Spinach Brownies

 I recently checked out the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook from the library.  Our first try was the brownies which contain (among other, more normal ingredients) spinach puree and carrot puree.  The verdict:  they aren't that delicious.  They aren't horrible; the kids eat them.  I would probably eat them if there wasn't any other chocolate in the house.  They don't really taste weird or vegetably, they just have a strange spongey texture.

Anyway, Isaiah and Eliza had fun helping--she got to dump all the ingredients into the bowl, and Isaiah got to stir.

Here they are licking the spoon:

Today at lunch we tried the grilled cheese recipe.  Basically you grate the cheese, mix it up with carrot puree, and use that instead of just cheese.  Zay & Eliza each ate half of one, which is good for them.  Again the taste was okay, but Zay definitely noticed the different texture--namely the cheesy filling is much thinner, almost runny, because of the purree.  

It's kind of a funny book for us; there are so few things Zay will eat willingly to start with.  So she may have a great recipe for adding veggies to spaghetti sauce, but if your kid won't be in the same room with spaghetti anyway it doesn't really help.

When I've told the pediatrician how picky Isaiah is, she just asks if I've called his bluff yet.  She says if I just quit giving him what he likes and instead present what the rest of us are eating as his only option, eventually he'll start eating other foods.  I'm willing to try it; Jerel is worried about potential starvation.  I'm not sure you can call the bluff in a kid this stubborn...yesterday he had less than 5 bites of food the whole day...