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musicmom116

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
8
Location
Upstate New York
Hi everyone, I'm Carolyn and just stumbled across this site. I live in upsate NY and my family is super fussy about what they eat!! Can't wait to get more familar with all of you and learn some new fun tips & recipes.


I was looking for a side dish for a picnic we're having tomorrow. The problem is, hubby, daughter & her boyfriend do not like potatoe salad or macraoni salad, nor do they like onions, tomatoes. I'm used to them "suffering" by picking out tomatoes & onions from dishes I make, but I'm also having boyfriend's parents over and I don't know if they like these things or not. I do make a great pasta salad and a awesome jello salad, but I wanted something new & different.
 
Hi everyone, I'm Carolyn and just stumbled across this site. I live in upsate NY and my family is super fussy about what they eat!! Can't wait to get more familar with all of you and learn some new fun tips & recipes.


I was looking for a side dish for a picnic we're having tomorrow. The problem is, hubby, daughter & her boyfriend do not like potatoe salad or macraoni salad, nor do they like onions, tomatoes. I'm used to them "suffering" by picking out tomatoes & onions from dishes I make, but I'm also having boyfriend's parents over and I don't know if they like these things or not. I do make a great pasta salad and a awesome jello salad, but I wanted something new & different.
If it were me, I'd stick with tried and true...You know what your doing and you can zip right through it..I don't know what your pasta salad nor your jello salads consists of so cannot advise something to jazz them up.Good luck to you
kadesma
 
How about cole slaw, grilled veggies or fresh fruit with a nice french cream dip.
 
I have a very juicy cole slaw recipe that might do the trick for you.
Ingredients:
1 heat green or red cabbage
1 onion, finely minced
1 carrot, coarsely grated
3 tbs. sugar
Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (start with 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup ice water

Coarsely grate the cabbage and combine with the other ingredients. Stir well and taste. Add more Salad Dressing if needed, but a tbs. or so at a time. The slaw should be very wet and refreshing, not creamy. The flavors will blend together giving you a sweet, but not too sweet slaw that goes great with most any barbecued or picnic style food.

Another great side is to dice sweet potatoes and "oven Fry" them until slightly caramelized in a 425 degree oven. Drizzle with sunflower oil, salt, and pepper before roasting. Serve hot.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
I make a bean salad that comes out great for a picnic.

4 cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4-6 hard boiled eggs chopped
small jar dill relish or dill cubes
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Mix mayo and sugar together. Add vinegar and mix well. Add beans, eggs and relish to dressing and mix well. Can be served immediately or kept in refrigerator.

Another side I make uses the same salad dressing mix. Instead of beans I use broccoli florets (cut up very small), shredded cheddar cheese, slivered almonds, peas (thawed from frozen, not canned) and golden raisins. I don't have amounts on these since I just dump things in the bowl. Anyway, mix all these things with the salad dressing and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Both of these are good cold sides are easy to throw together but are different from the usual potato/macaroni salads.
 
There's also carrot salad and waldorf salad. Or even fruit salad.

Good ideas, and I would still go ahead with a potato, and/or pasta salad for those that enjoy them.

I hope ya didn't hurt yourself as you "stumbled" in..:LOL: --- Pull up a chair, make yourself at home, and welcome to DC!!

Have Fun!!!
 
I have found that cooking for picky eaters can be a bit of a pain, but if you approach it from a slightly different perspective it can become a little easier. Instead of focusing on what they don't like, see if they have any favorite dishes and then "deconstruct" them into their various ingredients and then build something new out of that. Rarely do I go wrong with this method.

Oh, and welcome to DC, btw!
 
Thanks everyone. I guess I'll stick with the old "Tried & True" method - pasta salad, cherry fluff (from TOH magazine), and tomatoe,onion & cuke salad.
 
Hi everyone, I'm Carolyn and just stumbled across this site. I live in upsate NY and my family is super fussy about what they eat!! Can't wait to get more familar with all of you and learn some new fun tips & recipes.


I was looking for a side dish for a picnic we're having tomorrow. The problem is, hubby, daughter & her boyfriend do not like potatoe salad or macraoni salad, nor do they like onions, tomatoes. I'm used to them "suffering" by picking out tomatoes & onions from dishes I make, but I'm also having boyfriend's parents over and I don't know if they like these things or not. I do make a great pasta salad and a awesome jello salad, but I wanted something new & different.



check out allrecipes.com. if you can't find something there I don't
know what to tell ya!:LOL:
 
Tear up some different greens and put the in one large tub. Then have individual smaller tubs of cut up veggies, pastas, etc......then let them make their own salads....have 2 or 3 different dressings....or, just some evoo and some wine and balsamic vinegars in containers. !!! Good luck
 
I have other suggestions for different salads, but fussy eaters can be notorious for not liking anything new. I'll go ahead anyway for anyone who might be following.

Rice salads: I prefer to use Uncle Ben's for cold rice dishes for ease and predictability; I rarely use it for hot purposes, but like the separation of grains for cold salads. I either make them European, with an Italian-type dressing, or Asian, with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and lots of herbs. Tomatoes, cukes, peas, water chestnuts, onions, peppers, etc, depending on what folk like.

Near East brand taboule or couscous, rehydrated as instructions, then refrigerated. When cold, fluff with a couple of forks, adding scallions, other kinds of salad veggies, olive oil, chopped olives, pine nuts or slivered almonds (those bags of salad topping almonds are a great shortcut). My mom has a vegan friend, and this is one thing I used to bring when she had a picnic that was a rave.

If money isn't a big issue, and especially in the winter, cans of heart of palm, sliced, marinated artichoke hearts, liquid and all, onions, jar of pickled mushrooms, olives, and really, any pickled/preserved veggies, all tossed together with olive oil and some Greek or Italian seasoning. Top with crumbled feta or grated parm, asiago, or pecorino cheese (depending upon which seasoning you use).
 
Dinner was a success. Hubby, daughter & her bf did not touch the tomatoe/cuke/onion salad (but I nknew they wouldn't. However bf's parents liked everything, so in my eyes dinner was a success!!

I'm glad you had a good dinner to. Given all the handicaps you had to deal with, I'm surprised you even had them over :)

You are made of the stronger stuff.

You go girl. You are an inspiration to even the guys :)
 
Bravo! Good for you! I'm glad it turned out. I lose patients sometimes with such fussy eaters. Have to bite my tongue.
 
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