80s Food Flashback

Like so many parents I often despair over what my children eat, more accurately what they refuse to eat. Whilst Leo is much better than he used to be and is willing to try some things at least once, Louka is hard work when it comes to dinner time. 

I think he is probably 90% pasta at this point. His dinner choices consist of pasta, usually plain or maybe a little bit of BBQ sauce or mayo, with sweetcorn and hot dogs, ham or salami,    chicken nuggets, pizza or sausages  and a few variations on that but using mainly the same ingredients.  Chips are ok as long as there are just a few, and homemade chips are not included, potatoes in any other form are definitely out. 

It seems we spend a lot of time telling the boys what dinners were like when we were kids - yes I have become THAT person...

'Back in my day......

We had a roast every Sunday lunch,  I didn't like roast potatoes so I usually got mashed instead. 

I was lucky, Aaron had the 'eat it or go without' option. But there was only one of me, and Aaron was one of three so it makes perfect sense, and actually he grew up eating a far wider range of food and willing to try a lot more than I ever did so it didn't do him any harm, quite the opposite I think. 

I try to get the boys to try everything at least once, Louka will usually point blank refuse and I think he would literally rather starve most times, but I'm sure he will grow out of it..... surely? 

Anyway, back to my flashback, 

Monday night was Chicken Pie night in our house,  it was probably my favourite dinner (and still one of them!)  It was always a Bird's Eye Chicken pies,  with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy.   (Monday night was Brownies night so it was an easy and quick meal that didn't need much thinking about)

I loved Saturdays, My Mum always cooked steak for my Dad on Saturdays so we had something like 'Crispy Pancakes', or 'Inside Out Cheeseburgers' (does anyone else remember them? I'm sure they were from Iceland but I can't find any mention of them online)  with tinned spaghetti and Waffles or Alpha-bites.   I don't remember eating the general kids favourites of fish fingers or chicken nuggets though, and surprisingly I hated baked beans, now an essential item in our cupboard. 

While I couldn't stick to a rigid plan I can see where it made things easier,  but it was only those days that were generally set.  The others were full of favourites like Shepherds Pie and Sausage and Mash. 

Talking of mash,  for a long time I refused to eat any kind of potato unless it was 'Cadbury's Smash' 

(Oh, I see some patterns emerging here.  There is hope for Louka yet!) 

I don't know why but I loved that strange artificial crap and it was only when they 'stopped making it' that eventually I gave in and ate proper potatoes.

It was to be many years later, after starting work in Safeway supermarket that I discovered it was 'back' in the shops. I excitedly went home to tell Mum only to find out that she'd told a little white lie, and they hadn't stopped making it at all!

Like most children I wasn't a big fan of vegetables but I ate them and don't think I caused that much fuss (My Mum may correct me there!)   but we only had peas, beans and brussels that I can remember. Brussels were my least favourite and I always used to make sure I ate them early in the dinner with other things to disguise the taste, they are my favourite out of the three now!

I hated mushrooms for many years and Mum always used to tell me how she had done but now she loved them and couldn't believe how many years she'd missed out on eating them, again I love them now and couldn't imagine not getting through tons like we do.

We sometimes had rice, with chicken and mushroom in sauce, that was always a treat. That may have been once jars of 'Chicken Tonight' made an appearance in the shops - " I feel like Chicken Tonight" - I bet you are singing that now if you remember the advert!

Pasta never made an appearance at mine or my friends houses in the 80's,   I do remember though going to a friends in the early 90s and we had Tuna Mayo Pasta - I thought it was very posh!

We didn't have desert, or 'pudding' every night but there were usually strawberry or chocolate mousse pots in the freezer.  The pots were always washed and saved and used for crafts, painting, glue and many other things. 

On special occasions we had the famous 'Vienetta' or my personal favourite - Artic Roll,  or the jam sponge puddings that came in a tin, with custard over the top. 

Jelly was always a winner,  we had a rabbit jelly mould that I'm sure must have been a nightmare to use.  I remember strawberry jelly in that shape with green chopped jelly around the base taking pride of place on a party table at least once.

Mum used to make trifles and victoria sponge cakes but the shop brought deserts were always the most exciting for me, I think just because it meant it was in honour of an occasion rather than them tasting better!