Quesadilla Bar

Menu: Quesadillas; Mango and Guacamole Salad

Lesson learned: Sometimes the kids just aren't going to eat dinner.

At one point I thought tonight's dinner would be enchiladas with homemade green sauce.  But then I thought, why would I do something harder that no one will like more than quesadillas?  So quesadillas it was.

Quesadillas were one of the first vegetarian dinners I worked into our normal routine.  We usually had them with chicken or steak, but you really don't need any meat; even my husband agrees.

So here's what I put out: tortillas, shredded cheddar and jack cheeses, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers, chopped mangoes, black olives, onions, cilantro, and sour cream.  John and I can each make what we want.  Sophie gets a cheese quesadilla, but I'll put whatever I think I can get away with in Ben's.  I also made John and I each a small mango and guacamole salad; the kids got mango pieces and guacamole.

I don't know why, but the little ones just didn't eat tonight.  Sophie even left some of her mango, which is unheard of.  Ben did ask for lots of mango, and he ate all his guacamole.  Neither of them really ate their quesadillas, though, or even their tortilla chips?!  This is one of those nights where I really have to remind myself of one of my core principles: I am NOT stressing about what they eat for dinner.  As long as I put a healthy, balanced plate in front of them, I've done my job.  But sometimes I just wish there were even one thing that I could make and know that everyone would actually eat it.  If not quesadillas, then what?