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 Posted By: jglass 
Aug 22  # 1 of 13
Halloween will be upon us within a couple of months. The evenings here are starting to feel and smell like Fall already. The evenings are getting nice and cool even though the days are still screaming hot. The holidays are the busiest time for us foodies.

I did learn a valuable lesson last year for Christmas dinner. Do not try new things on hillbillies. Stick with the same old familiar things. Fondue for instance :rolleyes:
Well lookie there someones made some cheese soup.
Thats not gonna be a big ernuf pot fer everyone.
Wheres the crackers and why are they all them der raw vegetable surrounding that little pot?
Should have cooked all them der veggies in that cheese soup it would have been mighty good.
This would have been darn good eating over some macaroni.

I was talking to my husand the other day and he asked me if I was going to try and introduce the cast of Deliverance to anything new this holiday season and I told him I did not think so lol.
I also learned last year that my young nieces who are three and six prefer a $5 little Caesar pizza and some baked off premade cookies to my spending all day making fresh bread for nice sandwiches and cupcakes for them to have after Trick or Treating. Last holiday season taught me to learn when and where to show off your cooking skills and when to say the heck with it.;)
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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
Aug 22  # 2 of 13
I was talking to my husand the other day and he asked me if I was going to try and introduce the cast of Deliverance to anything new this holiday season and I told him I did not think so lol.


ROFL - OMG - Janie - I needed this today! I'm so sorry that it happened to you - but I've been going through a personal hell and I needed this.

Sometimes you do have to take a step back. The day will come when they remember the good old days. I cooked my azz off for years - scrubbing, preparing, shopping, cleaning up after everyone who was too full to move because it was so good - but yet left room for all the desserts. Playing perfectionist. Making everything and anythng.

Now - I do it for those I love - and I do things a bit different. I don't "cater" to their needs or their wants. But they get what they want. Just that my attitude has changed. And its easier on me.

I still do all the planning, shopping, cleaning, cooking, baking - but there is no pressure on me now. It is so much better.

For a couple years - put the pressure on them. Bring the dessert. You were too busy to make everything. You and Jon had plans. The others are quite capable of making something. And if it is not as good as yours - oh well - they haven't died eating their cooking yet.

Thank you for a wonderful morning chuckle.

And - take it easy this year. If they complain - tell them right out - when they start to appreciate things (from the heart) you might consider making something else - but is not up to you anymore.

BTW - got any more of that cheese soup you fergot to put the veggies in? I got them ther crackers and a loaf of dis homemade bread for soppin'!

And crack open a fresh jug of moonshine - tie on a good one and tell everyone to kiss your grits!

LOL
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 Posted By: jglass 
Aug 22  # 3 of 13
I'm glad I could give you a laugh. Are you ok?

I have learned to save the cooking for when someone is old enough and or smart enough to appreciate my efforts lol. I have had this whole notion of everything homemade to make it extra special when in some instances they are to young to know or care if you made the cookies from scratch or not. I also learned to not waste my time trying to introduce new dishes or flavors to the people my father in law invites to his home to have holiday dinners with us. These are very country people who are used to very regular country dishes and flavors. From now on I am going to save the fancy stuff for Jon and stick with the same old stuff for the big family dinners.
I made a lovely Italian vegetable soup once and took my mother in law part of it. They didnt like it! The recipe was simple with just sweet italian sausage, bell peppers, chickpeas, zucchini and orzo as the main ingredients. When I asked her later if they liked it she said - was that some sort of eyetalian recipe? My father in law and another elderly friend both loved the same soup. One good thing about doing the Sunday Suppers is that my husband's Dad has tried alot of flavors in dishes he would have never had otherwise and he likes them.
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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
Aug 22  # 4 of 13
It's easier for you - you do not have to prove anything to anyone. If they want something - they can make it as well. If it is not as good as yours - oh well - practice makes perfect - and I would tell them so.
As a matter of fact - I would show up with a store bought cake for dessert. New dishes should be kept for you and Jon - you can't change them - but someday they may smarten up.

I was always invited to dinner at a "friends" house - and I was always bringing the meal and the dessert. I was doing all the cooking, leaving the leftovers for them and carting home dirty dishes and pans to wash.

One day I was totally fed up - I walked in with a Pepperidge Farm chocolate cake - one of those little frozen ones. I told them that I was busy and had no time at all. You should have seen their faces - they had to order pizza for dinner that night. All of a sudden - "it would be a nice change to enjoy pizza" (so they said)

I didn't find an excuse to not "play dinner" with them - I came right out and told them - I was doing all the cooking, leaving the leftovers (which I did not mind),baking the desserts, and bringng dirty pots, pans, dishes and utensils home in boxes that I then had to wash after the food stuck to them and I just did not want to do it anymore.
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 Posted By: jglass 
Aug 22  # 5 of 13
Boy oh boy I know that feeling. Totally not gonna do it any more.

You know it is kinda your fault Mama. You have taught me to many good tricks that I want to show off in the kitchen. Jon says even though we are from Kentucky there has to be some Italian in my blood lol. I always tell him with my family tree I would be afraid to look to closely.