Chicken nuggets, french fries, grilled cheese, hot dogs, pizza, peanut butter and jelly. Oh wait, can’t forget the $37 filets when we go out to dinner.
Shall I go on?
I’m going to be extremely transparent on this post because I get this question asked almost daily and I want to be very clear and honest about something.
My boys are not eating what I cook every day.
And (GASP!) I am ok with it.
Look, I know dinner can be an extremely frustrating time for families for many reasons. Busy schedules and picking eating I’m sure are at the top of those reasons. And I know, it’s not fun to be a short order cook. Making multiple meals each night just seems to be enabling the picky eating problem, right?
Yet I don’t know. I sort of view it differently.
Maybe I’m navie, but I’m hopeful that if I keep cooking different flavors with different ingredients and my boys see that, smell that, and at times even taste, that alone is progress in of itself. I know many people grew up with their mom making only one dinner, myself included. Yet I think a lot of the way we eat has changed now. There was no Pinterest crazed moms back then, right? My mom is the most wonderful cook in the entire world but we grew up eating eating meals that leaned way more kid friendly than not.
So I think there is a gap here. A gap in which some of our kids need time to let their taste buds grow into the way we cook now. And, rather than get frustrated by it all, I just accept it. There is something freeing in that. Just don’t expect them to try or eat the salmon power bowl. Everyone is happier, I promise. And hey, if you have littles that gobble that type of stuff up more power to you!
But how do I handle feeding my boys? Making multiple meals each night?
So I’m on the clock from pick up (2:40) on. I view feeding them just apart of the job. They are starving after school so I generally make a heartier snack then. Most of the times they are at an activity around actual dinner time so I am cooking for them before they go. If it’s a meal I’ve made for the whole family that they will enjoy (everyone loves this) I will serve that. If not, I just keep things on hand that I know they will always eat and love. Sliders are a go to fav. Italian sausage. Rotisserie chicken. Tacos. None of this is hard to heat up and/or cook. It takes all of ten minutes, tops. They are happy and well fed before sports and I can eat a dinner that I want to eat.
Like this coconut chick pea curry.
YOU GUYS.
I promise you it’s worth heating up sliders for your kids over, or heck even driving through Culvers. We do not judge here.
Make this if only for yourself as it is completely worth it and SO EASY that it’s not annoying at all that your kids probably may not touch it.
SLOW COOKER COCONUT CURRY CHICK PEAS
Recipe adapted from Kardea Brown
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced carrots (1/4 inch thick)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped lemongrass or 1/4 cup lemon juice (I used a lemongrass paste which worked great!)
One 14-ounce can vegetable stock
3 cups canned garbanzo beans will work, drained and rinsed
One 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Steamed basmati rice, for serving (I used Trader Joes frozen)
Cilantro, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, onions, carrots; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add the curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic and lemongrass; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Place the onion mixture in a slow cooker. Pour in the vegetable broth. Stir in the chickpeas and coconut milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with rice and plenty of chopped up fresh cilantro
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Courtney
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