Green Beans and Roast

Sometimes I forget that I'm not (or at least am trying not to be) a picky eater anymore.  It's hard to redefine yourself at 30! My picky eating as so much a part of who I was for so many years, it's hard to just let it go.  The other night my mom made a roast for dinner.  Growing up, my mom's roast was the only thing that I was ever forced to eat.  I have no idea why.  I never loved it, but I could get down a few ketchup covered bites...enough to keep my mom happy.  When she made it the other night, I automatically started coming up with my own dinner plans (she no longer makes me eat it...I mean, I am 30).  I made myself a delicious dinner with chicken covered in a pineapple salsa, really yummy green beans, and roasted potatoes.  It wasn't till much later in the evening that I realized that I'd eaten like a picky eater again.  Why didn't I just eat what my mom had made for dinner.  She so seldom actually cooks a meal (she and my dad are pretty content with sandwiches and simple things like that), and it's even more rare that I'm around when she does.  I should have at least tried some.  Who knows, maybe I'd really enjoy it now? 

My own dinner really was yummy though.  The green beans were especially good.  I used to hate green beans, and now I love them! Sometimes I wonder if I'd have been more likely to try vegetables if more of them had been presented to me fresh and in their natural color.  There is nothing appetizing to me (though I will eat them now) about that muted green bean from a can color.  A nice, fresh green bean looks so delicious.  It's bright and crisp and lovely.   I think my first experience with re-trying green beans was at PF Chang's last year.  I tested out their spicy green beans and LOVED them.  I've even tried to copy them at home a couple times.  SO good! After that, I started buying fresh green beans to cook with more often.  They are cheap and plentiful around here, so we eat them a lot.  One of my favorite ways, which I used the other night, is to saute some purple onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil, and throw in some green beans that have been boiled for about 5 minutes...add a little salt and pepper, and YUM! Try it sometime! My parents had some of the beans I'd made, and they both said they really liked them (though my mom ate around the onion. My pickyness was come by honestly). 

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.