A veggie by any other name...

…may actually make it down their tiny gullets!

So… we have a huge, prolific garden. Exciting, huh? But not when you harvest two grocery bags of produce EVERY DAY. And 3/5 of your family won’t eat 3/5 of what’s in the bags. But last night, I came up with a genius plan, if I do say so myself. I made crispy veggies, then put them on the table – not on the three plastic plates. Nothin’ like placing something just out of reach to make it irresistible.  Then, I donned my best pirate accent as I casually (or as casual as a pirate can be) helped myself to the “gold doubloons.” As if on cue, I suddenly had two pirate companions, and a noisy parrot, all begging for doubloons. They ate them with gusto. The doubloons even elicited one of Max’s goat-bleats, usually reserved for ice cream and candy. Midway through the meal, though, one of the pirates got smart. “Mom, are you trying to trick us?” Reed-beard asked, sheepishly. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to sound innocent. “Is this really eggplant?” Phew… I knew better than to try my little ruse with the bane of my boys’ existences. I could honestly answer that it was NOT eggplant, though I did have to later fess up that it was squash and zucchini. Too late, though – they already admitted to liking it. Now if I could only fashion an edible dragon out of eggplant …

Gold Doubloons

-          Veggies

-          Egg

-          Shake and Bake

1)      Cut veggies into medallions

2)      Dip in egg, then coat with Shake and Bake

3)      Place in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet

4)      Bake at 425 degrees for 15 mn, or until golden enough to pass for doubloons