Picky eater..sigh

Thanks to the time change, we at the Ranch are moving slowly this morning.  We decided to go to church at 10:30 instead of at 8:30...meaning a great deal of my day will be done when we walk out...but not a great deal of "the list" (you know that list, parents!).  So, I snuck downstairs to start on my list (dishes, laundry, grocery list...) and Mr. Ranch snuck into the shower...guess I'll write a blog post while I wait for him to give me my turn!

Neither of the kids were a picky eater when they were little--occasionally someone's lunch or dinner plate spent some time in the fridge until the next meal, but not very often.  Recently, The Girl has become a slightly picky eater.  Unlike her friend E, who is a vegetarian, except for bacon, The Girl is just being picky.  I think it is part of her grand scheme to drive me absolutely nuts.  Thankfully, we still get the Sunday paper, and almost every week there is a recipe section, with pretty pictures and attention grabbing headlines...."Go Healthy!  Smart Lunchbox Layering!";  "Rice and Easy!";  "Your Nutrition Survival Guide!" and so on... Mr. Ranch pointed out to her that by the time he and her aunt were her age, they were in charge of cooking at least one meal a week.  Inspired, she has provided me with the following grocery list:  avocados, blueberries, bananas, turkey bacon, shrimp, vanilla yogurt, cottage cheese, pecans, slivered almonds, rice, and peanut butter cheerios.  I don't think the cheerios go in a recipe.  But I don't know for sure.  There were a few other things on the list, like oatmeal, that I assured her we already have (I believe we also have a great deal of the other things on her list, or did have, before the locusts ate them).  After we try a couple recipes I'll have her report back  to all of us.  In the meantime, here is the most likely recipe to be tried by the whole family:

from: http://parade.condenast.com/264496/sarahdigregorio/easy-oven-baked-risotto-plus-3-ways-to-make-it-special/
Easy Oven-Baked Risotto
Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1¼ cups Arborio rice. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and season with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid evaporates, 3 minutes. Add 4 cups boiling chicken stock. Cover and transfer to oven. Bake 15 minutes or until rice is just tender. Stir in 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan. Taste; add more salt or lemon juice if desired. Choose a flavor (see below) and add stir-in. Ladle into dishes; add topping. Serves 4.
Stir in: Fresh herb puree
In a food processor, combine ¾ cup water, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 cup firmly packed chopped fresh mint, 1 cup firmly packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 Tbsp olive oil, ½ cup chopped fresh chives, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Pulse until pureed.
Top with: Cooked shrimp

Shrimp-Herb