Our maid cooks dinner for us 3-4 times a week. I personally love it-meal planning is not my favorite part about being a mom. I don't mind the actual cooking so much, it's just the "what are we going to have tonight?" that gets me down.
So, I really only have to plan 3 meals a week which is pretty much a cinch.
We do have several issues however with her cooking. They are as follows:
1) Carbohydrate Overload. Let me preface this by stating that I am not exaggerating. There have been nights when she has prepared all of the following:
- Rice and Beans (Brazilian staple)
- Pasta
- Mashed potatoes OR French fries
I am not a very assertive person when it comes to maids. I rather clean my own toilets than have to tell someone she's doing a bad job at cleaning my toilets (sadly, this is not just an hypothetical). However, in this one area, I did bring it up because as Americans we just don't eat rice, spaghetti and french fries in the same sitting (at least we don't). I tried my hardest to explain, without making her feel bad of course, that although we just LOVE her food, we eat rice OR pasta OR potatoes, but never more than one at a time.
I have now mentioned it several times and it doesn't seem to be getting through. When she returned Monday after our vacation we had: rice and beans, and spaghetti.
Tuesday night I guess she made up for it by going totally Atkins on us. We had: ribs, salad, broccoli, green beans, and carrots (not the vegetable medley you may be picturing; they were all prepared, cooked, and served separately). No rice, beans, OR pasta that night. ???
2) Desserts. She makes desserts that are too yummy for their own good. Brazilian flan is even better than Mexican flan (Sorry BOFF). No further explanation necessary.
3) Garlic. This isn't really an "issue" so much as an FYI.
When you think of garlic where do you think of? Italy, right? You might want to add Brazil to the list. They use so much garlic here you wouldn't believe it. We go through at least 4 heads of garlic A WEEK (again, I am NOT exaggerating). When we arrived from Mexico last year I was going to write a post entitled, "Garlic: the New Chile". I never got around to it.
I love garlic, so I'm in heaven smelling it cooking in my kitchen especially when I don't have to peel it.
4) My Kids.
They LOATHE it when she cooks.
The moaning and groaning starts the second they sit down and doesn't end until they take their plates to the sink. "What! This again? Blah Blah, Blah Blah Blah Blah".
And herein lies the reason why it's great to have a maid cook: my kids now LOVE.MY.COOKING.
You'd think we were eating at their favorite restaurant what with the rave reviews I get. Juan Carlos actually looked at me tonight during dinner and said, "Thank you so much for making this mom, I love it." And Margarita said, "I could eat this every night!!!"
It is perfect conditioning for when we move back to the States and I become the sole provider of meals.
Bwahahaha!
12 comments:
Maybe you could come up with a menu for her to follow. That way you can avoid the carb overload. Although then your kids might start liking her cooking.
My MIL is a horrible cook so I never have to hear about how something she made was better than how I am making it. It is rather nice.
can you plan my menu too? There is no need for BOTH of us to plan meals...something that I also do not like.
It became the joke with my family...so, what's for dinner tonight? hahaha
maybe you culd plan this week, me next and so on!
Love ya!
BG
Being married to a dentist, I am not allowed to cook with garlic except Friday night (so it will be out of his system by Monday morning.) He has this fear he will stink on hi patients.
I'm bad at menu planning as well. Even planning only 3 meals a week would be a challenge. I just can't seem to plan ahead when it comes to meals!
Most of my kids live on cereal and yogurt, so it wouldn't matter who cooked the dinner, they would complain and not eat it! How nice that Vanessa is helping your kids realize what a great cook you are...because I'm sure you are!
You are a great cook who makes really yummy meals! I have to check your blog archive for your pasta recipe (with basil and baby clams) and your peach cobbler. We still rememberhow good they were! Oh if only I can get myself to sit down and make a meal plan. I always intend to but end up staring at the freezer every single afternoon willing a brilliant recipe to pop into my head!
ha! this is hilarious. The carb overload makes me feel overloaded just reading about it...so funny. I like to plan the menu, but the technicalities and the bellyaching reception of my efforts makes me a little crabby. I'd love to have a muchacha to take that heat for me sometimes. It's a definite plus when the hired help makes them appreciate you more, huh?
Are you headed back to the states soon?
I'm so glad you are posting again! Yay!
My mil totally does the carb overload at meals. One time we had mashed potatoes, rice, and mac and cheese in one meal. But now that you've said something to your maid she'll probably never make carbs for you again. :-)
Brazilian flan better than Mexican flan? Hmm. I guess I'm not qualified to say, not having tried Brazilian flan. I have an awesome flan recipe I got from my bil, who is not Latin at all.
Oh, how I would love to have my kids complain about someone else's cooking and love mine. I guess I should stop feeding them yucky food on purpose, that's how I plan it, you know. ;).
Broncos who???
your on tennis player ;)
BG
My heavenly vacation in MX was having the maid cook! Oh, I think it was the highlight of my whole existence--6:15 came along and I'd be working with or playing with the kids. "Hmmm, I guess we'll be eating soon," I'd muse.
The carbs comment does make me full just thinking about it!
I try to sit down and plan a two week menu, then I shop. That way I don't have to think about what to make every day. It makes it SO much nicer for me. Otherwise we would probably eat cereal every night.
...or rice and beans, pasta, and potatoes!!
WHAT?!? A better flan you say?
I must have some of that. I'll take 1/2 a teaspoon please :)
Awww, isn't nive to have your cooking so highly thought of
(That sentence came out all wrong, but I have no idea on how to fix it)
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