Peanuts Begins by Charles Schulz for March 05, 2016

So Charlie no wanna eat his vegetables in the stew?

I’ve seen this gag so often on much-later TV comedies…wonder if Schulz came up with it first.

Can’t blame him. I hated it when there was beef stew for dinner at my boarding school.

And sometimes Charlie Brown is a bit of a jerk.

My mom made a terrible stew, but it was the way she liked it. She ate most of it.

Wow, tough choice. I like both. Pork chops sounds good though….

This happened in real life at my house in 1959. That particular friend was no longer invited over to play. Even at the tender age of under-10, I was keenly aware that this was a dick move.

I accepted an invitation to stay over once, and THEN asked what they were having: fish, which I did not care for at all. I was properly reared: I ate it, praised it, and politely declined seconds.I frequently tell this tale when hosting my extraordinarily picky grandnieces; they know it by heart, but the moral hasn’t sunk in yet.

First, I would call my Mother to ask for permission to eat at a friends house. Second, I would ask my Mother what She wasgoing to make for dinner. I would pick the dinner I liked best.If it was not the friends dinner, I would say my Mother wants me to come home, so I can’t stay. Maybe some other time!

True, can never tell what folks like. And their tastes may change. Can remember going into the 2nd grade my mom said my favorite vegetable was eggplant. I didn’t remember ever trying it but if she claimed that I thought it must be true. Then a couple years later we had some eggplant and I was thinking “Oh boy, my favorite” until I actually tried it. At which point I was thinking “This disgusting stuff is supposedly my favorite?” I’m betting it was more a case of I got a hold of it as a baby and was eating it like crazy cause she’s still fond of telling the story of finding me in a cabinet, tears running down my cheeks as I ate onions like they were apples. Today I hate onions, though ironically I enjoy French onion soup (that’s probably more to do with crumbling toast up in the bowl then sprinkling on lots of cheese before adding some nice, hot soup to the bowl). I’ll certainly cook onion and eat it that way, but if it’s on a pizza I pick it off. Same thing for peppers, I’ll eat them cooked unless on a pizza and I like stuffed peppers (well, I like the stuffing, I discard the pepper). But I don’t much care for the taste of onion or pepper. Don’t like avocado and unless there is guacamole in some Mexican dish I won’t eat avocado cooked or as guacamole if I can help it. Same goes for wasabi, I eat it on sushi and sashimi but not plain or mixed with soy sauce. Though that has a lot more to do with wasabi burning than with actual taste.

Julius Caesar probably did the same thing when he was little……..

I like pork chops and I like beef stew; especially when my wife makes dumplings to go with the stew…

I don’t know why Patty is upset. She invited him in the first place, and he’s doing what every little kid does; find the most convenient option.

The year is 1968. I’m 7 years old, my friends mom asks if I wanted to stay and have dinner with them. They are having fried chicken. I say I would love to, but have to call home for permission.I get permission, and then as an after thought, I asked what we were having.Navy bean soup and ham. I told them thanks but no thanks. I’m going home for dinner.

Friends mom called my mom asking what we were having for dinner. She was surprised.She commented that My mom must make the tastiest navy bean soup on the planet. To turn down fried chicken for beans.

She was right!

I’d much rather have the stew.