Other Picky Eaters

I am discovering as I become less picky, that picky eaters make life really difficult! I mean, I always knew that I was making it hard on other people, but I guess I never realized just how hard.  I have some pretty picky friends who I occasionally cook for when we all get together.  Coming up with something that will make everyone happy is sometimes almost impossible!  It really is no wonder that the hostess for our weekly get togethers usually ends up making some kind of pasta dish.  Its simple and most people will eat it. (And seriously, hats off to her! She spends her time and money to feed us all nearly every week, and she does a good job of it!)

I'm making dinner tonight for these friends, and coming up with a dinner plan was pretty dang stressful! I still don't know if what I am making is something that people will eat.  I decided on a pulled jerk chicken with a side of sweet potato oven fries.  I'm thinking about adding a few regular potatoes...just in case.  I know bbq pulled meat is more traditional, but I'm not a fan of bbq sauce, and Jerk is one of my favorite flavor combos.  That sweet mixed with a little heat...yum!  I really hope people will enjoy it.  If it turns out well, maybe I'll post the recipe.  I'm nervous though.  I'm sure I'll like it, and I think my boyfriend will like it, but I'm not so sure about the rest of them.  I feel bad when I make something that people don't like.  I know what it is like to sit at a table and panic because the food is something you aren't used to, and you don't want to offend the cook.  Bleh...so many years of stressing people out because I was coming to dinner...I don't want to be like that anymore! I know I still am to an extent, but I'm determined to eventually become the kind of person who no one would label "a picky eater."


Edited to add:

YUCK! My jerk chicken was HORRIBLE.  Like, epic fail.  I guess I put in too much marinade and cooked the shredded chicken too long...or something.  It turned into something that resembled vomit.  The chicken disintegrated! It was so bad, we ended up ordering pizza.  How embarrassing! At least my dessert turned out good.  Most people seemed to really like it. I know I sure did.

Hibachi and Mushrooms and Flames, Oh My!

I believe I have mentioned before that I teach preschool. Let me begin this post with a funny preschool story. One year, I was teaching 2 year olds, and had a very verbose girl in my class. This girl had just turned two and spoke better than some adults I have known. However, she always called herself, "you." I suppose this makes sense as it was how others would have referred to her. One day this small person said to me (and remember, this was within only a couple months of her turning two) "Last night, you went to the Japanese restaurant, and they cooked a fire!"

Well,  Friday night I went to the Japanese restaurant, and they cooked a fire! My very good friend Keli told me a couple weeks ago that she was going to take me out to dinner for a late birthday celebration.  Originally, the plan was to go the Cheesecake Factory, but the Cheesecake Factory is about an hour away, and we were trying to come up with other ideas.  A few days before the intended dinner, Keli asked if I'd ever been to a Japanese Steakhouse.  I said that I had not, but that I was certainly up for trying one out! 


I believe the hibachi experience is pretty similar wherever you go, but it was all new to me.  Our meal started with clear soup and house salad with ginger dressing. 

I picked out the offending mushrooms, and tried the clear soup, but I wasn't thrilled with it.  It needed...something...anything.  I had several tastes of it because I know sometimes I need to get used to something, but it just wasn't doing anything for me.   The ginger dressing on the salad was yummy, but there was seriously WAY too much of it.  The lettuce was floating.  I'm the kind of girl who makes a huge salad and puts a tablespoon of dressing on the whole thing, so having a massive amount of dressing on a tiny salad was not appealing to me.  Still, it was tasty. 

As we moved on to the Hibachi portion of the experience, I was pretty excited.  I've been to a Mongolian Grill (Oh BD's, how I love thee), so I've seen some cool tricks, but this guy was pretty impressive.  I particularly enjoyed watching him bounce and crack the eggs over his metal spatula. 
The fried rice was yummy, but I wanted to taste everything together, so I didn't eat much before the other portions were on my plate. 

The flaming tower of onion rings was fun! Keli warned me it was coming so I'd be able to get a picture.  :)  The veggies were good, but I was a little troubled by the fact that there were mushrooms all mixed in.  As soon as they got on my plate I popped one mushroom in my mouth in an effort to be brave.  I chewed it up and swallowed it, but I came pretty close to gagging.  There is something I really don't like about the texture.  Maybe someday I'll get over that.  I'm sure I had some mixed in with my other veggies, but they didn't seem to bother me. 

I ordered chicken with my meal, and that was really good.  I especially liked it all mixed together with some of the ginger sauce they gave us drizzled on top.  The whole experience was really enjoyable.  The food was good, and the flames and tricks were fun to watch.  I would say though, that if given the choice, I'd choose BD's Mongolian grill over a Japanese Steakhouse everytime.  There are just so many more choice and you don't have to try to pick around the things you aren't crazy about.  Still, I'm really glad we did this.  It pushed me a little more out of my food comfort zone, and turned out to be really good!

Toes in the Water and Crab in my Belly

Do you love this picture of my oh so attractive foot? It's nice, huh?  My boyfriend found out he was going to get to have his boys for part of Saturday on his "off weekend."  His ex-wife had to work, so we got to play! :)  We hadn't been to the beach in a long time, and the weather was nice, so we packed up and headed out for some fun in the sun and sand.

After a full morning at the beach, I was craving either seafood or Mexican food (something about the beach always makes me want one of those two things).  We decided to have lunch at Pincher's Crab Shack.  I ordered blackened grouper tacos, and the boyfriend ordered crab.  Fish tacos used to sound like the most disgusting thing in the world to me, but now I think they might be one of my absolute favorite dishes.  The ones I ordered came out looking perfect.  They had a nice mango salsa on the side, and everything about them looked amazing.  Unfortunately, looks were deceiving.  The blackening seasoning they used was waaaaaaay too salty.  I was very disappointed.  However, I did manage to be brave enough to try some of my boyfriend's crab! I made him pull it out for me (there was no way I was going to be picking through crab parts for the meat), but I ate it.  I actually kind of liked it.  I can't imagine that I'd ever want to order it for myself and do all the breaking and picking, but I wouldn't mind having some crab meat in something sometime.  His boy's feelings on the matter of picking out the meat were very different than mine.  They had a great time cracking crab legs open and pulling out what they wanted to eat.  They kept begging for more.  In some ways, they are far more adventures eaters than I am!

An Airport, A Burrito, and the Beginning of an Obsession

Here we are. Aren't we fabulous? ;)

In November of 2010 I flew out to Washington (the state) for a visit with one of my bestest friends. While in an airport in some state (Texas maybe?) on a layover, I walked into a little Mexican Grill (I believe it was Qdoba).  I had started trying more things at this point, but I was still heavily altering my food at most restaurants (hold the tomatoes, no onions, etc.)  I decided I would try a burrito, but I planned to ask for it without several things.  I stood there for a few moments, and looked at the menu.  Finally, I told myself, "Just get it as listed!" So I did.  I walked up to the counter and ordered the most loaded up burrito on the menu.  That thing had sour cream, guacamole, salsa, beans, and all sorts of things I normally wouldn't go near.  I watched nervously as the guy wrapped it up for me.  Could I really eat this? It had tomatoes in it.  I had only just started occasionally trying to eat tomatoes, and I still wasn't crazy about them. (Once upon a time I wouldn't even eat something that had come in contact with a raw tomato.) I liked baked beans and chili beans, but would black and pinto beans be scary and gross? Would guacamole be disgusting?  However, I was determined.  I was alone (which is sometimes the best way for me to try something...I don't have to worry about other people's reactions to my reaction) and I was hungry and I was really trying to make a better effort to broaden my eating horizons. 

I took the burrito and headed to the waiting area at my gate.  As I took my first bite I realized something amazing; this thing I was eating was incredible! I didn't just like it, I loved it.  I was a little troubled by the fact that all the cold ingredients were at one end of the burrito and all the hot ones at the other, but I chalked that up to an incompetent burrito wrapper (is there an official name for that position).  It was still delicious.  I think I called my mom after I finished it.  I needed to tell someone about my brave new journey into Mexican (or at least Americanized Mexican) food.  I'm pretty sure I also texted my boyfriend to tell him about it as well.  I was so excited.  So many new foods all wrapped up in one deliciously wonderful meal.

While visiting with my friend that week, I got to experience another burrito at Taco del Mar, and I'm pretty sure I got another one in the airport on the way home.  I was hooked.  I couldn't wait to go home and start eating more than just chicken and cheese quesadillas at Moe's and Bajio's.  I couldn't get enough! At home, I started making myself big taco salads filled with anything I could think of.   Eventually, I started eating the burritos "naked" to save some calories, but my love affair with them has still not died down.  I've even branched out to more authentic Mexican food though I think I will always prefer the Americanized versions (only because it always seems to be loaded with more yummy stuff).


On Wednesday nights, I usually get together with some friends to play games or watch movies or just hang out.  Last night we had a taco night.  Our hosts provided the shells, beef, chicken, salsa, chips, and sour cream.  The rest of us brought other stuff to go on the tacos.  As I piled my taco with my homemade guacamole, beef, veggies, and cheese, I looked over and saw my friend's taco made of only cheese and chicken.  Man, it took my back to my not so distant past.  There was a time when that would have absolutely been me.  I don't miss those days!

Unexpected Motivation

 In 2008 and 2009, my life felt so much better. Don't misunderstand.  I was never a miserable person.  I have always believed myself to be a blessed person.  I've had the love of my friends and family.  I have wonderful memories.  I have grown up knowing the love of my precious Jesus.  Still, there was always that idea in my head that I was the fat, picky, chicken.  Some of those negative feelings were starting to go away. (Though I am still a big chicken!) I felt prettier. I was
getting more compliments and attention. Still, the picky thing was
always there reading it's ugly, embarrassing head. I wanted to change.
In 2009, I started trying more new foods. Just a few things, but I was
improving. In 2010 I made a resolution to try 2 new foods a month. I
started out kind of wimpy. I mostly tried things that I was pretty sure I
would like because they were made with things I already liked or had
eaten in the past. Then the biggest turning point to date happened. A
guy...a decidedly NOT picky-eating guy.

February 2, 2010, I started going to a new Bible Study group at the home of this guy from my church. I knew who he was, but I didn't really know him. My friend and I had been in a different group before, but the other members had moved away, and we were looking for something new.
This is not a blog about my relationship, so I won't go into detail about all of that, but by April this guy was calling me a lot and often inviting me to hang out. After a couple months, he shared with me his concerns about how picky I was. He didn't like the idea of me snubbing food in front of his two small boys show were expected to eat what was put in front of them. He was anything but a picky eater, and was afraid that my picky eating was going to cause problems for us.
*<---The guy in the picture is my boyfriend (though he was just my friend then) eating a hot dog that has been wrapped in bacon, covered in cheese, and shoved inside a Twinkie.  I'm still not sure I'm brave enough for that.  I'm not even sure I want to be.*
I thought about this for awhile. I don't think anyone should change who they are just to make someone else happy. However, if the change was already something you wanted for yourself, then I see no problem with letting that person help to motivate you to get going on it.
I decided that this was important to me. Whether I was with him or someone else someday, I knew my eating was going to be a problem. If I ever had children, I certainly would not want them to end up as picky as me. It was time together serious about changing.
I started trying foods that I was really afraid to try, and as I did, I began to find that I liked them. Suddenly I was adding rice and fish and broccoli (are you happy, Mr. Broccoli? Are you happy?) and Lima beans to my diet. Sometimes I had to try a thing 5 times before I liked it, but I was finding that most things were actually good once I got used to them.
I felt better about myself. It felt good when my bf or my parents said they were proud of me for eating something. Suddenly foods that used to gross me out, I now wanted all the time. On a trip to Washington State, I tried my first burrito. That opened up a whole new world for me. How could I have ever lived without Mexican food?
My whole world shifted. Eating out was so much more fun. Cooking became an adventure. I had a long way to go still, but the new found freedom was exhilarating.

Time For Change

Me on the Cruise in 2006

I think the first turning point came after our second family Christmas cruise in 2006. By this time, I was out of college, and back home with my family. I came home from the cruise and looked back at the trip pictures. I hated looking at the girl I was seeing. She weighed well over 200 lbs (I avoided scales then, so I am not sure how much over.) It was time to change. I knew that the large amounts of fried food and pizza I was eating was not ever going to get me to a healthy weight.  I wanted to be healthy and prettier.  I didn't feel good about myself.

January 2, 2007, I decided to change. I began to keep track of every calorie I consumed. At first, I just tried to eat fewer chicken fingers and pizza slices. At home, I cut out chips and started eating more fruit. I wasn't really changing what I ate, just the amounts. Eventually, though, I figured out that I could consume more food if it were healthier. I began ordering
grilled chicken breasts when I would go out. I found that it really was just as yummy as the the friend tenders I had been eating. I began experimenting with new ways of putting together foods I already liked. Hey, I like chicken and I like lettuce and some veggies, so maybe chicken in a salad would taste good!

It was a small step, but it felt good. I was changing. The weight was coming off. It was getting easier to find foods I liked at restaurants. I began to feel more "normal." In just over a year, I had lost around 80 lbs. Things were starting to look up!

Me, one year after the above pictures were taken.

The Picky College Girl

Me and two of my college friends having lunch after graduation at one of our favorite restaurant.  I can't even begin to tell you how many chicken fingers I ate at this place over the course of my 3 years there.

Being a picky child is one thing. Even at 10, 11, 12 most people will just roll their eyes and get you a pb&j. When you are a picky teenager, it begins to get harder. It is far more embarrassing to be different. Don't get me wrong, my friends were usually very understanding and kind about it, but it was still hard. Being 16 or 17 years old and ordering off the children's menu or taking a McDonald's bag into a Chinese restaurant is kind of humiliating.
The older I got, the worse it was. College was particularly difficult. I had been a heavy girl since my preteen years, but all the waffles I ate in the cafe because there was nothing else I liked only helped pack on the pounds. My friends got so tired of going to the same restaurants all the time. Never once would I agree to go somewhere like the Japanese steak house. How boring for them! I felt bad, but going to those kinds of places was just too scary for me.
One year, over Christmas break, my family went on a Caribbean cruise. All you could eat of the most amazing foods were offered each night, but what did I have? Chicken nuggets off the children's menu.
Every.
Freaking.
Night.

My cousins and I with our waiter.  After the first couple nights, he just left the children's menu at my seat every evening.  He knew I'd want the chicken nuggets.

And each day it was pizza for lunch. How boring! How much I must have missed out on! I comforted myself with the thought that I liked chicken. It was familiar and yummy. I knew how pathetic it was though.

Another Year Older and Another Bite Braver

I turned the big 3-0 yesterday.  My father and brother-in-law were both kind enough to remind me that I have now entered my 4th decade.  Gee, thanks guys.  Honestly though, so far I'm not bothered by it.  I'd rather be thankful for another year than lament getting older. 

For my birthday lunch, I decided I wanted to go to PF Chang's.  We had gone there for my boyfriend's birthday last year, and I'd really enjoyed it.  (Amazing, btw, since until that point, I wouldn't touch Chinese food.) My parents, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, nieces, boyfriend, and boyfriend's sons all came to lunch with me.  We ordered a few different things and then shared "family style."  In addition to my Sesame Chicken and Garlic Noodles (SOOOOOOOOO good!!!!) I tried out a few new things.  My sister wanted Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  I was nervous to try them since I knew there were diced mushrooms in the mix, but I braved it anyway.  They were really good!  I'm not taking mushrooms off my scared list because I still am not sure I could deal with them in other forms, but all mixed up in the meal, they didn't seem to bother me.  I also tried a piece of pepper steak (I'm not a big red meat fan aside from ground beef, but I keep trying to like it) and...gulp...fried calamari! Ok, if I'm being honest, I just barely tried the calamari.  I found the skinniest, most batter covered piece and had one bite of it.  It wasn't bad, but the idea that I was eating squid was creeping me out too much to take another bite.  Perhaps I'll try again some day.  I think I pushed myself enough for one day.  It was a good birthday, and I'm proud of myself for trying some scary new stuff.

~ Picky Chick