From Bad Fruit to Smoothie Sailing

It is inevitable that the bunch of bananas that looked like just enough at the store are left on the counter by the family untouched. I see the brown spots begin and I know its a rush to eat 'em, but then we're going out of town this next weekend. I face those bananas (and maybe the leftover fruit at the bottom of my crisper) with dread. I feel like a failure as a healthy mom since Nature's good foods just sit and rot. I'm supposed to think of great ways to encourage them to eat & enjoy these foods, so what went wrong?

I searched my brain and found I'd been inventive, creative, encouraging and healthy. The mashed potatoes on the Shepherd's Pie have cauliflower in them, the beef stroganoff is over high fiber noodles with low-fat sour cream, and there are more veggies at every meal than meats/starches. I've kept my fruits seasonal, local, and listened to what the family wanted to see in that little wooden bowl. I'd done everything right - we just had too much fruit. The lesson for me here is that its not always that I've failed, but that I've succeeded too well in providing available and easy foods that are healthy.

Often I assume there's some clue I don't have in making things work, but the reality is that I'm assuming a lack in myself rather than a simple state of being. I've got fruit going bad. If I start with just that thought, then my mind quickly jumps to "what can we do with it" rather than the self-defeating "I've messed up" thoughts that begin when I see the fruit as my fault.

So what did I do? I peeled the bananas and cut them into thick slices which were frozen individually on a piece of waxed paper. When they were solid I put them in a freezer bag labeled and dated. The last of the strawberries and some blueberries I found on super sale also went the wax paper / freezer route. These will make fabulous smoothies for my son and I after a hard day of home schooling and we can talk about frugal living and nutrition while we do it.

The obstacles to the smoothies were all in my attitude of martyrdom and personal lack of confidence. A deep breath and a fresh look at the not-so-fresh fruit gave me a chance to take a different approach, make a different choice on how this little event impacts my day.