For those of you who don’t know, Eli hates veggies. With a passion. Especially those pesky green veggies. Just our luck, most of the veggies in the world are green. If you are wondering how this happened and exactly what I mean by hates them with a passion, check out this post.

I haven’t totally given up on getting him to eat veggies. We’ve had some luck with corn. And of course hiding them in other foods is always a plus. Muffins, pancakes and waffles are our best bets. Or smoothies when I feel like dragging out the old blender (or I convince Dad-oo to make them for us).

Anyhoo, last week I added some mixed veggies to Eli’s normal bowl of corn for lunch. Carrots, califlour and peas (gasp!). I was pretty much expecting him to dump the entire bowl on the floor. The pugs were bouncing aroundhoping for the same thing. But something unexpected happened. First he tried the califlour and actually ate one entire piece before he realizes that he doesn’t like it (and who can blame him). Then he moved on to peas, the dreaded green veggie. And he liked them, almost loved them. He practially ate the entire bowl. The carrots are a no go for now, but he did actually try them, which us a big accomplishment in itself.

How exactly did this miracle come along? Well, I made it into a game. We raced to see who could eat the veggies first. 1, 2, 3! I’d shout to Eli’s delight and we’d giggle as we stuffed peas and corn into our mouths. Or I’d shout ready, set, go! And he would grab a few peas and cram them into his mouth. I’d cheer and act like he just discovered that the number pi does indeed end. Then we’d do it all over again. It was like magic.

Also key was introducing the new food during lunch, when he seems to be the most willing to try new things. Something about him he not being too tired like he is at the end of the day. Or at least that’s what the experts say.

There’s also a slight possibility that I called them candy veggies. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but that is the rumor floating around. Hey, if it works that’s all that matters.

After the holiday craziness is over I have a few hidden veggie recipes to share. I may have gone a little bit insane one weekend and baked three different kinds of muffins and one kind of pancakes. I’m happy to say that they were all successes.

Breakthrough in the Veggie Challenge is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I admit, I’ve been kind of a slacker in the Veggie Challenge lately. Not that I’ve given up on the whole thing, Eli still gets veggies with 1 or 2 meals a day, and I sneak them in wherever I can. But I haven’t really been searching out new recipes to try. Why you ask? No real reason. Just lazy I guess. Or I’ve been so busy playing with my new bread maker that I haven’t taken the time to look for new recipes.

This week’s recipe is no exception. While they are relatively healthy, as far as cookies go, there are no secret veggies stashed away. But they are full of banana, honey, oat goodness! And best of all, there is no refined sugar and no eggs. Yet they still taste fantastic. So good that you can eat 4 or 5, or a bakers dozen, and not feel guilty about it. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Banana-Oat Cookies

1 large banana, mashed (1/2 c)
1/2 c peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/2 c honey
1 t vanilla (I used 1/2 t almond, I’m still out of vanilla)
1 c rolled oats (I used quick oats)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c nonfat dry milk powder
2 t round cinnamon
1/4 t baking soda
2/3 c cranberries raisins or chocolate chips (you can probably figure out what I used)

Preheat the over to 350º. Lightly coat a large cookies sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the banana, peanut butter, honey and vanilla (or almond if you prefer). In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, milk powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add oat mixture to banana mixture, stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips (or cranberries/raisins if you prefer). Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy!

That is leftover pasta sauce from lunch on his hands. Yes, it's the same pasta that he feed to the dogs, instead of to himself.

Banana-Oat Cookies is a post from: Alli 'n Son

In my never ending quest to convince Eli that veggies are not evil, a couple of friends, Mike and Margot from Boston, sent me a cook book dedicated to hiding healthy ingredients in everyday foods. I immediately fell in love! The book is The Sneaky Chef, How to Cheat on Your Man (in the Kitchen) by Missy Chase Lapine. Within the first few pages I found at least 5 recipes that I was dying to try. Like I said, I’m in love.

The first one that I decided to try of course included mass amounts of chocolate. And some spinach, blueberries, wheat germ and whole wheat flour. I know, it’s an odd combination. The recipe was supposed to make 12 donuts (minus the frying of course) but since we din’t have a mini bundt pan, I just decided to go with muffins instead. Just as yummy, but without the hole.

As yummy as these are, they didn’t get Eli’s seal of approval. I can’t figure out why, they are chocolatey, sweet and generally cupcake-like. They do have a slightly grainy texture due to the wheat germ, but they don’t taste grainy. Maybe he’s not feeling great due to the broken leg, he hasn’t been eating much the last few days. Maybe he didn’t get his momma’s sweet tooth? Nah, that can’t be it.

Even though they didn’t pass the Eli test, both Momma and Dad-oo loved these. I’m wishing that I made a second batch. Mmmmmm…I might have to go do that right now.The only draw back is that it is a more complicated recipe and will you more than likely have to purchase some ingredients that you don’t have lying around the house (wheat germ? who has wheat germ in their cupboards?) But I really do think that the extra effort is worth it.

Legal Donuts (a.k.a. Delicious, Healthy, Choco-holic Muffins)

1/3 c + 1 tablespoon White Flour
1/3 c + 1 tablespoon Wheat Flour
1/3 c + 1 tablespoon Wheat Germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used less than this)
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (I used 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, instead, I’ll use more next time)
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Canola oil
3/4 cup Purple Puree (see below)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon almond instead)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray donut or mini Bundt pan (makes 12 donuts) or line a muffin tin (makes 6-9 muffins. In a large bowl, whisk together the white flour, wheat flour and wheat germ, baking powder, salt coffee granules (if using brewed coffee add to the wet ingredients), cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Wet Ingredients

In another bowl whisk together the egg and sugar until well combined, then whisk in the oil, Purple Puree and vanilla/almond. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until the flour is just moistened. Don’t over mix. Divide the batter evenly among 12 donut or Bundt molds or fill 6-9 muffin cups to the top.

Batter

For donuts: bake 12-14 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed lightly. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn the donuts out over a plate to coo. Dust wth powdered sugar before serving.

Muffin Tins

For muffins: bake 23-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the muffins out of the tins to cool. Dust tops with powdered sugar before serving.

Purple Puree
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, no syrup or sugar added
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water

Purple Puree

Wash spinach, even if the package says prewashed (remember the ecoli outbreak a couple of years ago?). If using frozen blueberries, rinse under cold water to thaw a little. Drain. In a food processor, combine spinach, blueberries, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water. Add more water if needed for a smoother consistency.

Surprising Healthy Chocolate Muffins is a post from: Alli 'n Son

These were a hit with me and Dad-oo. Eli wasn’t a big fan of them, which was surprising, since they didn’t taste anything like a veggie. They were creamy, sweet, and a little bit crunchy, all of the things that Eli likes. But, we found out the next day, that he was coming down with a nasty bug that kept him out of day care all week, I think that was the reason he didn’t eat much of it. I guess I’ll just have to try it again. Maybe I’ll make a double batch, one for veggies, one for the Dad-oo Special.

Sweet Potato Pop Tarts

1 container of refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup pureed sweet potato (bake and blend to get the smoothest consistency)
1 large banana mashed
5-6 mandarin oranges
1 egg mixed with a tablespoon of water

The Dad-oo Special Filling: Peanut butter, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, as many as you want!

Sweet Potato Filling

Filling
Puree or blend the sweet potato, banana and mandarin oranges until smooth You don’t have to do this step, but I found the mixture to be too stringy before I blended it.

Sweet Potato Filled Pop Tart

Dad-oo's Special

Assemble
Unroll all 8 triangle crescent rolls, stretching them as much as possible without tearing the dough. Fill 4 of the with the filling (or in our case, 3 with the veggie filling and 1 with Dad-oo’s special).

Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash around the filling of each pop tart. Place one crescent roll triangles on top of the 4 filled triangles. Using a fork, crimp the edges and dock the top. Brush each pop tart with the egg wash. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight or until they are frozen solid. Tightly wrap until you are ready to bake.

Assembled Pop Tart

Bake
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place completely frozen pastries on a parchment-lined (I used tin foil) cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until darkly golden. Best served warm and crispy, with a little bit of powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Sweet Potato Pop Tarts and the Veggie Challenge is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Veggie Hatred…Where it all Started is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Eli Learning Tries to Break Out

We had a major break through this week at the Eli household. For the first time, ever (or at least a long, long time) Eli ate a veggie without it being disguised. I know, it’s a miracle. And I probably just jinxed it, but I’m too excited and I had to share.

Two days in a row now, I’ve tentatively given Eli corn with his dinner, hoping for the best but expecting the worse. I’ve tried corn in the past, and even when it was smothered in ketchup, he wouldn’t touch it. Or more accurately, he would put it in his mouth, squinch up his face and shake his head as it came oozing back out. *sign* more wasted food.

But I’m bound and determined that this kid will eat, and enjoy, his veggies, so I try, try again. And it finally paid off. While Eli was busy enjoying his grilled cheese sandwich, I quietly added some ketchup-covered corn to his plate. And slowly walked away, pretending that nothing had happen, all the while watching him out of the corner of my eye. To my utter amazement, he picked it up, put it in his mouth and actually ate it. I wanted to shout for joy, run though the house and call everyone I know. But of course I had to act cool, less I scare away this new found enjoyment.

And it wasn’t just a fluke. I tried it again tonight while Eli was inhaling his “pizza, pizza”. And to my surprise, he ate all of the corn, and left some “pizza, pizza” on his plate. I think we have turned a corner. Tomorrow night, carrots. The next night, the world!

A Veggie Challenge Success – Corn! is a post from: Alli 'n Son

After Dad-oo’s successful experiment, we had a LOT of leftovers. Although Eli LOVED it, he also had a chocolate chip cookie during the shopping excursion, and a graham cracker or two after Momma returned home from the gym. So, I racked my brain to figure out what to do with it all, before it sat in the fridge for so long that it ended up fuzzy. That’s never happened in our house before, but I’ve heard rumors. What I came up with was PBJ Pancakes. I’m getting more creative at this making up recipes thing. Although I’m going to have to stray away from baked goods before too long, our freezer is overflowing!

This recipe is another one I created with the help of Betty Crocker’s Cook Book. But I of course modified it to suit my needs. It was a huge success with Eli. He was exhausted and ready for a nap, but continued eating while his head dropped and his eyes closed. Too funny for words. I hope you enjoy!

PBJ Pancakes Batter

PBJ Pancakes

1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour (I did 1/2 c all-purpose and 1/2 c whole wheat)
2-3 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup Toddler Jet Fuel (V8 Splash will work too)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 teaspoons baking powder

Directions
Beat egg in a medium bowl with a hand beater or whisk until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients except milk just until smooth. Add in milk until the desired thickness is reached. Heat griddle or skillet over medium hear or to 375º. Grease griddle or skillet if necessary. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until pancake is bubbly on top, puffed and dry around the edges. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown. Top with jelly or peanut butter if desired.

The next time that I make these for the fam, I’ll probably stick to just white flour. Normally I really whole wheat, but it just doesn’t do it for me in pancakes and waffles. Or maybe I’ll just change the ratio so there is more white flour.

Sleepy-Eyed Eli Enjoys PBJ Pancakes

PBJ Pancakes and The Veggie Challenge is a post from: Alli 'n Son

I started with a made-from-scratch recipe from The Bridal Edition of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook(thanks Grandma!). Since this was my first time experimenting with waffles, I decided to keep it simple. I figured I couldn’t mess it up too bad if I didn’t try anything too crazy. Right? Right.

Finely grated carrots

So, in addition to the basic waffle recipe, I simply added about 1/2 cup finely grated carrot and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. And when I say finely grated, I mean finely grated. Can you image eating a waffle and pulling out a long string of carrot? Eww, I think I just threw up a little. Plus, I didn’t want the texture from the carrots to weird out Eli or end up with under cooked carrots and crunchy waffles. Again, eww.

Carrot Waffle Batter

Overall, they were a success! Eli barely took a breath while he inhaled 3/4 of a LARGE waffle. That’s high praise coming from a little boy! So I do plan on making them again, but with a few modifications. A little more cinnamon and brown sugar, maybe some ground ginger and cloves. And a syrup to match all of these flavors. I think that these changes will help balance out the flavors and really make it a unique dish.

Finished Waffles and Eli's Seal of Approval

Carrot and Cinnamon Waffles

2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1-3/4 cups milk (I used whole milk, that is all we had in the house)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely grated carrots
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder

1. Heat waffle iron – while that is heating send Dad-oo and the kiddo out to the store for eggs. It’s hard to make waffles without eggs!

2. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater or wire whisk until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.

3. Pour onto waffle maker, bake for about 5 minutes or until done.

That’s it! Super easy, and pretty tasty. I’m going to put this one down as a success.

Get Eli to Like Veggies Challenge – Carrot Waffles is a post from: Alli 'n Son

Yes, I have made pancakes with sweet potatoes, but that doesn’t really count for this challenge, since the pancakes were from a box, not homemade. I have made a few different zucchini muffins, but…most involved a lot of chocolate. Not necessarily healthy…unless are a choco-holic like I am! So I decided to try a recipe that is tasty, still has a lot of veggies in it, but isn’t loaded with chocolate. And I found this: Lemon Zucchini Bread/Muffins. The recipe originally came from AllRecipes.com, but I made a few modifications to it, and I think next time I’ll try reducing the amount of sugar, or replacing some/all with fruit juice, or maybe tomato juice for a new twist. But overall, these are fantastic muffins, with a little sweetness and a LOT of moisture. The batter will look very watery when everything is mixed together, which worried me a little, but the muffins turn out fantastic, so don’t let the appearance fool you.

And the best part, is they passed the test! Eli wolfed one down with his dinner tonight, along with some sweet potato fries, so he had two veggie servings and didn’t even realize it.

Lemon Zucchini Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded zucchini with the skin on (extra vitamins!)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 (or more) teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice (more if you like a lemony taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).Line or grease one muffin tin (12 muffins total).
2. In a bowl, mix together together the zucchini, sugar, egg, oil and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; stir in the cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat, and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Any suggestions to make these muffins even healthier, yet still tasty? Leave me a comment, I’ll try it next time, and let you know how they turn out.

The “Get Eli to Like Veggies Challenge”. Part One is a post from: Alli 'n Son