Becoming a "foodie"

For those who have kids, don't you just love the stages of their growing up years of the picky eating? Do your kids no matter their ages still tend to be picky on what they like and don't like to eat? I have two boys, one almost 17 and one almost 14. My 17y/o is SUPER picky when it comes to the foods he eats. I can't cook onions down enough that he doesn't notice. I've said over and over again, "you have to cook with onions, it's what gives food flavor." And don't even mention corn.....the gag reflexes start almost immediately. LOL And the list goes on with his liking/disliking of foods. But, I love that about him....

Then you have my youngest son. He started off an incredibly picky eater when he was little. For example....we went to Krispy Kreme Donuts to get their mouthwatering, melt in your mouth, hot off the belt glazed donuts. At first Ben didn't want to even touch the thing and refused to take a bite. We kept telling him how much he is going to love it and he should take a bite. To much of his refusal and whining about us not giving up on the pressure for him to take a bite, we shoved the donut in his mouth. You'd think the heavens opened up and a flood of white doves were floating down out of the sky and you were hearing the Sound of Music playing in the background. The kid thought he died and went to donut heaven. BUUUUT, because he's so much like his mama....he has a bit of a stubborn streak in him. He refused to say how good it was and wouldn't eat the rest. Even though we knew he loved it, he would have rather passed on eating anymore. LOL  Oh that kid! Never a dull moment.

Fast forward some years and Ben, our youngest, has become quite the foodie. Much to our surprise he has turned into quite the food connoisseur. Everyday, if I don't have my menu board written out for the week, I am asked what the meals are and how he can help me in the kitchen. It has become that special thing between us. With my husband and I already being foodies, I am crazy loving the fact that Ben is with me in the kitchen and that we get to spend that special time together. He's talked about becoming a private chef someday and I think that is pretty darn cool.

Last week, he was hankering for some fish tacos for lunch. He got busy in the kitchen with whipping up the baja sauce and putting together all the fixins to make him some mean fish tacos. I couldn't resist on taking a picture of what he ended up with. Now, we cheated a little bit by buying already breaded frozen halibut fillets from Trader Joe's but if you haven't tried them.....run to your nearest TJ's and get you a box or five and freeze them for a later meal. They are SO SO yummy! And makes for a deliciously easy meal.

I am truly inspired by my boys and times we spend together as a family in the kitchen and even at the dinner table those first few bites of our meal together and hearing the "mmmmm's" over how good the food is. I will miss those days when they are both grown and out of the house. I will miss the regular, nightly meals together. In the meantime, I will bask in the time we have together.

Until next time,
Heather



Ben's Version of Baja Sauce:

Equal amounts of:
*sour cream
*mayo
(he did 1/2 c. each) but you can do more or less just as long as they are equal parts.
* 1/2 bunch of fresh chopped cilantro
*1 lime, sliced in half and both halves squeezed into mixture
*1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
*1 tsp. chili powder
*1 good squirt of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce for an added flair (more or less, depending on your liking)
Mix all ingredients together and keep refrigerated until ready to serve with your meal.

Fish Taco's:
Trader Joe's frozen halibut fillets
small yellow or white corn tortillas
shredded green cabbage
queso fresco cheese (crumbled on top)
chopped cilantro
Ben's version baja sauce
Fresh lime wedges on the side