Sushi and Zucchini Boats

Strange combo name for a blog, eh? Well, two very different dinners to share today: Zucchini Boats, and Sushi! The zuchs I made, and the sushi Kevin made. So first, the zuchs- they are a from a family recipe (Kevin's mom), and I like to make them, even though it's been a bit of a journey getting the boys to eat them. But now they say they like zucchini, and had no trouble finishing an entire boat each. Find about 4 large zucchinis, cut them in half length-wise, and scrape out the seedy center into a bowl. Then add a half pound of ground beef, an egg, some bread crumbs, fresh Italian herbs, a bit of cinnamon and about a third of a sweet onion, diced, and get in there with your hands to squeeze it all together. Then put the zucchinis in a dish and refill them with the mixture, and pour on tomato sauce (I use spaghetti sauce from a jar), and then top with Parmesan, or your favorite melty cheese. My melty cheese of choice is Monterey Jack, but I also added some Asiago for some extra flavor. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350. Not too hard, and the prep time is pretty short. And one super tasty dinner with all the food groups! The top picture is before the sauce, cheese and oven, and the bottom picture is the finished product! These pictures don't quite do them credit, though...

Tonight, Kevin made smoked salmon sushi for dinner, and it was ready and waiting on the kitchen table when I got home from work (and I was starving too!). How awesome is that? He said it took him an hour to make them. I have wanted to take the boys to sushi for quite some time because they love rice and fish, but I don't know if they'd eat raw fish. So tonight they tried their first sushi with smoked (cooked) salmon, and they both ate 2 or three. I'd say that's pretty successful! I think maybe they're ready for the real thing, but during the lunch hour when it tends to be a little less crowded, and less expensive. Does anyone know if they have good kid rates anywhere? Turi? I know your kids love sushi. :)