Tough Crowd

My kids haven't eaten many veggies since their Gerber days. I realize I'm partly to blame for this, but I've also read that children have more (or less--I can't exactly remember which) taste buds so foods taste differently to us than to them. I'm hoping that the little Indians will be like me...a late bloomer...and enjoy veggies once they get older. In the meantime, I have decided to become creative.

Ok, so I last night I cracked open Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook, pureed veggies till there was broccoli and cauliflower spewing onto every surface in my kitchen, and whipped up 2 "deceptively delicious" dishes for my family (all of this while wearing a frilly apron & smile on my face while pirouetting around the kitchen as I hummed "Whistle While You Work").

Okay, I actually just made myself crack up. Really. I truly just let out a chuckle and Trevor just asked me, "Mommy, why you affing?"

The actual scene that unfolded last night as I blended, steamed, chopped, and frantically hurried to get dinner on the table: Trevor and Deven were doing dive bombs onto the coffee table from the arm rest of the sofa. Priya was running in circles trying to get our elderly, sickly dogs to chase her. Apparently very hungry, Trevor would periodically take a break from his acrobatics to bite his brother and sister if they did something to annoy him...or just for kicks. The tattling was incessant. The shrieks of pain after Trevor's nibbling were eardrum-shattering. My wine glass was emptying. OH, THE HORROR!

I finally got the chicken nuggets (secretly coated in broccoli) and the mashed potatoes (mixed with cauliflower puree) onto the table. Let me just say that it's not easy to hide broccoli. The first words out of all 3 kids mouths were "What's that GREEN STUFF?" "OOOOHHHH! GROSS!" "I'm not eating that!" I told them that it was just spices on the chicken, but Priya, who is too smart for any kind of mother-fib, said, "I know it's broccoli." Eventually, though, she did eat--and actually enjoy--the food. And, so did Trevor! Deven totally fought it, but I'm blaming part of that on his willfulness and not taking a nap yesterday. The mashed potatoes were a hit, however. Thank goodness.

They were a tough crowd...but I am as stubborn as my children. I refuse to quit trying. There are other recipes I want to try before throwing in the towel. I'm determined to get some healthy foods into the 3 little Indians...somehow, some way. Even if I have dried up veggie puree stuck to my ceiling.