Memories...Talking 'Bout Food Memories

Ever since I was a kid, I have been in love with food. Most of my memories I have as a child revolve around food and it's pretty much the same today. What can I say? I love to eat! My mom always teased me because I would relate certain family trips with the food we ate during that vacation. Our summer trip to DC? Oh yeah, that was when we stopped at that IHOP along the way and I had those chocolate chip pancakes with the strawberries on them...now I remember! And I have never been picky like my older sister Amber who during high school would only eat rice with soy sauce. Even at the early age of two, I would eye those giant pickles at the deli counter while grocery shopping with my mom and would be rewarded with one if I was good. And the only thing I ever asked for (besides a pickle) as a reward if I was well behaved while shopping? A large salad at the salad bar! People must of thought I was crazy during the Miss Durham pageants when the announcer read that my favorite foods were asparagus and spinach at age eight. I can even remember sitting in a booster chair at Hart's Turkey Farm in New Hampshire eating radishes (and then dropping one on the floor causing a waiter to fall) while Amber complained about eating her green beans. I am pretty sure I was the only Kindergartner who wanted (and ate in its entirety) a Whopper from Burger King while school shopping with my mom. 

Apparently, the very first time I stayed in a hotel with my family during our summer road trip to Virginia, I walked in and asked my parents where the fridge was. I was very concerned how we were going to eat. My mom, Amber and I used to go over to my Great Aunt Rena's house when I was little and the reason I used to get excited was because she was the one who used to feed me the crab meat sandwiches. Ding ding ding, now you're talking! And my other Great Aunt Mary Risska? Now I remember- she was the egg salad sandwich and Andes candy Aunt. I distinctly remember helping my Grampy pick veggies in his garden when I was little and sneaking a few bites of Scallion before putting them in the basket. What child eats raw Scallion? Erin does. I was like Mikey from the Wheaties commercial- "give it to Erin, she'll eat anything!" I would eat anything he pickled, his homemade smoked kielbasa and even sauerkraut before I could even ride a bike. The best memory though, that still makes me laugh to this day was when my mom would read my favorite book to me every night before bed. I don't even remember the name of the book but the little girl would go to the market to buy a pickle with her mom (it should have been titled 'Erin's Trip to the Market). I always got mad because of the way the picture of the pickle was positioned in the book- it was directly in the center crack of the book obstructing my view. My mom's solution to that nightly problem? She would bend the book, almost cracking it in half at the spine just so I could see the pickle. She's the best!