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Cooking for the picky; a vent
Topic Started: Jan 27 2009, 10:03 PM (575 Views)
ElTam
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queen
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Everybody in my family is a picky eater. I'm sooooo tired of trying to make different things that no one will try, or if they do try, will make a face and tell me they prefer the same old thing I make all the time. I'm tired of trying to add a little variety to the tried-and-true recipes only to be told that I shouldn't have. My Dh honestly prefers the packaged matzo ball soup mix to homemade chicken soup.

And DH wonders why I don't want to cook dinner.

I know, this should be the worst of my problems, but it's a constant source of frustration. I feel like I can't have the things I like because I'm the only one who eats them and it's a waste. My DH wouldn't complain at someone else's house...he eats things I know he doesn't like to be polite.

Okay, I'm done whining now.
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shortcake
aishes chayil
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you sound like my mom....!
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U Tarzan Me Jane
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Rebbetzin
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I must have logged in under Eltam's name while I was sleeping....
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zuncompany
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Administrator
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I have a rule- if you don't like what I make, you know where the bowls, spoons, rice milk, and cereal are. It goes for dh too.
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rikal
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Rebbetzin
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I have no problem pointing to the fridge for dh if he doesn't like dinner. I don't run a restaurant. But the kids can eat or not but no taking cereal because they will do it all the time. I have a problem now where my kids take out the toaster to maked toasted cheesers whenever they feel like. Then they are not hungry when dinner is ready.
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shortcake
aishes chayil
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ya, I don't do cereal either...if DH feels he won't be eating enough of what I make to be full, he'll sometimes go out and get himself s/t he likes from takeout (I don't mind TOO much, cuz he'll always come back with a little surprise for me, LOL!)
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JRKmommy
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Bala Buste
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Sounds like my house.

What I have found helpful is:

1. Making a master schedule/menu on Sundays. I invite everyone to give me input, name some foods from each group that they will eat, etc. The deal is that I will consider and respect their input, but once I do the shopping and make the menu, that's it.

2. Weekday meals are as fast and simple as possible. I'm talking eggs for dinner fast. Without a definite menu and plan to get food into tummies by 6:30, we have problems with snacking, and esp. with dh giving into pleas for pizza.

3. I don't want to cook a million meals, but I do look for meals that can be adjusted. So it's plain scrambled eggs for the kids, and omelets with basil, garlic, goat cheese and sundried tomatoes for the adults. Same thing with pasta - one kid gets plain, another with tomato sauce, another with cheese, and dh and I get the good ingredients.

4. Once a week (usually Sunday), I'll do a Test Kitchen, and try out new stuff. Because it is new, no one has to eat any more than 1 bite.

5. It's okay to have really simple stuff, as long as you get basic nutrition. In our house, dinners look like this: Monday eggs, Tuesday fish (fish sticks for kids), Wed. meatballs, Thurs. spaghetti. Thankfully, everyone eats matzo ball soup, challah and chicken on Fri.

6. For salads - I arrange all ingredients separately on a platter, with dressing in its own dish. This allows a fussy kid to take only cukes, or only tomatoes, while allowing me to eat like a grown-up.
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zuncompany
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I have the cereal rule because sometimes its better that they eat that than nothing at all. Zu has become beyond picky with the adderall can not afford to loose more weight. Before the cereal though they MUST try dinner. Tev and Frei never go for cereal. Zu does a lot more than them.
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bnm
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queen
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how do I convince my husband scrambled eggs or omelet can be supper? he told me to just make franks. I consider franks a nosh, or maybe a meal if served with burgers and veggies-a complete grill.
maybe i should combine the 2, scrambled eggs with pieces of frank inside, sounds good!
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npl
Bala Buste
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When I was a kid, Sunday lunchtime my father would make salami and eggs. Basically, he would fry up thick slices of salami and add eggs, which I think were left unscrambled, like sunny-side up eggs. I loved them as a kid, but I couldn't touch it now, because I couldn't handle so much fat!
But, I bet if you sliced up salami or suasages, or franks, or whatever, and fried them up, and then added the eggs, it would be a good combination.
We have a fabulous all-in-one egg dish in the family (also courtesy of my father), called "hobgoblin". The basis is fried onions and potatoes (cold boiled ones work best, but I use canned if I have) and you add whatever other leftover veg you have, or other quick-cooking veg. I do peas, mushrooms, canned corn. When it's all cooked, add beaten eggs mixed with a little milk or water, and (optional) ketchup. Cook it all together until the egg is set.
My kids devour this (as long as I only use veg they like!). Today I made a variation for myself with just onions, garlic and mushroom, but added lots of curry powder - yum!
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shortcake
aishes chayil
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bnm
Jan 29 2009, 07:19 PM
how do I convince my husband scrambled eggs or omelet can be supper? he told me to just make franks. I consider franks a nosh, or maybe a meal if served with burgers and veggies-a complete grill.
maybe i should combine the 2, scrambled eggs with pieces of frank inside, sounds good!
:dontknow but if you figure it out, let me know, because DH won't stand for mac and cheese for supper (let alone eggs!) He claims it's lunch...even when I make tuna noodle casserole, he'll say it's lunch cuz it doesn't fill him and he'll go get other stuff to eat with it from the store. I've resorted to warning him when I make an easy dinner for the kids, so he'll be prepaired and not surprised when he gets home and is all starving expecting a gourmet meal...
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bnm
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queen
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my 'easy' dinner that we both agree upon is from the cookbook 'Dining In' its a salad that contains lettuce, angel hair pasta, cold cuts, soup mandlen and a good dressing. takes me the time to cook the noodles to put it all together.... when I couldn't cook in the summer due to the heat I made it once a week.

I also keep meal mart frozen chicken nuggets and wings in the freezer in case of emergency. I tried serving Rubashkin's once and my husband refused to eat it, claiming that it tastes like fish sticks. the weird thing is that he is usually a good eater, whatever I put in front of him he will eat. the only exception is food containing tomato sauce, that's a definite no-no.
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bnm
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queen
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and the problem with franks was that I couldn't eat them when pregnant. It was the only food that I threw up when I ate it, each and EVERY time.

and Mac and cheese isn't even an option around here due to allergies unless i cook 2 suppers.
Edited by bnm, Jan 30 2009, 02:22 AM.
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rikal
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Rebbetzin
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zuncompany
Jan 29 2009, 05:42 PM
I have the cereal rule because sometimes its better that they eat that than nothing at all. Zu has become beyond picky with the adderall can not afford to loose more weight. Before the cereal though they MUST try dinner. Tev and Frei never go for cereal. Zu does a lot more than them.
I don't know what allergies allow, but can they take rice cakes and spread instead of cereal? Or a fruit or 2? I think cereal is too attractive an alternative and may be chosen even when he likes the food. I think the alternative should be at least as healthy as the meal.

But that is if you allow alternatives. I never have and I learned x 7 that missing a meal won't cause lasting damage and kids slowly become less picky. At the second meal they are less likely to turn something down unless they really don't like it.

OTOH I know a guy who was offered a regular alternative if he makes it himself - Krafy macaroni and cheese. He is not married, very overweight, still picky and 46 years old. Mac & cheese is still his favorite food, only coca cola is digested more.

That said, I always make sure that one meal a day is something that if they don't eat it then they are sick - like pizza, spaghetti, hot dogs or shnitzel.
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zuncompany
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rikal, we don't have the sugary cereals. We only have the healthy stuff usually kids won't touch but mine don't know better. As well, he usually on his own will nosh on baby carrots, clementines, grapes, tomatoes (they eat them like apples), raw broccoli, etc.. as his snacks. I make sure to have salad with every dinner cause even if he eats nothing else from the meal, I know he will eat salad (his favorite food is lettuce).
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