Kitchen

[June Lands]

He sounds like a dear! Trying to understand you...asking questions....I think it is wonderful. Most men never talk......

[child prodigy]

My DH is usually good about helping me clean up plus he's a better cook than I am. Sometimes he asks questions that are probably really suggestions but it's okay with me.

[brewhaha]

Sounds like he's helpful but clueless.

[Allegheny]

Well this Thanksgiving he was absolutely useless. In fact he has been useless for the past three weeks....back issues. I feel sorry for him, but if he drops that cane one more time I think I will go mad.

Usually, however, he is as helpful as I will let him. Entertaining is not one of my assets so I get rattled easily; it is just best he avoids me. He get too opinionated during meal prep and after 20 years you would think he would know better. I always threaten him that he can just do the whole meal and let me sit and be the armchair quarterback.

No, honestly, when he is well he'll help out with whatever I ask him to do.

[chrystaltree]

How ungrateful! It sounds like he was a big help, it sounds like he was making an effort to be involved. Most wives would recognize and appreciate that.

[chickenbutt]

On 11/28/2014 HonnyBrown said:

On 11/28/2014 chickenbutt said:

Well, he is useful in many many many OTHER ways but I don't want him in the kitchen. I really don't want him coming out every few minutes, as he tends to do, asking me 'how's it going'. I know he means well so I just respond.

But one thing with me now is that I get confused a lot and I have to maintain a train of thought. Every time he breaks in to my train of thought I lose what I'm doing and have to figure it out again. I'm getting used to this, but it sure does go a lot better without the well-meaning interruptions.

As for doing stuff in the kitchen - I'll pass. I have very precise ways that I want things prepared and cooked. In my head, I'm the only one who could/would do them that way, so I don't want the 'help'.

I have let him help me with dishes in the past but I do work pretty hard to 'clean as I go' so there's never that much at the end and I'll just go ahead and do them. Hey, I don't work outside the house anymore and he works long days almost every day so I figure there are some things that I'll handle around here - as long as I can, anyway.

Wow, chickenb, you are like a well oiled machine in the kitchen! My Mom is like that; it's better if she does the whole thing herself.

My turkey wasn't done when I put it on the cutting board. I called Mom-911 and she told me what to do. DH stepped right in and did what needed to be done. A wrench was in the cog and I lost focus, but he saved the day. Dinner was on the table by 5!

Yeah, I really have to operate that way or I'm all confused, walking around in circles like a useless fool. hehe - I have to figure stuff out in my head and plan it out accordingly. Interruptions just throw me off terribly but I do my level best to not let him know that he's driving me a little crazy and I kind of wish he would just stay out of the way.

One thing that helps me about that 'turkey not done yet' thing is that I have just one of those silly little pokey thermometers I go ahead and bring the roasting pan up onto the top of the stove (for that purpose, at that time, I keep one side of the stove open until the turkey is done and outta there). Then I use the thermometer on both thighs and one side of the breast (cuz, yeah, I have to be one thousand percent sure) and make sure the temperature is up to par. Otherwise, I still have him in the roasting pan and back in the oven he goes.

For some reason, he was done earlier than I expected. Thankfully, something told me to check him at one time at least an hour before I thought he was done and, indeed, he was done at that time. That whole thing with how long it takes a turkey is always a little bit of a thorn in my side because nobody has the same answer to that 'how long per pound' question. So I wrote it down this time - time in, 425F for 30 minutes, then 325F for the rest, and time out. I usually order one about the same size so maybe that will be helpful for next year.

You can get one of those little pokey thermometers for just a few bucks and it's very handy.

[Kitlynn]

I am very lucky and blessed to have my DH! He and I are a team and he helps me out with everything. Yesterday we had steak and lobster and he grilled the steaks while I cooked the lobster. We both setup everything and clean up everything. We have been doing it this way for twenty eight years and it works.

[dansey]

Be thankful if you have a husband that helps do ANYTHING at all. Mine does absolutely nothing to help out with meals (before or after). He was not raised that way unfortunately. He had 4 sisters and 2 brothers. They lived on a farm. So the boys worked outside on the farm, the girls inside. He never ever had to lift a hand inside the home. Unfortunately, his dad did NOTHING so he didn't have a good role model. Guess I didn't "train" him right or early enough in our marriage. Other than being helpful, he is a great husband, father, grandfather. Just not a homebody helper.

[BaileyBop]

Mine is a 10++++++++, kept up with washing the pots/pans etc. while I was cooking. He prepped the turkey (we did a spatchco*k turkey and brine) for the first time this year. He did most of the cleanup too. He really made the entire day a breeze for me. And.....this year was the best turkey, dressing, gravy, side dishes ever.

[Sooner]

WONDERFUL! SUPERB! I have nothing bad about him to say at all. He cooks and cleans about as much as I do, and never complains--even about stopping by the grocery store! I am blessed! We both have always worked and shared all the chores.