504 Main by Holly Lefevre: "This Tastes Like Dessert!"
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

"This Tastes Like Dessert!"

Every night for dinner, I ask the kids "Tomatoes or broccoli?" I give them a choice, because honestly I am just happy that they will eat those two items. I quit making any "new" vegetables because all I was getting was icky faces and a lot of no's...and I will admit I just got a little lazy. With all the excitement the Brussel Sprouts caused last week, I went to the market and and bought more.  Well, we are Brussel-Sprouted-out for awhile...so I have decided to try a "vegetable of the week" theme at our house. So on to the next....

Butternut Squash!
I know it doesn't sound sound that exciting or that adventurous, but honestly, I can say I have never made Butternut Squash! I am a creature of habit myself (hence the tomatoes and broccoli), and no offense mom, but I don't remember trying a whole lot of different vegetables growing up. I remember canned spinach, carrots, and salads with iceberg lettuce. Of course, my memory may not be completely correct...a lot of things (like camping) have been remembered much different from what they were.

Here is what I did...
1 Butternut Squash
1/2 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2-1 Tablespoon Butter, melted

*Preheat oven to 400.
*Cut squash in half and place in a baking dish with 1/2" of water
*Bake for approximately 45 minutes...or until fork tender
*Let cool until you can handle it.
*Scoop out seeds (and toss...or save...according to my son we have to save every seed)
*Scoop out flesh
*I used a food processor and pureed the squash, added the butter, maple syrup, honey, and cinnamon.

Ta-Da! Both kids ate it up. I must be a genius! I believe Joe even said "This tastes like dessert!" They ate it up along with tomatoes (yes, that is right 2 veggies tonight!)

The part that really knocked me on the floor was when Joe asked if tomorrow he could try "a salad like you and Daddy eat." (That would be organic mixed greens and veggies in balsamic vinegar) Really? Are you kidding me?...SALAD!...I will stop everything and make you salad right now! Oh, how I have tried to get this kid to eat a salad, but it is all different now...it is his idea.

I'm curious....Anyone out there have a suggestion for next weeks vegetable? Or how they got their kids to eat a new vegetable?

By the way...tick, tock, tick tock the "Don't tell the Kids It's Healthy" Apple Cake is in the oven as I type. I will post the results tomorrow...because it has to be kid-tasted, and even I, maniac-impatient-mom-that I am, will not be waking up the kids to taste is at 11pm tonight when it is ready!

11 comments:

  1. Wait... "I Love Apple Cake" Apple Cake is still on my to-do list. Now you have another one? I'll never keep up with you, Holly.

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  2. Ok Holly...Butternut Squash DOES NOT taste like dessert, but with all that yummy stuff mixed in maybe it might! I am just like a kid when it comes to vegetables! Yuck! I will have to try this, though. It looks super yummy! BTW...My 5 year-old takes a salad in her lunch to school 4-5 times a week! It is chopped up carrots, peppers of all colors, cucumber, tomatoes, and pepperoni. No lettuce or dressing. The small chopped chunks of pepperoni was what got her going on the salad in the first place. I got the idea from the CPK chopped salad with the salami pieces chopped up. She loves that salad, too!

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  3. Heather1:04 PM

    I would try roasted broccolini. Toss in Olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Rachel's favorite. Turn half way through. You can do baby carrots to, nix the salt and toss with honey afterwards. You can also do haricot vertes & asparagus the same way. Yum.

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  4. Can't wait to try. Have never done it this way. My kids like a butternut squash soup I make every Fall. Trader Joes makes it so easy by having the BS all chopped and ready to go. I'll have to get that recipe to you. My kids like most veggies raw. So we do lots of chopped red bells, carrots, persian cucumbers, celery, with different dressings or hummus to dip it in. Not sure that is such a NEW idea...but it's all I've got! Holly at lifelaughlatte.blogspot.com

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  5. Hi, Holly. Thanks for stopping by at my place last night--good to see your comment. I DO see where your little guy is coming from on the "tastes like dessert" thing...I tried butternut squash for the first time a year or so ago, and I love it! In fact, I just bought butternut squash soup at Target last night, complete with a label that clearly touts "hints of cinnamon and nutmeg." (Although I'd love to get in on the homemade recipe mentioned in the previous comment!)

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  6. yum, now I am hungry. Also if you peal it (kind of a pain in the butt) then cube it, toss in EVOO and salt and pepper...bake until tender....it is our fav

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  7. All of the above sound super yummy!

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  8. oh I love Butternut Squash (or we call it pumpkin over here!!) I love it tossed in a little olive oil sprinkled with some seasoning and roasted.

    How about sweet potato for your next vegie - makes great chips, I just cut it into batons and as above toss in some olive oil and a little seasoning and roast. Delish.

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  9. When I was a kid, I don't think I liked any veggies, period. But as an adult, I grew to tolerate some and even like others. Carrots, peas, broccoli, and tomatoes are my favorites. I don't recall ever having squash, but I admit that your recipe for it sounds inviting.

    Now as for brussel sprouts and lima beans, I would rather be strung and quartered before eating them. Yuck.

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  10. I love squash... but if you love butternut, you MUST try Delicata. Oh so good... they are truly like dessert. Our farm grows them and I get a lug or two a year. They keep like a winter squash but you can eat the skins like a summer squash. Try it out next time you are at the grocery. :)

    Your apple cake sounds good... even the gooey one. ;)

    Blessings,

    Val

    http://goddesshobbies.blogspot.com/

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Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation! I sure hope you come back for more!

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