I Should've Have Known Better

If you follow my blog, it is no secret that I like to cook and try new recipes.  Couple that with the fact that DW has been traveling A LOT lately and the fact that it was Saturday - or Family Day as Emily affectionately calls it - and what happens??  I temporarily lost my mind and decided to prepare a nice, yet simple lunch for my family.  (Simple to serve, mind you, not necessarily simple to prepare.)

I scoured my Pinterest Recipe Board and decided on this Creamy Italian Chicken Soup and this Autumn Chopped Salad (even though it's spring).  I spent some quality time with my two big girls in the kitchen as they helped me chop and stir.  Although there was a lot of prep work, it was fun!  Then, after an hour (yes, it took an entire hour) of chopping, stirring, sauteing, and mixing, it was ready.  I served it up and called everyone to the table.

Sadly, it was all downhill from there.

Apparently, during my temporary bout of insanity, I forgot to take into account that nobody (except me and maybe DW) was going to enjoy this meal.  Of course, the vegetarian wouldn't eat chicken soup, so I had fixed her some broccoli and cheese soup from a can.  She refused to eat the salad because she doesn't like pears, cranberries, or lettuce.  The little one started crying the second she saw the food on the table.  She hadn't even sat down!!  She sat there with her arms crossed and tears streaming down her face for quite a while and never took a single bite of the meal.  I even tried to pick out some of the pears, chicken, and pasta for her, but no dice - it was already contaminated by all the other stuff with which it had been mixed.  I had high hopes for the middle one.  She is usually willing to try anything.  She had stayed with me in the kitchen almost the whole time making comments like "I love pears;  I love cranberries;  Yum - bacon!  Oh, that smells really good!" and so on.  However, she proceeded to pick only the pears, cranberries, and bacon out of the salad and I think she only managed one or two bites of the  soup.  As for DW - growing up with his mom and enduring the last 15 years of my cooking escapades has taught him a very valuable lesson; just shut up and eat it!  That is exactly what he did, but I could tell he was not too impressed.  Personally, I might have actually enjoyed the whole thing if it hadn't been for the crying, complaining, and looks of disgust that surrounded me.  Not to mention the mountain of dirty dishes that awaited me once everyone finished the meal - which, by the way, took all of about 15 minutes.  Rachel and Megan were "finished" even faster than that, possibly a record breaking time frame, actually.

So after an hour of work and 15 minutes of apparent torture at the table, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Really, Lisa, you should have know better!"  Sometimes, I don't know why I even bother! :-/


P.S.  Both of these recipes make a lot of food.  I pawned some of the leftovers off on my in-laws since, obviously, nobody here was going to eat them.  I still have some, however, if anybody wants to give them a try - no crying if you don't like it, though!

I spent an hour in the kitchen today, so maybe you can take just a second to vote???  Please and thank you!!