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Penne With Creamy Spinach And Goat Cheese Sauce

Culinary Hide-And-Seek

Okay, I confess. I am one of those moms that will hide things in her children's food. I am not ashamed of this.

I have had a few openly tell me in the past that I was not teaching good eating habits to my children. But you know, those people probably never tried to feed a picky eater. I hide a little, offer a little. There is a delicate balance that needs to be maintained when feeding a child and I respect that.

Fooling A Picky Eater

So, the other day I was craving three things with a ferocity that rivaled a bear after honey: I really wanted some pasta, greens and goat cheese. I woke up thinking about it, sat and thought about it at work, and while running after school I had put together a plan.

The problem was I knew my oldest would pitch a fit. I was not in the mood for his "20 questions about what was in the food" fun time. Never fear, I am not afraid of that. So while he was at swimming I made this quick little sauce so I could get rid of the evidence before he got home.

Talk about nutrient-packed. I used a mix of legume-based pasta and whole wheat. My green of choice: spinach. This meal was filling and satisfied my need for goat cheese, greens and pasta all on one plate.

Feeling confident, I plated his dinner. He just looked at me like I was an idiot and said, " Okay, Mom. I know there must be something in here that I don't like. What is it?" I smiled and assured him there was no trick and I promised he would like it.

Not only did he like it, he asked for more.