“No Thank You” Bite
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:00AM 
Several months ago I was at a dinner party at a loud restaurant with business associates when amongst the chatter, laughter and clamor of raucous conversation, I heard a husband quietly taking care of family business with his wife, “The boys did a good job with dinner tonight,” he said quietly, “except for Timmy who took a ‘no thank you’ bite and passed.”
I wondered what a “no thank you” bite could possibly be. So thanks to the Cronan family from Folsom, the Hunter boys now take no thank you bites whenever they turn up their noses at something. A no thank you bite is a simple but brilliant way to get your kids to at least try everything they’re served. If they take a bite and still don’t like it, then they don’t have to eat it. But our experience is that at least half the time our boys change their mind from no to yes after the no thank bite rule is enforced.
Imagine, half the time your kids say no to something delicious and nutritious, then actually end up eating it? Those are good odds. So what happens when they take a bite and say, no thank you? We usually supplement with other things being served that meal or pull leftovers from the fridge. Whatever you do, don’t make the replacement something that’s perceived as a treat, cause if your kids are like ours, they’ll use the no thank you bite as a way of eating grilled cheese sandwiches every day.
For this recipe, the no thank you bite was actually a sip, and if you’re wondering…both boys opted out, but still got their first taste of the holidays!
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Holiday Eggnog
10 pasteurized eggs, separated (pasteurized shell eggs are available in most stores)
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups cold heavy cream
2 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup brandy (optional)
1 drop yellow food coloring
Beat the egg whites and sugar together with a whisk or an electric mixer until they're thick and foamy.
Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl until they're well combined. Gently fold the egg whites and the yolks together.
Beat the heavy cream with a whisk or an electric mixer until it has doubled in size. Slowly add the egg mixture to the cream and gently fold together. Add the milk and nutmeg, and divide the eggnog into two containers with tight-fitting lids, one for the children and one for the adults.
For the grown-up version, add brandy to taste, a little at a time, until it tastes just right.
Makes 12 to 14 servings
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