Deceptively Delicious Pancakes

 I was given this book by my sister in law a while back, and I thought it was such a great idea for those with fussy eaters.  Fortunately my daughter always ate her veggies (has been a vegetarian from the start, though we recently started introducing meats) and her meals for that matter.  That was until recently.

For some reason she refuses to eat anything lately (except for M&M's, which she constantly requests), and it's making it very difficult to get proper meals in her.  It feels like we have a big negotiation during every meal.  Lots of "I no like that!"  

Then me,"Will you have a yogurt then?"  

Her, "I no like blueberries!"

Me, "Aghhhhh!"

So I decided to bust out the Deceptively Delicious cookbook!

Written by Jessica Seinfeld (yup, Jerry's wife), this book is full of recipes that sneak fruits and veggies into them by pureeing.  Pretty fabulous if you ask me!
From breakfast foods like pancakes, french toast, oatmeal and eggs, to dinners like burgers, mac and cheese, and meat loaf, there is something for everyone.  She has even figured out a way to make cookies and brownies nutritious!
I decided to start with pancakes this morning.  One of my daughter's favorite things to eat, I figured this would be the best choice.

 Doesn't that pic look delicious?!
It's very simple.  You basically mix water, pancake mix (I used Bisquick), and the puree of your choice (I chose sweet potatoes, though you could use butternut squash too) in a bowl. 

 I took the easy way out today by adding some organic sweet potato baby food instead of pureeing my own.    It's really a great way to use up some of your left over baby food.  I still had quite a bit left in my pantry after my daughter outgrew it.  Both methods work just fine depending on the amount of time you have.

 You can add cinnamon or pumpkin spice ( I used cinnamon) to flavor it up a bit.  Your batter will be thin but lumpy.

 Then you just spoon some "blobs" onto the griddle ( I melted a tab of butter/margarine in there first), let them cook on one side for a minute or two, then flip.  I don't suggest making the blobs too big, or you will not be able to flip them well.  These make thin pancakes, as you may have noticed, the recipe has no egg in it.

 Cute golden silver dollar pancakes!

 Don't they look scrumptious?  I am getting hungry again just typing this post (heehee).

And here's the best part....... 

She ate them!  She finished a meal!  A meal that was good for her!
Yay!  Small victory for Mama today!

I will definitely be making this one again and again.  We even had left over batter, so I popped it in the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast.

My next attempt will probably be the french toast, as my daughter has a real sweet tooth and love of breakfast foods.  I would also love to try the quesadillas, lasagna, grilled cheese and mac an cheese recipes soon.  There are so many great ideas, and if you have a picky eater at home, I highly recommend this book to you!

How do you deal with picky eaters?  Any go to recipes for the fussy kiddos?  Please share your tips here; I am open to all suggestions;)