I'm a picky eater

I didn't used to think I was a picky eater, but after thinking on it awhile, I realize I am one.

I don't like

• bell peppers, they give me BAD heartburn
• raw onion - cooked, they can go in anything - but they must be well cooked
• brussel sprouts - tried but cannot stomach them, hubby loves them
• mangos - they taste like pine to me
• sweet potato - argh just cannot stand them
• turnip - I still have dreams of having to eat this as a child - my father always convinced me to mix them with my mashed potatoes to make them taste better - all it did was ruin my mashed potatoes!
• most fish - I really don't like fish, there are a couple I can tolerate, but very infrequently
• broccoli - I really want to like this, and can tolerate it in my frog soup, but not so much just plain steamed
• eggplant - I find them too mushy. We got 3 huge ones from our 1 plant this summer - we grilled them sliced for K to eat.
• plums - just never liked the texture of them
• bleu cheese - ack! K loves this stuff. I cannot tolerate it.
• squash - I don't hate spaghetti squash, but do hate most other types
• rice piudding - blech! rice is supposed to be savory...end of story!
• sushi - have tryed it (the fully cooked kind) but don't like the taste of the rice
• cooked carrots - they were pretty much the only veggie I would eat as a child and I think I just got sick of them  - I can eat them raw though
• mussels & oysters - in any preparation {shudder}
• goat cheese - it taste like um dirt to me :p

 Wow that is a lot of stuff.

So what types of foods do you dislike? 

Weird TV

I just watched two episodes of a tv show called Freaky Eaters. The first episode was about a woman who since the age of 3 (she is 29 now) has eaten ONLY french fries for breakfast, lunch & dinner EVERYDAY. Her 7yr old daughter is now following in her footsteps so she is trying to address the problem. She is not huge, she has good skin and apparently no health concerns. How the heck is that possible?

If I ate french fries every meal for even a week, I would be deathly ill. That has got to reek havoc on your digestive system.

The 2nd episode was a 21 yr old guy who ate pizza for every meal for approx. 6 yrs. In the past 3 yrs he had developed an illness (surprise?) where he would wake up nauseous every morning with a splitting headache - this lasted approx. 30 mins every morning. He quit school and sports, friends, everything because of the illness. Turns out he has food sensitivities, mainly to dairy. So all the cheese on the pizzas was making him sick, only he didn't think pizza was the prob because he didn't get sick until the next morning. Duh. He was eating something like 480 pizzas a year, which had 80lbs of saturated and trans fats. Blech! Again he looked fit and had clear skin. How the heck do they manage that?

Ultimate Recipe Swap - Homemade Pita Chips

Today's Ultimate Recipe Swap is snacks.

One of my favourite snacks are chips. I discovered that pita chips aren't nearly as bad for you as regular chips and they are even better if you make them yourselves.

So what you need:

Pita bread - I buy the large ones (make sure you get the ones that separate)
oil spray or olive oil
your choice of seasonings and herbs

1. I cut the pita in half with a pair of scissors, then each half in half again until I get wedges the size I want. Then I split the 2 layers of the pita apart.
2. I lay all the wedges rough side up on a baking pan and spray them lightly with oil spray, such as Pam or you could brush them with olive oil.
3. Then sprinkle with seasoning salt, garlic powder, chili powder & basil.
4. I bake mine at 350 for about 12 mins - you have to watch them carefully and I also turn the pan - make sure they don't get too brown - they go from golden to burnt VERY quickly - ask me how I know.

These are very addictive so make sure you have lots of pita bread on hand :)

For more great snack ideas pop over to Life As Mom.

The Deafening Quiet

The kid has gone back to school YAH!

The mother in-law has left to visit her sister YAH! I can only take her for a few days.

Hubby has driven her to her sister's and has business in Ottawa so won't be home until Friday.

Peace & quiet is once again mine YAH!!!

It's that time again...

 Update: All done! Just waiting for her arrive now. Have a great weekend everyone!


My mother in-law is coming for a visit on Friday and staying for a few days until my husband drives her to her sister's place in Ottawa. So you know what that means, right?

I have to clean my freakin house! It really needs it too - it has been neglected a bit.

So here is a list of things I have to accomplish before Friday afternoon, when she arrives.

• Put clean sheets on guest bed - sheets were washed after my sis stayed here in July, just never made it back on the bed.
• thoroughly clean powder room
• thoroughly clean main bath (tub scrubbed yesterday)
• tidy living room (mostly decluttering)
• clean kitchen
• declutter entrance hallway
• guys to clear their hunting crap out of guest room
• vacuum entire house (hubby's job :))

I suppose I should get off the computer now and get started huh?

I'll update the list later - if I have time :)

Ultimate Recipe Swap - Cooking for a crowd

Whenever we attend a potluck or host a BBQ, there are a couple recipes I always turn to, both for ease of preparation and for the amount they make.

Unfortunetly, I don't write down my recipes and just kind of wing it each time - so if you decide to make these, be adventurous, change them up a bit and make them your own!

Sweet & Sour BBQ Meatballs


Meatballs
couple lbs lean ground beef
finely diced onion
1-2 eggs
bread crumbs
garlic powder
seasoning salt
pepper
any other spices you may like
milk to moisten if needed

Mix the meatball mixture and then form small ping pong ball sized meatballs.
Cook in oven on broiler pan to allow grease to drain off.

Sauce
bottle of favourite BBQ sauce
same amount of ketchup
chopped garlic
thinnly sliced onions
couple tbsps of mustard
chili powder
onion powder
seasoning salt
couple tbsp brown sugar
hot sauce

Mix all together.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Put cooked meatballs into large roasting pan, pour sauce over top and cook in oven at 350 for 45 mins.



Greek Pasta Salad

Cooked & chilled pasta  - I usually use spiral or penne pasta
sliced green olives
diced green onion
chopped tomato - I use cherry tomatoes cut into 1/4s

crumbled feta cheese
diced english cucumber
chili powder
seasoning salt
pepper
creamy greek salad dressing


I hardly ever have leftovers of either - but if I do, they are both great the next day (and the next :))

For more great recipes, pop over to Life as Mom.



This post is also part of the Tasty Traditions blog carnival at Coupon Cookin' 

Works For Me Wednesday - CSN Stores

What works for me is CSN Stores. I have done 2 reviews for them so far. The latest review is of this Delonghi Convection Toaster Oven with Rotisserie.

We have used it to make frozen pizza, apple crisp, cheese toast, Jamaican patties, crescent roll pizza and frozen fish and chips.

The only thing it doesn't do well is toast LOL but we still have our regular toaster.

I read a bunch of reviews on it online before I ordered it and several complained about the racks not having a middle support so that when you pull them out, there is a place where they tip slightly - I don't see this as an issue at all, you pull the rack out and grab your food, you don't just leave it hanging there.

The CSN Store experience is great! My order was processed quickly and easily and the delivery (to Canada) was very quick.

I highly recommend both this toaster oven and CSN Store. Check them out at CSNStores.com.

For more Works for me Wednesday tips, pop over to We are that family.