Thursday, April 19, 2012

Foodie Metamorphosis and Strange Cravings

It’s natural when one progresses to adulthood to have one's food desires and tastes shift. Some go from hating all types of onions on anything, to dabbling in placing them amongst hamburgers or grilling them alongside the peppers you also hated as a child for a delicious homemade fajita which was also gross. .

As for me…

I recall not liking the following as a wee child. (Note the irony of going from not liking "bad for you foods" to liking "bad for you foods." My life never has and never will make sense. You should likely be used to that by now).
  • French Fries. What the hell? Yep. I didn't like them and could easily fore go a French fry with incredible indifference. "Away with it! Where is my juice?" baby fist pound.
  •  Syrups. Hated syrups. I was a jam girl thank you.
  • Pancakes. 
  • Onions of all sorts… clearly. What kid likes onions? Loser-kids that’s who. Were YOU a loser kid?
  • Peppers of all sorts (see #4 explanation of onions)
  • Fajitas – why have a fajita when there is chicken fingers to be gobbled?
  • Donuts. I really disliked donuts. They didn’t appeal to me on any level – even the Butterfinger donuts from the Food Ranch. You should know that’s a big deal to not like Butterfinger donuts from the Food Ranch. It's basically crazy talk.
  • Pastries of all sorts.
  • Overly fried anything… in addition to the actual French fries.
  • Hot dogs. Gross. Pass.


What I will now eat as an adult from the above mentioned list... and perhaps why I exercise more as well.
  • French Fries. Well, I’m picky about my fries but I like them more than I did as a wee one. My pickiness is contained to Wendy’s fries (which may not seem picky at all but never the less) Red Robin steak fries, Crown Burger fries, and store bought sweet potato crinkle fries. Mmm… sweet potato crinkle fries. 
  • Pancakes. I don’t necessarily like them, but I’m no stranger to the “Banana Pancakes (with syrup) on the weekend” craving. I also enjoy IHOP's Fall special pancakes. Oh... oh those are tasty.
  • Onions – I like them, mostly. Purple onions are my favorite and I feel they bring a nice flavor mixed with the grilled…
  • Peppers – which I like to plop altogether upon a…
  • Fajita.
  • Hot Dogs. I don’t mind ‘em now but most definitely prefer my dogs at a baseball game or dripping in some sort of special sauce. There was once a time where I’d always pick a burger over a dog at a BBQ… now? I’m entirely unpredictable as to my meat of choice! I could pick anything! ANYTHING! Ahahahahahahah! Lightening flash! Thunder clap!


The dislikes that stuck...

I still don’t like fried things. When glancing over a menu and things are dipped into a vat of bubbling oil which produces a crisp beige-like crust upon otherwise delicious and possibly healthy food – I have to say no no no thank you. And it’s not entirely a “health” thing – as it is a “this makes my tummy hurt and doesn’t taste good” thing. Exceptions?  A few French fry confections as noted above and chicken nuggets. YUM! I like chicken nuggets AND chicken strips. Fry those suckers on UP! Serve 'em with sauce! 

I still don’t like Pastries. When I say pastry I mean jelly filled crumbly confections just screaming “not worth it” from their glistening sugar coating. And it’s not worth it. Like the fried stuffs, it’s not entirely a health thing as a “this makes you feel sick every time” sort of thing. And some things are WORTH feeling sick after eating…. Like an entire container of chocolate frosting and graham crackers. WAY worth it. Pastries? Not.

And finally…

The biggest change of all…

Donuts.

I don’t like most donuts still – BUT – I’ve strangely been craving chocolate cake donuts almost every single day for two months. A strange craving indeed. A donut is not usually something I would seek out, rather, would accept upon it being offered and generally implore said offerer to “half it with me, will you?” While living in Provo, I went through a “Crunch Donut” and Diet Coke breakfast phase for a while, and then realized the combination sugar/caffeine crash was ruining my 10am-2pm work efficiency (though my 6am-10am efficiency was like a 9 year old on Halloween night tweaking out on a 10lb bag of candy - good memories) and had to stop such shenanigans. Even during that phase, I didn’t crave a donut… and was surprised I had even adapted to eating one once in a while when offered. My dislike was such when I was a wee child, I could walk by a table glistening with any assortment of donuts and not even bat an eye.

Now?

Now all I want almost every day is a chocolate cake donut. They’re so... chocolatey and cakey. I think if I didn’t have any self-respect or desire to get married...ever, I would probably eat one every single day. As it is, it’s been ohhhhh… when was the Walking Dead finale… almost a month since my last cake donut consumption? And then probably a month before that one… and then probably years and years and possibly my WHOLE LIFE before that one. What happened?!?! It's like alcoholism. You may never know you're an  alcoholic if you never take that first drink. But drink I have (metaphorically...clearly) and in doing so triggered my "chocolate cake donut" addiction. I even avoid the bakery section of the grocery store - my all time favorite section - just so I don't have to fight the devil donut in my head whispering it's "come hither little girl... you ran today... you can have a donut or six or 24...  eat, drink and be merry!" Get thee hence chocolate cake donut devil!

Though I'm sure you will likely still see me shamefully consuming a chocolate cake donut in a darkened ally way with frosting on my lips and a maniacal look in my eye once in awhile. The devil wins sometimes... and a splendid win it is. 

So you see… as I’ve progressed into adulthood sure my tastes and cravings have changed. But these last two months have been a real challenge with this newly added desire for everything chocolate cake donut. In fact, today may be the devil's day because all this talk about chocolate cake donuts is making my eye twitch. Must. Consume.


5 comments:

Becca said...

I never liked cake donuts growing up, but now I prefer them to "rise" donuts (did you know all donuts are rise donuts? They just have different leaveners: yeast for "rise" donuts and baking powder for cake donuts. So there you go. Completely useless trivia brought to you by yours truly.). Do you live downtown still? I have a theory. I think they make donuts at the Church office building, because it FREQUENTLY smells like cake donuts right around that area in the morning. I blame them for my addiction. I mean, really, who is strong enough to withstand the smell of freshly-made donuts weekly without giving in at least a few times a year? No one I wanna know!

Anonymous said...

Oh no but Salt Lake is full of awesome pastries! The real kind, not the atrocities you describe. Try the kouing aman at Les Madeleines on 500 S...between...2nd and 3rd East I think? So amazing. So worth it.

Sumiko said...

I was totally a loser kid who ate onions! When I was growing up, my mom had a rule that we had to take two bites of everything she cooked - and no wimpy, tiny little pretend bites, either - and then if we truly didn't like it, we could make our own PB&J sandwich for dinner. And let me tell you - my mom has always cooked some crazy things. I grew up as un-picky as a kid could possibly be. There are still only a few things I don't like - maraschino cherries, Brussels sprouts, olives, and bananas.

darbs said...

So what does it mean if you didn't dislike anything as a child, and now like even more things...? Does that make me a 'fatty girl?! (INSIDE JOKE, DON'T COMMENT IF YOU DON'T GET IT PLEASE :))

Andrea Jolene said...

Ms Becca - I thank you for your trivia (I went "huh... interesting") and you are likely correct about your Church building conspiracy. That sort of out of the box thinking will bring converts galore!!

Anonymous - I've eaten a pastry in FRANCE and didn't care for it. OH SNAP!

Darbs - Yep - fatty girl ;)

Sumiko - Marashino cherries??? Who ARE you?!?!