Sweet-N-Sour Chicken

So I vowed to cook from "The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook" all week.  Um...not sure I can live up to that promise.  Personally I LOVED tonight's dinner. (after a little tweaking)   But the family??  They weren't buying it.
Sweet and sour chicken.  Doesn't that sound yummy?  The kiddos had a different opinion.

Isaac:  Mom?  What's cooking???
Me:  Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Me:  HEY!!!  Did you just say "BLECH"?!?!?!?!?!
Isaac:  No, I said "NASTY!!!"
Megan:  Ewwwww.  What IS that??
Me:  Sweet and Sour Chicken
Meg:  ...doesn't look like the sweet and sour chicken I had at the restaurant.
Meg:  Can we add some ranch?
Genny:  Where's the ranch??  I need the ranch.

All of this was said even before I put it on the plates!!!   I thought it looked BEAUTIFUL!!  I was wowed by the smells and thought the colors were GORGEOUS.  I even took pictures!

Doesn't that look pretty??  I thought it did...
But then I put it on their plates and I realized...uh-oh.  I might be in trouble here. 

I noticed an AWFUL lotta red pepper, and that's NEVER a good thing when kids are involved.
But I set the table, asked the kids to say a prayer, and we dug in. ( My prayer??  Dear God, Please let the kids like and eat their supper.  Amen.)

Some prayers are not meant to be answered.

Noah: (as he showed me his plate)  Hey mom!!  What's different about my plate??  I took out all of the peppers!!
Isaac: (as he picked out all of the peppers, onions, and pineapples)  Ew.  Ew.  Ew. 
She Who Must Not Be Named:  Isaac, don't say "Ew.  Ew.  Ew.  Now everyone with a computer will know that you said, '"Ew.  Ew.  Ew.'" cuz she's gonna write about it in her stupid blog."
Genny:  I remember when I ate my WHOLE soup and I'm gonna eat this all gone TOO!
Meg:  I'd rather eat an egg.
Noah: How do you think I feel eating this???
Isaac:  My rice tastes sandy.
Me:  It's whole grain brown rice.
Megan:  ...tastes like oatmeal.

Yup.  Not a big hit.
But I'll stand by the recipe.  The recipe sounded yummy.  And, truthfully, the dish was yummy.  Just too un-kid-friendly for a family with kids.

MY rating??  4 outta 4. 
Easy, yummy, healthy and cheap. 
Sweet and Sour Chicken was all 4.  Easy, yummy, healthy and cheap.
I'd make it again, but that would be a LOT of wasted food.

(Genny's plate...'member she said she was gonna eat it all gone?  She didn't.)

LOL!!!  See the ranch??
That's gross.

I'm including the recipe anyway.  I thought it was good.  Sticking my tongue out at my kids.