Why My Kid Didn't Like Her Christmas Gift

For Christmas, P received a play kitchen. You know, the kind with an oven and refrigerator and stove, and a bundle of accessories like pots and pans and play food. It isn't a super fancy one, but it has all the basics plus a few bells and whistles.

Anyway, my kid barely plays with it. I mean, she hardly touches the thing AT ALL.

I was speculating as to the possible reason for her disinterest in her Christmas gift, when Hubby said, "It's probably because she has no idea what to do with it."

This, of course, was a jab at the lack of food preparation that occurs in my household. Unfortunately, he's probably right. Unless I'm struck by the rare and unlikely desire to cook, most of the meals I make involve spreading a substance between two slices of bread (aka PB&Js) or opening a take-out Chinese container.

I actually CAN cook. It would not faze me to make a homemade apple pie (with everything made from scratch), and a friend once referred to me as "the mac and cheese master." I can make a pretty decent batch of mashed potatoes, and comfort foods like tuna noodle casserole are a cinch. My soups are always edible, and they actually taste pretty good most of the time. However, I'm no gourmet, and I do have plenty of failures in the kitchen. About 50% of the time, Hubby's reaction to my cooking is "Yuck."

So I've decided to start cooking more. For one thing, this will save us money (a must since Hubby will soon have a pay cut). In addition, if the excrement ever hits the rotating blades, cooking will be a useful skill (especially if we end up living off of home-grown produce and wild game). And finally, I want my kids to learn how to cook, and they won't unless they see me doing it.

I did give Hubby fair warning: I told him he better get used to my cooking, because I'm going to be doing it more. His reaction wasn't exactly positive. Rather than enthusiasm at the money we'll save, I sensed...resignation.