When I was a child I was a picky eater. My generation was raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression and/or WWII so the idea that a kid would balk at food was unthinkable. Add to that, I had a mother who didn’t really like to cook. She gave a new recipe a whirl every now and then. But the kitchen wasn’t her happy place. And any editorializing about the beef stroganoff  would be met with a long lecture on a host of topics including, but not limited to, gratitude, ingratitude, and starving children in other parts of the world.

To avoid my mother’s wrath, and her Chicken à la King, I came up with the perfect solution in the form of our poodle, Koko. Koko wasn’t picky, loved trying new things, and, in fact, was a  big fan of my mother’s cooking.  He sat by my chair and every night, unbeknownst to my mother, I’d  pass down the evening’s culinary creation. It was a win-win for both of us and worked like a charm until the night my mom made her famous spaghetti sauce. It was loaded with onions and big chunks of tomatoes and Koko decided he’d take a pass. Our partnership officially ended when my mother saw the big pile of spaghetti under my chair.

Picky eater or not, you should never be afraid to try new things. It’s like your mom always used to say, “Try it! You’ll like it!” Here are a few adventures you’re going to love to try.

Partners in crime. Photo: Therese Powell

Speaking of picky eaters. The Sushi Rolls Workshop at Taste Buds Kitchen in Southlake is the perfect way to introduce the kiddos to the fabulous world of sushi.

Photo: Taste Buds Kitchen – Southlake

Children and their adult companions can chop, mix and roll vegetarian sushi rolls at this cooking class designed especially for the small set. Kids can invent their own rolls and work on those mad chopstick skills as they become masters of the sushi rolling mat. We all know raw fish is an acquired taste, but don’t worry about that. With this class, all the rolls will be created with vegetables and rice.

Ever wonder why cowboys yodel in songs to their doggies? Find out at Folk Songs of the Cowboy and Pioneer at Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth. You’ll learn all about the cowboy ballads and pioneer folk songs that have been passed down from cattle drives and wagon trains leading west. Join Bob Sawyer as he sings songs and shares the stories of these forgotten songs of the American West. The program is free with the cost of admission and happens this Saturday.

Take a walk through the Arts District on Saturday and look for the math all around you. Photo: talkSTEM

Brush up on your mad math skills and get some exercise while you’re doing it this Saturday morning at walkSTEM, a free guided math walk around the Dallas Arts District. The math-tastic walk was created in partnership with talkSTEM and the National Museum of Mathematics in New York as a way to engage elementary and middle school-aged children by pointing out how math is part of our everyday surroundings. The walk will meet at Sammons Park and is open to kids of all ages and interested grown-ups.

Another opportunity to work out your brain is a friendly game of chess. Members of the Fighting Scots Chess Club of Highland Park High School will be on hand at Klyde Warren Park on Sunday evening for a Chess Challenge. Players of all ages and abilities are welcome, including newbies to the game.

Have you or the kids wanted to learn an instrument but were too intimidated to try? Check out the Absolute Beginners Ukulele Workshop at Mei Mei Chinese Buffet in  North Dallas Monday night. At this fun, one-hour workshop you’ll learn how to hold and strum the ukulele, three different chords, and how to play 9 different songs. The workshop is lead by Mark ‘Twang’ Levine, the founder of Dallas Ukulele Headquarters, is open to kids 12 and up (accompanied by a parent) and is absolutely free.