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As a full-time freelancer, I cook 99.38% of my family’s meals, not only because I’m home the most, but also because I’m good at it. Good being a relative term, of course. I’m not preparing sea bass nor rack of lamb over here, but I can concoct a healthy enough selection that everyone is well-fed and no one is in danger of getting scurvy anytime soon.

Of course, variety is the spice of life, and now and then I’ll reach out into the great unknown and try a new recipe for dinner. This may seem like a fairly innocuous task, but only until you consider what’s at stake.

A less-than-tasty dinner has enormous repercussions around here. The titular twin miracles are notoriously picky eaters. If they don’t like it, it’s time to bust out the frozen mac and cheese.

And so last week, I trotted out a new recipe for Santa Fe rice salad – seemed tasty enough – rice, black beans, avocados, tomatoes and more. My lovely wife ate some, largely because she was starving. Twin #1 took 3 bites and spit the rest out. Twin #2 didn’t even bother with the taste test, she dumped it on the floor without a second thought.

I’m told the mac and cheese was quite tasty.