'His and Her' Dinner

Let me start by saying that I love my husband. With that said, he is the pickiest eater I have ever encountered. I have to give him some credit, he has added a few food items to his very short 'approved foods' list in the last few years. Thank goodness he discovered the joy of grilled chicken a few years ago!

Yesterday I got a recipe idea in my head and really wanted to try it. I had taken out pork chops for dinner and I knew there was only one way to get my husband to try something new...have it ready and waiting for him when he got home from work.

His: Spicy apricot pork chop with Fried Rice (Rice-a-Ronni)

Her: Spicy apricot pork chop with green apple and cranberry chutney, Fried Rice, and corn on the cob

I refused to tell him how I made the chops until after he finished eating...I figured as long as he kept eating them I shouldn't ruin it by telling him that he was eating apricots (that would have been a meal killer). He ate 2 pork chops, but claimed it was because he was hungry. He also explained that it's not that he "didn't like it", it was just that he's not use to mixing sweet and savory together in the same dish. Needless to say, I now know that I have a little bit more freedom to try new recipes and get him to try them if, #1- he's hungry, and #2- I don't tell him how I made it until after he eats it.

When we first moved to California we tried to be very strict about eating at home instead of going out to restaurants. I made a menu each week and tried to stick to it as much as possible. However, we soon found ourselves eating the same thing almost every week because Carl is so picky. We eventually declared some nights as "Fend for Yourself" where we both eat whatever we want. Tonight will be one of those nights.