Stupid Peas.

I need to say something. It's hard for me, so give me a second.

*deep breath*

*happy thoughts*

Ok.

I ate peas last night.

I know, I know. I hate peas. Please, I don't need reminded. The only thing about peas that is at all positive is their color. It's so pretty.

(Kyle? Jana? Are you okay? Did you faint at hearing that I ate peas? Can you hear me?)

Anyway, here's the story. So, I was making Cottage Pies last night for dinner (which ended up being SUPER easy and yummy and I will have to make them again soonish) and it called for peas and carrots. Now, I hate peas and I hate cooked carrots. So, there was no way that I was putting both of those in a perfectly good recipe. While debating which one to skip and what to replace it with, I saw a large bag of frozen corn in my freezer. After much debate (and tears), I decided to leave out the carrots. My reasons? Well, peas and corn are the same size, so it would have blended better with the meat base of the pies. Plus, everyone else in my house loves loves loves peas, and I wanted them to be happy. My goal in life is to make them all happy (right? that's what I'm supposed to say, right?). I figured I'd eat around the peas like I always do.

When it was time to eat, I realized that the peas were EVERYWHERE in the cottage pies. There was no getting around them. But, the stinking pies smelled so good, I didn't want to abandon them and not even eat. So, I sucked it up, took a bite. First off, the meal was super yummers. Secondly, I thought it looked pretty too with the yellow of the corn, the green peas, the brown meat mixture and the white mashed potatoes on top. But, most importantly, the peas didn't super bother me. In fact, I ate my whole serving and every single last daggum pea. When I announced that I had eaten all the peas, Elisabeth was so proud of me she gave me a high five.

And that's why I ate them. I am always telling Elisabeth that when new things are on the table, we all have to take at least one bite. And she is fantastic about this rule. The girl has very few things that she hates. Tomatoes are pretty high up there, but she will still try one every now and then to see if her taste buds have "changed their minds".

Now, I'm not saying that my taste buds have changed their minds--completely. I could have done without them. But, if I had to choose between them and cooked carrots for this dish, honestly, I'll put the peas back in and still leave out those carrots. I just think cooked carrots tend to ruin the taste of things. The peas, while not really adding a potent flavor, didn't steal the thunder from the other foods.

Will I be making split pea soup next week? Dear lord above, NO!!!!! Will I be trying things that have peas in them more often now? Yes, I do believe I will.