I May Be Thrifty But I'm Not Stingy With Cheese...

I made a ginormous triple thick lasagna for dinner tonight.

Go me! Go wonderful wife, mother and chef! You got your game together and pulled something off. You are awesome!

I was quite proud of myself for not only having the required ingredients but planning ahead of time for dinner. You know, to avoid the whole, "well honey, I didn't make anything for dinner so what sounds good? Burgers? Nachos? Spaghetti? Cereal?" thing. Just pop that 9x13 in the oven around 4 ish, and good to go.

After I was done I made myself a yummy lunch of mozzarella cheese quesadilla with the intent of dipping into the left over spaghetti sauce used on the ginormous triple thick lasagna.

Sat down with my diet coke over ice, mozzarella quesadilla and dipping sauce and a good book. I took a HUGE bite.

And spit it out.

The cheese was off. You know, as in turned. Moldy if you will.

Guess what cheese I had just used to create my ginormous triple thick lasagna? That's right, the very same mozzarella.

And I am not stingy with cheese.

It's still sitting on my counter. I don't have the heart to jam it down the disposal. It still looks pretty, even if it is corrupt and disgusting.

So when Lance gets home, once again it will be, "Well honey, I didn't make anything for dinner so what sounds good? Burgers? Nachos? Spaghetti? Cereal?"

A

Naps and Chocolate...

I've started and deleted about six posts. I'm just not feeling the mojo today. I AM however, feeling the need to consume chocolate and then maybe take a nap.

For those who know me in real life, I am NOT a napper.

My naps require:

• 45 minutes to turn brain auto pilot on and fall asleep
• waking up in a stupor 3 (or more) hours later
• staring at the ceiling for 3 (or more) hours past usual bedtime
• and having a horrible zombie-like morning the following day.

So basically, I don't DO naps.

But today I am actually considering it.

The chocolate? No consideration necessary. No 45 minute chocolate coma induction period. No 3 hour post-consumption stupor. No bedtime delay. No horrible zombie-like morning the following day.

The only opposition to the chocolate consumption is my scale. I can imagine the digital readout changing from numbers to "Did you really need to eat that?".

Being that I have the 10lb Ambrosia chocolate chip bag from Costco stashed in my pantry, it DOES make a good point...

A

Yammy...

I quickly whipped up some baby food for Lil Chick the other night.

I made all of this food:



From only THREE yams (sweet potatoes, whatever). I paid a total of $3.76. In the grocery store that would have bought approximately 8 pre-made baby food servings. I made close to 60 servings.

Those were some BIG yams. I think one may have been bigger than Lil Chick.

Who is in fact growing like a weed and is more pleasant and fun than I thought possible for a baby:



My little weed went from 13lbs 6oz to 14lbs 4 oz in ONE WEEK. Talk about a growth spurt!



However, I'm sure 1/2 a pound MUST have come from those yams...

A

(Nearly) Effortless Buffalo Chicken Dip...

We headed up north to Canada yesterday for a sweet little boy's first birthday celebration.

I opened up my cupboards an hour before we had to leave and sighed. What in sam hill am I going to make? And no, I don't want to NOT bring something. I just don't do that.

I grabbed some canned chunk chicken left over from my Costco 8 pack and headed to the office. Enter trusty online recipe sites. I browsed a bit and came up with this lovely Buffalo Chicken Dip from AllRecipes.com.

I skipped a few steps and tweaked a bit and it turned out pretty grand.

(My version of) Buffalo Chicken Dip:

• 2 Costco cans chunk chicken, drained
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup pepper/hot sauce (I used green Jalapeno hot sauce)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend Cheese
  

I threw all the directions out and lumped it all together in a pot over the stove and it turned out great. You know what? I bet it would do just dandy being microwaved. And you know how we all love convenience and happy yummy dip. It may have just earned a spot as a Super Bowl regular.

I used a bit less hot sauce due to the intended consumptors and shunned the celery stick idea for crackers. Once again, what I had in my cupboards and fridge dictated the menu. If you like a zip, kick or thwack to your food, I would suggest adding green chiles and a dash of chili powder. That oughta do it.

It got rave reviews and I am thrilled to report I have some leftovers in the fridge calling my name...

A

Pureed Peas Make Me Happy...

I'm a home baby food making Mama and proud of it.

I chose to make my own baby food for Bubbalu when I discovered that not only could I control what when into his food, but that is was CHEAPER and EASY.

And we all like saving some serious money.

My theory this this:

If I can purchase the product (say sweet potatoes) for less per pound in the grocery store produce section (or food co-op, farmers market or whathaveyou) than the prepackaged food then it is worth the hassle.

I have multiple gallon sized zip top bags full of baby food in my freezer. I just grab a bowl and open the door. SUPER easy. If I'm heading out for the day, I put two or three cubes in a small plastic container. When eatin' time rolls around they are usually completely thawed and ready to go. If not? A bit of boiling water and some rice cereal do the trick.

Here are a few of my favorite baby foods to make at home:

Sweet potato - BIG DOUBLE YES. I make huge batches of sweet potato and use it daily as a starter base for meals. Peel, boil until soft, puree, spoon into ice-cube trays and freeze.

Apple - Home-grown apples made into home-made applesauce lovingly donated by my parents are pureed to perfect consistency and frozen in ice-cube trays. SUPER easy. Lil Chick loves it. I usually mix in a bunch of oatmeal baby cereal. Applesauce oatmeal? Yes please!

Squash - Oh my lands, it's got to be the easiest thing around. Directions:
1. Go to grocery store
2. Purchase frozen cooked brick of squash (in frozen veggie section)
3. Defrost and spoon into ice-cube trays.

Voila. See? Not too difficult.

Pumpkin - I was wrong. Pumpkin is easier than squash. You can buy canned pumpkin and freeze it in ice cube trays. SUPER easy. Just make sure you don't buy Pumpkin PIE mix instead of plain pumpkin. Baby might be hopped up on the sugar for a good 18+ hours if you mix those two up.

Banana - Squish it around a bit before you even peel it. Then open, mash with a fork and spoon it in. Beware: Banana is slightly constipating. Might need some pureed prunes as a side dish with this one.

Avocado - Purchase, peel, mash and serve. Tons of healthy fats to help grow a baby's brain. Best to freeze in slices to prevent browning.

Peas - I buy frozen peas, microwave and puree them. Once again, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze. Watch the skins, they can be tricky. Add enough liquid to make sure it is truly a pureed consistency.

There are many many many more foods to make at home for the babes. Just think, with all the money you've saved making your baby food at home you can finally purchase that ferrari! Or a new washer and dryer. With the pedestals. And forgo the normal white and pick a COLOR.

I would love a happy and bright washer and dryer set. You KNOW that the green, blue, brown and red ones have more fun and are more satisfied (read : happy) with their appliance existance. And a happy washer and dryer means happy clothes.

And you NEED happy clothes, what with all the pureed sweet potato, apples, squash, pumpkin, avocado, banana and peas that your perfect baby will fling on you.

And where do I get all my home baby food making information? Right HERE at WholesomeBabyFood.com. Go check em out...

A

Rethinking Coffee...

I'm sorta on a diet.

Not a certain number of calories, points or grapefruits per day sorta diet, just a general overall rethinking of what I eat.

First up: rethinking coffee.

No, I am NOT suggesting the total exclusion of my favorite morning beverage, just rethinking what I put INTO it. As I have always said, I don't love coffee. What I love is cream, sugar, chocolate, whipped cream, caramel, syrups, sprinkles, whathaveyou. So, we are rethinking this.

Yesterday I added up the approximate number of calories I ingest by guestimating my average slosh of creamer added to my 4 cups of coffee per day.

Sidenote: Let me quickly define the "4 cups of coffee per day" statement. I have a mini 4 cup coffeemaker, but have always wondered what is defined as a coffeemaker "cup" compared to an 8 oz fluid cup. Guess what? I measured it out today and I drink 16 oz of coffee per day. SO...2 measuring cups worth. Definitely not as much as I thought.

Anyways, back to the creamer.

So my average creamer-slosh-a-day helping added up. A LOT.

I figured it is between 500-1,000 calories per DAY of creamer. YIKES. And let's not even talk about the sugar.

I promptly went out and purchased non-fat half & half which has 1/4 of the calories per serving, zero fat, and 2 grams of protein to boot. Yes, it has corn syrup added to it but at a much lower amount than the creamer. In flavored creamer the first two ingredients are listed as: Water, Sugar. In the non-fat half & half it is: Non-fat milk, milk. MUCH better for me.

Now. Let's get real.

It doesn't taste as good.

Of course it doesn't. So, to my AM cup o joe I add half & half and a smidgen of creamer. It's all about moderation, folks.

So do you think this might explain a 5 lb weight loss over the last two weeks?

Methinks so.

So what foods/meals/daily consumption might YOU need to rethink?

A

Freedom Pancakes...

On Saturday I all but threw the kiddos at my husband and tore out of the house. It had been a looooong week full of snotty noses and whiny people (especially me). I needed a break.

I called my sister and cajoled her into driving to town and attend the pancake breakfast fundraiser with me.

It was embarrassing how excited I was to get out and eat some pancakes.

And they were good. Mostly because I didn't have to wrack my brain to come up with a meal idea, mix and make them, convince a stubborn 30lb boy to eat them, wash a syrupy face and fingers, scrub everything the syrupy face and fingers touched before I could wash them and then clean up the whole shebang. Drips of syrup on the table. Excess Bisquick that flew out of the box when I set it on the counter. Chunks of pancakes that my toddler thoughtfully donated to the floor.

I sat and savored my freedom pancakes and with a commendable show of restraint resisted going back for more.

My self control is admirable.

We continued in the 'moderation is best' theme of the day by eating cheesy chicken and rice nachos, homemade french fries, beer battered coconut shrimp and margaritas for dinner.

I restrained going back for thirds.

See? Admirable self control...

A

Craving Freezer Burn...

I just read an online article about how to save 25% on your food bill. Most of it had to do with not overbuying, cooking smartly and actually eating leftovers (as opposed to Tupperwaring and forgetting them).

I've been a Martha in the kitchen lately. Meaning I've been bit by the 'Have a hot meal on the table for the husband' bug. Also known as the 'I've been slaving over a hot stove, raising your progeny and am barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen so cut me some slack!' bug. Except that I'm not pregnant. And I usually wear cozy socks. But I DO enjoy a good cut of slack...with a side of guilt.

Not that I have to guilt my hubby to do anything kitchen related. The man is actually a whiz in the kitchen - a superb dishwasher packer (I suck, apparently), ingenious recipe alterer and stunning fridge/freezer reorganizer. That man has some serious skillz. His Mama taught him well.

Which is fortunate as we have to be smart about freezer space. At this point we do not have a bonus freezer stashed in the garage. We have our kitchen french door refrigerator with bottom split freezer shown here:



However, I've discovered that a 9x13 pan does NOT fit in any way, shape or form...unless it is melted down into one big ball, then I'm sure Lance could figure out a way to make it work.

During my major cooking spree I've been double or tripling recipes to have leftovers and frozen spares. Unfortunately, that means we are about to pay rent on the freezer space that we are using over at my parent's house.

Eventually, we'll buy a freezer...when it gets to the top of the 'Things we need to purchase for our home' list.

In the meantime, if you happen to have an unused freezer lying around, feel free to ship it to me...

A

Roasted Garlic Goodness...

I am currently attempting to make this recipe. The Pioneer Woman has some uber delicious looking recipes on her cooking site, I highly recommend you go and look around...

So my house is smelling deliciously garlicky. However, I am all of a sudden reminded how my husband *ahem* processes garlic, and let me tell you it is not good. Not good at all.

We actually have a rule about garlic in our house:

Any consumption of Garlic Fries ( Kidd Valley, Safeco Field - Kidd Valley, Red Robin or any other eating establishment) must have a 3 day wife barrier window.

Meaning, if he eats the garlic fries and is around me in the following 3 days I will seriously injure him. And have to evacuate and fumigate the house.

So that leaves his hunting trips for him to partake...which means, along with his father and brothers, they have a garlic eating festival and have to live with the results while driving in an enclosed vehicle for four hours. The punishment fits the crime.

Also let's mention that Lance's dental patients may not be too thrilled with his general aroma those next three tortuous days post garlic fries consumption.

So, the consumption of these roasted garlic dealybobs will be done in moderation. I'm hoping to use them in recipes for some extra yummyness. I'm thinking garlic mashed taters, amazing bruschetta and adding it to my crock pot dinners.

The house is SUPER garlicky now...maybe this should be reserved for summer (aka open window season).

Any other ideas for my roasted garlic?

A

The Almond Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree...

I am not a very culinarily daring person. I prefer to make and eat the very same things over and over and over. I want to eat what I know I'll like. However, I recently tried something new and am overjoyed with how well it turned out. Maybe time to stretch my food wings?

My Mom performed a major pantry overhaulin' and (minus Chip Foose) managed to completely reorganize and clean. She called me to come over and take home a bunch of pantry items she wasn't going to use. One of the random things included this:



For those of you who can't read extremely tiny out of focus print it says 'Just Hazelnut Meal - Great for Baking and Breading.' She gave me two bags of this weird fluffy mealy stuff. One is Hazelnut, one is Almond and she purchased them at Trader Joes.

Now, being a good little Dutch Girl, I love almond flavored everything. Almost ALL of our cookies taste like almonds, and many also have slivered almonds in them. My favorite chocolate even has almonds in it. I had to try this almond meal stuff. My ancestry commanded it.

The label says it is great for baking and breading and to substitute it for up to half of the flour in a recipe. It will add extra flavor and texture.

So last Friday Bubbalu and I made some Valentine's Day heart cut-out cookies using this Almond Meal stuff. After baking and frosting the cookies, Bubbalu helped me decorate.

First off, shake 18 million tiny sprinkles on the counter and floor and maybe 100 sprinkles on the actual cookies:



Then proceed to lick red hots and smash them into the frosting:



And we're done! Oh wait, repeat the process AGAIN? More sprinkles:



and more pre-licked red hots:



And finally FINALLY, we are done. Bubbalu got to eat one small cookie after we were done and despite the funny look on his face, he very much enjoyed it:



These cookies are AMAZING y'all, AMAZING. Cut-out cookies are already mighty tasty in my book because butter, sugar, flour...what's not to like? Then add in some Almond Meal? Positively divine.

And yes, I do realize that ground up almonds add a fair amount of fat, but as they say, it's a good fat. Because yes, that is what runs through my head when I can grab blub around my middle..."it's OK! It's a GOOD fat!". Um, no. We'll be eating these treats in moderation folks. Cause that's what's it's all about...(thank you for the insight Mr. Hokey Pokey).

I am anxious to try more of the Almond or Hazelnut Meal in other baked goods, maybe muffins or biscotti.

Anyone else baked with these Meals before? And if so, please leave a comment with any good hints, tips or recipes...

A

Soup For You!

This is the best. soup. ever.

Seriously? Want to impress anyone? Not that talented in the kitchen? Short on time?

This IS the soup for you.

I actually made 6 batches while 7 months pregnant to freeze and use when Lil Chick arrived. It is actually thawing nicely in my refrigerator at the moment. My lovely Sister in law requested this recipe for her husband, who dubbed it "crack soup", it is THAT good.

Enjoy! Really, PLEASE enjoy:

Pasta Fagioli Soup

12 ounces chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced (Sun Dried Tomato Basil or similar flavors work well).
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup bow tie pasta
2 cups (or more) coarsely chopped zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp oregano
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Dash of pepper

Heat sausage, stirring constantly, over high heat in large pot for 2 minutes (or until sizzling nicely). Add broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer another 2 minutes. Stir in oregano and kidney beans, give a good dash of pepper, cover and simmer 3 minutes or until pasta and zucchini are tender.

Serve with shredded asiago or Parmesan cheese.

I get the chicken sausage at Costco, which is really flavorful. I've doubled the recipe except for the sausage and it still tasted wonderful.

Also very good with my favorite and easy Cheddar Garlic Biscuits to dip into the yummy broth.

You're welcome...

A

The End Of A Season...

Well, I am feeling rather pouty today. In the grand scheme of things it is quite trivial but nevertheless...pouty.

I used my last drop of Coffemate Peppermint Mocha Coffee creamer this morning. As you all know, I am kinda obsessed with this stuff.

I was more excited than one should be when my Mom brought the first creamer of the season to me last November. But hey, I was on bed rest, and you have to celebrate the little victories or you'll go insane. Always looking on the bright side, I am. (Hmm, a little Yoda-ish today, we are.)

With the bright side in mind, I am now looking forward to this November which will once again herald the arrival of my dear old (very) sweet friend :



Goodbye my dear creamer, may you have a wonderful and prosperous year. I will be here waiting (pining) for your return.

Your devoted follower (consumptor)...

A

A Cake With Wheels...

Did anybody else's Mom make themed birthday cakes for you growing up? My Mom always made us a special theme cake for our birthday. Some of the themes over the years were dolls, teddy bears, trucks (for my brother), a barbie cake and 3-D candy house.

Last year for Bubbalu's first birthday I made a monkey face cake to fit his monkey party:



Bubbalu turned 2 in December and because he is obsessed with anything truck, car, or motorcycle (AKA "Lululululu" in Bubbalu language, NO idea where that came from!) Mama made a truck cake.

I used a 9x13 sheet cake cut into thirds, stacked and 'glued' them with frosting then trimmed the sides:



Next a shaved down mini-loaf pan cake became the cab and an extra cake piece (one that I actually didn't eat during the shaving process) became the hood:



Next up, make blue frosting:



ALWAYS let the youngun lick the spoon! It's a rite of passage and provides cute pictures, see?



Lil Chick was kinda crabby, so Mama threw her in the Moby and went right back to work painting the truck:



Finished product, with mini bundt pan cake "wheels" and pretzel wipers, grill and door handle:



Notice where the door handle is? Yeah, I moved it to the correct spot after Lance pointed it out. He thought that was funny.

Hint: use chocolate donuts for the wheels, cause mini bundt pan cake wheels are annoying.

I used red hots for the tail lights and a hershey bar for the license plate.



Our family of four at Bubbalu's birthday party:



Bubbalu blew out the candle the very first try! Notice how surprised/excited Lance is? Hilarious:



Because he blew the candle out so quickly, we re-lit it a good 3 more times for optimal photographic opportunities:



I think it's safe to say Bubbalu liked his cake:



Inspired? Check out this website or this website for some ideas, techniques and pictures. And be sure to post your creations!

A

Let The Holidays Commence...

Remember THIS post? My obsession with all that is peppermint mocha?

Yep, it's that time of year again, and guess what my lovely Mom including in a bed rest care basket for me?



Oh yeah baby! NOW the holiday season can officially begin.

And before you get all "it's not even Thanksgiving!" snarky on me, please keep in mind our holiday season will be a bit stressful for us this year.

Actually, my Mom-in-law pointed out that our last 2 Christmas seasons have been extremely stressful for us.

Last year we unexpectedly moved after our apartment flooded. The year before that we were going through with Bubbalu exactly what we are going through with baby girl now. Bed rest due to pre-eclampsia then having an early delivery. Oh yeah, and we have a snowy destination wedding for our brother and new sister-in-law 9 days before Christmas to throw into the mix.

But you know what?

I still love the Christmas season despite the last few years of Christmas chaos.

Remember the reason for the season, folks. Apart from that, not much else matters.

So, we are fully embracing an early jump on things with the majority of our gifts purchased and wrapped, lights up on the house (although we won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving), Christmas music playing throughout the house and 2 trees up above our door for seasonal effect.

Bubbalu desperately wanted to help Daddy put the trees up, but Mama quickly put the kibosh on that plan...



That boy is WAY to eager to climb tall dangerous things. Like father like son. Lance was incredibly thrilled to purchase a ladder. I love my nerdy husband.

Well? What about you? Ready for the season?

I'm off to put my feet up before I get yelled at...

A

Es Muy Delicioso...

A cute friend of mine asked me for a recipe a good 6 weeks or so ago, so here we go! Sorry for the delay Sarah...

Crock pot Taco Soup

-One pound ground beef or some chicken
-One can kidney beans (drained)
-One can corn (drained)
-One can pinto beans (drained)
-One large can (28oz) diced tomatoes
-One dinky can diced green chilies
-Taco seasoning
-Toppings...

1. Brown the ground beef and put in crock pot. OR, if using chicken, boil chicken until done, shred with 2 forks and put in crock pot. Not sure how to shred chicken? Spear chicken piece with one fork and attack it with the other in a clawing motion to shred it. Still not clear? I'm not sure I know how to help you...

2. Add the large can of undrained diced tomatoes, the dinky can of undrained diced green chilies, and the drained cans of pinto beans, corn and kidney beans.

3. Throw some taco seasoning in the mix until it tastes good. Maybe add a dash of black pepper, some salsa or some hot sauce if you're feeling gourmet or you like some kick to your food.

3. Cook on high a few hours or low a bunch of hours.

4. Serve with cut up avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Some people prefer to put all the "toppings" in the bottom of the bowl, spoon the soup on top of the whole mess and eat it just like soup. Me? I put the toppings on the top (where they belong!)and scoop up my soup with tortilla chips.

My method DOES require hoarding of the tortilla chip bag to ensure you have enough proper scoop-worthy tortilla chips, but oh well.

Most of my dinner mates forgive me by the end of the meal. I DO offer to share at least once during consumption and if they don't jump at the chance, who do they have to blame!?

I do have to acknowledge that this super yummy recipe was shared by my friend Tay who was kind and gracious to cook this lovely dish up for our family during a trying time.

This soup is easy, pleasing to the stomach, and makes great leftovers, so while you're at it, make it a double batch and enjoy it for a few more days. OR...bring some to me!

A

My Favorite Lunch...

1. Take one Costco cheese bagel and toast it.



2. While bagel is toasting, fry one egg in a perfect circle ( Ha! As if that's possible! )



3. Spread generous amount of light cream cheese on bagel once it pops.



4. Throw that perfect circle of an egg in between those bagel slices and you have a perfect, my toddler is down for a nap, lunch.

YUM! I've gotta go eat my cream cheese n egg cheese bagel now.

And for dessert? THIS:



As if there was any other option!

A

An Apple (or Eight) A Day...

I was feeling quite Martha today. VERY ambitious in the culinary department.

My parents have 4 apple trees and I have a paper grocery bag full of apples just begging to be peeled and chopped into goodness.

So, after Bubbalu was down for his nap (hallelujah!) I rolled up my sleeves (actually, I had a t-shirt on, but WHATEVER) and got to work.

While he recharged his battery I managed to create:

• Basic Pumpkin pie


• Apple pie with crumble top
  
• Apple spice bundt cake
  
• Apple crisp (which I donated to my sister)


• Autumn minestrone soup


• Pumpkin Spice Latte (recipe to follow sometime soon)


• A VERY messy kitchen

Whew! And that t-shirt I was wearing? Completely covered in flour and a few speckles of apple chunks.

I think Mama needs to make herself some adorable aprons, such as this one from Better Homes and Gardens:



or this one I found on Etsy:



Or this sassy red one, also on Etsy:



Hmmmm, my sewing machine is calling to me...

A

Toddler Friendly Insta-pizza...

1. Take open hot dog bun and get it all nice and crispy using your BBQ, toaster, toaster oven, or your oven.

2. Squirt any tomato-based sauce on the insides. Use bottled pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, or like I did, ketchup. Cause we gotta teach them young to love the ketchup. That's how we roll in this house.

3. Pile shredded cheese and various toppings on. I just used plain ole mozzarella and nothing else.

4. Nuke until the cheese melts.

5. Cool and serve.

6. Viola! Easy toddler friendly insta-pizza.

A

Eat Your Vegetables Day

Tomorrow, June 17, is Eat Your Vegetables Day. It makes me crabby just thinking about it.

Why?

It is not because I dislike vegetables. Quite the contrary, really. There's nothing better than a steaming plate of veggies. Well, maybe chocolate. And cake. And ice cream...OK never mind.

Anyways, there is a certain little someone living in our home who hasn't voluntarily eaten a vegetable in approximately 2 months.

Yes, Bubbalu is a picky eater.

I had a whole plan to avoid the picky-eaterness that plagues some parents. I diligently fed Bubbalu homemade baby food, saving the sweeter foods for later. He happily gulped down everything I offered to him. Peas, broccoli, carrots, green beans, everything!

Now? Not so much. I have written of my frustration before, where I said that Bubbalu ate 3 peas in the past week. I should have realized then that 3 peas a week meant a GOOD week.

I've tried disguising veggies and sneaking them in with another bite of something tasty, but they always get spit out. Maybe he's getting some nutritional benefit from just sucking on them for a 1/2 second.

We are giving him vitamins and I've actually started giving him fruit and vegetable juice blends.

I know about the recently published books about hiding veggies in everyday food, but are the recipes easy? Do they really work? Or do the kids catch on?

"Uh, Mom, why does my jello taste like broccoli?."

My MIL has suggested smoothies laced with squash puree, and I have yet to try it. Mostly because I already packed my blender and food processor.

So, do any of you have any good veggie tricks and recipes for stubborn toddlers?

A

Recipe for Yum...

Made this for game night with Nat n Megs tonight...

• Take one box of white cake mix.


• Stir the mix as directed, but add 5-6 Oreos to the mix and get em all nice and crumbly.


• Bake in oven as directed


• Frost cake after it is completely cooled


• Smash 5-6 Oreos and scatter over top of cake.
  

Perfecto.

It tastes good, is super easy, and you can snack on Oreo's the entire time you are baking the cake. What's not to like? Unless you don't like Oreo's, but then I don't know if we can still be friends.

What's your favorite recipe for Yum?

A