Childhood Memories with Emily Teachout of A Time to Kale and Endless Simmer

Emily Teachout, an AFBA member, blogs at A Time to Kale and Endless Simmer.

Meet Emily Teachout, AFBA member and food blogger for atimetokale.com & endlesssimmer.com. We asked Emily to tell us a bit about her childhood food memories.

1. What was the most (or some of the most) common meal(s) you ate as a child?
I looooved fish sticks (frozen) with macaroni & cheese (boxed Kraft). That was one combo we had a lot. Also tuna noodle casserole, creamed tuna and peas on toast, beef stroganoff, etc.

I was obsessed with apple juice! I also had this thing I called “the ultimate snack” which was goldfish crackers, cheddar cheese cubes, and raisins mixed together. My mom would make us “sailboats” too, aka triangles of American cheese stuck upright with toothpicks into apple slices.

3. Tell me about the setting of a typical meal in your family.

Pretty typical. We’d all sit down and eat together, when my brother and I were old enough we’d help set and clear the table. Every once in awhile we were allowed to eat in front of the TV as a special treat. My parents are divorced, so when I was in late elementary – junior high, I’d often help plan and cook the meals. My dad taught me a lot about planning a balanced meal and checking nutrition labels. I loved helping with cooking and recipes. 🙂

4. Did you have any odd eating habits as a child?

Nothing too extreme. I really hated all fat and gristle on meat and is made my parents trim it really lean for me. That’s the only thing I was weird about.

I used to hate onions and mushrooms, which are now two of my favorite things! Vegetables were always a bit of a struggle (loved peas and corn – and yeah, corn is definitely not a vegetable but I considered it one as a kid – and was pretty “meh” regarding broccoli, lettuce, spinach, etc) but luckily that changed once I hit the teen years. I also used to shy away from anything too spicy and now, the more sriracha or Louisiana hot sauce, the better!