Mmmm . . . seaweed!!

We, like many American families, live paycheck to paycheck. Generally speaking, the last few days before my husband gets paid again are 'lean' days in our household. So to be blunt, we're broke. This past paycheck we had more than the usual bills to pay so the pantry and fridge have been pretty bare the last couple of days. So what's a girl to do? Scrounge around in each location to find the hidden treasure that lies beneath, er, inside. Last night I fixed a supper that would've made my memaw proud: turnip greens with bacon, fried okra, pickled beets, and homemade biscuits. I was so proud of myself for finding such good fare when I originally thought things looked pretty bleak. I set the table with some of our nicer dishes, laid out the food, and stood back to admire how 'good I done'. I will admit to being a little nervous. My children do eat fairly well, but sadly, they are used to chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza and the like. However, they will usually scarf anything that is put in front of them. I called the kids to the table and they all took their usual seats. The older kids looked at some of the dishes and asked the usual questions of 'what is that', 'have we had that before', and 'why don't you fix biscuits more often?'. I was contentedly filling everyone's plates (feeling quite proud of myself), when above the usual din the four year old pipes up, points to the turnip greens, and says, "Mmmmm . . . SEAWEED!!" You could've heard a pin drop. I was sitting there with my mouth open and my fork in mid-air. Then the dining room exploded in laughter. The older kids and I were laughing so hard our sides ached. Through it all, the four year old sat in her chair looking quite confused at how we all found this so humorous. When things calmed down, I said, "No honey, those are turnip greens." She looked completely astonished at me. "Well, then, I don't want any." Her older brother pointed out that she seemed excited about it only moments ago. Her reply? "THAT was because I wanted SEAWEED." Okay, okay, so what I did next may not have been the right thing, but I couldn't help it. "Wait a minute. Let me check the label on the can again." So I did. And I fibbed. And I glared at the older children not to breathe a WORD. And we all happily ate our seaweed and called it a day.