18) Eat 10 foods I've never eaten before

I have always been a bit of a fusspot about food. Picky, picky, picky.

As a young child I didn't eat butter or cream, would never fight for the cream at the top of the bottle and would pour it back into a glass and stick it into the fridge. On rare occasions we had croissants I'd hide upstairs as the smell of the butter would make my stomach turn.

I didn't really 'do' fish. Then lucky me, I got selected to go to a Guiding Jamboree overseas. In Finland. Mmmm. On the plane they gave us tuna. I realised I'd have to embrace it (still refused roll mops though - come on)

So there are quite a few things I haven't eaten. And plenty I've tried to avoid. If it's too hot, too fishy, too weird I won't have it. My husband however will wade in. In fact he got me to eat olives. I know, 31 and didn't really eat them, now try and stop me.

So the boy from Yorkshire broadened my taste horizons but even he had to admit defeat in some aspects - so the challenge. And the results:

1) Welsh Cake
No really. I know they're not very mysterious and it wasn't something I was actively avoiding but I hadn't ever eaten or purchased. Then my best mate with a touch of Welshness brought lunch with her when visiting me and my babes. So wade in. Currants, sugar yep it was fine.

2) Sharon fruit
One of my other challenges is to complete the book 'This Book will Change your Life' and on one of the days it asks you to try a new fruit. I love fruit so I've tried many but saw the wee Sharon and went for it. To be honest, don't bother. It was fiddly and didn't really taste of much so we won't be meeting again.

3) Cockles
I'm really not a seafood person so it took me a long while to even eat prawns (see Finland trip!) so funnily enough I am not going to be the first person getting fishy stuff at the seafront. So even picking up the jar of cockles in the supermarket was a fairly big step.
But, they were ok. I had more than one, but less than four. And gave the jar away. I won't fear them but we won't be friends.

4) Mussels
Why? I mean honestly. My friend cooked them in the seafood Jambalaya (another new food but I've not included) and it was all lovely bar these. I put them in my first serving but they did not return. Might as well have chewy seawater in your mouth. Yuck Yuck as my son would say.

5) Red Thai Curry
I'm a bit of a play it safe with curries or Thai food. Mind you, half of this is down to the fact that I love Chicken Satay and Pad Thai Noodles so I tend to stick to what I love. I've had Green Thai so one time I thought no, lets give it a go. Well it was delicious. A little hotter than my normal fayre but really good.

6) Crickets
Yes how amazing I got to 39 years and never had a cricket. I mean they're such standard food. Exactly. My 'best' friend motivated by the challenge decided to buy these and the food below. Well I hadn't eaten them before and I don't choose to again. Why? Well I think the wispy antennae bit was the worst, felt like stuck in my throat. But they taste of nothing. And that's why I made them eat them too.

What a shocker - I don't fancy eating a cricket

7) Mealworms

Again, managed 39 years without them. She brought two different flavours as if that would make any difference. To be honest - they were fine. They probably needed the flavouring, they don't really taste of much. So you know, if you get offered one, dive in...

Bye Bye mealworm

8) Beef Biltong

You know you see these things hanging up in the supermarket and you think, I wonder what they taste like. Well I had never eaten this or jerky. And I still wish I hadn't. Utterly vile. I mean, ok, dried meat in a bag is potentially not so nice an idea but biltong tastes awful. My husband agreed. I can't believe people eat these for fun. I can only assume in South Africa they keep the good stuff and send us the leftover rubbish. This is all I can think. We didn't even finish it. I hate wasting food but frankly, this isn't food.

9) Chocolate Philadelphia

I like chocolate, I like cream cheese, but when I first saw this advertised I thought no, it can't be done, it shouldn't be done. It's like those Marmite chewy bars all over again (a form of food torture). So I avoided it. I also thought it was a heart attack in a pot.

Then I saw the 'dunkers' pots. Little biscuits with the choccy cheese. Ok, you've won me over, I'll give it a go. Well I'm pretty glad I did. Pretty yummy. But I reckon we may have to avoid each other if the weight loss is going to continue!

10) Reece's Peanut Cups cereal

I hadn't had these until we went to Chicago in 2010. Now my husband is addicted and regularly gets sent care packages. So to is my sister. She just doesn't get the care packages. But her loving older sister bought her this treat - they now come in cereal form. They weren't cheap so told her to treasure every bite - which she did. But she let me have some. Man, they were nice. Can't have too many - it's chocolatey and peanuty all in one! 

Rachel taking good care of her cereal

So there you go - 10 new foods, some lovely, some we will do our damndest to never meet again!