Not Just for Breakfast

Have you seen that tip that's all over the internet, the one that says you can throw a handful of spinach in a smoothie and your kids will be none the wiser?

Ha! I say. Ha!

My New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside (good thing Lent is coming), but I decided this morning to do better. I was going to make a blenderful of delicious nutrient-packed smoothie for breakfast, and I thought I'd try the spinach trick.

Now my boys are reasonably adventurous eaters, but spinach for breakfast -- in a smoothie -- is just not going to fly. (Maybe in an omelet, but not in a smoothie.) I was trying to add the spinach stealthily, on top of the fruit and underneath the plain yogurt. My oldest kept wandering in and out and I would jump to interpose my body between the blender and his line of sight so he wouldn't say "Spinach? Smoothie? That's disgusting." Usually I let the frozen fruit sit for a few minutes so the blender doesn't have to work as hard, but the vigilance got too exhausting so I cranked up the motor.

I blended, and blended, and blended, but the small green bits would not disappear. I added more frozen strawberries, all I could grab from a bag of mixed fruit, but there wasn't enough pink to disguise the green flecks. I poured Pete a speckled glass. "Yum!" he said, but I knew the older boys would be more discriminating. I needed some blueberries, or something dark, but we had nothing in the freezer.

Cocoa! Chocolate smoothie! Who doesn't love a little chocolate in the morning? I added a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and then another, but we still had an RSVP (Recalcitrant Spinach Visibility Problem). Suddenly I noticed that the blender was spraying out green-flecked brown droplets from behind. The bottom had started leaking and I had a mess on my hands. I threw paper towels at it and served up my sludgy concoction.

I said brightly, "Look, guys, chocolate smoothie!"

They replied skeptically, in unison: "Chocolate?" Alex tasted it and said, "Could I make myself a bagel?" Marty tasted it and said, "Me too?" Joe didn't even want to try it. Who knew that chocolate would cause more nose-wrinkling than spinach?

At 7:45 I am more interested in getting them fed than in broadening their culinary horizons, so I sighed heavily and let them get bagels. I am, however, far too cheap to pour out my sludge, so I am drinking it myself.

It might take awhile.

Anybody want to come over for some antioxidants?

Comments

[Tracy]

spinach? and chocolate? Together?

Um, no thank you. I would have tried it with the flecks, but not with chocolate.

I think I'll stick with adding spinach leaves to the romaine in the salad...

[CJ]

Two great tastes that taste great together?

[Tracy]

Nope. Not working for me. I like spinach. I love chocolate. Chocolate + strawberries + frozen yogurt = best smoothie ever. add in spinach? eh. not so much.

so. Did it taste good to you?

[Maria]

I tried that too, ONCE. It doesn't work at all, I don't know who all those kids are that are falling for it.

[CJ]

Tastes fine. Looks funny.

[Tracy]

Hmm, maybe I'll have to try it sometime. But then I eat spinach fine, if it's raw. Cooked? bleh. Not so good for me. Though I think that's a texture thing for me.

I don't think I'll chance it with R though - he drinks smoothies and it's the only way I get orange juice or strawberries or peaches down him. If he gets suspicious of them, he won't drink them and then I'm stuck with apples and bananas and pears for his fruit. And he LOOKS at his food first - suspicious little guy. You'd think that someone has tried to hide something before (whistling... who would do such a thing...).

[Jody]

Oh dear.

Thanks, but I'll keep taking my spinach in salads, okay?

[JenA]

L. just informed me today that she often eats breakfast at school AND at home-- and at school they have little chocolate balls with sugar on them! Sigh. At least you're trying :)