Why I Threw the Lasagna Off the Balcony and Other Confessions of a Picky Eater

Homemade lasagna

I am a picky eater. There is no denying it. Although I will say that some people view me as being pickier than I really am.

I find it humorous, at times, when the topic of me being picky comes up. Someone will invariably say, "My parents didn't let me be picky. I had to eat everything, and I learned to like it." I usually find that comment highly offensive. It is basically saying that my parents must not have done their job. That is far from the truth. I was not allowed to be picky. I just am.

Growing up, I was forced to try things I didn't want to try, just because it looked different or sounded odd. But, I had no choice in the matter. It was either try the small amount my parents gave me or go hungry. I very rarely chose to go hungry (which might have also led to the consequence of being grounded).  Despite their many efforts to expose me to different foods and force me to try them on multiple occasions, I ended up a picky eater.

One food that I have never loved is lasagna. Most people react with shock when I bring that up. I never liked it growing up. To illustrate how much I didn't like it, I will tell you the story of my experience with lasagna at my Aunt Carol's party in the summer of 1979 when I was 7-years-old.  Aunt Carol had a lot of people over at her apartment to celebrate graduating from college and served lasagna. My parents taught us to eat what we were served so I got my piece and disappeared for a while to eat it on my aunt's balcony.  My mom was impressed that I finished it, and quickly too. I didn't eat that piece of lasagna. I threw it off the balcony. I thought I was being clever. Apparently not. Mom discovered what I had done when we left the party. My piece of lasagna landed on the top of a car. Not any car, though, our car. Needless to say, I was in trouble.

There are many foods I don't like. I once thought about becoming a vegetarian, but something held me back--my lack of love for vegetables. I don't like many of them.  Often times, my issue with the veggie isn't the flavor but the texture. I do NOT like green beans, cucumbers, cauliflower, red peppers (nor green, yellow or orange), brussel sprouts, zucchini (except in zucchini bread), or yellow squash.

My least favorite veggie, the one I detest the most and would be happy to never run across again, is asparagus.  It makes me ill.  When I was a kid, my parents made them from the can. I'm sure that didn't help. Every time I would go to eat it (because as I said earlier, I was forced), I would have an automatic gag reflex to it. Just the smell would do it to me. I'm sure my father thought I was being dramatic, but there were many times that I didn't think I would be able to keep them down. I feared that being an issue because I knew I would still have to eat them. My dinner plans would include burying them in rice or potatoes so that it wasn't AS bad.  In recent years, I have tried asparagus fresh. While better, I still feel that gag reflex coming back and do not like them one bit.

I'm also picky about the veggies I like and how they are prepared. Carrots are wonderful, but only raw.  Don't cook them for me. Yuck.  I love broccoli raw. But if you are going to cook them, forget about steaming them. I only like them quickly sauteed in a frying pan or on a wok.  Adding a bit of a hollandaise sauce makes me swoon!

While I am picky, I was taught to be polite. I will eat what I am served, even if I don't like it.  Sometimes I try to avoid the food by loading up on other things, but I will usually get a small amount of the food I don't like in order to be polite. It does bother me when people try to plan their menu around my likes and dislikes. I will cope.

Over the years, I have become more open about the foods I am willing to eat. Foods that I didn't like when younger, like mushrooms, pepperoni, and spaghetti, I now eat regularly. Not only do I eat them, I love them.  Some foods I have just learned to tolerate. Still some, like chicken salad and potato salad, I avoid like the plague.

Right before my wedding, my Aunt Gail and Uncle Dan threw a small family party at their home, including all my aunts, uncles, and parents.  I was excited to spend a meal with my family, but took a deep breath of dread when I realized they were serving...........LASAGNA.  Realizing I would need to be polite and not say a word about my distaste for such a food, I got my serving. Instead of dropping it off a balcony, like I did when I was 7, I ate it. Not only did I eat it, I discovered something amazing. I LIKED it!! Heck, I LOVED it! For the first time ever in my life, I ate a lasagna I actually enjoyed.  I even went up for seconds. My mom didn't notice. If she did, she might have fallen over in a faint.  It took me some time to figure out the difference with this lasagna. Why did I like this lasagna but no other?  Simple. My family only made lasagna with cottage cheese.  This lasagna had ricotta and sausage.  The ricotta, in particular, made all the difference in the world.

Just recently, I made lasagna at home. A new recipe I got from the TV program, "The Chew".  I loved it! It was amazing! I guess there is hope for this picky eater after all!

Wordless Wednesday: Ginny's New Achievement

Ginny surprised me with this yesterday afternoon. Only had my cell phone available to take the pic. Enjoy! :)

On the Move

Ginny on the go!!

As Ginny grows, I enjoy watching her development. It is fascinating watching her discover the world around her. For the most part, I'm not a nervous parent overly concerned about her reaching developmental milestones. I don't "compete" with other parents.  Although I will admit to a twinge of concern when I learn that another baby has reached a milestone before Ginny, particularly if that baby is younger than her.  However, that feeling is usually short-lived.

Right after Ginny turned 7 months old, I anticipated that she would start crawling soon. I even pulled out my baby book to see when I met the milestones so I could have an idea of when Ginny might reach them.  What I read stunned me and made me feel sympathy for my mom.  Apparently, I was crawling at 6 months and took my first step by 9 months. 

Ginny, though, was not nearly as ambitious as I was.

It wasn't until she was almost 8 months old that she showed signs of interest in crawling. At that time, Ginny started rocking on her knees. We knew the crawling would start soon. Part of me wanted her to wait until after Christmas so I could better baby-proof the house.  Of course, she started crawling a couple of days before Christmas.

Hiding under the chair

Now Ginny loves crawling. It is amusing to look and listen to her as she does it. It sounds like she is working out at the gym, with her panting with excitement sounds.  At times she is very quiet as she crawls and becomes "stealth baby". She'll sneak off into the kitchen. Before we know it, we will find her sitting under a kitchen chair.

Like most babies, her favorite things to grab at are electrical cords. Why they fascinate her, much less any other baby, stumps me.

Ginny is not yet standing but I feel she may make the attempt soon. She often sits up on her knees and is trying to figure out how to get on her feet. We have even seen her attempting the yoga pose, downward dog.  Once she takes her first steps, nothing will be safe in our home. Oh my!

My Daughter's Magnetic Personality

Our beautiful daughter Ginny attracts attention. She seems to welcome it, too.  We somehow gave birth to an extrovert.  We find that amazing because Chris as introverted as one can be, and I'm, well, let's just say I would not describe myself as either an introvert or an extrovert. I sit somewhere right in the middle. If I lean anywhere it would be more toward the introverted side of things. Instead of giving me energy, being around a lot of people wears me out.

Ginny seems to have a spirit that draws people to her as well. It amazes me every time I witness this ability of hers.  It makes me think of a friend of mine, Amy Anne. Amy has many interesting stories to tell and many interesting things that have happened to her just because her energy draws people in to her. Ginny appears to possess that same magnetism, that same spirit of being.

Since Ginny was born, we have had many random strangers come up to us to tell us that they think Ginny is beautiful.  By many, I mean a LOT.  I expected it to some degree but had no idea she would attract high levels of attention.  We think she is adorable, but we are biased.

Now, I do expect a lot of new parents have the same experience as we do with the wonderful comments. I just wonder if they have had all the experiences we have had.

Once, after Mass, we had a woman come up to us and tell us that Ginny was beautiful and wonderful. She then said she would love to babysit for us. We didn't know her.  Chris and I had seen her at Mass for the last couple of years, but had never interacted with her before.  Our initial reaction was "Heck, yeah!", in our heads of course, but without knowing her we did not take her up on the offer.

Then tonight, again after Mass, an older woman came up to us. We had never seen her before or interacted with her before. Apparently she has seen us several times though. She had seen Ginny and thought she was beautiful. She told us that she makes afghans for people, for free, and wanted to make one for Ginny, if that would be alright with us. We said it would be fine.

Chris and I are the first to admit that Ginny is amazing, adorable, wonderful, beautiful, and smart.  We're biased though.  We never expected her to draw people in the way she does.  What an incredible gift to possess. I hope she doesn't lose that as she gets older.

A New Endeavor

Today I decided to do something a bit crazy.

I've gone and started a second blog.

Insane, right?

Some of you might be wondering why I would even need a second blog.  I guess I don't "need" one.  However, this blog is focused on my family, some of my thoughts, and most importantly, my adventures into motherhood.  My new blog, Traces of My Past, is focused on my genealogy research.

I'm a bit excited about this new endeavor. I hope it helps me as I do research and look into exploring opportunities in genealogy research.

Only time will tell.

My Little Shopper

Ginny in her car seat ready to go to the store.
Daisy is in the background wishing she could join us.

Today it is Tuesday. Tuesday is the day I go grocery shopping every week.  I don't know why I chose Tuesday as "the grocery day" but it is what it is.  It has been that way for years, too.  When I was teaching, I would go after work every Tuesday. Since I got married and became a housewife, I still go every Tuesday but now in the late morning.  

For the last 8 months, I have had a companion with me when I go shopping, my daughter Ginny.  The first time she went shopping with me I used my Moby wrap. She was bundled close to me and would often fall asleep in that position.  She loved my wrap.  Now she is not a huge fan of the wrap because she wants to see everything.  My daughter loves observing all that is around her.  She doesn't want to miss anything.  

She just got in the cart & can't wait to start.

Our shopping trips are a lot of fun. I actually enjoy grocery shopping. I enjoy it more now that I have Ginny with me.  I'm sure I freak out people as we walk the aisles because I talk to Ginny the whole way through the store. I let her know what we are buying and even tell her how to check fruits and veggies.  

Ginny loves chewing on my purse as we shop.

What I find most amusing are the smiles Ginny gets as we go through the store.  Ginny smiles back at those who smile at her. She is a social baby, our little extrovert.

Ginny is helping me with the list.

Authenticity

Who are you? Are you the same person in forums, on Facebook, Twitter, or dating sites that you are in real life? Who are you really? Do you portray yourself differently online, thus creating a separate identity, or do you stay true to yourself?

For the last several years, I have spent a lot of time on various websites interacting with people across the country and around the world.  One thing I always attempt to do is remain true to myself. I see myself as an open book in most respects.  I don't hide who I am. I put it out there. I act as I do in real life. Additionally, I treat others as I would in real life. If I am calling someone out online, it is likely that I would do the same in real life if the same circumstances presented themselves. Basically, I try to live and act authentically in all my interactions with people, whether they be in person, on the phone, or even online.

Now, I will say that with different situations and people you will likely see a different side of me.  With my husband, I feel the most free to express myself fully and completely because I know he won't judge me. He knows me, my intent, and what I mean.  I know that even if we disagree, he will still love me.

On Facebook, while I will put my views out there on some issues, I often keep some thoughts to myself because I don't want to argue with others. Many of my Facebook friends are extremely conservative. I, on the other hand, am liberal. No longer am I interested in getting in heated arguments with people. All those arguments result in is a stressed out me, and the arguments make me question why I'm friends with some people.

When I get on Twitter, I feel the most free to be me in an online community. It really is the most authentic I can be online because there I do not worry about offending others. While I try to be respectful, in general, I feel I can really express myself without being concerned about arguing with others or being judged for my views.

I realize that we all are this way, showing one side of our personalities given the environment we are in at the time. Again, what I do try to do, no matter what scenario I am in, is remain true to who I am. My goal is to be authentic, to be me.  I make mistakes and need to apologize for them. No one is perfect, but I believe it is important to be the same person in real life as you are online.

Unfortunately, I have found that others do not share this same attitude. Some people seem to feel the need to be irreverent to others that disagree with them or are different than them. They can be mean-spirited, bullies, and/or judgmental online.  What confuses me most is when you have met one of these people and in person they seem different than their online persona. These online bullies can often seem to be the nicest people in real life. I wonder how they can reconcile their rude behaviors online with how they act every day. Do they not see the difference? Or are they not being authentic in real life? Is that online personality more true to themselves than in real situations, but they are better at hiding it? Why do people feel justified in treating others with disrespect in this manner? What does it serve?

If your online behavior is selfish, rude, irreverent, disrespectful toward others or even me, bullying, or overly judgmental, I will likely want to have very little to do with you in real life no matter how nice you seem. Personally, I prefer dealing with people who are authentic, to themselves and others. I wish others felt the same.