So my brother was brutally honest with my mom (how do you handle people who can't cook)

[bettyandbob]

Brother is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and my parents are attending. My mother asked if she could bring food. My brother asked her to bring flowers. He told her she does nice flowers and that's what they'd like. Mom then asked how come no one wants her to bring food. And my brother (52 years old) told her, her food wasn't good.

 

She took it remarkably well. She told me this later. She said she didn't know people didn't like her cooking. I made a point of talking about her flowers. My mom really does fabulous flower arrangements. I said I couldn't do flowers like that.

 

But it's true mom is a terrible cook. I think my brother is the only who could have said that and not had her really upset.

 

Do you tell people not bring food?

 

Do you specifically say "can you bring the wine/ice cream/flowers/etc?"

 

Does the person ever find out that their food is terrible. Or is the fact whispered behind the person's back as a family joke while people scrape plates after family events?

[Liz CA]

Well, I hope someone would tell me. At least then you can try to improve. I have just been asked to bring yams for 26 people - is that because - as someone here pointed out - not that many people like yams, so not much can go wrong???  :)

[momofkhm]

I am a better cook than my mom.  My daughter is a better cook than I am.  (Believe it or not it has to do with how comfortable we are using salt in the cooking.)  But with my mom' personality, I would never in a million years tell her that.

 

I think it really depends on the person.  If I know they would take it badly, I would answer the question with "No, I've got it under control."  Or "why don't you bring some wine?"

 

If I knew they would take it well, then yes I would tell them.

 

Like this year, I'm hosting.  Mom asked if she could bring anything.  I said something like "if you don't bring pumpkin pie, it will be a store bought pie."  I know she wouldn't make one.  (My MIL would though.)  Mom is bringing pumpkin pie, but she is the one buying it.   :tongue_smilie:

 

 

[Elisabet1]

She got through this much of her life not knowing her cooking is awful? LOL

 

I am now wondering..perhaps MY cooking is awful! I am rarely asked to cook. I keep wanting to hold dinner parties here...and I rarely don't like other's food........hmmmmm...............seriously...I need to ask. My feelings would not be hurt. I would just feel relieved of some duties.

 

I will admit that I do not like my parents cooking. They use the cheapest ingredients for everything, like the cheapest on sale meat they could find.

[Slache]

My mother cooks extremely bland food.

 

"We're making garlic cheddar mashed potatoes and some people [you] think they're too rich. Would you mind bringing some your way since I'm not good at it?"

[Seasider]

I always feel sorry for the teaspoon dishes at potlucks. I couldn't tell someone they were a bad cook but I still don't heap my plate with known-bad-cook selections!

 

(Teaspoon dishes = the ones no one takes more than a courtesy teaspoon of)

[gardenmom5]

mil can't cook to save her life.  (there is ONE - ONE thing she cooks that people will eat.)  the dog wouldn't eat her cooking.

 

sometimes, you have to tell them.  she was told so long ago - no one has to worry about it.  and she's 89, and in a wheelchair.

 

 

you can also tell them to bring a box of chocolates . . . .

 

 

eta: i have a realtive who can't cook very well, but still hosts on occasion.  I've learned to eat first.  (and make sure dudeling eats first.)

[Harriet Vane]

I would never tell someone that their cooking isn't good.

 

Why would anyone be so rude? So critical? When is that appropriate?

 

Unless we are working in a restaurant and I am a supervisor, it's not appropriate to criticize.

 

And no, I would never tell someone not to bring food. When someone offers a kindness, the only proper response is a warm thank you.

[zoobie]

My stepmother is a terrible cook but makes really great pound cakes. So she always brings that. I don't know if she knows we actively avoid her cooking though. I love to cook and am good at it, so I focus on that aspect. My mom isn't bad but rarely makes meals. She gets semi-offended when I'd rather cook than have packaged, pre-cooked turkey breast for Christmas Eve.

[bettyandbob]

I would never tell someone that their cooking isn't good.

 

Why would anyone be so rude? So critical? When is that appropriate?

 

Unless we are working in a restaurant and I am a supervisor, it's not appropriate to criticize.

 

And no, I would never tell someone not to bring food. When someone offers a kindness, the only proper response is a warm thank you.

 

Well, see, my mother asked specifically, "why doesn't anyone ever want me to bring food?" I suppose my brother could have said "because no one does flowers as well as you", which would have been true, but if my mother had point blank asked me, I would have hemmed and hawed and stumbled and some answer. I also think she knew the answer because in her question she noted that she'd the pattern of people avoiding her food.

 

My brother is blunt. But he is a very nice guy. Some people are blunt.

 

Now, if the person didn't ask why their food wasn't requested, I don't think I'd tell them.

[mathnerd]

I either feed my family first or have something light like soup ready at home to eat after we get back when I go to people's houses who either don't cook well or whose food is entirely unhealthy (DH cannot eat too much deep fried food for health reasons). We are lively talkers and hence no one notices that we don't eat the unappetizing food :) Both my mom and my IL think that they are the best cooks in the world (my mom's is if you eat overly seasoned food and my IL's is if you like buttery food), but we just grin and bear it.

[The Girls' Mom]

I never knew my mom wasn't that great of a cook until I moved out!  But she was definitely the boil in butter type, or it came out of a box.

Only one person, that I know of, doesn't like my cooking:  my MIL.  But she's super picky and thinks everything I make is going to have something "weird" in it.  This is because we eat outlandish things like lentils and hummus and swiss chard.  

Kudos to your brother for gently breaking the news.  I do feel a little sorry for your mom though...she really didn't know her cooking was awful?

[cjzimmer1]

My grandmother was a descent cook when she was younger, not great but not bad either, but as she aged her sense of taste diminished and the quality of food got pretty bad.  The last few years she was bringing food we were actively discouraging her from bringing stuff because no wanted to eat it but she insisted on contributing.  Then she would complain that there was so much of whatever she brought left over.  Finally she reached a point where we convinced her it was just too much work for her to go through and that were so many others who could cook without hurting themselves (yes she hurt herself cooking because she can't stand more than a few minutes at a time and would fall over hurt herself before she got done cooking).  It was a relief because then we no longer had to dodge the loaded question of why weren't we eating her food.

[Serenade]

we are all given an 18 ounce glass of it, and of course many cant do the unpastuerized version so rather than talk about it,

I adore unpasteurized apple cider. I go out of my way to find it, and there is only one place I know of to get it, and that's the next state over. I like it best if I leave the cap off for a few days and naturally let it start fermenting, so that it gets a little fizzy. Yum! This is a very popular drink from my mom's German heritage.

[hornblower]

Two things came to mind reading this thread.

Sam Harris's expanded essay Lying.
He certainly makes a strong case for speaking the truth, always.

Mrs. Cropley's creations in the Vicar of Dibley :laugh:

Not sure what I'd do. I'm a picky vegan & I dislike most people's cooking :D  I don't think I'd feel comfortable criticizing someone's cooking because I don't consider myself a good cook or even a good judge of cooking. 

 

I mostly prevaricate though; when pushed I think I'd just say "it's not a dish that I enjoy so don't trouble yourself on my account"

 

& for a group thing I might go so far as to say "I noticed that this wasn't really appreciated & I imagine it takes you a lot of effort. How about you bring bread and wine instead?"  but at the end of the day, if someone wants to make it & bring it, why not. Maybe they really enjoy it & can't usually be bothered to make it for themselves.  But the more I think of Sam Harris's point, the more inclined I would be to point out that it's not appreciated by others so that they don't feel obligated to make it. "What? You don't like carrots? I've been making them for 20 years because you said they were delicious & I thought you would like them! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

 

[elegantlion]

I do not cook well. I can do a few items really good, but beyond that, nope. Family knows, so I volunteer for appetizers, drinks, things that are easy for me. For potlucks, I bring a few select items that travel well. I'm pretty blunt myself and will outright tell people I don't cook well. I have other talents and interests, so I have no illusions that people love my food. 

[JuanitaL]

  This is because we eat outlandish things like lentils and hummus and swiss chard.  

 

 

This is why my extended family doesn't like my cooking (except we eat kale and spinach instead of swiss chard). As far as most of them are concerned, if it doesn't have cream of ____ soup or velveeta cheese, then it's not good.

[Laurie4b]

Wow. No one in our extended family cooks so poorly that no one likes their food! So I can't imagine being in this situation!

[Eileen Aroon]

Ha! here's an opposite story: My MIL and FIL were at someone's house and he was just praising the meal to high heaven. My MIL asked for the recipe since he seemed to like it so much. Then, the first time she made it at home for him, he refused to eat it. He said it was so gross but he didn't want to make the hostess feel bad. I am not sure if that was morally bankrupt, but it has made me pretty suspicious when he compliments my cooking.

[hornblower]

Ha! here's an opposite story: My MIL and FIL were at someone's house and he was just praising the meal to high heaven. My MIL asked for the recipe since he seemed to like it so much. Then, the first time she made it at home for him, he refused to eat it. He said it was so gross but he didn't want to make the hostess feel bad. I am not sure if that was morally bankrupt, but it has made me pretty suspicious when he compliments my cooking.

 

Yup, once again I'm thinking of Sam Harris 

 

"In Lying, bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. He focuses on “white†lies—those lies we tell for the purpose of sparing people discomfort—for these are the lies that most often tempt us. And they tend to be the only lies that good people tell while imagining that they are being good in the process."

 

http://www.samharris.org/lying

[*Lulu*]

I would never tell someone that their cooking isn't good.

 

Why would anyone be so rude? So critical? When is that appropriate?

 

Unless we are working in a restaurant and I am a supervisor, it's not appropriate to criticize.

 

And no, I would never tell someone not to bring food. When someone offers a kindness, the only proper response is a warm thank you.

Well my family (extended) never fails to tell me that my from scratch cooking is no better than their boxed and processed cooking. In some cases they tell me it is worse. They let me bring bread from the bakery, paper goods or drinks.

 

It took me a really long time to believe DH that I am a good cook. And even longer to not feel a little hurt that I am considered the bad cook of the family but am the only one who can cook anything without including the instructions "open the box mix".

 

Now I just smile and nod and save my effort for my children, DH, and our friends who all seem to suffer from the delusional belief that I am a really good cook!

[myfunnybunch]

Do you tell people not bring food?

 

Do you specifically say "can you bring the wine/ice cream/flowers/etc?"

 

Does the person ever find out that their food is terrible. Or is the fact whispered behind the person's back as a family joke while people scrape plates after family events?

 

We ask my mother-in-law to bring crackers, olives, and other treats for the appetizer/snack table. She does not cook. She reheats and makes side dishes from a box. So we give her a list of things that she can bring to Thanksgiving dinner without having to cook anything.

 

We don't make fun of her behind her back, but I will admit that Christmas Eve dinner at her house is a challenge for me every year. I usually nibble what I can then eat a meal when we get home. I would never, ever say something about that, though, as she is a very gracious and kind hostess, and she really tries to please everyone.

 

Cat

 

[gardenmom5]

back when we were hosting -  sil (she used to be a good cook. something happened) always volunteered to bring some outlandish thing.  "yah, whatever".  (her son put the tomato aspic on top of my kitchen cabinets one year.  that was a commentary as opposed to a space saving measure.) if it was actually prepared when it was time for dinner, we'd be surprised.  of course, the ingredients would make it to my house - and cumber the kitchen table and counter space.

 

I won't even go into why I refuse to host.

[TracyP]

My mom was brutally honest to my SIL, and it is NOT going over well.

 

For the record, SIL asked my brother to find out why we asked her to bring something different. There were a couple reasons behind the request, but my mom went ahead and told him that she wasn't crazy about SIL's pies. He passed it on to his wife. Now my brother and his wife are both mad.

 

I would never tell a person if they didn't ask. As of right now, if they did ask, I would LIE!

 

[T'smom]

Well my family (extended) never fails to tell me that my from scratch cooking is no better than their boxed and processed cooking. In some cases they tell me it is worse. They let me bring bread from the bakery, paper goods or drinks.

 

It took me a really long time to believe DH that I am a good cook. And even longer to not feel a little hurt that I am considered the bad cook of the family but am the only one who can cook anything without including the instructions "open the box mix".

 

Now I just smile and nod and save my effort for my children, DH, and our friends who all seem to suffer from the delusional belief that I am a really good cook!

Oh, that's awful! I'm sorry your family treats you like that. I think that people get used to whatever they eat regularly and then other things taste strange.

 

We don't really have anyone that can't cook at all. But someone has to bring drinks, veggie trays, fruit trays, etc. If I was trying to keep someone from cooking, I would simply say "oh, this and that are covered, but no one has volunteered for xyz yet." It would be hard to be asked point blank, but I would still try to be ss nice as I could.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't view people's hospitality, including anything they serve me, as something to criticize.  As in I don't think critically about it.   So, I eat what is served me and focus more on the relationships.  The last time my brother and SIL came to eat here my SIL criticized my soup in Japanese because it was not homemade.  Since I speak Japanese and she knows it, I found it extremely rude, esp. when she also knew that my health made it very difficult for me to have people over, let alone cook from scratch.  I've never invited them back and it has been years.  If you care more about the food than me, then I don't care to pursue a relationship with you.   I do criticize restaurants and restaurant dishes and mentally rate them, though, because I am paying them good money for what hopefully is good food.  

[Harriet Vane]

Well my family (extended) never fails to tell me that my from scratch cooking is no better than their boxed and processed cooking. In some cases they tell me it is worse. They let me bring bread from the bakery, paper goods or drinks.

 

It took me a really long time to believe DH that I am a good cook. And even longer to not feel a little hurt that I am considered the bad cook of the family but am the only one who can cook anything without including the instructions "open the box mix".

 

Now I just smile and nod and save my effort for my children, DH, and our friends who all seem to suffer from the delusional belief that I am a really good cook!

 

I have the same problem!

 

My dh and my kids and their teenage friends love my cooking. My in-laws rave about my cooking, as do many others. I cook from scratch and enjoy doing so, as does my dd.

 

My family of origin, however, has gone to great lengths to make sure I know they don't like my cooking. When I used to cook for them a holidays or birthdays, I make the most basic comfort food such as spaghetti or chicken soup, but they are still deeply suspicious and quite critical.

 

I don't cook for them anymore. No more throwing pearls before swine.

 

[kitten18]

My mom was brutally honest to my SIL, and it is NOT going over well.

 

For the record, SIL asked my brother to find out why we asked her to bring something different. There were a couple reasons behind the request, but my mom went ahead and told him that she wasn't crazy about SIL's pies. He passed it on to his wife. Now my brother and his wife are both mad.

 

I would never tell a person if they didn't ask. As of right now, if they did ask, I would LIE!

I would NEVER tell my DIL that I didn't like her cooking, I think that's a spectacularly bad idea.

[Guest]

Do you tell people not bring food?

 

Do you specifically say "can you bring the wine/ice cream/flowers/etc?"

 

Does the person ever find out that their food is terrible. Or is the fact whispered behind the person's back as a family joke while people scrape plates after family events?

I never tell, but I think if you are the one family member who always gets assigned to bring rolls or a veggie tray, you can begin to suspect you are not a good cook.

 

IME, the not-good-cooks never do really cotton on. IME, though, they don't seem to care, because they are happy with canned chili and frozen pizza, so they don't notice or care that nobody ever asks them to bring the cherry pie.

 

One of my SILs is a terrible cook, but I believe that 98% of the reason os that she does not care. She sees no reason to put effort into making delicious food. She's an "open can and dump" type of "cook," and it shows.

[Guest]

Yup, once again I'm thinking of Sam Harris

 

"In Lying, bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. He focuses on “white†lies—those lies we tell for the purpose of sparing people discomfort—for these are the lies that most often tempt us. And they tend to be the only lies that good people tell while imagining that they are being good in the process."

 

http://www.samharris.org/lying

The book sounds fascinating. I need to check it out.

 

I think, though, that males can "get away with" direct honesty better than females, at least in US culture. My dh and his brother and friends often say things to one another that chicks would stew about till hell froze over.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I must just be related to a bunch of good cooks.  I only know of one person in my family (no blood relation though) who is a terrible cook.  I didn't think it was possible to be that bad, but think raw turkey and chicken every single time.  That's worse than bad.  That's just downright clueless.  Everyone else is a great cook though.

 

My grandmother would assign, but she'd pick what she liked best from the person especially if it was not something she ever made herself.  She loved my mom's lasagna or eggplant parm.  She'd even ask to keep the leftovers.  I have an uncle that makes a very good potato salad, so that's his dish.  Some are good with desserts.  One aunt is awesome at fried chicken.

 

And my husband's family in Germany...they are all amazing cooks.  And they all love to cook. 

 

But as it is now, we have no nearby family.  I do all the cooking.

 

 

[TracyP]

I would NEVER tell my DIL that I didn't like her cooking, I think that's a spectacularly bad idea.

 

I know. Starting about 5 years ago, my mom got on this big kick, "I'm going to stand up for myself and tell people what I really think." Great, in theory. In practice, it hasn't worked out so well...

[SparklyUnicorn]

I know. Starting about 5 years ago, my mom got on this big kick, "I'm going to stand up for myself and tell people what I really think." Great, in theory. In practice, it hasn't worked out so well...

 

Yeah sometimes no good can come from that kind of honesty. 

[TracyP]

Yeah sometimes no good can come from that kind of honesty. 

 

It's like the question, "Does this make my butt look big?"

 

Typically, there is only one right answer.

[PeacefulChaos]

I guess I figured most people who can't cook know that.... :lol:

 

DH's maternal grandmother was an AWFUL cook.  Seriously.  His mom started trying to cook the family meals when she was like, 8 or 9.  Even then they weren't great, and she didn't actually learn HOW to cook much very well until she met her MIL.  Her mom would come to Thanksgiving and ask if she could bring anything - it was always pie.  Just bring a pie.  Because like another poster, everyone knew it would come from the store.  

DH's mom cooks okay.  My grandma cooks well.  But of course, a lot of that is probably my own personal preference - what you grow up with and all.  :)  

I think I'm an okay cook.  I don't claim or want to be a great cook - I don't really like cooking.  :D :lol:  I'll bring food to family functions but it's going to be pretty simple stuff - I like to do certain things and I do those a lot.  For Thanksgiving it'll be dressing/stuffing (that doesn't actually go in the turkey), which is my Grandma's recipe, but a lot of the family doesn't love it because they're used to Stove Top (we have TG with DH's family).  This doesn't hurt my feelings at all, because it just means there's more for *me* to take home and eat all weekend!  *dancing around with glee*  :D :D  I'll also take some broccoli (cooked in the oven with salt, pepper, and garlic - a replacement for that accursed green bean casserole some people bring lol) and a chocolate layer dessert (cake, pudding, cool whip, repeat).  

My desserts are always a hit.  I will say that.  :lol:  And I can do some good dips - spinach dip, cheese dip, whatever - those two things are what I"m best at.  Snacky foods.  Which is totally unsurprising, since that's my favorite kind of food to eat... :D

[Tanaqui]

It's like the question, "Does this make my butt look big?"

 

Typically, there is only one right answer.

 

Unless that's what they're going for.

 

[Ausmumof3]

Cooking tastes can be kind of generational too... As in my mil is a good cook, but don't let her near steak and the veg will be well cooked lol. But to her my steak and veg are always underdone.

[TranquilMind]

Brother is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and my parents are attending. My mother asked if she could bring food. My brother asked her to bring flowers. He told her she does nice flowers and that's what they'd like. Mom then asked how come no one wants her to bring food. And my brother (52 years old) told her, her food wasn't good.

 

She took it remarkably well. She told me this later. She said she didn't know people didn't like her cooking. I made a point of talking about her flowers. My mom really does fabulous flower arrangements. I said I couldn't do flowers like that.

 

But it's true mom is a terrible cook. I think my brother is the only who could have said that and not had her really upset.

 

Do you tell people not bring food?

 

Do you specifically say "can you bring the wine/ice cream/flowers/etc?"

 

Does the person ever find out that their food is terrible. Or is the fact whispered behind the person's back as a family joke while people scrape plates after family events?

That's funny if she really doesn't know.  I mean, I KNOW I'm not a great cook, and I'm very indifferent about it.   How does one get to her age and seriously not know?  I think she knew and is fine with it.  Everything I ever thought my Mom didn't know, she knew,and just kept her mouth shut, so I can't imagine your mom is any different. 

 

At lesat she is good at the flowers!  Yes, you can make specific requests, though it is kinder to just say, "Well, X is entirely covered, so we do NOT need that...but please bring your fabulous (fill in the blank).  Everybody loves that."

[TranquilMind]

It's like the question, "Does this make my butt look big?"

 

Typically, there is only one right answer.

"No, your fat makes your butt look big."

 

Is that it?  ;)    (KIDDING!)

[umsami]

My Mom is a horrific cook.  Everybody knows but her.  She really thinks she cooks well.

 

WE've had to have some hard, difficult discussions...but they never seem to get through.  Like if she's hosting Thanksgiving, people will say, "Oh is Umsami cooking??"  They don't want to show if she's cooking.  I feel bad for her, but her food is really terrible.  Inedible.  She doesn't believe in using salt and pepper....and even worse, she thinks she's some sort of weird creative cook so she'll do combinations that neither God nor nature ever intended to go together.

 

Sigh.  We do praise her ability to set a nice table, though.

[SparklyUnicorn]

It's like the question, "Does this make my butt look big?"

 

Typically, there is only one right answer.

 

LOL  Although a true friend will tell you the truth about the butt thing if you ask them. 

 

But mentioning it unsolicited...noooo don't do that.  Chances are the person already knows. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Cooking tastes can be kind of generational too... As in my mil is a good cook, but don't let her near steak and the veg will be well cooked lol. But to her my steak and veg are always underdone.

 

This is very true. 

[73349]

If I don't want to hear the answer to a question, I don't ask it out loud.

 

My cooking is mediocre most of the time--like a generic restaurant, maybe slightly better--except the chicken soup, which is splendid, and a couple of desserts. But DMIL and DFIL didn't set the bar too high, so DH doesn't mind.

[Serenade]

No German heritage involved here. Do you down it as a tallboy with your meal?

Any time, any place. With food and without food. But I only get to buy it once a year when we travel to Virginia and visit an apple orchard.

 

ETA: Once I bought what I thought was unpasteurized apple cider, and I set it aside to ferment, and it never did. It ended up molding. That's because it wasn't really unpasteurized. I was so bummed. It is really hard to find the good stuff due to health regulations and such.

[umsami]

Cooking tastes can be kind of generational too... As in my mil is a good cook, but don't let her near steak and the veg will be well cooked lol. But to her my steak and veg are always underdone.

 

Yes, and cultural too.   In DH's culture lamb and meat are almost always cooked well done.  My parents like everything medium-rare.  So they find DH's preferences weird....but they would be viewed weird in his country.  (And for all I know, there may be very good reasons why historically Egyptians cook everything well done.)

[Ausmumof3]

I think well done is probably food safety related. I tend to cook wild killed meat than shop bought meat. Although it's probably no difference really.

[Liz CA]

We went back and forth on the term yams in another thread lol. I think in a lot of cases it is just used as another term for sweet potato, though technically different.

 

Anyway, if we're going to go with the "they're the same thing" line of thinking, I think lots of people like them! I eat them baked from the toaster oven. We are making mashed sweet potatoes for our meal. Normally we go to MIL's house and she has 2 types she prepares. Candied sweet potatoes and mashed with the marshmallows and pecans.

 

 

I am bringing the candied sweet potatoes but SIL texted me "yams." Years ago, dh and I looked up the difference. Funny how misnaming can stick around and becomes accepted. Anyway, as you said, we all know what is meant.

 

Here is a quiz for those who know their yams from their sweet potatoes: :)

 

http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/pop-quiz-sweet-potato-or-yam/

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm bringing the yams this year.  And Martinelli's.  They won't be candied.  We have too many diabetics in the family.  I'd better look for the other thread.  Are there recipes?  

[Liz CA]

I don't view people's hospitality, including anything they serve me, as something to criticize.  As in I don't think critically about it.   So, I eat what is served me and focus more on the relationships.  The last time my brother and SIL came to eat here my SIL criticized my soup in Japanese because it was not homemade.  Since I speak Japanese and she knows it, I found it extremely rude, esp. when she also knew that my health made it very difficult for me to have people over, let alone cook from scratch.  I've never invited them back and it has been years.  If you care more about the food than me, then I don't care to pursue a relationship with you.   I do criticize restaurants and restaurant dishes and mentally rate them, though, because I am paying them good money for what hopefully is good food.  

 

Yes, this is rude. I would not mind though, if dh or ds said something if everything I cooked was inedible...since they would be the ones suffering.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, this is rude. I would not mind though, if dh or ds said something if everything I cooked was inedible...since they would be the ones suffering.

If I ever cooked something unedible I think I would notice and say something first - as I was getting the car keys to go out for dinner!  Dh did pray once "Thank you Lord for this food that we are supposed to eat".  He got the stink eye when he opened his eyes!  

 

My food tends to be "good enough".  It may not win accolades but our family likes it well enough and no one complains.  I can cook well if and when I put in the time and effort but for everyday, I do not put in that amount of effort.