} {scoutie girl}