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Janice,

If it were me, I'd sit that young lady down and gently tell her that the whole house does not revolve around her eating tastes. There are four of you living there and as a curesty for you and your husband for giving her a roof over her house she WILL cook a variety of food that she may or may not want to eat herself---let her eat left over hamburger helper those nights or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Pull out some recipes for things that you would normally enjoy and if you have to set beside her to teach her how to cook them, then so be it. It's time she grows up and learns that she is not the center of the universe. Sound hard nosed, you bet! You are an enabler to let her get away with only cooking what will please her---she's being self-centered and you're tolerating it.

Jean

I can relate..my daughter in law will not eat meat that has a bone in it. If i cut the chicken or turkey off the bone she will eat it. She now has three children and has been cooking. Even made a turkey for thanksgiving.

I buy boneless chicken tenders (cheaper) frozen. I make a variety of things with this including chicken caccitore. lemon chicken. chicken, rice and cream of mushroom soup. you can fry them and make chickensandwiches with cheese on sub rolls (like Arby's). Betty crocker has some "complete" meals I made the ham & cheese augratin potatoes the other night & it was good. Chili is an alternative to hamburger helper. also I make hamburger patties, add beef broth simmer, make gravy and noodles.

Sounds like she needs some guidence in the kitchen. Quick Cooking has an internet site on line and have good recipes also Kraft Foods and Taste of Home. I make a meatloaf, put in a casserole dish put onions, potatoes & carrots some beef broth cover with foil and bake, remove foil last 20 minutes so meatloaf will brown.

my daughter in law is doing pretty well cooking now...she still prefers to use boneless meats..

Bonnie

my mom had several responses to me when i was acting bratty as a teenager:

1) 'if you don't like the food, go to the diner' , and

2) 'who died and left you a servant?'

she would also use response #2 on my dad when he was acting demanding.

after she had an episode of heart failure last week, she is using #2 on my dad again.

you can borrow either of these responses when you are telling your daughter-in-law the facts of life.

sandy

Wow Jean! You're exactly right. What has me surprised though is that Bonnie's DIL had same odd thinking- what is this about not eating anything that has a bone? Vegetarians say nothing that has an eye, I don't agree but can accept that but what do they have against bones?

Maybe your son should think twice about his choice of girlfriends. Had a friend who had a daughter who was a vegetarian; he wasn't. Don't know that that was the reason but after going together for a long time they married - it lasted less than a year.

OK, she wants to eat Hamburger Helper, fine. Let her make something else for the family. Janice, I didn't realize that you aren't cooking. Is it the mixing or the heat from the stove. I know at first I was afraid of being near the hot pots and certainly did not like carrying them. So, as I believe Bonnnie said, plan whatever you want and let her do the carrying etc. Those wonderful Helper meals and the complete meals (casseroles etc. ) that companies make can be costly too.

Buy her a cook book for Christmas.

FYI, I couldn't cook prestroke. I'm just not domestic that way..never have been.

Now, it's mostly that I can't carry heavy pots...putting in or out of oven.

My son will be a better mother than I ever was...he knows how to cook.(so does his dad). Thus, you're reminding me of how worthless and just a burden I am...thanks a lot.

I have to go beyond the bigotry of being worth while only by being able to cook, etc.

Janice,

Now is the time then for you both learn to cook!!! A new challenge, which would make you feel useful and a help to your hubby. No excuses ...LOL

I have posted a link to the BBC food site. You can find some easy recipes here. The measuments can easily be converted

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/

Have a look at ready steady cook. They used to have a programme cant cook wont cook but the link seems to have gone.

Good luck happy cooking,healthy eating.

Hope hubby is feeling a bit better.

Mary

I am curious to know what is a hamburger helper.

Janice

No one was implying that if you can't cook, you're worthless. There is a lot more to being a woman than being able to make a Thanksgiving dinner for twelve.

Jean

Mary,

Hamburger Helper is a boxed dinner that you only have to add hamburger to. They have 7 or 8 different choices---my favorite being double cheese quesadilla---and you can keep them on your pantry shelf and have a meal on the table in 15-20 minutes.

Jean