being a momma of two with one on the way, plus running my own business full time, means that days are full, momma's tired and time is limited. see...? look how tired i am today, but i still have mouths to feed. one of my big time goals is to make more time in the kitchen.
it's hard for me to cook sometimes because i have picky eaters in my house. milla plum, age 7, is my super star eater. she'll eat pretty much anything i put in front of her and i love that. julian, age 9, is next in line. he's kind of picky and has a couple food allergies so it's a little tougher with him, although he usually eats or at least trys whatever i cook. i can make small adjustments to each dish for him, or to his portion and it usually all works out. and then we have mr. mccoy, aka 'the boy', aka the pickiest eater i have ever met. you look up picky eater in the dictionary and there he is, smiling proudly, eating a chicken nugget or something.
he makes it pretty difficult for me to cook freely. 80% of the time, (and that may be an understatement), when i mention making something for dinner, his first words are, "i'm not going to eat that." grrrrrrrrrr... it's so frustrating!!! he would rather eat "toddler food" than real food. he hates vegetables and is a food texture freak. it's out of control and really unhealthy. so i've decided to take control of this situation and cook delicious healthy meals and everyone will eat them or they won't eat. sound mean? i don't really care. i plan on sharing my adventures in feeding picky eaters with you here on the blog. should be interesting.
now here's something that i've been making my kiddo's since they were wee high. it's super quick, really yummy and so easy! the kids love it and so do adults! well at least, normal eater adults. haha.
QUICK KIDDO PARMESAN PASTA (8-10 servings)
ingredients:
box of rigatoni or penne pasta shells
chicken, turkey or sausage
5 ripe tomatoes
fresh basil
2 garlic cloves
pinch of oregano
pinch thyme
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
or if you're in a hurry (which i am most of the time)
use 1 can tomatoes with basil and garlic (i keep these on hand for quick meal nights)
1 to 1 1/2 cups good parmesano reggiano cheese
(not the cheap kind - it won't melt correctly)
boil and cook pasta with salted water until al dente.
in large pan heat oil. cook chicken or sausage until fully cooked. (i used turkey sausage tonight) add tomatoes, basil, garlic and spices to protein and cook until reduced and simmering. or if you're making it quick add canned tomatoes using only half of the juices. drain pasta, add tomato mixture to pasta. immediately add 1 to 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesano reggiano cheese. stir until cheese dissolves and noodles are coated. the cheese and tomato mixture creates a delicious sauce. serve and enjoy!
to be honest, i have only made the 'fresh' version of this quick and yummy meal once. i prefer the quick version because it tastes just as good, makes a lot less mess and is done in 15 minutes. you can also veto the meat if you prefer. and if you opt for fresh maybe add some fresh zucchini and yellow squash. mmmm.
happy eating!
picky eater results:
miss plum: LOVED IT! wanted more more more.
juju bear: likes it but prefers it with chicken.
'the boy': didn't try it. he had other dinner plans. he got away this time but next time he won't be so lucky.