Shhh...don't tell!

Last night my family ate spinach, broccoli, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and red peppers. Tonight we will add cauliflower and zucchini. Shhh....please don't tell them!!! They just think we had pizza and will think we're having chili tonight.

I've always been known to "hide" vegetables in my kids food. Mainly, I'd grate carrots into any tomato based or ground beef meal we had. Tacos, spaghetti, meat loaf - were all good ways to get a veggie into my kids. You'd have to be a part of our family to appreciate it, but my kids are always laughing at me - letting me know I didn't fool them. In fact, last time Sarah was here, she let me know that I no longer needed to "hide" it - that they were all old enough to know the carrots were there. :-) But as funny as they thought I was, it worked! They would eat the vegetables. I didn't really want to "fool" them, but teach them to eat vegetables willingly, so I never denied my attempt at deceit.

Several months ago I was given an electric steamer. I thought "this takes up so much space in my kitchen, I'll play with this awhile then donate it." but then yesterday I declared a play day for me - and went shopping. I went to a book store and came out with The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious cookbooks that I found on sale - really cheap. I went home played all afternoon - cooking! (Yes, I'm weird, I know, but I LIKE cooking.)
I fell in love with the steamer - not only does it cook perfect rice, but it works great with all the recipes in my new cookbooks. It may have earned its' space in my kitchen, at least until I lose interest. I made and froze several vegetable purees to add to recipes. Because the vegetables are steamed and then pureed in the food processor, a small amount of puree goes a long way - one cookbook called it "nutritionally dense". I wish I'd had this when my kids were small! No one noticed the difference, but I did notice that everyone ate less pizza than normal, with the vegetables in the sauce, I think it was more filling. (maybe that was my imagination). I'm thinking this is going to be great - not only were the kids eating better, so were the adults. (I normally wouldn't touch sweet potatoes or cooked spinach). How great would it be if it works on my mother-in-law, the world's pickiest eater? I have to admit, it was FUN being sneaky. (maybe one day I'll tell them.) So, what do you do that makes your family think you're strange - or maybe I should just ask what do you do to spend a fun day alone?