No, really.

They hate my cooking.  Ok, most of the time.  Occasionally, if I follow a recipe and include all of the sugar, fat, white flour and don't adjust anything or burn it, then they like it.   I frequently make the drastic mistake of substituting "healthy" (or as my kids call them: "yucky") ingredients such as whole wheat flour, applesauce, pureed veggies, or, heaven forbid: raisins!

I have this wacky idea that since most of my children would prefer to eat goldfish crackers and pop-tarts all day, that when I make something from (almost) scratch I should try and add some healthy ingredients!  Silly mommy.

Having had so many massive failures lately, like many people, I decided to blog about it.  Partly to share my pain, and partly to document the VERY FEW TIMES that they actually like something.

Now, not every recipe is a total failure.  Sometimes one kid likes it.  So, I will rate each recipe with a "thumbs-up/thumbs-down" rating.  4 thumbs means all four kids loved it, 0 thumbs means not a one of them would finish what was on their plate, and have probably begged me never to make it again.

Introductions:

First, my girls (yes, four girls, no we're not going to keep trying for a boy):


Number One: Typically finicky 14 year old, but with a broader palate than her younger sisters.
Number Two:  8 year old, also typically finicky for her age, but the added challenge of a peanut and tree nut allergy.
Number Three: 4 year old with some challenges and difficulty accepting anything new (ie: cheese=ok, bread=ok, grilled cheese sandwich=ewwwww!)
Number Four: 2 year old ('nuff said)

Occasionally, I actually talk my husband into trying something.  If he likes it, you may see an extremely rare "5 thumbs up"...but don't hold your breath.

As for me, I'm a stay at home mom with some of my sanity left.  I really enjoy baking, and I dabble in cooking.  I'm pretty much a "by the book" baker, following recipes closely, but in my never-ending quest to up the protein, fiber, nutrients, etc, I am known to make substitutions.

My intent to to share some fun, suggest some recipe books or sites that have been especially helpful (or not, as the case may be) but not to be a recipe resource.  If I make something directly from someone else's recipe, I'll let you know where I got it.  If it's an original creation (or seriously warped version of someone else's) then I will include the recipe.  If you are a betting person, I would recommend betting on the original ones to tank dramatically!

I can't promise I'll update everyday, after all, I don't cook every day!  (Hey, I don't count warming up chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries in the oven as "cooking".  More like serving with a little extra effort.)

I welcome comments, suggestions, patience, and forgiveness for when spell-check fails me and I use too many parenthesis (because I do (a lot)).

Thanks for reading!