my battle with food

So slowly but surely I have been trying to make my blog look nicer. I'm still working on all the changes and updates so bear with me. Today though I want to talk about food! 

So those of you who know me well, know I am one of the pickiest eaters in the world. It's something I am sensitive about and trust me I wish I could fix it. People who aren't picky just think that it's so easy to change. "Just eat it. It's good! Why wouldn't you like it? What's wrong with you?" These are just a few of the great thing people say to me. I really don't notice my "handicap" unless I'm invited to someone's house to eat. That's where it get's awkward. I wish I liked everything, I really do. My taste buds can be rather crippling and it's not something that's fun for me but i've grown accustomed to being like this. To get an idea of what I don't eat, here are some examples:

• I pretty much don't eat meat. In fact I call myself a part time vegetarian. I've gone full vegetarian, which is easy for me, but I had to stop because I don't like enough things to be able to get all my nutrients without it. One day I plan on going full vegetarian when I lean how to make more nutritious meals. However, now I pretty much only eat meat if we are eating out.
• I don't eat red meat at all. That's right, no beef (unless beef jerky counts)! That is so hard for my husband to understand. 
• I also don't like turkey 
• Or seafood (that includes all fish and crustaceans)
• I'll eat most forms of pig (bacon, ham, salami, etc) but I don't eat pork chops or pork loins. 
• And as for chicken, I'll only eat it if it's fried, or if it's drowning in BBQ sauce.
• I only eat one kind of soup; chicken Top Ramen. The rest are gross. Especially if it has meat or vegetables in it. I like almost all veggies, but I HATE when they are cooked. 
• I don't like eggs. Period. But I found 2 recipes that kind of mask them and I'm going to try them out.
• You can count most ethnic food out of my diet:
•  I don't like Mexican  except for cheese quesadillas, and chips and salsa. I mean how can you like any of their food when you don't like rice, beans, or meat? That's pretty much it.
• The only Chinese I like is orange chicken and sometimes sweet and sour. Once again I don't like rice, and I also don't like chow mein. 
• Middle eastern food is just out of the question entirely.
• A few other random things: Avocados, broccoli, mustard, sushi, raisins, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, ranch, beans (unless they are pickled); (now for the Thanksgiving themed list) gravy, stuffing, all pies (except for strawberry and chocolate), cranberry sauce, yams, squash, almost all casseroles (because they have at least one of the above ingredients in it). And the list goes on...   

Well obviously knowing the main ingredients I don't eat that are a staple in most cultures diets, then you can rule out a ton of other dishes as you can see. However I am really trying to find some new things I will eat that can nourish my body, instead of the same old things. Quinoa is really nutritious so I've been looking for recipes I would eat that include that. I found some great things on a list of 100 recipes for vegetarians, put together by Martha Stewart. Of course I would only eat about 10 of the dishes on the list but it's a start. Here are some examples. 

Vegetarian Lasagna

Recipe: Here

Cheese Flautas with Cilantro Pesto

Recipe: here

Greek Salad Sandwich 

Recipe: here

Chickpea, Cherry Tomato, and Feta Salad

(never had chickpeas so not sure if I like them)

Recipe: here

Baked Eggs in Tomato Cup

Like I said I don't like eggs, but this is a recipe I am willing to try.

Recipe: here

If anyone else has any recipes you think I would like feel free to make a comment!