I will start off by saying, I am extremely lucky. Joe likes to cook (at least he seems willing…) and he’s pretty good at it. Every Sunday, he makes a great dish in the crock pot, and on nights that he’s home early enough, he’ll often whip up dinner or grill.
How do you give constructive feedback to someone who makes the night easier for you if you don’t like the meal? The tactful, appreciative answer is…you don’t. You eat it with a smile, and hope that he gets the hint next time. My answer? There are just foods I don’t like, and I just can’t pretend to like them.
I’ll try anything he cooks. I just do not like tomatoes, sausage, peppers, BBQ flavor or bananas. 5 things. One of those items usually ends up in any dish he makes. He is surprised and hurt that I don’t want to finish my meal. Why? This is not new information. I could write them on a list and tape it to the grill, the stove, the fridge. He will still ask, “How about sausage and peppers tonight?” Nope, try again. “A banana split?” Nuh-uh. “BBQ chicken and tomatoes?” No. “Well, I’ve got nothing. How about pizza?” Sure.
I exaggerate. A little. Crock pot Sunday is awesome…He once made a Hawaiian chicken with pineapple that was amazing. Most of the dishes are great. I’ll admit, my tastes are bland. He is much more daring. He likes spice and pepper. I like butter and salt. I do want the girls to grow up with a more adventurous palate than mine. His meals will help. Seeing mom not eat dinner? Might not be so helpful. Peppers and tomatoes are now banned from our menu. From our house. I will try to smile through sausage and BBQ sauce – not too spicy, please! Bananas? The girls can have mine. But, Joe – beef stew does not require tomatoes. Lots of other recipes don’t either. Using half the amount the recipe calls for? Still too much.
Oh, but please continue cooking for me. Ignore my sighing, the eye rolling and me picking out the parts of the meal that I don’t like. Even that is better than me doing the cooking.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
its great that he cooks! my husband learned to cook from the Food Network while our little one was an infant. The only thing though – he seems to use every pot and cooking utensil that we own… and if he’s cooking, guess who cleans up!
Ry Sal´s last blog ..Logo Love [part one]
Girl, I hate cooking so much, I would eat ANYTHING my husband made! Something must be in the water this week because I wrote a post about my lack of desire to cook! BTW, I just went into your google friends to follow and I already am (I’m on page 2)! Would love if you wanted to follow as well.
Absolutely – I follow you via RSS, but will google friend connect right now…
My hubby cooks occasionally but usually waits until the day I have worked for hours scrubbing every surface in the kitchen. With it sparkling clean, suddenly he gets the bug to cook and leaves it looking even worse than when I started to clean!
Debbie´s last blog ..Early Learning School and Free Time?
My hubby cooks a lot too. I like most of what he makes. He is hell bent on making me eat fish even though I hate it. The boy seems to like it, so I oblige, but I still get a bit pissy on Mondays when it is fish night. Yes, we have fish almost every Monday. As if Mondays weren’t the crappiest day of the week already, then I get to come home from work to eat fish. Oh, that reminds me that next Monday I don’t have to eat fish! I will be hanging out in Boston with you and other bloggy ladies. Yeah for next Monday!
Kameron´s last blog ..What Not To Wear??
Not that Tim has ever in our 15 years together, ever cooked a meal for me BUT he still has a way of forgetting or just not caring what foods I despise! I know he hates olives so if we’re somewhere where they are serving them I know not to put any on a plate for him. Why Tim asks me every time we’re out together if I’m going to get the salmon is beyond me! I hate, have always hated, will always hate salmon! And no, I don’t want a sip of your Red Bull, or your milkshake, or pineapple on my pizza. Oh well, at least he remembers I like tulips instead of roses… So there’s that! You’re a lucky lady to have a cooking husband!
My husband is also a great cook. My problem is that he tends to use a lot of fattening ingredients and I keep telling him that I can’t eat like that. I have to watch my cholesterol levels carefully. He gets all offended…
I’m slightly envious of your cooking husband! And yes I’d probably just eat it quietly if something was made for me. His crock pot dinners sound delicious. That reminds me, I need a crock pot!
Lady Mama´s last blog ..What Not to Buy for Baby
The crock pot really is our most used kitchen appliance. Not only does it make cooking so easy (and avoids you needing to run ragged at dinnertime to throw something together) but your whole house smells amazing while it cooks. I want to use it much more often…
That’s so sweet of your hubby! Being honest is a tough choice, however…once I told my husband something he made was great (NOT) and he made it AGAIN …because I said I liked it so much! I had to confess because I just couldn’t eat it. Thankfully, he laughed.
The worst ‘lie’ that came back to me is when I agreed with him about this horrid piece of furniture that he liked, and I didn’t want to be critical (it was one of those days..). That $450 piece that we could not afford became an anniversary gift – I didn’t tell him for many years-but I’m very honest with him now…only took 31 years of marriage!
Deb´s last blog ..Free Build and Grow Clinics For Children
I feel for you, I really do. I have the same problem with my husband, but instead of certain foods I don’t like, he serves up stuff that’s been over peppered, over oiled, or over cooked! Eew!
Jennifer @ It’s A Beauty Filled Life´s last blog ..SITScation and The Girl Who Sweat Her Way Through It
I envy you & I don’t. How’s that? The fact that your hubby cooks & makes great things? Awesome! The fact that he forgets certain big things you really don’t like? Not so great. He does sound like quite the guy though.
Another bloggie friend put this email thingie on her blog that perfectly describes all situations w/ men.
http://shycreations.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-funny.html
Good luck w/ the bbq, spice & tomatoes!
Sues2u2´s last blog ..Strike throughs rule!