Just Beet It

Lyle is very proud of his vegetable garden. And he should be. We've had a plentiful harvest and have all enjoyed the fruits of his labors. However, we differ in our opinion on beets. Why anyone would go through the time and effort to grow a beet is beyond me. And not only does Lyle grow them, he pickles them for long-lasting beety goodness. Sadly, until last night, no one shared his taste, so he was rather lonely in his beet consumption.





And then Maya showed her true colors (fuschia apparently) as a beet lover! Lyle is tickled pink (no pun intended) that there is someone who appreciates his beet efforts! Of course, as I've previously mentioned, Maya is the world's messiest eater, so the meal ended with stained plate, table, bib, and floor.




Not to mention one very stained toddler! (By the way, this is the new picture face. I call it the "I'll Show You Every Single One Of My Teeth" picture face.)

We all quickly vacated the premises to let Lyle clean up his beety friend. We were of the opinion that if you can't take the beet, get out of the kitchen, and that's exactly what we did.
Lyle stripped down Qiu and carried her at arm's length to the bathtub. (Notice once again, the new picture face. When I see this particular smile it makes me think of future ortho visits--she's a dedicated thumb-sucker!)

Lyle is just sure there are others out there who will read this post with watering mouths just dying for a nibble of those beets. So, if you happen to be that person, here's Lyle's recipe for pickled beets: (Actually it's Bea's recipe on Allrecipes.com--rated 4 1/2 stars of beet ecstacy):

2 1/2 cups canned beets
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Whole Cloves
3 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 C beet juice (saved from steamed beets)
1 sliced onion
Heat all ingredients except beets to boiling. Pour over beets, chill, and enjoy!