Deceptively Delicious

* I had to add a little disclaimer, that I'm not a fan of deceiving my children. The idea of a little added nutrition in fun and unique ways, is why I like this book...not because I'm "hiding" something from the kiddos!

This summer, I was looking through a Fitness Magazine, and this small little add caught my eye. It was for this book "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good food". The basic premise, is that you puree different vegetables, and include them in your every day cooking. That way, kids who don't like to eat their veggies, in fact eat them without knowing it!

Kallen doesn't eat much, but one thing he does eat is his veggies! He'd eat a plate of fruit and veggies way before meat and pasta! Although he doesn't mind his veggies, the idea of finding additional ways of incorporating healthy food into our every day meals, was very appealing! The sample recipe this little add gave, was for Macaroni and cheese cooked with summer squash!

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup nonfat (skim) milk

1/2 cup butternut squash or cauliflower puree

1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)

4 oz. (almost 1/4 cup) reduced-fat or nonfat cream cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

I instantly went down to the local Borders to buy myself this wonderful book, only to find that it hadn't been released yet! I then went on Amazon.com, pre-ordered it, and waited for my copy to arrive!

Well, I was recently on a Tevo'd Oprah watching marathon...and there it was. Jessica Seinfeld and her wonderful new book Deceptively Delicious! Wow, I simply stumbled on this book, and there it was on Oprah!

I got my copy, devoured all it had to say, and can't wait to start pureeing veggies of my own. Check it out at http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/