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Did you know that beets are really good for you? They are high in fiber, contain Vitamins C and A, and are a good source of the essential B vitamins. Did you also know that beets taste bad and trying to talk a child into eat some is very much like a foreign hostage situation. Not that I care to eat them either. However, grate some raw beets and make them into cookies apparently goes over much better! I saw the recipe on my favorite kids food blog a couple of years ago, and I have meant to try it out ever since. Yesterday I finally did and I was honestly skeptical the entire time. They are called Sweet Beet Cookies, which I like because I don't like to hide good foods in safe foods. I would much rather my children connect that they may not normally like a certain food, but they do like it in a certain way. For instance, they know they don't like kale by itself, but they know they like it in smoothies. (Nevermind that they can't actually taste it in the smoothies, the fact that it's obviously there and they like it is what we're going for.)

I also kept the girls very involved in making these cookies, using cookie cutters that they picked out and letting them mix and help. Involving children always gives them a sense of ownership and they're way more likely to at least try something they think they made. The cookies came out great and they ate three each in one sitting. If you have a big sugar eater on your hands, I would recommend adding one more tablespoon of sugar than the 2 the recipe calls for. I'm going to attempt the recipe soon with honey instead of sugar. (From www.weelicious.com)

Sweet Beet Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Raw finely shredded beets

2 tbsp Oil

DIRECTIONS:  Mix the first four ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Knead in raw beets with hands working the dry mix into the beets. Add oil and knead in more. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or just make normal circles (warning: the baking powder will make these rise. If you make a ball of dough, it will be a ball, not a normal cookie shape.) Bake 400 degrees 15-17 min.

Until next time, Heather