A "Veggie Tale" Recipe

Following Father's Day is, "Eat Your Vegetables Day".  Sounds like something your father would say, doesn't it?  Unless things have changed since I was a youngster, this is still the motto of the family table!  And, again, if things haven't changed, it is still a challenge for parents to get those kids to eat their veggies!

Well, this may work for you parents out there.  This is a casserole recipe.  Casseroles are good for their ability to hide all sorts of things in them.  And it might work to help disguise some of those vegetables that some of the more finicky kids refuse to eat.

When I was growing up, you would learn to eat everything on your plate.   There was no choice!  There was no such thing as saying, "I won't eat such and such a vegetable!"  We respected our parents.  We knew that they worked hard to get the food they put on our plate.  We respected them, their authority, and their guidance.  If they told us that vegetables were good for us, we'd eat them; and never questioned it!  Oh, I did know of some kids who would be rebellious.  Those kids would tell the stories of how they got punished for their disobedience!   It made us grow and mature into good citizens and I wouldn't change that for the world!  I wish and pray that these values come back in our country.  They will be the country's salvation - well, they'll be the values that will help the whole world to get along!  (Not likely, but I still pray for it!)
Okay, here's my recipe:

Farmer Boy Best Casserole Ever!

(So named to hide the veggies even more!)

Ingredients: (made in 8x8 baking dish - if you need more for a larger family, just double or triple this and use a larger baking dish.)

• 1 yellow squash
• 1 zucchini
• 1/2 onion
• 1 large tomato
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• small bunch of Kale
• 1/3 Cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/3 Cup of grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 Cup of sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• about a dozen crushed Ritz Crackers

Directions: Spray non-stick into the baking dish.  Slice off coins of the squash and zucchini.  Layer them into the dish. Add slices of onion and tomato on top.  Drizzle the lemon juice on this.  Add dollops of sour cream.  Add the diced bell pepper.  Chop the Kale and add it.  Sprinkle half of the Parmesan on top.  Distribute the crackers.  Finish with more Parmesan and the Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 to 45 minutes.

* To make this into a one-dish meal, I added some cooked crumbled pork sausage on top and then added the crackerss and cheeses.  I served it over a bed of noodles - you could us rice instead.

If this doesn't get those kids to eat their veggies, it's probably too late - they're spoiled!  :( 

I'm not saying that your kids should become Vegetarians, but God made these things, and He said they were good for us!   And Father knows best!

(By the way, adults like this recipe too! ;)

"Children should be made to obey or shown that to disobey brings punishment.  Thus, they will learn the lesson every good citizen and every good man and woman learns sooner or later - that breaking a law brings suffering."  Laura Ingalls Wilder

If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a comment.  Thanks.

*By the way, I see that many have viewed my blog over time, but very few leave comments!  I don't know why this is the case, but I'd sure like to see more response from what I put on here!  And, for that matter, I'd like to see more people sign up as followers!  How about it, step into the flow!  Thanks.

The Old Man in the Bib Overalls