Summer is a bountiful season when it comes to vegetables.  Normally, I turn my nose up to most anything green and have always scoffed at the idea of eating my veggies.  Of course, when you become a parent, you quickly realize that the choices you make no longer affect just you.  I now have a "little shadow" following a few paces behind which sees and mimics most of what I do.

Ugh...that means here come the vegetables.  :cry:

In order to embrace this experience of incorporating more veggies into my own daily diet, I decided to take the family on a field trip of sorts to our local farmer's market.  Now, living in the big city means that we had to drive about 30 minutes outside of town, but boy, was it worth it!

Country Crock Butter "Yums" Up Those Veggies!

The farmer's market had such a fresh, tantalizing array of yummy fruits and vegetables that it was hard to keep my nose turned up at them for long.  (Good, that was the master plan after all!)  What wasn't part of the plan was how excited Riley got when choosing all of this fresh food to bring home.  Instead of the normal complaints that most any toddler will give when it comes to vegetables, Riley seemed ready and willing to eat more veggies too.

Now even though our steamed vegetables tasted "fantastic" (my husband, the lovable herbivore, informed me) once we brought them home and cooked them up, I still wasn't convinced.  They tasted "okay" by my standards, but still not exactly what I was looking for.  Riley also seemed to lose her enthusiasm by the spoonful.

That's when I decided to head to the refrigerator and give them a taste bud makeover!

It's truly amazing what a dollop of Country Crock butter can do!  I sprinkled on a little salt and pepper and then blended in a bit of Country Crock and suddenly, those borderline veggies tasted MUCH better...and remember, this is coming from a perpetual "veggie-phobe".  Couple the fresh taste of Country Crock butter with our fresh-from-the market vegetables and even Riley was eating them up without complaint.

What's more, I can feel good about adding Country Crock to our summer veggie dishes for it has 70% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than butter.  It's a terrific way to add that buttery richness and flavor to a healthy dish without compromising the healthiness of what you're eating.  Of course, speaking as someone who is always watching their waistline, I appreciate anything that works WITH me and not AGAINST me!

Country Crock butter and farm-fresh vegetables...a winning combination for the summertime or any time of the year!

WIN IT!

One lucky reader will win a Summer Veggie Appreciation Basket from Country Crock! (ARV $70)

Prize Pack Includes:

• A basket perfect for toting summer veggies
• Vegetable peeler
• Bamboo cutting board
• Smiley face colander
• A copy of A Very Veggie World by Clare Crespo—a unique recipe book full of fun and whimsical inspiration
• Coupon for a free tub of Country Crock

I check EVERY entry! Please only leave valid comments for valid entries!

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