I let April Fool’s day slide by this year with no pranks or jokes whatsoever. My childish larks on April Fool’s Day once involved switching Mom’s glass of wine with dyed-red water, mailing a fake letter to my brother Tyler from an imaginary pen pal, and turning my sister Moriah’s dresser drawers upside down so the clothes fell out when she opened them.
Clearly, I did not grow up to be a comedian.
In reliving these moments, I also realize I was a terrible daughter and sister…but I donated $25 to the humane society this year, so let’s call it even.
I have seen all sorts of food pranks on Pinterest this year; most of them involve making what looks like a classic dish of meatloaf and potatoes or a cheeseburger out of cake. Pfft. My food fools are quite the opposite and usually involve making dishes healthier by swapping out ingredients without telling whomever eats them. Applesauce for oil in cakes. Boca meat for ground hamburger in chili. Greek yogurt for mayo. I swear the food tastes just as good, and most people won’t even notice unless you tell them.
My sister Moriah is slowly warming up to the deliciousness of vegetables, but she has often referenced the difference in our eating styles. She’s happiest with a hunk of summer sausage or a stick of beef jerky; I consider ants on a log a ‘real treat’ and could eat roasted broccoli with or for nearly every meal.
Once when my sisters came over for a movie night, I made Moriah try a dessert smoothie before I would tell her what was in it: pineapple, green tea….and spinach. Fortunately, she liked it. If no veggies taste good to you, you’re preparing them wrong. Sometimes tricking people into eating vegetables is necessary to prove their versatility, and as long as you make them taste good, I don’t see any harm. Unless they’re allergic. (Hmm…next April Fool’s……………..I kid, I kid).
Joke’s On You Fruit Smoothie (…..with Broccoli)
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup strawberries
- 1/4 cup broccoli
- 4 oz. greek yogurt (I used cherry flavored)
- 1 cup green tea
- 3-4 ice cubes
Blend. Pour. Drink. Trick your (hopefully not) veggie-hating tastebuds. Serve with a side of:
No Joke Peanut Butter Pita Pizza (Modified from this awesome recipe here)
- 1/2 whole wheat pita, toasted
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp powdered peanut butter (mixed to miraculous unpowdered state)
- dash each of salt, nutmeg, onion flakes, and red pepper flakes
- sprinkling of mozzarella cheese
Toast. Smear the peanut butter. Drizzle with honey. Top with garlic and spices. Sprinkle cheese. Put under broiler for a few minutes until cheese is golden. Top with more red pepper flakes.
Hey, I did 55 minutes of oblique twisting, tricep burning, ab stretching, glute tightening Jillian Michaels’ No More Trouble Zones again today, even though I didn’t sleep well. Crazy workouts=crazy food.
And trust me, if you don’t have a drawer dedicated entirely to cheese and you’re not willing to try seemingly weird combinations of food, you are missing out. Just sayin’.
Designs on Dinner 