Tuesday's Toddler Tidbits: Leftovers in Disguise

Don't you absolutely hate it when you fix a meal that used to be a "guarantee" and your kids won't eat it this go 'round? You have leftovers--some even on their plates that haven't been touched...what do you do with them?

Have you also noticed that presentation is everything? My kids love fun sounding words and little bundles or packages of things. With that in mind, I made "Lentil Croquettes" from our leftover Mujadarrah, served them with ketchup, and they inhaled every last little pureed lentil/rice leftover (mwa-ha-ha-ha). They turned up their noses at Fancy Spinach, so the next day at lunch, I spooned clumps of it into crescent rolls, baked them, and the little urchins scarfed them down. Spanakopita (a Greek spinach pie that is nearly identical to Fancy Spinach but made with phyllo dough) is so much more appealing to them if I make it into Tiropites instead (the EXACT same thing, but the dough is rolled into individual triangles instead...).

So, next time you're in a funk with some interesting looking leftovers, trying pureeing them loosely and either binding them together with egg and bread crumbs/mashed potatoes/etc. and frying them in a skillet (voila: croquettes or "cakes" or "patties" or whatever you want to call them) or burying the clump of stuff in some sort of bread/dough product. Amazing things might happen, especially if you teach them a new, fun word in the process!