Fettucini & Veggies...Last Nights Dinner

In general, we eat healthy in our household. I can't tell you how many times the kids have said "We don't have anything to eat in this house!", only because there isn't some easy convenient, boxed & processed food occupying the pantry.  I attempt to stock the house with mostly fresh fruits and vegetables and real-not boxed or bagged, lean meat.  

As the mother of three teenage children who absolutely have a mind of their own and think a gourmet meal consists of a big, fat juicy hamburger on a white bun with fried french fries, making meals that everyone will eat without "whining", can be a challenge.  Last night's dinner fit the bill, kind of.  

Full of nutrients and antioxidants, YUM! 

Last evening's vegetables consisted of squash, zucchini, grape tomatoes and spinach.  I didn't hear much grumbling over these, except for the one offspring who was caught by his sister eating only the inside of his squash.  When she addressed him with his odd eating technique across the table, he insisted the outside of the squash was nasty. He could only eat the insides.   Whatever!  

I made chicken fettucini alfredo utilizing a whole wheat fettucini made by Al Dente.  They have a variety of whole wheat products.  They are a tad expensive, but I'd rather pay for better quality & healthier food than someones blood pressure medicine & other medical expenses stemming from poor heating habits. I digress....Ok, back to the fettucini. Yes, I'm very aware alfredo isn't exactly the healthiest pasta sauce I could have chosen. 

The green & red peppers before I added the alfredo. 

Please remember, I'm dealing with three hormonal and often moody teenagers. I must compromise where I'm able, and all is in moderation. Besides, I added some more vegetables, red and green peppers to the sauce. 

 We have one vegetarian in the household, my oldest son.  That's why you see the chicken separate and not mixed with the vegetables that are added to the sauce.  Cooking for two separate groups can sometimes be a little difficult.  It's really not that hard, most of the time. If I'm cooking  a meal where the meat would usually be mixed with something, I just cook it separate, serve the vegetarian version first. Then, I mix the meat with the remaining.  I often substitute his protein with some other non-meat version. 

Proof that I can cook! I always say that I hate to cook.
Most people take that as I can't cook, which is not true!

The chicken fettucini alfredo always goes over well here, even if one particular child is trying to scrape out the red and green peppers. Yep, that's the one, the same child who was only eating the inside of his squash.  

I always make double the fettucini when I make it.  I know it's a leftover that will get eaten, if not by the kids, by my marathon training self who will currently eat all the whole wheat carbs she can get. 

DINNER IS SERVED!