The ABCs of Vegetables.

I would be happy as a clam if I never had to eat vegetables. I just think they're yucky. But aside from my desire to be healthier, I am also married to a man who loves them. When I ask what he wants for dinner, Leif will often reply, "How about a big bowl of spinach and broccoli?" or "I don't know... vegetables sound good." And I'm usually thinking that pasta sounds good. So in attempt to become healthier and make vegetables for my husband I have been trying to find vegetables that I like and ways that I like them prepared. So far, here's what I think about the vegetables I've tried:

Asparagus - We had this once at Sam and Catherine's house and I really liked it! But it was cooked in butter and wrapped in bacon, so I'm pretty sure the redeeming qualities of the vegetable were overridden. Haven't found another way that I like it yet.
*Bean Sprouts - I really like these when they're mixed with eggs and made into pancakes. My mom used to make them and they were really good. They go well with Asian food. I've only ever made them with canned sprouts, though.
*Bell Peppers - I don't like them crunchy and raw, but stir fried or in fajitas or in chili I like them a lot.
*Broccoli - Steamed broccoli is good, especially if it has a little cheese melted over top. It's also good in baked things, like a creamy chicken dish or a quiche.
*Cabbage - Gross. I really don't like cabbage at all, though I did have some ramen salad once that was okay with it, and I made a thai chicken dish (a menu mailer recipe) that was served over a bed of cabbage and that was good, so maybe there is hope for cabbage in my life yet.
*Carrots - I love cooked carrots with a roast. And carrots are good to munch on if they are served with ranch dip. I'm a personal fan of the Hidden Valley ranch packet stirred into sour cream. Carrots in soup are good, too.
*Cauliflower - Really nasty. Not only does it taste bad, but it gives my husband digestive woes, so it's banned from our house forever.
Celery - Celery is a good snack item with a little peanut butter. Emphasis on the word LITTLE.
Corn - I LOVE corn on the cob in the summer, slathered with butter and salt. But it turns out that corn is more starch than anything and when you add the butter and salt, well, this isn't the best vegetable choice. Good for once or twice a year and that's about it. Canned corn I like in chili.
Cucumbers - I like eating cucumbers. They're a good munchy food. Not a lot of calories, but one cucumber cut into spears will keep my mouth busy for a good while until the munchy urge is gone.
Eggplant - I've only had eggplant one way that I like it, and that is breaded and fried in eggplant parmesan. Pretty sure it loses all vegetable value at that point.
*Garlic - I've never really thought of garlic as a vegetable, but I suppose it is. It's a good flavor to add to a lot of things, especially italian food. I should use more fresh garlic and less of the powdered.
Green Beans - I eat canned green beans. I know they're full of salt, but I like them. I especially like them mixed with some roasted almonds. I don't really like fresh bean.
*Green Onions - About the only way I really like green onions is in soup. There they add a wonderful flavor.
*Green Peas - I like peas. We buy the frozen peas and all I add to them is salt.
Kidney Beans - A chili staple.
*Lettuce (Romaine) - I like romaine lettuce in a salad with apples, feta, and oil and vinegar dressing. That's a good salad.
Lettuce (Iceberg) - It tastes fine (if it does indeed taste, that is... I don't get much flavor off of it.) but has very little nutritional value. We don't buy it, and substitute Romaine for Iceberg any chance we get.
Mushrooms - I detest mushrooms. Enough said.
*Onions - I like cooked onions, if they are cooked to the point that they are no longer crunchy. I have texture issues with crunchy onions. I like the flavor, though.
Potatoes - I love potatoes! I love them in pretty much any form... baked, fries, scalloped, roasted... Turns out they don't have much nutritional value as a vegetable, but they're still a good option for lunch (or eating at Wendy's).
*Pumpkin - I love pumpkin bread, but I'm not so fond of it by itself. I've heard pumpkin soup is really good, so maybe I'll try that some time.
*Soy beans - Edamame soybeans are really good in stir fry. They store in the freezer, so you don't have to worry about them going bad, either.
*Spinach - We buy the tub of organic baby spinach leaves from Costco. It's perfect for salad. My favorite salads with Spinach are Mandarin Almond Salad and Spinach Craisin Salad. Now that it's getting to be summer we can start enjoying Strawberry Spinach Salad again, too.
*Sweet Potato - My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is my mom's Thanksgiving yambake. It's basically butter, brown sugar, pecans, and yams. MMMMMmmm. Sound healthy? Yeah, it's not. But Costco does sell some french-fry cut sweet potatoes that are really good if you spray them with olive oil and sprinkle them with cajun seasoning, then bake until crispy. Those ARE healthy, but good like french fries!
*Tomato - I like tomato a lot of ways. I'm a big fan of fresh tomatoes and grape tomatoes, but Leif doesn't like them, so a lot of times our tomatoes come in the form of spaghetti sauce or in dishes like chili.
Water Chestnuts - Not really any nutritional value, but they're pretty good in stir fry.
Zucchini - I really like breaded fried zucchini dipped in ranch. I'm not saying it's good for me, I just like it. I also really like zucchini bread.

So there you have it. My thoughts on vegetables, from A to Z. The ones with asterisks next to them have the highest nutritional value according to this website. Those are the ones I should make a point to eat the most of.