did they eat it?

Mexican potatoes and corn.

This is a really silly casserole thing but three out of four of us love it. So it's a good 'end o' the pay period' meal. This means: It has black beans, cheese and potatoes.

I wrote the recipe here.

Logan: Has Logan ever told you how much he likes black beans? Do you have any idea how good black beans are for you? Soylent Green.

Melissa: Easy to make, satisfying. Not gourmet but still a nice week night meal.

Madison: Nope. No. No way. Ate 3 bites of potatoes after carefully wiping everything else off them. Grrrr.

Max: Ate with enthusiasm.

Pancakes.

In honor of Pancake Day I did end up making pancakes at home. I was going to do 'from scratch' but I go lazy. Surprise!

So we stopped at the market and bought this mix, Multi Grain Buttermilk Pancake w/ Milled Flax Seed & Soy from Hodgson Mill and some blueberries.

I made them and they seemed way too watery, so I added a bunch more of the mix into it. Well and then, when I let it rest for 5 minutes like the box said, it was guess! TOO THICK! Duh!

I can even mess up a box!

I added some more milk and it worked out okay. I'll try again and do it correctly and see what happens. I liked the texture of them and they seemed so much more filling than regular fluffy white pancakes. I was convinced the kids wouldn't eat them, but I guess if you throw butter and syrup on anything they'll eat it.

Logan: Yes! Omega-3's! This is better than sex!!!!!

Melissa: Maddie is eating...gasp...protein? Wow.

Max: Ate loved.

Madison: Ate loved. Didn't say a word about the grains (Flax?) it left in your mouth. I am flabbergasted.

Chicken Casserole Thingie.

This is a super easy thing I like to make. It tastes really good but it's really....not fancy.

Take 3 cups cooked chicken (I usually have some in the freezer, I make extra whenever I'm making a chicken dinner), mix with 3 cups rice and a jar of gravy (we use a fat free chicken gravy). Mix together and put in a pie plate.

Add melted butter to some italian bread crumbs, cover dish with the bread crumbs like a crust. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

It's comfort food kind of.

Logan: Loves this dish.

Max: Loved it.

Melissa: Shamefully loves it.

Madison: Started out saying she liked it. And the angels in heaven started singing and the dining room filled with an amazing light and I thought I might have 3 dishes in the world my whole family enjoys. But then she changed her mind. And I killed her.

Baked Ravioli "Lasagna"

I followed this recipe. I also fried up some polenta with basil slices.

We've had this before but I bought a new jarred sauce. A puttanesca. I was unaware that puttanesca is made out of everything Logan hates in this world, except pickles. Olives, capers and I think there was a hint of Hewlett Packard in there.

I started to pour the sauce and saw the chunks of olives and at first I thought, "Maybe he won't notice."

But then I smelled it and there were a lot of olives and I pretty much knew Logan was going to start weeping at the table.

Gee, I just don't know why my kids are so reluctant to eat things.

Anyway, So we just pulled out the ravioli which was mostly untouched by the sauce and made a pot of plain pasta and butter for everyone else in my picky family.

Logan: Tried to be polite and set a good example for the kids but I think inside his heart grew a little blacker toward me and everything I stand for.

Madison: Ate a 'bite' which was approximately 1/8th of an inch square and deemed the ravioli entirely inedible. Shockingly, she liked the polenta.

Max: Watched ET on Sunday, didn't go to sleep for 3 hours Sunday night complaining that he couldn't get ET out of his head. He spent most of the meal telling us he can't get ET out of his head. This is getting old really fast. He ate a couple bites of everything but mostly filled up on plain pasta.

Melissa: I loved it. Of course I did, since no one else did. I'm getting tired of trying.

Tortilla Pie

Recipe Here.

I followed the recipe (minus scallions which make Logan gouge his eyeballs out. Baby.), except I added refried beans as Bluesqwerl recommended on my weekly menu plan. Thank you, yes, you were right. I also cooked the bean mixture extra long to make sure all the alcohol from the beer had burned off. If I can't have a glass of beer without being 'irresponsible', the kids certainly aren't getting some.

Logan: "Thank God you didn't put scallions in this. I am a picky little baby and yet I am often incredulous at the picky eating habits of our children." (I know! This is a totally accurate direct quote.) He seemed to like it but I don't know, he didn't seem as happy with this dish as he has been with others.

Madison: Madison would like you to know how much she hates this experiment and how much she wishes we could eat pasta with butter every single night for the rest of our lives together.

Max: Was surprisingly resistant to this dish. He did eat about 5 un-provoked bites but it was definitely not a hit.

Melissa: Hey! I loved it. Loved it. I would like to birth several wee tortilla pot pies. I love it. If: family hates or is mildly fond of. Then: Melissa will love.

I am cursed.

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

Here is the recipe.

Logan: Liked a lot, even though it has onions.

Madison: Logan told Maddie about a neighbor's dog who was hit by a car and died last week. So she didn't eat a lot. Plain noodles is all I made her eat. Bye Bumper. Oh God I'm going to cry now.

Max: Loved it. Ate 2.5 helpings and I think his leg is now full of ground turkey.

Me: It was okay but just....I'm not so good at telling what I like or don't but the sauce seemed bland and the meatballs were lacking salt? Tang? I don't know.