Picky Eaters

My little Elijah has become a picky eater.  He used to eat his veggies like a champ, but now that he feeds himself, he has decided he doesn't like them and boycotts them at every meal.  I've cooked them every possible way and he still just shakes his head and proceeds to eat around them.  I decided to get sneaky and hide them in foods I knew he loved.  The following is a muffin recipe I found on Pinterest. (Click here for the link)  As I type this he is sitting on my lap enjoying his second Veggie Muffin.  
The recipe works with husbands as well as kids.  My hubby eats his veggies, but he enjoys the muffins as well.  It's kind of fun to hide them to see what all I can get him to eat!!    

Veggie Muffins 
 
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 of a stick) softened butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup Prune or Apple juice
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli (frozen or fresh)
1 to 1 1/2 cups smashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup yogurt (vanilla, plain, strawberry, whatever flavor)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Start by mixing your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix the sugar, butter, and eggs in a separate bowl or mixer. Beat for a couple minutes till everything is combined.
Next, prepare your veggies. Grate the carrots, smash up the bananas, and prepare your broccoli puree.
This is my favorite part of the recipe. You need about 1/2 cup of puree when done, which takes about 1 1/2 cups of broccoli–frozen/thawed or fresh/steamed–and 1/4 cup of juice. I used prune juice but apple or grape works too.
Combine the broccoli cuts and prune juice in the food processor and pulse till finely mixed. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender or try to finely chop it up (but the chunks will be more visible to your kiddos).
Okay, throw the broccoli puree, carrots, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla into the butter mixture and beat for a minute. Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined and wet.

Scoop the mixture into a prepared muffin pan (you can also use cupcake liners if you want them to feel like “cupcakes”. That word always makes my kids excited about food).

Depending on how much you fill in each cup, the recipe makes about 20-24 muffins.
Bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, until the tops are slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean.