Hey, my son likes (loves?) jambalaya!

[Tab]

Searching for a meal the other night, I decided to make jambalaya, or at least what I could given what I had. For meat, I had to fake it, by slicing up some bratwurst-ishy stuff and cooking it in a pan.

With shrimp, a can of Ro-Tel, the meat, and Zatarain's Jambalaya rice, we were golden. Not NOLA quality, but hey...

My son loved it and claims it as his favorite dinner. This from a child (10 yrs old) that previously existed on Mac & Cheese

(Disclaimer: I wish I could take credit for the turnaround, but I can't. He has shifted taste preferences wholesale; I might make good stuff, but at best, I'm just in the right place at the right time.)

[grasswire]

1. the young teens in this household...

...love Zatarain's. The caribbean flavor with pineapple & coconut, the jambalaya, the black beans & rice, the smothered chicken, the yellow rice -- all of it. I only wish I could find the hoppin' john flavor. I've only seen it once.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

2. Kids are a scream with their

'I love it', 'I hate it', switches. Case in point:

Last spring, DH had us out crabbing every other week. To get rid of all this crab we would start calling friends on the drive home & tell them that we were having a crab fest & to come over for dinner. One time our oldest son, DIL & grandchildren were coming for a visit the day after we got home. Our granddaughter who was five at the time loves, loves, loves crab. In fact once she & her mom were at the market & Little Miss saw sushi with crab & insisted she had to have some. DIL tried to tell her that it was Krab, not crab & that she wouldn't like it. Little Miss insisted that she would so DIL bought it for her. They get home & Little Miss takes one bite & wants to spit it out but realizes that she can't since she's made a stink. She slogs through two pieces before saying that she's full. So, I'm confident that there's no problem & I don't need an alternative menu for her. Well, she she sees the whole crab & what crab meat comes out of & announces that "crab is yucky" & won't get near it. I had already made something else for the 3 year old grandaughter (figured there was a good chance she wouldn't touch it) & had to stretch the meal to feed two.

A couple of weeks later, we call a couple we've been friends with for years, their daughter & her DH & their 5 year old son who I know is a fairly picky eater. His mom doesn't indulge him but still.... So, Grandmama & I are in the kitchen & I said that we had just walked in the door & I know that the Little Man will not like crab & what else will he eat? Grandmama says that a PBJ or hot dog or Mac 'n Cheese is fine. I don't have anything but 'fancy' hot dogs, & no boxed Mac 'n Cheese, but I do have PBJ. She says that that is fine. Little Mister sits down at the table, sees what crab is (a great big insect) & is panting to eat it. He keeps saying "Where's mine"? "Where's mine"? His dad tells him over & over "I"m getting all the meat out for you." "I haven't even had a taste yet". "I'm working on it." "Just hang on". Little Man ate 1 and a half crabs all by himself & even learned to crack them.

Congrats on your son getting over the hump!

:thumbsup: