On being picky...

At one time in my life (at least 22 years of my life, actually), I was a very picky eater. My family will attest to the fact that I found a reason to dislike just about anything. The short list includes: tomatoes, onions, peppers, any white sauce at all, mustard, sour cream, mayo, beans, ... The list seriously could go on and on. Jordan and I laugh frequently about the first time I went to his place and he forced me to try "solomon gundy," which is a name for pickled herring, dipped in sour cream. I objected "nicely" to tasting it, but since we were dating, I wasn't going to lose him over it! Though I despised it (and still do), it is funny how Jordan can take the credit for introducing me to the wonderful world of food I used to hate :) I can only imagine what he thought of my cooking those first few months of our marriage when I took the opportunity to cook only what I liked...? Soon after getting his input on meal plans, I quickly learned I had better switch it up a bit! I realize now how much my poor mom must have hated my horrible reactions to good food growing up. Of that previous list, I have learned to like most of those items, including tomatoes. I have been loving the beautiful tomatoes that my husband grew in our backyard. Our one plant has yielded us at least 20 tomatoes already, and several more are ripening as we speak. I also have red peppers growing and have had lots of rhubarb. My generous neighbor has showered me with fresh produce again this summer (squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, beans), and I appreciate it so much more now than I did before I stayed at home! One of my favorite meals to make when I'm alone for dinner is mac and cheese. My dear sis-in-law Anneke introduced me to it, and although I don't have a recipe, it usually turns out as long as I put cheese in it! I know, it's so healthy... I'm going to miss summer produce. There is nothing like a fresh, homegrown tomato! Oh, how much I used to miss...