Every now and again you win. It's not a battle, there's no fighting and we are not at war - we are on the same side. But every now and again you still win.

Such a little thing - almost imperceptible - but it was there, a flash of recognition.

Today while we were eating dinner, I think Isis had a little epiphany.

It wasn't the chicken, the chicken was really excellent and I knew she would like it. It wasn't the sweetcorn, Isis will eat sweetcorn if she's hungry and in the mood, it was "The Mash" - see the video if you don't know the song.

Yes, "The Mash" had made my day.

Since starting this website we haven't had mash once, in over a month. This is probably a bit odd considering we are cooking our own food and mash is cheap, easy to do and generally well liked. But where's the mash?

Normally Isis won't touch the stuff. Toni likes it, Eve will eat it sometimes and if it's done well I don't mind it. (Of course Olias will eat it, but he'll eat almost anything) - but it generally is trumped by other starchy foods like pasta, chips or roast potatoes.

Today was very different - today we shout "Score one for the Gipper."

Isis ate her chicken, then her sweetcorn and was obviously still a little hungry.

"Have a little mash." I suggested. She looked back, smiling the little smile of somebody who knows a horrid secret, that they know you should know too, but they weren't going to tell you.

Just to humour me and because she was in a good mood, she put a little in her mouth and said "Horrid."

Then, a moment passed, a moment so small it could not be recorded, but something happened. Her face changed ever so slightly, possibly as her brain registered what was going on and a small realisation occurred.

"You like it, don't you?" I asked

"No... actually yes."

Then she ate some more, and more. She ate all the mash I had put on her plate. Then she put some more on her plate and ate that.

Slowly, bit by bit, they will come. Cook the food, make it good and let them choose. No shouting, no forcing, no "Eat your potatoes." If you make dinner time a pleasurable experience in the end who will resist. Don't worry what they eat, don't count the calories, the fibre content, or panic that they haven't eaten the recommended amount of vitamin Y or Omega 13¾, just cook the food and make it good.

Sometimes everything works out just as you knew it would

But tomorrow may be screaming hell.