Searching to make mum's life easier

I can't pinpoint when it actually happened, but somewhere between mashed veggies being contentedly smeared all over his face and now – meal times with my son went drastically askew.

I blame myself. The minute he began to reject foods that previously had him waving his spoon in delicious anticipation, I was reaching for the chicken nuggets in a blind panic worrying that any food was better than no food, until every dinner time became an endless battle of bargaining and badgering over a single pea.

In desperate need of something to break this cycle, I’m on a quest for something that can help me provide good nutritious food, quickly and easily.
And in a hope that they might have the answer to my problem, as they claim to be the complete solution to dinnertime battles, I’m putting the Vegie Smugglers recipe books to the test!

The books:
They have a range of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks – some targeted for kids, but also including many mealtime ideas for the whole family.
Both books include a handy introduction with all the different veggies and their nutritional value, plus some invaluable tips on dealing with a fussy eater.
Also, rather than being split by ingredient, the chapters are rather brilliantly categorised by time - there is a quick dinner section, stuff to make and reheat, things to freeze, things to make fresh, and fruit.
And with a variety of cuisines, ingredients and styles, I found there were plenty of recipe options to suit even the fussiest of eaters.

The verdict:
A real success.
The recipes were simple, quick to prepare, nutritious and tasty, and the books gave me plenty of ideas for mealtimes with the minimum of fuss.
Even fussy Master3 tried everything after a couple of offerings, and even more surprising... he liked them!

Best bits:

• Every recipe clearly tells the basics – including freezing and storage, plus how many adults and kids each recipe serves.
• There were plenty of recipes that suited the whole family – no more cooking 3 different meals for everyone.
• No recipe required any complicated or expensive ingredients, so I could make most things from what I had in the cupboard plus some fresh vegies.
• Nothing was overly time consuming or difficult, so with some basic planning I could have a nutritious dinner on the table for the whole family without any fuss.
• As they were such kid friendly recipes, fussy eaters can easily get involved with the cooking and preparation

Our favourites:
Lamb & feta meatballs with pasta salad – big hit with both husband and 3 year old.
Sultana & apple muffins – simple to make and really yum
Traffic light swirls – anything to do with cars is a hit in our house, and this was no exception.
Fruit pikelets – mainly a big hit because I loved them, but I’m the head chef so it's allowed... right?!

Making life easier?
For me? Absolutely. Life in the kitchen is definitely easier.
I’m not a great cook. No dessert of mine has ever been served deconstructed, and to be honest, the kids on Junior masterchef freak me out a little. So to be able to whip up a batch of healthy salmon pikelets or sausage rolls and bung them in the freezer is a godsend – especially on those days when I fly in the door at 6pm panicking about what’s for dinner.

Fussy eater fixed?
Not fixed, but definitely vastly improved. And now my repertoire for mealtimes for Master3 has gone from an embarrassing sausage or nuggets, to a range that does include veggies and freshly prepared meals, and one that I’m happy with.

The facts:
Vegie Smugglers and Vegie Smugglers 2 by Wendy Blume
More info and sample recipes are at www.vegiesmugglers.com.au

Have you got a fussy eater?
Do you have good tips to share?