Confessions of a picky eater

If you know me, you know how much of a picky eater I am. Just to be clear, when I say I am a "picky eater," what I really mean is I have the taste buds of a five year old.  Salad, steak, fish, ranch, and sweet tea are just a few of the items on my do-not-eat list. Chicken nuggets, french fries, mac & cheese, and coke are the staples of my everyday diet. For most of my life I have been such a picky eater because I was just too scared to try new things. As I've gotten older, I've become very self-conscious and embarrassed of my not-so sophisticated palate.

I think the embarrassment began while working at Scruggs, Sossaman & Thompson, a law firm in downtown Memphis. Every holiday or special occasion was a perfect excuse to have a celebration dinner at a super swanky restaurant. While attempting to place my order during the first Christmas dinner with the firm, I had a full fledged panic attack. Filet Mignon was the only thing on the menu that I could actually read and understand what it was. I have never really liked steak, but at least I knew what I would be eating. Turns out it was 32 ounce steak! Yes, THIRTY TWO ounces. The waiter was astonished when I returned the steak and asked for it to be cooked more thoroughly. "The chef will be offended," he informed me. He (along with the rest of the table) was APPALLED when I went even further and requested a side of ketchup to dip the steak in. I ate THREE bites of the steak and was over it. The attorneys NEVER let me live down that experience! 

By no means do I enjoy being so picky. I feel so awkward and uncomfortable when refusing such pretty and well prepared food at friends' house. I hate it. So much so that I have recently began forcing myself to be a "big girl" and just try it. 

This is the {true} story of the biggest accomplishment I've had with new foods to date.
As you remember, Khloe's birth was a sudden and very unexpected experience. If you missed the story of her arrival, you can read about that here. Sunday afternoon a nurse came by our hospital room and told us not to make plans for dinner. The hospital prepares a "special dinner" for Doctor's and their wives after giving birth. How SPECIAL can a hospital dinner really be, I thought. 

We could not believe our eyes when they rolled in a cart with white linens and fine china plated with a Steak dinner for two. Juicy steaks, baked potatoes, salad and sweet tea. "Babe, when I get done eating, I'll go and get you some chicken nuggets," my sweet and understanding husband said. I waited patiently as he cut piece by piece of his thick and savory smelling steak. I'm not sure if it was the smell or the fact that I hadn't eaten in three days but I wanted a bite. John David sneakily watched as I ate the two pieces he cut for me, and then continued to place two more bites on my plate until I realized I had just devoured an entire steak.

Seven days later, I wished I had ordered a steak at Applebees when everyone's steak orders came out. It wasn't until that day that I discovered my love for steak, which is a very bad thing considering Longhorn Steakhouse is less than a minute WALK from our house!! 

After eight years of being together, I was so excited to go on our first Steak Dinner Date to Outback last weekend. It was yummy!

 (picture of a very excited wife on our first real date withOUT Khloe since she was born!)

We have had more steak in the past nine months than I can count! John David is loving it since it has broadened the range of restaurants that I am willing to go to now that chicken is not required to be on the menu! 

So there you have it! One day at a time I am becoming quite the big girl! Stay tuned... you never know what I might try next!!