At a Quest's End Part TWO

I just looked over my final BLOGGING assignment and realized that I didn't answer specific questions that my English Professor asked us to answer, so here it is.

Either way, every single one of you has a period of time that you can look at and analyze.  You can take a critical look at what you did, what you didn't do, why its important, and how it could have been different.  You can conside
r how your small act of bravery (because change is a scary thing), has helped you change the world in some small way. 

In your last blog entry this week, I want you to analyze the success of your quest.  Take a look at how you succeeded, how you failed, and what those things mean.  Think about what all of this means for a reader.  What lesson can you draw from your experience that other people can learn from? 

I will start off with my failures. From the beginning I set myself up for failure with such a difficult quest. Mid week into the quest, I decided I needed a change. I couldn't go on with a quest that I couldn't perform. I didn't want to sit there and lie about what I was doing and how I was doing it. That would just make something difficult into a relentless task that I didn't want to go on.

From that point, I switched my quest to specifically trying different foods that I never have tried, with the different letters of the alphabet. I must say besides the "blogging daily" I did a pretty darn good job if I do say so myself. I am still coming out with approximately 27-28 blogs, which I believe we needed somewhere between 25-30, so I am hoping that I still did well on that aspect. As far as trying the new and different foods, I didn't fail the least bit.

Knowing that I was able to succeed in something, putting my mind to it, and getting it done, is a wonderful thing. Sometimes we all get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life, and don't take time to try something new. I am actually going to continue trying new food on a regular basis.  I don't know if I will be able to do it like I did with the quest, and hit all the alphabet, but I will say that I will definitely try new meals when going out with my husband, and look into new recipes for the family. They enjoyed this as well! :) 

The lesson that I can draw from the experience, that others can take from is, TRY IT, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT!! This seems so catchy to me because we watch a lot of Nick Jr. in our home and are always pushing new foods on our two year old. But really... If YOU won't eat it, how could you expect your TWO year old to eat it? If our eyes are wide open to the good, the bad and the ugly, we need to be able to distinguish between the two and let our children grow up with more tastes than we had. The world is FULL of wonderful foods... we need to be able to get out there and try them. There's too much that we are missing out on.

At a Quest's End

This quest has been so much fun for me!! I turned something that I thought was going to be too much of a challenge, into something that was a must-do. I'm not even kidding, I would put this at the top of my "100 things to do before I die" list.

 I really never noticed that I have been missing out on such extreme tastes. From the bold and beautiful to the sweet and sassy, I haven't tried so many different things in such a short amount of time in my LIFE! And I couldn't have asked for a better way to do it. Yes blogging was difficult at times, but looking back now I think it is so cool to be able to read where I was at 30 days ago and the struggles that I faced.

When I finally realized, this isn't a chore, this is supposed to be fun and enlightening... That is when I made the official change. I wasn't going to have some negative attitude towards something that I have never tried before. That wouldn't be fair on my part! I needed to embrace the situation the best I could... and every time that I tried something NEW and LIKED IT, made my quest just that much more sweet and successful!

I couldn't imagine doing this any different.  I am actually extremely thankful that I chose Lauren for my English teacher (knowing that some English teachers may not incorporate this in their comp 105 course). Even though I tried some things that I didn't care for, I did however try a lot of things that I absolutely LOVED and wouldn't have known any different if I wouldn't have taken that first leap of fate. Thank you to Lauren for this wonderful opportunity, I wouldn't have changed it for the world!

For now, signing off... On to our BIG KAHUNA of a essay... THE QUEST FINALE! Wish me luck fellow bloggers! Until next time :)

Tips for those little Picky Eaters! Wish my parents would have helped me...

Children's nutrition: 10 tips for picky eaters

Children's nutrition doesn't have to be frustrating. Consider these strategies to avoid power struggles and help the picky eater in your family eat a balanced diet.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Has your preschooler refused to eat anything other than peanut butter sandwiches for the past two days? Or would your toddler rather play than eat anything at all?
If children's nutrition is a sore topic in your household, you're not alone. Many parents worry about what their children eat — and don't eat. However, most kids get plenty of variety and nutrition in their diets over the course of a week. Until your child's food preferences mature, consider these tips for preventing mealtime battles.

1. Respect your child's appetite — or lack of one

Young children tend to eat only when they're hungry. If your child isn't hungry, don't force a meal or snack. Likewise, don't bribe or force your child to clean his or her plate. This may only ignite — or reinforce — a power struggle over food.

2. Stick to the routine

Serve meals and snacks at about the same times every day. Nix juice, milk and snacks for at least one hour before meals. If your child comes to the table hungry, he or she may be more motivated to eat.

3. Be patient with new foods

Young children often touch or smell new foods, and may even put tiny bits in their mouths and then take them back out again. Your child may need repeated exposure to a new food before he or she takes the first bite. Encourage your child by talking about a food's color, shape, aroma and texture — not whether it tastes good.

4. Make it fun

Serve broccoli and other veggies with a favorite dip or sauce. Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters. Offer breakfast foods for dinner.

5. Recruit your child's help

At the grocery store, ask your child to help you select fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. Don't buy anything that you don't want your child to eat. At home, encourage your child to help you rinse veggies, stir batter or set the table.

6. Set a good example

If you eat a variety of healthy foods, your child is more likely to follow suit.

7. Be sneaky

Add chopped broccoli or green peppers to spaghetti sauce, top cereal with fruit slices, or mix grated zucchini and carrots into casseroles and soups.

8. Minimize distractions

Turn off the television during meals, and don't allow books or toys at the table.

9. Don't offer dessert as a reward

Withholding dessert sends the message that dessert is the best food, which may only increase your child's desire for sweets. You might select one or two nights a week as dessert nights, and skip dessert the rest of the week — or redefine dessert as fruit, yogurt or other healthy choices.

10. Don't be a short order cook

Preparing a separate meal for your child after he or she rejects the original meal may encourage your child's picky eating. Keep serving your child healthy choices until they become familiar and preferred.
If you're concerned that picky eating is compromising your child's growth and development or if certain foods make your child ill, consult your child's doctor. In the meantime, remember that your child's eating habits won't likely change overnight — but the small steps you take each day can help promote a lifetime of healthy eating.

Is being a picky eater a eating disorder?

From the DIET BLOG:
Is being a picky eater a eating disorder?

No it isn't. Science be damned! If you're an adult and you still won't eat vegetables because they're "gross," you're behaving like an infant, and you need to grow up.
But, odds are your parents did a lousy job of introducing you to new foods. So, if you were raised on a diet of potato chips, snack cakes, fast food, and cola, I guess its not totally your fault.
Still, you're not seven anymore, eat some broccoli, it won't kill you!
New research by the University of Pathetic Excuses, suggests being a picky eater may not just be a childish mindset, but rather a medical condition. Oh boy...
Actually, it's Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh, who are entertaining this harebrained assumption; launching an online registry/survey, which has already attracted 2,000 nudniks, who consider themselves "picky eaters."
A representative for Duke University said most of the research on picky eating has been done on children, so this survey will finally focus on adults.
Its being call the Food, FAD study short for the Finicky Eating in Adults study. Go ahead, you can take it yourself online. I tried, but the website told me, "Mr. Pugliese you're an obnoxious jerk, this study is not for you. Go away."
Listen, I know I should be sensitive here. Trust me, I am. If you're anorexic, bulimic, or just plain lactose intolerant - like me - I feel your pain.
But, if everything grosses you out except for grilled cheese sandwiches, French fries, and waffles, like one person mentioned in the report you just need to grow up, plain and simple. Stop being a baby and try something new, period.
Sorry, but this "research" caters to the "it's not my fault, I can't help it" crowd. Fail.

Let's talk DISGUSTING FOOD!!

The 10 Most Disgusting Delicacies to Try Before You Die - Would You Eat These?

“Think” Fear Factor and Iron Chef combined and you have THE potentially most disgusting buffet of expertly prepared food delicacies on the planet. The world is truly a diverse place especially when you launch a gustatory exploration of what have become curious ick-factor foods for a modernized, watered-down, American palate. Truth is as “foreign” as most of these dishes can be, many have deep cultural underpinnings, some of them the side dishes of famous feasts and the tables of kings.
All the vital organs of just about any species have been consumed at one time or another and some of them are rich in the best dietary nutrients. Amazonian ants, half-cooked fetal eggs, wriggly worms of all kinds and stages of life, hoofs, beaks, ears, and eyeballs have all been efficiently put to good culinary use. Prep methods are just as enticing: fermenting, pickling, infusing, boiling, blowtorching, decomposing, and simply served live and wriggling.

Culinary Thrill-Seeking for Some, Time-Honored Traditions for Others

If you’re a gag-seeker, foodie adventurer, or looking for some tantalizing new ethnic dish to serve to guests that goes well beyond the ordinary dinner party fare, here are some of the notoriously “I hope I’m never served…” foods, and how they’re prepared, from around the globe.

1. This Cheese is So Gross It’s Been Outlawed…

Casu Marzu, a pecorino cheese and Sardinian specialty, surely wins among most disgusting cheeses of the world. The direct translation is “rotten cheese” and rightly so: blocks of otherwise beautiful Italian pecorino cheeses are purposely prepared to become the natural breeding grounds for nests of maggots—the natural harbingers of rot and putrefaction. As if pecorino wasn’t pungent enough…
Like many distinct ethnic practices and traditions, formaggio marcio, is a generations old culinary delicacy, with roots in familial history. The process of producing casu marzu, aka “maggot cheese,” is considered a process of finely metered fermentation. However regionally traditional the consumption of maggot-laced cheese, it hardly jives with modern food preparation and sanitation mores, therefore the offending cheese is officially illegal. Don’t let that stop you from searching for a chunk along your Italian travels, even if it will run you a steep number of Euros and from a “black market” peddler. “Godfather, you want formaggio marcio? We’ll get you formaggio marcio, don’t you worry.” Reports are it tastes exactly as you might imagine: strong pecorino, the crawly snot-plump bodies of insect larvae, and the slimy fat they’ve made of the digested cheese. Oh, and the worms jump off the cheese while you’re eating it. Mange!
 

2. Mongolian Boodog

They don’t call it “Outer Mongolia” for nothing. Nomads, sans stainless steel gourmet kitchens, ages ago found more ingenious ways to cook a whole goat, sometimes marmot (but they may have fleas that host bubonic plague, so goat may be a better choice)—from the inside out, after you’ve hung it upside down, bled it and broken its legs. The stuffing is a bit non-Western, too: smooth hot stones crammed into every cavity imaginable and even up under the leg skin where you would have yanked the broken the bones out. Blowtorch the beast ‘til desired doneness; it can also be roasted over an open fire. That’s authentic Mongolian barbecued meat, Boodog.

3. Soft-Boiled Fetal Duck

Balut takes a top spot by a landslide among the gross egg category, which should include 100-year old eggs. Balut is a fairly common and unassuming street food available in both the Philipines and Vietnam. It has also earned a widespread reputation as one of the all-time grossest ethnic delicacies. Most of the eggs with which Americans are familiar are unfertilized eggs. The balut, though are fertilized duck eggs, incubated or allowed to grow invitro for a certain length of time, usually a few weeks. Peel back the shell and along with a typical soft-boiled eggy interior is also the small inert body of a fetal duck—small bones, feathers, beak and all, some more developed than others. Most accounts suggest slurping it right from the shell with a pinch of salt. There is a right way to “enjoy” balut. 

4. Whole Sheep’s Head

Sheep’s head has been a traditional delicacy served in a number of world regions, including the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. You’ll find smoked versions and recipes for sheep’s head soup, usually presented whole and intact, sometimes with brains, often without (risky to consume). The eyeballs and tongue are particular delicacies. In America, most meats are separated from their heads, their feet, their tails—so we can forget about the fact that we’re eating something that once had a head, feet and a tail and at that point we no longer call it cow or pig, but T-bone steak, and bacon. Herein lies the grisly factor in sitting down to a meal of whole sheep’s head.

5. Octopus, Straight-Up

 
Anything still alive and squirming is food for a “most disgusting” list. Raw seafood is legendary in most Asian cuisines, Japanese sushi and Korean kimchi are notorious raw realms. Raw octopus is common as is still alive octopus, served straight-up on a plate or in a bowl. Baby octopus (sannakji) may be served cut into bite-sized, still-wriggling pieces, suction cups and all, or slurped squirming, whole. Octopus is exactly as you might imagine: rubbery, chewy and fairly tasteless and some brave adventurers report the suction cups sticking on the way down. Regardless, the dish has been a valued part of Korea’s cuisine for centuries and is considered a vitality enhancer and a health food.

6. Vacationing in Alaska: “Don’t Eat the Stink Heads”

Salmon is a staple of the native Alaskan diet and natives have traditionally used all parts of the fish. One of the traditional delicacies is fermented salmon heads. Colloquially the dish has earned the name “stink heads.” Essentially the heads of King salmon are buried in the ground in fermentation pits, put into plastic or wooden barrels, even plastic food storage bags, and left to let nature do its thing for a few weeks or more. The heads are then harvested and consumed as a putty-ish mash.
“Stink heads” as a distinct ethnic cuisine have been covered in various mainstream media the latest of which is The Food Network’s “Bizarre Foods” show. In and of themselves salmon heads are not repulsive, whole fish dishes are a legitimate part of rustic AND haute cuisine everywhere and King salmon is a real world delicacy. What has struck the “gross-out” nerve is the overriding fact that much of the stink head prep process is less about fermentation and more about rot and decomposition. The dish, by modern culinary standards, is nothing but rotten salmon heads, albeit treasured tribal fare. Imagine, a bucket load of large King Salmon heads left outside during the warm summer months for a few weeks….Outside the native Alaskan culture the stink head topic is nothing but a novelty, but health-wise the tradition of stink head consumption poses a real and continued challenge to regional Alaskan healthcare professionals faced with frequent and, sometimes serious, totally avoidable botulism cases.

7. Deadly Fish: License to Cook

• Flash
• | QuickTime
• | iPod

share

by: vPIP	Embed (copy & paste):	close

One of Japan’s most elite delicacies is also one of the most dangerous dishes you’d ever put in your mouth. The fugu fish is a cute little puffer fish, hardly “most disgusting,” but grossly lethal, certainly. Coursing throughout its vital fish organs is deadly venom—tetrodotoxin-- a natural defense system that renders its attackers paralyzed. Ingest enough of this fish’s poison and you’ll go belly-up, too dying a slow death from conscious paralysis and asphyxia. Currently, no type of anti-venom exists to undo what’s done from fugu poisoning. Regardless of the risk, in Japan’s most luxurious restaurants trained and licensed fugu chefs deftly prepare fugu for high society types, fugu aficionados, and culinary thrill seekers. Chefs adhere to strict preparation, sanitation, storage, and disposal guidelines to minimize risk.
Has fugu killed anyone? You bet it has, though annual deaths resulting from fugu consumption nowadays are few and generally accidental. For true gastronomic satisfaction the best chefs are able to prepare fugu laced with a remaining trace of venom, which reportedly tingles on the tongue, providing the eater with a sensory brush with death. The potential risk makes fugu even more a thrill to consume and one forbidden to hit the Japanese Emporer’s dinner plate.

8. Jellied Moose Nose

The ‘jelly’ part makes it sound sweet, like a clear jelly you spread on a nice thick slice of toasted sourdough. But jellied is how the moose nose is prepared, not jelly as in bread spread. This is, after all the cooking is done, a traditional and time-honored Alaskan dish of real sliced moose snout. White meat or dark?
The list could go on AND even more interestingly be drawn from the perspective of someone well outside the American diet. A non-American list of most disgusting “delicacies” would probably begin with the All-American hotdog and a bag of pork rinds: “A ghastly, but clever disguising of cast off animal parts that do nothing for your health or virility.”

9. Bat Paste – Make sure you try this last because it could kill you.

First, net a bunch of flying mouse, fruit, or fox bats in a remote village.
Drop live into a pot of boiling water or milk.
Roast to desired doneness.
Chop and make into paste with Thai herbs and spices.
Or when you have an abundance of fruit bats, try this optional Fruit Bat Soup recipe.
Bats are part of the native cuisine in Thailand, parts of China, Guam and more, but they are considered notorious disease carriers. You might want to consider dropping them to the bottom of your culinary To-Try list.

Feeling a little Emotional :)

A Much Less Picky Way

            Can you imagine what it would be like if you had the opportunity to participate in something so original and so fun, but didn’t have a clue on where to start or the outcome of the situation at hand?  For the past thirty days I have had the chance of a lifetime.  I got to go on a quest where I was able to pick anything that was out of the ordinary in my daily life, that I could change, or focus on.  Something that I could be empowered by, and motivated to deal with on a regular basis. I decided that I should try some new foods, in efforts to expose my taste buds to new and different cultures.  Whether it was just to try something because I always turned my nose up to it, or because I just simply never had the chance to try it, I got to really open up my mind and heart to unfamiliar tastes.

            Following my quest might have been boring to some, but for the person I was at the beginning of the quest, to the person I am now after the quest, I can truly say that I have found a lot of different menu options that are much more appealing to me now.  When I first started my quest, I thought that I could eat food everyday from one specific letter of the alphabet.  After approximately a week of doing so, I realized, “This is just a little too hard for me, let’s make this more simple and a hell of a lot more fun!”

            Realizing what I had then known, a quest that started out extremely rocky, took a turn for exciting very quickly. When I first started my quest, I was your average eater.  I don’t know if the term “picky” suits me very well, as I do eat a lot of different foods.  From meats, to vegetables, fruits and sweets, I think that I cover most of the food pyramid very well.  The main area that I don’t particularly float to would be seafood.  I would like to one day figure out my phobia with seafood and the deep issues within, because I surely don’t think it is normal to not like any creature from the sea, simply because they are from the sea.

            Going through the first week, I had several challenges that faced me.  Did I actually have the will power to try something new every single day?  Can’t I just eat what I normally get at Old Chicago or Perkins?  I made an effort, every time that we went out to a restaurant that I didn’t get my “norm.”  No, Susie didn’t say, “Pancakes, eggs – scrambled, bacon and a side of fruit.”  Instead she said, “What’s new on the quest today Amanda?”  That was entertaining because then I could explain my quest, what it is about, and the purpose of such quest to another. 

            About half way through the quest, I really started to notice myself changing.  I was being more accepting and  willing to gain these new tastes.  I still knew that I had to incorporate the use of the alphabet, so I made sure that I tried something unaccustomed with each letter.  From different beverages, to holiday fun, I tried something new every day that I thought I would never try.

            Looking back and analyzing what I did and how I did it, I would have to say my biggest accomplishment was salmon.  The day that I went out to the restaurant with my grandma and tried the salmon, I knew something was different.  I really knew something was changing when I ate the entire slab of salmon and enjoyed it.  Emphasis on the word enjoyed!  This coming from a girl who grew up refusing to sit in the same room as someone who was eating any sort of fish – or stirred clear of Red Lobster on any date just because I couldn’t take seeing others eat something that I thought was so grotesque.

            From that moment on, I discovered something about myself.  I realized that this was no longer a English assignment or a burden.  This was a chance in my life that I needed to embrace and take comfort in.  The opportunity of a lifetime if you will.  After trying all kinds of different foods, I realized I needed to make this a life-long journey.  I need to face my fears and realize that there is more out there than just meat and potatoes! 

            The funniest thing about being a “picky” eater is it limits your options to almost near nothing.  I could just imagine if I lived in New York City and had the chance to diversify my culturally challenged taste buds on a day to day basis with all the different chinese, vietmanese, lebanese, german, polish and every other specified cultures within a ten mile radius, it would be a lot easier.  I have also read numerous articles that suggest that the food that your parents feed you as a child, has a lot to do with the choices that you make as an adult.

            So at the age of 21, my mouth was budding with new character.  Looking back on the person that I was thirty days ago, I see how I have changed.  I was extremely shallow and unwilling to try new things, where-as now, I can actually be courageous and possess the knowledge and skills it takes to say, “Just try it, you might like it.”

Tis the season for Egg Nog!

When I think of egg nog, I think of this time back when I was 7 years old and I tried egg nog for the first, and only time in my life. My dad's girlfriend gave me a drink, and at the time I thought it was the nastiest drink in the world. Who would have ever thought... something so thick, and sweet could be a drink for the holidays. Ever since then, I have never tried egg nog again. Although I have found a pretty good alternative.

My husband is a big fan of milk nog. If you haven't had milk nog, and you like egg nog, you should try it!! It's much smoother, and a lot more light than egg nog is from what I can remember it tasting like. My new favorite holiday drink is milk nog. I love it! I've also heard that milk nog and brandy can be quite tasty (of course for those of you over the age of 21). I am about to try this here in a little bit. Didn't think it would be such a smart idea to have a drink or two and then do a blog. LOL

What are some of your favorite holiday drinks? Another holiday drink that comes to mind, that I have never tried is apple cider. I have never had the opportunity to try some good cider. Freshly made, or store bought. I've also heard that peppermint drinks are a popular fav for the time of the year. I know there's a peppermint schnapps out there that could probably spruce up some baked goods, or a nice warm beverage. Yummy!

Ever heard of reuben pizza??

I thought it would be fun to try some different kinds of pizza that I NEVER order. Personally, I am a meat and cheese kind of girl. This would limit options to pepperoni, sausage, maybe 4-meat, or meat lovers... But I thought that it would be kind of fun to try some crazy new ones from Black Market Pizza in Ames. I got this crazy idea from watching them on the travel channel, and the different kinds of pizza they have.

Have you ever tried the reuben sandwich from Arbys? The typical reuben has some sort of corn beef, cheese and sauerkraut. This is exactly what is on the pizza, thick and gooey! :) I am definitely not a fan of sauerkraut, and never have had this on my bratwursts like my grandpa does, but I figured I'd give it a whirl. I actually really liked the pizza, but it wasn't my favorite!! They have a chilli-cheese dog pizza that was amazing! I would recommend this, or the bacon cheeseburger- personal fav.

Have you ever thought of the crazy toppings that they put on pizza? I LOVE pineapple on my pizza but some people think that's even pushing the crazy boat a little bit. Fruit on a pizza? I don't know, I like it though. Now-a-days you hear about everything from hawaiian to barbeque chicken, or even chicken, bacon ranch. What happened to the traditional toppings? Back when I was a kid, all I knew of was cheese, pepperoni, or sausage.. maybe even a supreme. Now it's like pizza is the new ice cream, try all of the flavors.

Let's not even get into the different kinds of pizza. There's frozen tombstone, digornio, jack's, red baron, and then there's all the different places you can get it from Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Papa Murphy's and Papa Johns. All sizes from small to x-large. Any kind of crust you can think of, not only original, thin and thick but also garlic, butter, or seasoned. Pizza has really gotten more complex over the years. One of my favorites, and it's so cool how you can have it any way you like it.

Well Since I am In The Holiday Spirit...

According to what traditionally is known as "The First Thanksgiving," the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony contained turkey, waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. William Bradford noted that, "besides waterfowl, there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many." Many of the foods that were included in that feast (except, notably, the seafood) have since gone on to become staples of the modern Thanksgiving dinner. -Wikipedia

With that being said, I can personally think of a lot of things on the thanksgiving table that I don't usually eat, and doesn't sound too appetizing. To be honest with you, I was 19 years old the first time that I tried sweet potatoes, and 20 years old when I actually attempted the sweet potato pie. Why? I don't know.. Potatoes being sweet didn't exactly sound like something my taste buds were calling out to me.

Looking at what the pilgrims ate, there is no way I would have ate waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, or squash. I think that the modern day turkey day dinner has changed somewhat, but kept a lot of the tradition still alive. At our house, we typically have two meats, turkey and ham. Along with mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, salads and pumpkin pie. All of this sounds so good, and I eat all of that, but compared to some other families, we probably have a boring Thanksgiving table.

There is a few things on our Thanksgiving table that we have that I don't eat, because my husband likes them. He cooks up some chitlins, which I never eat when he cooks them. Sorry that intestines from the chicken doesn't sound very appealing to me. lol. He also fixes greens, which are okay *shrugs shoulders* on a good day. He also makes this cornbread stuffing that everyone in my family loves but me. That has crumbled up corn bread, bell peppers, onions, celery, chicken broth, liver and gizzards. Again, liver and gizzards, no thank you.

Thanksgiving is the season of giving, loving and sharing amongst friends and family. It seems like whenever we get together with family and have a good time, food is always one of the main ingredients in the mix. Food is one of the most basic necessities in life. We all have our own tastes, what we like and what we don't like. The holidays aren't any different. There are usually more options and a lot more food on the holidays though. Tis the season to gain weight. :)

Today Is Halloween!! Candy Anybody?

I actually was reading an article on the most popular candy on Halloween, and why. It’s common knowledge that baby candy bars are really popular for Halloween. We can simply think back to our own experience as kids trick-or-treating to come to this conclusion. However, are candy bars really the most popular treats? You might be surprised by the answer.

According to Holidays.net, the search engine Lycos identified that the candy most searched for on the Internet at Halloween a few years ago was – drum roll, please – the tootsie roll!

Though the candy bar missed the coveted number-one spot on the “most searched for Halloween candy” list, various candy bars made a good showing. There were five candy bars (Hershey’s, Nestle Crunch, Snickers, Baby Ruth, Almond Joy, and Milky Way) in the top 15 candies. Treats similar to candy bars, including Reese’s Pieces and M&M’s, also made the list.

Rounding out the search-engine Halloween sweets list were sugary candies without fat: Nerds, Hot Tamales, Candy Corn, Razzles, Life Savers, and Sour Patch.

Analyzing Internet searches, it would seem Halloween shoppers can’t go wrong buying candy bars. It’s a pretty safe bet trick-or-treaters will like them. According to GKLife.com, the most popular candy bars are Hershey’s, Kit-Kat, Milky Way, Butterfinger, Three Musketeers, Oh Henry!, Baby Ruth, and Snickers.

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

This past weekend was Halloween weekend. Lots of candy, lots of little trick-or-treaters in their little costumes, and lots of gore and freight. Another thing that comes to mind during the halloween, and harvest seasons would be PUMPKINS! Whether you are carving the pumpkin and making a scary face, painting or coloring the pumpkin, or making a pumpkin pie, bread or cake, pumpkins are seen all over the neighborhood this time of the year. It was so much fun to take my son to the pumpkin patch so he could choose his very own pumpkin to carve.

After we helped him carve his little pumpkin we took out the pumpkin seeds. Call me stupid but I honestly didn't know that you could just take the seeds out of the pumpkin, soak them, salt them up and cook em. I guess I never put two and two together. I didn't even think that pumpkin pie came from the actual pumpkin. All I ever seen was pumpkin pies at Perkins, or maybe a tin-can of pumpkin pie filling at the store. This was interesting to find out.

So my son and I cleaned up the seeds and baked them. I never tried pumpkin seeds before. I didn't know what to expect. Would they be crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle? Would there be a kernel in the middle like sunflower seeds have? I just hoped they were a tasty alternative to the potato chip. After they came out of the oven, my husband said to let them cool off for a while. I didn't really know what to think of it all. An hour later, I took my first attempt at the seeds. I thought in my mind while they crunched in between my teeth, "mmm, this is pretty good!"

After eating the pumpkin seeds, this ran my mind wild. You know how you start doing one thing, or think about one thing, and it leads to another? Like a revolving door? I'm sitting there thinking about the pumpkin seeds, and excited about carving pumpkins, and I ask myself. Why didn't my parents ever do anything like this with me? They never carved a pumpkin with me, cooked pumpkin seeds, or any sort of Halloween fun and festivities. It's not like they are religious or anything, they were just more lazy parents. And being as I was the first born child, I think I was the "practice," the one who you don't know what to expect or how to parent so you just "do your best."

Looking back now, I can't do anything about my past and how I missed out on fun activities on the holidays. I just have to make sure that I do all the fun stuff with my son, and make sure that he does things that I missed out on. It's hard to clean up spilled milk, but there's potential to turn any bad situation into good. :)

Waldorf Salad STINKS =P

Oh there is so much fun stuff to eat during this season! First Halloween hits, then Thanksgiving, then CHRISTMAS!! Tis the season for good tidings, family gatherings and stuffing ourselves to the gills. I'm actually pretty happy that this quest is almost over. It has been so much fun trying new things, but it's just become a huge hassle with my current situation in life right now. UGH.


So this past weekend, I took my stab at the big ole letter w. When I think of W, Watermelon comes to mind first. Ohhh Yummy! But as for trying something new, I already knew of a salad that my grandmother makes, that I never eat during the holidays. I think I never really wanted to try it because it had mayo in it, and I don't think that mayo, lettuce and fruits go together as a good combination. Waldorf salad is what I am talking about. If you don't know what that is, it's a salad that is homade, or you can buy it at Hy-Vee near the deli and hot food they serve.


Waldorf salad typically consists of apples, celery, mayo, walnuts, greens and sometimes marshmallows. This is how my grandmother makes it. If you talk about what is in it, it sounds funny but it's a popular salad, so people must like it right? Well my grandma made me some, as part of my quest, and so I tried it. Waldorf salad, you did not impress me by any means, and I surely don't care to EVER try you again.  I personally think it would have been good WITHOUT the greens, and instead of mayo, through in some cool whip. Then again, I suppose that wouldn't be waldorf salad. :(


Ya win some and ya lose some huh.

This week started off JUST RIGHT

Yeah, I'm slacking on blogging.. What can you do? Sue me? Ugh, I have been stressing about so many other things like keeping up with some bills, the fact that I am NOW just starting to feel the affects of the recession, and I haven't had a break from my crazy two year old in I don't know how long! The only thing that is even allowing me to sit here and blog right now is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on DVR.

With all that being said, let's get down to business. Tried lots of new things in the past few days, and will make a VOW to blog at least once every day from here on out. I still need to come up with what, appx 15 more blogs?  I really want an A in English, but dang this is a lot of work. =P Whoever said college was easy, lied to you... or they are genius smart... But even then, they would have to put forth the EFFORT to actually BLOG on their quest, despite the fact that their geniusness gets them further than others on most endeavors.

Okay, I realize that I am getting off track here. I don't have much to say, and I am actually just saying whatever pops into my head at this point. Hoping that is okay.. back to what we are here for... I whistled my way through C, Q, and U over the past few days, trying some really fun stuff!! Monday I tried some Clam Chowder, which I never tried (for yet again, some reason I do not know, it just didn't sound good). I actually enjoyed the texture and will be getting that instead of just chicken noodle for the winter months. :)

For the letter Q, my mom made a quiche with ham and cheese. Quiche is like one of those foods that you hear on the t.v. like holiday fruitcake. Something everyone makes but no one ever eats. It was actually good, and I enjoyed it. Of course, I like ham and cheese. Had some Upside down cake for the letter U. Yeah I know that I've had that before, and I LOVE IT... Hey, can't win em all. =P

Friday and Saturday are ALWAYS the best days of the week!

The second to the last weekend of the quest, and I'm still kickin! By now you have probably realized that I am no longer doing the quest the way that I originally planned, which I hope is okay, but I am actually completing the quest in the most efficient way possible! Not to mention that I am having a ton of fun with it as well!

Friday night my 15 year old sister got to join in on the quest a little bit. We went to Taco Bell for supper and had some nachoes with jalapenos on them! My most recent memory of having jalapenos is when I had some nachoes at the local Wal-Mart with my dad as a kid, and he tricked me saying that they were pickles. Me being young and naive, believed him and I swallowed them with pride as my face was beating red from the heat. 

Still hot as ever, I must say.  I don't think that my taste buds, mouth or tummy likes spicy food at all. I must say that Katie enjoyed them much more than I did. I only survived through with extra cheese and meat trying to drown out the spark in my mouth. 

Saturday, I was excited enough to get to try a few new things. One of them being a beverage, which I haven't done yet on my quest.  I thought it would be really cool to try Wine, and no I don't mean like a little taste at communion service at church. I meant a glass, or two. I have heard that wine is an acquired taste, and you have to drink a lot of different wines to know the differences. Well I wasn't on an adventure to try all kinds but I did have a glass of one particular kind. Now is wine like vodka? The cheap stuff tastes nasty? Because I honestly didn't see the beauty in the arbor mist chardonnay that we were drinking. 

I also got the chance to try a deliciously amazing cupcake! Don't think that I am only trying foods that I thought I wouldn't ever like, or have bad thoughts about. My quest goes much deeper than that. The fact of the matter is, I need to try new and different things! So I did. We went to the new cupcake shop on main in Ames, and well, the typical me would have gotten something chocolate.  Instead, I got a pink champagne cupcake with a kiwi frosting. Oh my, was it so good. If you haven't been, I suggest you swing through there sometime!! They have the most interesting flavors of cupcakes from Samuel Adams, to fall harvest, red velvet and peanut butter chocolate!

Must go there again! =D

Helping The Picky Baby/Toddler

I think that this video has a cool way of getting the average picky eating baby to try more foods, either by preparing their food, eating outside, etc. Picky eating is very common throughout childhood and sometimes stays with you into adulthood. The fact is that as children we like to explore food rather than actually eat it!

It's common if your child shows one or more of the following behaviors;

•Your child may be unwilling to try new foods, especially fruits and vegetables. It is normal for your preschooler to prefer familiar foods and be afraid to try new things.

•For a period of time, your preschooler may only eat a certain type of food. Your child may choose 1 or 2 foods he or she likes and refuse to eat anything else.

•Sometimes your child may waste time at the table and seem interested in doing anything but eating.

•Your child may refuse a food based on a certain color or texture. For example, He or she could refuse foods that are red or green, contain seeds, or are squishy.

Happy Picky Eating :)

*singing* E is for Eggs, F is for Fish, G is for Grapples?!

I've had lots and lots of fun the past few days trying new things! My best friend took it upon herself to go ahead and motivate me a little more on this adventure. We have been tackling on different letters by the day as our quest is winding down more and more each day! 

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to taste something you may or may not heard of. Grapples. It's basically just like it sounds. An apple that tastes like a grape.  When I was told about such fruit, I had to do a little investigation of my own before I decided if it was something I wanted to do or not. Apparently grapples are Washington Extra Fancy Gala or Fuji apples because they take on the best grape taste. These juicy grapples are made with concentrated grape flavor and pure water. I must say, if you haven't tried a grapple, they are DELICIOUS! Although, I must say, if you don't like artificial grape (suckers jolly ranchers etc) I wouldn't recommend it, as they are strongly flavored and very juicy!

Besides Grapples, I have also gone on quite the endeavor recently. My husband eats everything with hot sauce, and when I mean everything, I truly mean everything!  From chicken, to cottage cheese, noodles and steak he throws a dab to a couple tablespoons on to EVERYTHING! I personally have never ate with much hot sauce. I think that it is the way you are raised. He was raised having hot sauce on all the food his mother cooked, so it's like you had to eat it or you went without. Hot sauce is such a overpowering taste in your mouth...a shock, if you will.

So for one meal, I ate EXACTLY what he ate. Chicken, stuffing and beans - all with hot sauce douced throughout, and even more hot sauce on the chicken.  I swear he soaked the chicken in hot sauce before even putting it into the oven. When I ate this meal with him, I went through 4 glasses of ice water, 2 cups of milk and STILL had a burning urge in my throat for a few hours after. WOWZA. Red Hot is no joke. Now I'm sure there are arguments as to what the hottest hot sauce is, but I'll tell you, this was enough to light my mouth on-fire!

How hot can you handle it?

Picky Eaters In The New York Times

Thought this was a very interesting news article that I would like to share. Can you imagine, our kids are picky because of US? Thoughts on this article??

Picky Eaters? They Get It From You

Sylwia Kapuscinski for The New York Times

Ethan Useloff of Westfield, N.J., rejects a cheeseburger. His sister, Samara, does not. Their mother, Jennifer, was a picky eater as a child.

By KIM SEVERSON

Published: October 10, 2007

 

A WEEK’S worth of dinners for young Fiona Jacobson looks like this: Noodles. Noodles. Noodles. Noodles. French fries. Noodles. On the seventh day, the 5-year-old from Forest Hills, Queens, might indulge in a piece of pizza crust, with no sauce or cheese.

Over in New Jersey, the Bakers changed their November family vacation to accommodate Sasha, an 11-year-old so averse to fruits and vegetables that the smell of orange juice once made him faint. Instead of flying to Prague, Sasha’s parents decided to go to Barcelona, where they hope the food will be more to his liking.

And at the Useloff household, young Ethan’s tastes are so narrow that their home in Westfield, N.J., works something like a diner.

“I do the terrible mommy thing and make everyone separate dinners,” Jennifer Useloff said.

All three families share a common problem. Their children are not only picky eaters, prone to reject foods they once seemed to love, but they are also neophobic, which means they fear new food.

But for parents who worry that their children will never eat anything but chocolate milk, Gummi vitamins and the occasional grape, a new study offers some relief. Researchers examined the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of twins between 8 and 11 years old and found children’s aversions to trying new foods are mostly inherited.
The message to parents: It’s not your cooking, it’s your genes.

The study, led by Dr. Lucy Cooke of the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London, was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in August. Dr. Cooke and others in the field believe it is the first to use a standard scale to investigate the contribution of genetics and environment to childhood neophobia.

According to the report, 78 percent is genetic and the other 22 percent environmental.
“People have really dismissed this as an idea because they have been looking at the social associations between parents and their children,” Dr. Cooke said. “I came from a position of not wanting to blame parents.”

Nutritionists, pediatricians and academic researchers have recently shifted focus to children who eat too much instead of those who eat too little. But cases of obesity are less frequent than bouts of pickiness.
In some families, communal meals become brutal battlegrounds, if they haven’t been altogether abandoned. Cooks break under the weight of devising a thousand variations on macaroni and cheese. Strolls through the farmers’ markets are replaced with trudges through the frozen food aisle.

For parents who know that sharing the fruits of the kitchen with family is one of the deep pleasures of cooking, having a child who rejects most food is a unique sort of heartbreak.

Hugh Garvey, an editor at Bon Appétit magazine, knows the heartbreak firsthand. He shares his experience on gastrokid.com, a blog he created with a British pal that details the gastronomic life of families. His daughter, 6, is an omnivore’s dream child. But his son, 3, will eat only brown food.

“The way I comfort myself is the way any quasi-sane parent comforts himself,” Mr. Garvey said. “It’s like potty training. Eventually, they’re going to graduate from diapers. In the end, he’ll eat something green.”
Most children eat a wide variety of foods until they are around 2, when they suddenly stop. The phase can last until the child is 4 or 5. It’s an evolutionary response, researchers believe. Toddlers’ taste buds shut down at about the time they start walking, giving them more control over what they eat. “If we just went running out of the cave as little cave babies and stuck anything in our mouths, that would have been potentially very dangerous,” Dr. Cooke said.

A natural skepticism of new foods is a healthy part of a child’s development, said Ellyn Satter, a child nutrition expert whose books, including “Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense” (Bull Publishing, 2000), have developed a cult following among parents of picky eaters.
Each child has a unique set of likes and dislikes that Ms. Satter believes are genetically determined. The only way children discover what they are is by putting food in their mouths and taking it out over and over again, she said.

“Of course, it’s hard when children are just so blasé about food or refuse it, especially for parents who spend a lot of time thinking about it and preparing it,” she said.

The genetic link makes sense to Jennifer Useloff, whose son enjoys only variations on the same theme: bread and cheese, with some fruit and the occasional chicken nugget. His younger sister, Samara, isn’t as picky but sometimes follows her brother’s lead.

Mrs. Useloff, 36, was once a picky eater herself. Although she drank gallons of milk, she couldn’t abide raw fruits or vegetables. New foods with strange textures literally frightened her.

The aversion lasted until her 20s, when she worked to overcome her fears. Even today, she refuses to buy cucumbers.

“I feel guilty,” she said. “I worry that I’ve done this to them.”

Even though food neophobia appears to be genetic, doctors say parents of picky eaters can’t just surrender and boil another pot of pasta.

“We have to understand that biology is not destiny,” said Patricia Pliner, a social psychology professor at the University of Toronto. “This doesn’t necessarily mean there is nothing we can do about the environment.”

People who study children prone to flinging themselves on the floor at the mere mention of broccoli agree that calm, repeated exposure to new foods every day for between five days to two weeks is an effective way to overcome a child’s fears. (Other strategies for getting children to eat are included in an accompanying article.)

Of course, attempting to introduce the same food week after week can be a Sisyphean task. Some parents just give up. That is more or less what Jessica Seinfeld did.

Mrs. Seinfeld, the wife of the actor Jerry Seinfeld and the mother of three young children, became fed up with trying to get her children to eat fruits and vegetables. The oldest, Sascha, who is 6, is so picky she used to dictate what the rest of the family ate.

“It made cooking in my house impossible,” Mrs. Seinfeld said. “I was so miserable every night. I felt like a failure as a cook and a failure as a mother.”

So Mrs. Seinfeld took an end run around the problem and developed a method of feeding her children that is, essentially, based on lying.

Her new book, “Deceptively Delicious” (Harper Collins), outlines a series of recipes based on fruit and vegetable purées that are blended into food in a way that she says children won’t notice. Half a cup of butternut squash disappears into pasta coated with milk and margarine. Pancakes turn pink with beets. Avocado hides in chocolate pudding and spinach in brownies.

“My theory, and my husband will back me up on it, is that all of this food tastes better,” she said.
And even though she admits to leaving a box of macaroni and cheese on the counter when she’s making the stealth vegetable version, she doesn’t think her children will mind when they discover that mom’s pulled a fast one.

“My kids now are really starting to get that this is a special way my mom knows how to cook,” she said.
Some experts don’t buy the method.

“It doesn’t strike me as the best strategy,” Dr. Pliner said.

There is the issue of being found out, at which point a child might not trust new foods the parents present. And hiding foods doesn’t help a child learn to appreciate new tastes, she said.

“What we want children to do is like a lot of different foods,” she said. “If squash is perfectly disguised, children are not learning anything. Well, they are learning something, but it’s not to like squash.”

If neither repeated introduction nor hiding the vegetables works, and as long as a pediatrician is keeping an eye on the child’s health, the experts suggest nothing more than patience.

“Unless it becomes a huge issue, it tends to be a little more fleeting than parents think,” said Harriet Worobey, director of the Nutritional Sciences Preschool at Rutgers University. “I know a year can seem like five to parents, but these food jags are normal.”

There's a Party In My Tummy

Try It, You Might LIKE IT!

YO GABBA GABBA!!!

If you haven't seen Yo Gabba Gabba, then 1. you must not be a parent of a toddler, or 2. you don't care for huge colorful creatures singing and dancing on television. They have a song on there called, "Try it, You Might Like It" and it has been stuck in my head ever since I started this quest. The vid up there is of this mighty little toddler not wanting to eat his green beans but with the help of his little brother singing to "try it you might like it" he takes the plunge and enjoys those green beans!

The quest has become pretty difficult. I'm not going to feed you a bunch of bull and say that I've stayed on board, when I clearly know that I haven't. Although, I can say every day I have tried something new and still working with the different letters. Like I said before, when I started my quest I believe that I set myself up for failure. I was gung-ho about it for a little while but then it gets too exhausting with the hubby going to work, the kids schedule and job searching. Boy I have been through a lot in the last week or so.

With all that being said, I ran through a few different letters since Monday. When the letter Y comes to mind, I think yams and yolk. Okay well I like yams, and that's not trying something new. Yolk however brought up a good opportunity! Ever since I was a child, eggs came scrambled. My dad always ate sunny side up eggs and dipped his toast in it, while for whatever reason, I couldn't stand to taste the yolk. Another assumption that I created in my head about the taste of yolk, when I never ate it before. Doesn't this lead back to Freud and that dog with the uncontrolled stimulus and response and what not. Golly!

ANYWAY- Sunny side up eggs it was for me, and I can honestly say, I didn't mind. I dipped my toast in the yolk and thought it was pretty dang good actually. The moistness on my toast was a nice texture and combination with the egg and bacon.

Leaving you with "There's a Party in my Tummy"

ReD LoBster Experience

Well Ladies and Gents, I surely would have been online updating you a lot more but thanks to my husband's friends puppy, he chewed my laptop charger to shreds and well, let''s just say I'm 85 bucks in the hole and not too happy about that fact! Anyways, I had a wonderful weekend and tried a few different things that I was excited to get my hands on.

On Saturday I got a chance to go to Red Lobster which was exciting.  I had only been there once before, and devoured the biscuits like mad! Yummy! Besides that, I ate chicken strips before.  This time I knew I had to try different things.  Instead of following the alphabet, I figured I needed to take an opportunity to try some different things on this special occasion.  One of my biggest fears is seafood.  Like I've said before, I don't know if it's the taste, the smell or the way it's cooked but I just can't wrap my head around seafood.

I knew that I didn't know if I would particularly like certain things so I just ate what my husband was eating.  Lobster tail and scallops. I wish he would have taken a picture of me trying these things, he said my face was a beat red, and priceless. I do know, I don't care for either one of these items.  The scallops almost seemed rubbery and chewy, hard to swallow.  Lobster tail, I don't get it. Why is it so expensive?  It seemed like crab legs to me.  It was a fun night overall, and I was happy with myself that I tried the food.  Afterall, that is the important part of my quest; the fact that I get to try different items and instead of automatically saying I don't like something I can actually say I tried it and for whatever reason, don't care for it.

Such a Sweet Interview!

Such a Sweet Interview

            There is just something about the smell of grandma’s house that is so comforting to the heart and soul.  Every time I go to my grandma and grandpa’s house, I smell peanut butter balls and chocolate chip cookies.  It’s almost as if grandma knows that the grandkids are coming and she throws together her very best goodies.  If anyone knows a little something about cooking a variety of foods and for a crowd at that, it would be grandma!  That is why I chose to interview my grandma with a few quirky comments from my grandpa as he sat by her during this heart felt interview.

            I started off the interview with a broad statement.  “Let’s just start from the beginning,” I said.  I wanted to know all about my grandma’s childhood and more specifically what the cooking experience was like growing up in her household.  My grandma started off with tears welling up in her eyes, “At my house, as a child, we did not eat.” At first I was shocked because this was a side of my grandma’s history that was untold.  I listened closely as she began to tell her story.  I asked for her to discuss further into her childhood story more but she was extremely hesitant.  She told me the basics of how things were in the 1940’s and how it was rough growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  

            Grandma went on for twenty minutes describing how there were five children between her mother and father.  Her father decided to stray from his family and started on an adventure with another woman.  Soon this woman was pregnant and had his child.  My grandma said with a saddened voice, “He did not care about us kids. He didn’t care if we ate, if we had clothes on our backs, or if we went to school.”  Eventually my grandma’s father had four more children with the mistress and moved her into the home that my grandma and her siblings lived in.  I started to cry with my grandma.

            She went on about how they didn’t have much food.  They each had a slice of bread and jam every day, and on Sunday’s her grandmother would come over and cook them a big supper.  Grandma said the usual Sunday evening supper would consist of a roast, potatoes, bread and vegetables.  Her grandmother knew that the kids were starving but couldn’t do much to help, except bring them supper once a week and make sure they ate very well that day.  As a child, my grandma sat in the kitchen watching her grandmother fix supper and always was curious about cooking.  This sparked her general interest in wanting to work at a restaurant.

            When my grandmother turned 17, she had gotten a job at the local car hop.  First she started off by serving customers on her roller-skates, but then she took an interest in cooking.  By this time, grandma was eating better because she could take leftover food home from work for free.  They put grandma on the grill for a few days, and realized she wasn’t cut out for the work.  She always wanted to learn how to cook, but didn’t know where she would acquire these skills from.

            At the age of 21, my grandma met the man of her dreams, at the very same car hop she once tried to learn how to cook in.  My grandpa, fresh out of the army, was looking to settle down and get married.  Within three months my grandparents were married.  My grandpa, a man from Iowa, had to take a slick talking Pittsburgh girl to a little old farm.  “I was terrified to know what my grandparents were going to think! For heaven sake; I barely knew the girl but we were in love,” my grandpa stated.

            After a month on the small farm in Iowa, my grandma was going stir crazy.  She thought that she married the man of her dreams, and everything was falling into place but my grandpa was very upset with her.  My grandma did not know how to cook or clean.  Those are two very major things that a farm wife must know how to do.  So it began.  My grandpa had to teach my grandma how to cook.  Although my grandpa knew a lot, he asked his grandmother for some guidance and advice.  After all, she was a farm wife for 50 plus years.

            Grandma told me stories of food turning out absolutely awful and my grandpa with his snide remarks always had to put his two cents in.  In the end, my grandma turned out to be an excellent cook for her grandkids.  I feel sorry for my mom and her siblings who had to endure the time when she was just an average cook.  Grandma tells me, “Cooking is a learning process just like anything else. If you don’t know about something, ask.”

            It surely took my grandma many years to learn how to cook all kinds of different food.  Now that she has the skills necessary, she could cook an eight course meal for an army!  Italian night is my favorite. I’m so very lucky to have such a diverse grandma who was open and willing to learn how to cook different kinds of food for different occasions.  I unfortunately, never learned how to cook.  Hopefully one day my house will smell just as sweet as grandma’s when my grandkids come over.