Picky

I am getting much, much better about it, but I am probably one of the most picky eaters on the planet. I like what I like and I have a hard time deviating from it. What, you ask, do I not like to eat? Lets make a "small" list. Haha.

Mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, any pork product, sandwich meat, hot dogs, sausage, bananas, bbq sauce, processed cheeses, sour cream, ranch or any creamy dressing, coconut, cheesecake, or seafood of any kind. I also don't like things mixed, such as raisins and chocolate. If given a chocolate covered raisin, I will suck off all the chocolate and then eat the raisin. This really goes for anything fruit and chocolate. I also don't like my food to touch unless I purposely put it there. Ketchup on french fries? Drives me crazy unless I put the french fry in the ketchup myself. If someone hands me something that has any kind of sauce on it that I did not personally put there I will adamantly refuse to take it, let alone eat it.

A little obsessive? I think so. What is also kind of weird about it is that I will cook ANYTHING anyone wants me to. And what is funny about that is that it is pretty good! At least that is what they tell me when they eat it! I like to think my husband, friends and family are telling the truth when they eat my cooking. Especially my grilled cheeses. I can not stand grilled cheese unless it is one specific kind. (Sourdough with pesto, fresh mozzarella and tomato) However, I apparently make an amazing grilled cheese. My husband asks for them all the time.

I like to be adventurous in the kitchen. I will crack open a cookbook or look up something on the internet and try it out. I recently tried meringue. (I know, I don't like eggs, but I actually LOVE meringue. I think it has to do with the fact that the yolk isn't part of it and it is not gelatinous) I followed the instructions and I got the mixture to be satiny and smooth, but it was super runny and I had some interesting cookies. I will have to try it again. I did my research through my brother-in-law who informed me that I need to use a chilled metal bowl and whip the eggs to stiff peaks before I add the sugar. Oops! At least they still tasted good!

I recently decided that I love avocado again. When I was a kid my parents used to mash it up into a plain guacamole mash for me and I apparently ate it like it was going out of style. When I got older I decided I didn't like them at all and wouldn't touch anything with the slightest hint of guacamole or avocado on it. A friend of mine was slicing one during a retreat and she offered me a piece, encouraging me to give it another shot....I was in love. Now, I can't get enough! I am reverted back to my childhood. I think that someone at some point ruined a perfectly good avocado by adding sour cream to the guacamole and it ruined the whole thing for me. I have since learned that a truly good guac does not have sour cream in it at all and is basically all fresh, yummy flavors of lime juice, avocado, cilantro and optional onions or tomato or salsa added in. A whole new window of deliciousness was opened up for me.

My kids will NOT be picky like me. I will encourage them to try everything. We will have hot dogs for lunch and pork chops for dinner. Will I eat that? No, but I am cooking it, so I will make something separate and tell them that I don't want them to be picky like me. I want them to try everything like their dad. They have to have the "no thank you" bite before they refuse anything. I pray they are more adventurous than me. I want a little one who picks sushi over McDonald's or Thai food over Taco Bell. When I do have children, only reality will show how it will work out. I will do the best I can. I recently learned that my dad used to eat oatmeal every morning with me for 18 years and he didn't even like it. He told me he was trying to instill healthy eating habits for me. Well, Dad, it worked! I love oatmeal and I have a strong aversion to processed and/or greasy foods. That's devotion and the love of a parent if I ever saw it. Bless his heart for sticking with it for so long. I don't know if I could do that with things like eggs or pork. I have amazing parents.

If I had any advice for anyone, I would say try everything. Relish the food you are presented as an adventure. Don't box yourself in like I have with limited flavors and picky habits. Explore the diversity food has to offer!

On a closing note, when I was a child, my favorite foods were tofu, rice and broccoli and my favorite meal my mom always made was tofu shells and curry. Picky, yes, but I still ate some pretty interesting things!