Spinach Time!

Hey parents, JJ here, guess what? Your kids love spinach! When I little I used to love Popeye the Sailor man, yet despite my affection for those bulging wrists (did the animators mean to draw his muscles in the wrong place?) marked with those infamous anchor tattoos, which I swore to get upon reaching 18 (thank The Lord for growing in wisdom, I have no such tattoos), I was never in love enough to succumb to eating spinach... especially from a can!

I know Popeye was often in too much of a hurry to sit down to a nice spring salad, plus the whole reputation thing of a one-eyed sailor being seen eating a salad, but a can? Come on, Popeye, you should know better. It's no wonder the whole "eat your spinach like Popeye" line didn't work... the only thing worse to a kid at dinner time than spinach is spinach that looks like it's been through the washing machine. Popeye obviously did not shop at Trader Joe's.

So the last couple of weeks the theme vegetable at the Sunshine School was spinach and while making spinach art may be way more fun than eating it, I wanted the kids to at the least be exposed to the creative culinary world of spinach and perhaps in due time grow an affection for all that this leafy green machine has to offer. 

Here are just a few of the spinach inspired dishes we had over the last two weeks. I think it is safe to safe that Popeye would not only be proud, but would re-think the whole can thing...

Mini Spinach quiches. Fill muffin cups with whatever ingredients you like...

Pour egg mixture over top and bake at 350 for 20ish minutes, depending on your oven...

and BOOM!

The kids actually referred to them as egg cupcakes, which I like a whole lot more, and it sounds a lot more appetizing to a kid than "spinach and eggs." My favorite quote from that day, "teacher, there's grass in my cupcake!"

Spinach Hummus...

Just add a cup or two of spinach to your favorite hummus mix, process it and serve this pretty green dip along with carrots or pita chips... no food coloring needed!

                                    

Spinach muffins...

I know, it sounds crazy, but made with applesauce instead of oil, no butter and a limited amount of sugar, the kids gobbled them up!

Okay, so it did help that I put a cream cheese icing on top, but nonetheless, loads of spinach was had in the process.

In addition to the spinach muffins, spinach smoothies!

  

The kids LOVED the spinach smoothies, leaving barely any behind. Do you know what that means? Your kids ate raw spinach... and loved it!

Replicate this pretty green smoothie at home using spinach, frozen banana, frozen mango, plain yogurt, any kind of fruit juice, and honey. Blend it up, drink those greens, and enjoy the wonderful world of spinach! 

I yam what I yam.... and that's the lunch lady.