The Cure for Picky Eaters

I've never really been one to get organic foods or be the all-natural "granola" mom. But for awhile, I've been looking for ways to help us be healthier. I think we do a pretty good job on a normal basis--we rarely (as in once every few months) eat out, and I don't buy a lot of snacky foods (my kids hardly know what soda is). Not that I'm bragging. I just know we all REALLY like that kind of stuff, and it would be way too easy to go overboard (do I need to mention my Doritos addiction again?). So I don't even buy junk food. We've always had a hard time with vegetables though, which I'm sure almost any parent with toddlers can say. Ethan is the pickiest--the boy refused to eat berry cobbler because he didn't know what it was--and I'm pretty sure he doesn't eat any vegetables unless they're hidden. I received a book a couple years ago for Christmas from my mother-in-law that was called "Deceptively Delicious." It was something I had requested, but it sat on the shelf because I didn't think I had time, even though it sounded like a good idea. Wow, was I wrong. The idea is to make vegetable purees and then mix them in the foods in your regular meals. That way the kids don't even think about turning up their noses because it's something they already like. I had also purchased a Baby Bullet a little while ago to make some baby food for Jonathan, and I pulled out the book to see if I could go ahead and make the purees along with the baby food. So easy! I actually decided to more incorporate the ideas she gives, instead of using the recipes in the book (although I'm sure I'll be using some of the recipes--the brownies with spinach are supposed to be great--Oprah said so!). I ended up making a meatball dish and hid sweet potatoes in the meatballs, carrots in the sauce, and cauliflower in the mashed potatoes. And the boys cleaned their plates! Will would have eaten most of it anyway, but not Ethan, so I was pretty excited. The next day I made macaroni and cheese that had cauliflower and navy beans. Ethan actually said, "This is great!" The boy has never said anything like that about any food. The funniest part was when Anthony and Will split a sweet potato, and Ethan turned his head away and refused a bite, without knowing that he'd had some at dinner with no complaints. Anyway, I just wanted to share because I'm loving the results. Even I love that I'm eating some of the vegetables that I know are good for me, but aren't super exciting. I don't have to cover them with cheese sauce to make them more appetizing, and nobody notices any difference because the purees mix right in. And no, even though it sounds like it, I'm not getting a commission for selling the book.

Not sure what's happened, but somewhere along the way I've become Molly Mormon. Grinding wheat and making bread, cooking with our food storage (totally loving "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook" too), and I'm even trying to be more crafty (as in making crafts, although I am being quite cunning too). Whatever it is, it's kind of fun!