Ode to My Food Inspiration!



So… Friday nights around here lately have been over-ran with cheese pizza and spaghetti.  This Friday, I decided that something had to change.  I HAD to have something different, but it couldn’t involve meat (due to Lent).  I scoured Food Network and Brown Eyed Baker for vegetarian recipes and just couldn’t think of something.  Finally, I think to myself, dude… grilled cheese and tomato soup.  It sounds soooo amazing, but I don’t want ordinary grilled cheese, I want a “grown up” version!  Aaron, my husband, is the sandwich master, so I thought of a Panini that he used to make at Schlotzsky’s but without chicken.  So we made paninis with provolone cheese, basil pesto, and tomato.  I also bought some creamy tomato basil soup from Harris Teeter which was AMAZING btw.  Aaron and I have gotten the same soup from Sams Club before, and I wasn’t crazy about it.  It was too watery and just was too liquidy (if that’s a word).  This soup had chunks of tomato and onions, etc in it and was MUCH better. 

So while feasting upon this meal, it hits me. Seven years ago, I would never, ever eat something like this.  If I could see myself now at that age, I would not believe that was me!  Who in the world is this girl and what has she done with Megan….I thought to myself that I need to address my other inspiration for cooking, my husband, Aaron.  When Aaron met me, I was chicken tenders at every single restaurant.  I was plain Jane, never trying something new.  At our second date, we went to Olive Garden and I had Chicken Parmesan.  Keyword… chicken… I was so crazy.  It was so bad at one point, Aaron’s parents picked on me when I ordered a steak at Longhorn one time because it wasn’t chicken tenders.  My mom, I have already told you ,has been a huge inspiration on my “taste.”  She is the spicy one in our family, but with kids like us and my dad, she’s had to tone it down a bit and has always cooked amazing family-friendly dinners.  Aaron has been a HUGE influence on me when it comes to trying new things .  Aaron is from south Louisiana/Texas/North Carolina, so his tastes are EVERYWHERE.  He loves it all and had, at the time he met me, tasted WAY more different foods than I obviously had.  He has been one of the biggest inspirations when it comes to my cooking and what I love to eat!  I swore that I hated Chinese food when he made me try some of his sesame chicken and now I LOVE it.  He has encouraged me to try new things and “take a bite” of his food everywhere and anywhere we go.  Now, I naturally have the mindset of “I’m not sure how this is going to taste, but I want to try it.”  He has opened my eyes to so many different flavors and now live fearlessly when it comes to food.  On our cruise last January, I ate frog legs.  Let me repeat… FROG….LEGS… like from frogs.  It was surprisingly good and I don’t lie when I say they taste like chicken! 

Aaron has been with me throughout my “food” experience and he, too, is also fearless when it comes to trying new things and recipes.  No matter what I want to try, Aaron is right there with me and giving me his honest answer.  After all, he is the one I’m concentrating on when we take our first bite of something new and trying to figure out what his opinion is!  I’m thankful every single day that we get to experience something new together and hope that we continue to inspire each other in everything we pursue!  I love you Aaron and thank you for opening my eyes to the wonderful ways of food and the experience of eating!!!