kids

The Magic Pie every fussy child will eat.

Next time someone tells you that they know how to make your fussy-eating kid eat, punch them in the face.

That’s next time. But not this time. This time, hear me out.

Because believe me, I have better advice for you than, “Tell him that broccoli is just little trees!” Or, “If you just keep putting it on the plate, he’ll try it eventually.”

Tell that last one to the carpet that is now more frozen-pea-mush than shagpile.

My fussy four-year-old Billy only has my blender to thank for the fact that he is walking around upright and (so far) doesn’t have scurvy or rickets.

I frequently moan about this on This Glorious Mess, the podcast where Andrew Daddo and I tell real stories about parenting and family life.

And it’s where, this week, I told Andrew about The Magic Pie:

A TGM listener, Yael Blinco, in whose debt I shall forever be, got sick of my whingeing and reached out to me on my Facebook page to offer a recipe she promised would work.

And here it is. Excuse its unscientific nature. This is how real people share recipes. In handfuls.

You will need:

– Spinach (Yael uses frozen, a 250 gram bag)
– Onion
– Garlic
– Feta (about 300 grams)
– A lemon
– Frozen pastry
– An egg
And Yael wrote:
Cook onion and garlic in olive oil till soft. Add defrosted spinach (from the evil microwave) , stir it around. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and feta. Cool then make little sausage rolls.
Good luck. Make sure you cool it so your pastry doesn’t go all soft while you’re wrapping. And brush the top with beaten egg.
I guarantee it.

It was Sunday. I was feeling desperate. I made it.

Spinach pie. MAGIC spinach pie.

I made mine from two bunches of silverbeet, with the stalks cut out and the leaves shredded, because they were on sale at the supermarket.

I used ricotta instead of feta because I was afraid of Billy's addiction to blandness.

Billy asked me what was in it. I told him "Meat".

He ate a slice. Then he asked for another.

I told Yael. She was not surprised. She said:

Yay! I made it last night too (the kids made me!) and made some for the other teachers at school today. It's quite amazing isn't it? Glad it worked for you.

Sharing's caring, people.

Now, I just have to work on the part where I lie to him about his favourite meal.

Do you have a fail-safe recipe for fussy kids? 

Listen to This Glorious Mess, stories from the front lines of family life, right here. This week, Holly and Andrew discuss how to get your teenager banned from a nightclub: