thank her for trying then lay the blame on yourself about how you are so picky about gumbo, the kind you were raised on, yada, yada. then tell her you love her for trying, and that so sincerely appreciate the cooking she does (lay it on thick, tell her how wonderful her cooking normally is, etc.) but that since you are so picky about gumbo (again take the blame, it wasnt her, is you), that it is something you will make for the two of you from now on. sure, its a cheap suck up, but sometimes thats needed. i agree tho, it sounds awful.
You might not want to bombard her with all that at once....maybe just try the gumbo issue...hell, you may not have to get that far once all your stuff is on the curb. :hihi:
ok, the serious side of my response is that she does just want to be appreciated for trying. you can let her know that and that lovingly but also let her know that it just wasnt gumbo. then you can offer to be the one that makes gumbo or teach her how to make it like mom and grandma make. sometimes wives try really hard and to not be appreciated for at least trying, even when we dont get it right, is what sets us off. i know thats a sure way to get me to me to explode
Sorry but sweet and mushy ain't cuttin the mustard here. We are talking about gumbo and IMO you are equating the mention with perhaps not enough sugar in the tea. You just gotta get ritual about the standard for gumbo is all I am saying.
oh, come on. you are talking to a damned picky cook here. :hihi: which is why i followed up with then tell her he will make it from now on or teach her. but he cant very well do that when locked out of the house. and hes gotta be in the house to keep her from bringing that mix (or bag or whatever it was) back in again. you didnt see me say appreciate the effort then let her make it again.:grin: thats what we're tryin to prevent here!
I think we are both trying to make the same point here although I did not mention that he should position her as an observer to understand the standard. What I am saying is erase that other stuff you have seen on the shelf and understand that gumbo has no alternative. My point is that the delivery of the understanding doesn't have to be all mushy and nice, this is serious stuff, respect it, remove the notion that anything different would suffice and we will forever get along. No different then what my wife or even yourself might say about having a black cake versus a white cake (no pun Mastermind) at a wedding. :shock:
