Trying hard

OK, so you have now gathered that I can bake. I'll let you into a little secret -

I have a reputation for not cooking well at all.

You see, baking is precise, there's one thing going on at a time and there is less chance of me walking away from the kitchen to do something else while I'm waiting. You don't have to worry about getting your timing right with "other elements to the dish"

The sad but true reality is that I can't put a meal together well at all.

I'm the original

"raw meat and burnt/soggy veggies" girl

I don't enjoy doing meals much. They're a necessity and that's about it.

I suppose I feel the pressure of being a good cook a bit - I married into a family of excellent cooks;

people who can stand back, throw anything into the pot and come up with a three course meal. 

One day we had gone to Nan's for dinner - an exceptional spread- roast cooked to perfection with all the trimmings and a self saucing chocolate pudding to die for.

The lad commented " Nan, you're a terrific cook" and then realised that there were others in the room that he should perhaps compliment as well.

And so he continued -

"Dad, you're great, too."

(by this stage he realised that he had made a tactical error and had not mentioned me)

The next comment was"And Mum, you try really hard."

From the mouths of babes!