You are what you eat......

so today that means my kids are sweet potatoes! ha! ha!

I have been using recipes out of Deceptively Delicious cookbook for some time. Find the link here....http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233242732&sr=8-1. And I use the purees in other things as well...I sneak them into spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, etc. Well, my husband threw out the last of my purees and I hadn't had time to make anymore. Until last night!

I steamed and pureed sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli and they are in my freezer ready for use! Yeah.....more healthy things for my kids! (Again, I'm not going to get nutty about all the healthy stuff.....I promise!)

While I was at it, I mixed up some pancake batter for the next morning and added 1/2 c. sweet potato puree, some cinnamon, and this morning my oldest son ate two HUGE pancakes without even realizing what he was eating and he ate a whole green apple! Our youngest ate yogurt and blueberries....which was healthy and good for his tummy.

Tonight they're going to have pasta and I'll sneak in some broccoli into their sauce.....they never notice and until they get over their fear of vegetables, I feel like this is the only way I can get those important foods eaten. Is it horrible that I'm sneaking healthy things into their food without them knowing?

The one thing I didn't puree last night was spinach and I picked some up this morning when I ran to the store. There is a recipe for brownies that has pureed spinach in it and I'm telling you - my kids never know! I have fed them spinach numerous times and they never whined....because it was hidden in chocolate and sprinkled with a little powdered sugar! ha! ha!

Here is the recipe:

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 brownies

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup carrot puree (After peeling and trimming the ends, steam for 10-12 minutes and then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)
1/2 cup spinach puree (Steam for 30 to seconds, then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They're also packed with 3 grams of fiber, while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids' eyes stay healthy.