Because Emma is completely obsessed with eating "sicles" (pronounced suckles, often confused with her attempt at pronouncing 'circles') - Popsicles - these days, I decided that I should try this recipe sooner rather than later. Yesterday, we went out to get the molds and the ingredients for our popsicles.
Emma loves to go, and yesterday was no different, but she had no idea what we were going after. I tried to tell her about making popsicles, but this only led to her wanting one right that second. That made for a
l-o-n-g outing! We returned home without too much of a melt down and began prepping our materials.
Our popsicles consisted of plain yogurt (less sugar than flavored), frozen fruit - we chose strawberries, her favorite - and a small amount of confectioner's sugar. The recipe claims that it makes 8 popsicles, 100 calories each and less than 1 gram of fat. However, our molds must have been smaller... we wound up with 10.5 popsicles. Which means that ours are less than 100 calories and 1 gram of fat! Wooo Hooo!
I put them in the freezer and once frozen, I pulled one out for Emma to try. She wasn't sure about it at first, so I took a bite. This thing was divine! I am so impressed with this recipe. It was simple and yummy!
Anyway, Emma finally tried a bite and loved it. She ate at least half of it. And, she probably would have eaten the whole thing, but her Daddy kept eating it! I offered him one, but he said he didn't want one... even though he was eating Emma's as fast as she was!
So, I am proud to say that I am 2 for 2 right now. Both recipes that I have tried were definite successes!
Oh, and while we are talking food... I must brag just a bit... After flipping through this cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, I became inspired to create a recipe of my own with hidden veggies. Last night I served my family Manicotti, and it was fabulous.
What veggies did I include in it? Well, I started the sauce like my typical spaghetti sauce. I sautéed onions, red and green bell peppers, carrots (yep! I dice them and sauté them), and mushrooms, seasoned with garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, bay leaves, and Pinot Noir (cooking wine causes the alcohol to dissipate, so it's okay for Emma). Then, once I achieved the flavor I wanted in my sauce, I added 3/4 cup of sweet potato puree. It enhanced the sweetness of the basil, and added a nice counter to the sharpness that the wine imparts.
Then I stuffed the Manicotti shells with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, freshly grated Parmesan, and freshly grated Romano cheeses. I placed the stuffed shells in a baking dish and smothered them with the sauce. Finally, I baked and served with more freshly grated cheese.
I must admit, I was quite surprised with how well this dish turned out. Chuck even went back for seconds! And, that isn't something he does often... especially when I serve pasta.
One thing that I have learned through my own attempts and failures, as well as this cookbook, is that tomato sauce is an excellent cover for many vegetables. Most kids love 'spaghetti' sauce, and you can easily incorporate extra veggies without them even suspecting!
I am anxious to try some of the recipes that I am most skeptical about. I plan to try at least three next week!
Stay tuned!
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