Momnesia

Food fight victory

Emmie has been rejecting vegetables lately. If they don't come from "da ninja chef," as she calls hibachi cooks, or doused in cheese, she pretty much wants to pick all vegetables out of her food. She will eat mushrooms, olives, sweet potatoes, corn, baby peas, some seasoned beans, and Wife Saver's green beans. Everything else is a food fight.

I think I found success when I devised a plan to use up a pound of baby carrots. Emmie ate her portion, then stole most of mine, then went into the kitchen, got the bowl of carrots, brought it to the table and ate the rest of them.

Cactus Juice Carrots

1/2 pound of baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup low-cal/low-fat butter substitute
1/4 cup of Agave nectar* (find it near honey in the grocery store)
2 tbsp Splenda, to help it thicken (or maybe you can use cornstarch? I don't know)

Fill pot with just enough water to cover the carrots by an inch. Bring to a boil. Throw in carrots and boil until just barely tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in same pot. Add Agave and Splenda, and stir well. Allow mixture to reduce on medium to med-high heat until it is a brownish color and slightly thickened. Return carrots to the pot and cook over medium-low for five minutes, stirring often to coat. Serve quickly, and stay out of Emmie's way.

* I started using agave a couple of months ago after my sister suggested it. We were buying a lot of honey, while trying to stay away from high-sugar foods. At it turns out, I wasn't doing that so well. Agave has a glycemic value of 27; honey, 83 and sugar, 92. Emmie fell in love with it after I started calling it "cactus juice."