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AIBU

To be fed up with having to produce meals every day?

(102 Posts)
Luckygirl Sat 13-Aug-16 10:29:57

I have spent decades planning meals, buying food and cooking for the whole family and now that it is just two of us I have truly had enough of it. Sometimes my mind just goes blank and I think "What the heck can I feed us today?"

OH has a raft of things he does not want to eat (which includes all vegetables and salad and pasta of any kind). I cannot be bothered to produce two different meals, so I either cook what he wants, or what I want and have to watch him groaning and pushing it around his plate with a pained expression. He hates going out to eat.

The whole thing has just become a chore.

Many years ago he did go on a cookery course as the plan was that I would work full time and he part time, but would he take some responsibility for cooking - did this really happen? - no!

I cannot have my favourite food - cheese - because of migraine, so my enthusiasm for producing meals is rock bottom. We are reduced to ready meals a lot of the time.

Am I alone in having had enough of this?

granjura Sat 13-Aug-16 17:32:59

Using abbreviations like PD is not really helpful- as many of us may not be aware of what it means. I certainly didn't.

jinglbellsfrocks Sat 13-Aug-16 17:34:44

Is it linked to lg's DH's PD? Isn't it simply that she is, like most of us, simply fed up with producing daily meals? That's how I read it.

jinglbellsfrocks Sat 13-Aug-16 17:38:48

I can heartily recommend these people

gettingonabit Sat 13-Aug-16 17:43:20

Me too, jinglebells. That's how I read it too. Must be more attentive in futurewink.

granjura Sat 13-Aug-16 17:49:05

No idea jingl- this is how I read it too- it was DaphneB who sugested otherwise. As said, unless OP makes it clearer herself- none of us can read minds.

ginny Sat 13-Aug-16 19:01:31

Take it in turns to cook.
Tell him 'this is what I'm cooking, like it or lump it'
Go out for a meals yourself and let him fend for himself. He won't go hungry. If he does it's his own fault.

GandTea Sat 13-Aug-16 19:31:08

I am eternally grateful that Mrs. P likes cooking (most of the time anyway) When it's my turn, it's take away or at best Tesco Finest £10 meal deal. If I was on my own it would be take away 24/7

Luckygirl Sat 13-Aug-16 19:40:12

It's a bit of both jbf - decades of trying to think of new things to cook, planning, shopping and the rest when it is not wanted. All he wants is cake!

Thanks for the link and also to others who have responded.

There is a subtle distinction between treating someone as normal to maintain their self-respect and making allowances. I just felt today that I had reached my making allowances threshold. Sorry to gripe.

obieone Sat 13-Aug-16 19:48:29

I would be tempted to "let" him have a lot of cake, so long as it does not do too much harm to his PD.

GandTea Sat 13-Aug-16 20:12:09

PD ??

granjura Sat 13-Aug-16 20:13:14

Thanks for getting back to thread flowers

as said, not sure how much his PD is to blame, or not. But I understand how frustrated you must be. If PD is not a large part of problem, you may well have to put your foot down and say 'NO' - or if you think PD is a major part- get help in how to deal with the situation- or you will feel more and more resentful and exhausted. x

jinglbellsfrocks Sat 13-Aug-16 20:17:52

Wiltshire Farm Foods do small nourishing ready-meals for people with smaller appetites. Nothing fancy. Just plain English fare.

Luckygirl Sat 13-Aug-16 20:36:05

Parkinsons Disease GandT - it's a bugger.

kittylester Sat 13-Aug-16 20:36:17

That's who I was thinking of, jings.

janeainsworth Sat 13-Aug-16 20:36:50

MrA has just observed that it's 3.30 pm and lunch has not yet appeared (sic)
I told him I was busy reading a thread on GN about feeling fed up of cooking all the time.
His response? 'Well that's ok, we'll have salad.' shockshock

Seriously Luckygirl you have my sympathy. Agree with other suggestions about small quantities for your OH, batch cooking etc.
I enjoy cooking and eating usually, which is why I continue to cook for us both.
At one time I kept a list of all the family meals so that if lacking inspiration, I would look back and pick something from the list.
I do think you should try to cook things for yourself that you like and enjoy eating - it's one of life's basic pleasures.

Tegan Sat 13-Aug-16 20:50:19

Don't you get a very sweet tooth when you have PD? I saw a programme about it a while back;it was a script writer who'd written some well known stuff [which, of course, I've forgotten]. It showed him in a supermarket filling his trolley full of chocolate; said he'd been a complete chocaholic since his PD kicked in.

Luckygirl Sat 13-Aug-16 20:56:19

Yes - I saw that programme, but can't remember his name either. OH would live on chocolate but it sends his heart rhythm haywire so he has to hold back and put up with my cooking!

overthehill Sat 13-Aug-16 20:58:34

I do all the cooking but don't really mind. I would feel eating out a lot is a)a waste of money and b) far from healthy. Even if we were very wealthy I would still rather eat home cooked food as you know what goes in there.
Lunch is generally a sandwich with lots of salad. Meals I always try to double up, so one lot goes in the freezer.
I do have frozen fish in the freezer for emergencies as I do not possess a microwave and do not want one, and that can be cooked from frozen.

GandTea Sat 13-Aug-16 21:05:16

Thanks LG

Jalima Sat 13-Aug-16 21:18:29

Janea DH has a habit of saying 'Are we eating lunch today?' if it gets past 1.30ish
I sometimes say - 'oh, yes, good idea, what are you making?' and he has been known to make a nice salad very occasionally! shock

We have eaten out a few times this week, it is part of my 'Argate' holiday.

numberplease Sat 13-Aug-16 21:26:18

In 53 years, the only times my hubby cooked were for a few days in 1973 when I was in hospital, and he had to feed the kids. They had chips and beans, chips and peas, egg and chips, in rotation. Since then he`s never lifted a finger, cooking or otherwise. When he came out of hospital 3 years ago, daughter 2 bought him an electric toaster, "so you won`t need to wait for mum to make it for you",.......he`s used it twice!

willsmadnan Sat 13-Aug-16 21:27:43

This is a hard one.... a long-term, debilitating illness can certainly have an effect on food preferences, as can old age... talking about those in their 80s and 90s when appetites decline. I think there are some very harsh comments on here re 'the role of women as food providers'. Obviously the dedicated career women (Granjura perhaps) decided early on there was no way they were being a slave to food preperatìon... so each to her own. For me(when the children had flown the nest) the antidote to a stressful day was to wind down by cooking supper with DOH sitting in the kitchen (my domaine ),listening to the trials and tribulations of my day, keeping my glass of wine 'refreshed', and never interfering with what I was preparing. Even well into his 80s DOH embraced new food experiences... he loved anything involving Chinese noodles , and Thai food. I felt privileged to cook for him ( I can see the hackles rising from some GNs) and now he's no longer here it took a mammoth effort on my part to start cooking just for me, but I've now recovered and I'm back on track. I felt I had lost my 'raison d'etre'... I'm sure some will think me pathetic... maybe I amsad

Ana Sat 13-Aug-16 21:31:54

No you're not, willsmadnan, I was just thinking along similar lines...smile

granjura Sat 13-Aug-16 21:36:23

not pathetic at all- as long it it is a choice, YOUR choice...

Don't you get a feeling that LuckyG feels at the mo that it is not HER choice, and that she is fed up about it? Seems pretty clear in her OP, no?

I always cooked for DH and the family when he worked- was a SAHM for 10 years- and then always finished work much earlier than he did and never worked the VERY long hours he did- so it was natural. In retirement- things have changed- and I am so glad he agreed it made sense to share. My choice, OUR choice- as partners (46 years).

Ana Sat 13-Aug-16 21:42:24

Goodness, can't you let it go, granjura? Luckygirl is no doubt grateful for all input but you've made your opinion very clear several times already!