Don't Beet Around the Bush
Last Friday I went on a field trip to an Appalachian Festival with Ollie’s 4th grade class. This was quite the boon since the last time I was allowed to chaperone, I drove two other “fun moms” and we got separated from the bus (I don’t think it was my idea to stop at Starbucks, but my memory is fuzzy). We missed the exit and were late arriving at the Red Wolf Sanctuary. Ever since then, I’ve not been selected, while other parents were chosen for multiple trips. I was certain I had been blackballed from field trips, along with my partners in crime.
Last week was the kickoff of my new eating and exercise habits, so I was struggling to find an appropriate lunch. As Ollie and I were prepping for our excursion, he rolled his tween eyeballs as I settled on a lunch that would make any 74 year old man proud—a packet of tuna, 2 hard boiled eggs and beets. I LOVE beets so I was pretty stoked about my old geezer lunch as I packed it into a gallon sized plastic bag with my name written in sharpie, just like Mrs Guidugli requested.
It was a rainy morning, so I spent most of it trying to keep the three boys in my charge from getting soaked to the bone. Answering questions, avoiding puddles and making sure they were not breaking anything was enough to make me wish I had brought my flask. I struggled to pay attention to the wool spinning demonstration as my mind drifted to the Igloo that held my ziplock bag with the beets.
The rain let up a bit and it was time to meet the class at the picnic area. I may have knocked over three girls while rifling through the coolers to find my prized ziplock bag. The boys and I settled in a dry patch under a shelter. As I peeled my hard boiled egg (fresh from Linda Braun’s chickens), I watched everyone pull cold cut sandwiches, Lunchables and Doritos out of their bags. For a split second, I felt like the dorky kid who can never score a lunch trade, but then I remembered my beets and I didn’t care.
I enjoyed every bite of my healthy lunch and I shared my joy with the other moms. One mom in particular, we’ll call her Cary Bleuderalbert to protect her anonymity, was intrigued by my beets and wanted to know where I got them. I enthusiastically shared all the details about where to find them in our local Kroger (they’re above the baby carrots). I also joked that I eat them fairly regularly, but I still manage to be shocked by the results of beet consumption every single time.
The field trip wrapped up nicely. Even with 40+ kids who bought weapons as souvenirs, there was no loss of life or limb. My car of “fun moms” may or may not have made a beverage pit stop on the way back to school. The field trip was a success and I hope to remain in the good graces of the chaperone selection committee.
Why am I sharing this beet-filled story? I’ll tell you…
I love beets and think you should too. The Love Beets brand you can purchase at Kroger are DELICIOUS. I think I can safely say Cary Bleuderalbert agrees.
Speaking of Cary…this morning I was at my desk thinking about the beets I had in my lunch bag when I received a text. Let the following exchange be your WARNING—Enjoy the beets, but be prepared for whatever outcome they might produce.
