This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

Chapter one

We’re back to Kristen as a toddler for the beginning of this one. Always willing to try new foods, Kristen was the ideal child for a first-time mom. When it came time for finger foods, she began to share some negative opinions. Oh, she gobbled up those fat and salt laden vienna sausages, crunched her way through grilled cheese sandwich fingers and consumed countless boxes of Cheerios.

In time, it occurred to me that her diet was pretty fat-centric and needed some vegetable additions so when I spotted a can of Veg-All in the grocery store I snapped it up. All those vegetables in one can. It couldn’t be better. I brought this wonder food home and put it on the shelf right next to those tasty vienna sausages. We were working on the creation of a gourmet toddler meal.

At lunch the following day i put a small bowl of Veg-All on the highchair tray and watched with maternal glee as Kristen picked up a cube of carrot and gobbled it up. Then she ate a a pea and a piece of celery. One by one she was working her way through the whole vegetable selection.

I stood by thinking – “vegetable problem solved”. Then, as I watched, she wrapped her chubby fingers around the bowl, held it out at arm’s length and dumped the remaining Veg-All on the floor.

My quick fix vegetable plan was a failure but Kristen had established her bent for food criticism at a very early age.

Please stay tuned for further adventures of Kristen, The Food Critic.