Sneaky, sneaky!
The Sneaky Chef, however, grabbed and held my attention that evening in the library. It seemed different somehow, and when I started to thumb through the pages, I found the recipes actually looked good. I decided that I would try a few in my meal plan these next two weeks – in the name of helping all of us eat healthier.
Last night, I made our first recipes from the Sneaky Chef: Crunchy Chicken Tenders (which are dipped in a puree of sweet potatoes and carrots and a breading made of wheat germ and whole wheat bread crumbs before pan frying in a couple Tablespoons of olive oil) and No-Fry French Fries (homemade baked fries with a touch of egg and corn meal). Although both recipes could be billed as your typical fast food fare, I thought it best to start with Connor’s never-fail foods (which have been known at times to fail: he won’t eat Trader Joe’s chicken nuggets – which are really good! – or my traditional homemade fries). In any case, these sneaky versions did have a healthy touch and were definitely more nutritious than their counterparts at the boys’ favorite eating-out location, or even than the “all natural” chicken nuggets we used to purchase in bulk, so they were worth a try.
The real test, however, came when I set the dinner in front of the boys. They started with the french fries, eating a hearty serving in record time before asking for more (there weren’t any more because I had eaten all of the extras – they were that yummy!) The chicken, too, passed the test. Both boys ate it without complaint. Connor said, “Mommy, I’m eating the skin by itself. It is yummy!” These were boneless, skinless chicken breasts – the “skin” was the breading – and Connor will not ordinarily eat sweet potatoes or carrots (nothing orange) so this was quite something! Lest you think this was simply a one-time fluke, Connor ate the leftover chicken for lunch AND dinner today.
Woohoo, score one for the Sneaky Chef! Tomorrow we’re going to try “Earth Day Milkshakes” made from baby spinach and vanilla ice cream. Now, these may be a stretch, but I’m going to give them a try. Wish me luck!