Halloween pudding

It is a constant struggle to get the Painter to eat his fruits and vegetables. It's not that he's actually a picky eater, at least not as I've come to understand that concept. See, it's not that he actually dislikes the taste of most foods. He's got a rather accepting palate. But refusing to eat things seems to have more to do with his desire to control his environment, including having control over mommy and daddy. He learned a while ago that we consistently react to issues of his diet with great concern. Unfortunately, we must have reinforced his refusals enough that he randomly changes his tastes: [scream] you know I don't like [fill in the blank with something he happily devoured three days earlier].

Sometimes we still take the bait, but the arguments are endless, and fruitless, and normally unpleasant. So, I've resorted to all sorts of subterfuge to trick him into eating things. Last night we had "cheesy scallops" otherwise known as scalloped potatoes, because he refuses to eat potatoes. He really liked the "cheesy scallops" (mark that up as success, but we'll see what happens next time I try it).

Tonight was leftover veal scallopini (with mushrooms & wilted romaine lettuce) from two nights ago, along with the "cheesy scallops" and some turmeric rice from last night (which accompanied poached salmon with julienne carrot and celery--he ate the fish, but refused the "julienne strips" Ah well, worth a try). But how to get him to eat veggies tonight? We had some leftover broccoli from last night, and acorn squash from two nights ago. Aha!

So, I scraped the acorn squash from their shells, added with milk and cream to the blender. Blended until smooth (you need a good blender, trust me). Warm in the microwave with some brown sugar. Stir, then chill. After dinner, we had this "Halloween pudding" served with whipped cream and holiday sprinkles. It was devoured.

I'm pleased. A new tradition!