I am an extremely bad at lying... I can tell a good lie... but it just doesn't site well with me... and like vash my first impulse/inclination is to simply blurt out the truth and let what ever happen... happen!

Because of that after three years of being married I am trying to master the art of STFU... but still working on it.

So, does buying stuff and not telling your wife count as lying? ;)

I love it when people are open and honest when I ask for an opinion... And in general . However, as a woman sometimes I just need to be told what I need to hear to make me feel good.
Fair to men, no but, such is life.

We've only been married for 8 years but, we are both great cooks and pick good presents :) I typically know when to e honest and when an ego needs a little stroking.

You can give her a "cooking timer" as a gift: smoke detector.

Cliffy, take a cooking class together.

You gotta to be honest with her, if not you will be eating the same damn thing again real soon. How much of that stuff can you feed your dog, or cat in your case, under the table?

I tell my MIL that I don't do no goddamn chicken feet.

Gifts, you say? My wife don't get gifts anymore. I told her not to but she buys my regular clothes. they are simple. Shorts with cargo pockets for phone and color doesn't really matter. Golf shirts and long sleeve shirts for the colder days here. She buys the same thing but in 4 different colors. I get t-shirts for free when I can from my vendors and I buy them sometimes. I buy my own hobby stuff when I have the time.

Damn it, fixed my spelling after the re-read

I'm blessed to have married a great mid-western cook; get meat w/taters & gravy weekly, spagetti/meat sauce is a staple, plus she can whip up something out of leftovers in a matter of minutes. She's been branching out into cajun and oriental dishes with good success. There's an occasional bomb, but never unedible. I let her know when something is below par but she already knows it.
Jim

that's all well and dandy, but after you've had enough lousy meals, you have to either start eating out, or kick her out of the kitchen and cook yourself......

My MIL was an orphan, so she had no one to teach her. Thus my wife can only cook the basics. I like some of it, but she's cooked some real duds over the years. Now my daughter can't cook.

Silence is golden.....amen to that!:D

I'm lucky, my wife can cook. I can't cook to save my life, if it doesn't come frozen I'm not making it. My wife also knows that the obscure stuff that I want is way beyond her gift buying ability, she normally just tells me to go pick something for myself. I'm smarter in that regard as well, unless I know for certain what she wants I just go with a gift card. Too many crash and burn gifts.

I can cook, always have.....when I was working 60-70 hours a week.....I was appreciative of the cooking help from my wife. The clean up was an issue. My house got cleaned when I did it.

Yes, there were three kids.....but she had no other outside work to take up her time. I got no support when I suggested that my three daughters help.

I also did my own laundry. I am now divorced. Their house is a mess.....

For X-mas last year my wife bought me some nifty titanium collar stays. I don't own a shirt with replaceable stays.

You would think she would know this, since she irons all of my shirts!

ok, enough of this yibber yabber! Here is the poop in a scoop...

Fact: Women are sensitive beyond understanding as far as men are concerned.

Observation: You don't seem to be the type to hurt her intentionally.

Situation: You say hurtful things because
A) Your Stupid
B) Your a Social Idiot
C) You Really Don't Care
D) Your a Guy

Please note, there is only oine correct answer yet women think that it is A, B or C - its not, its D

Result: She reacts by
A) Getting mad and becomes unreasonably rediculous to live with for a few hours to a few days
B) Crying
C) Holds a grudge and you don't get any nook nook for a fort night maybe longer
D) Gets all sorts of passave aggressive and twists your mind into thnking your at the same level as whale shyt.

So which one is it? Chances are - all of the above. So, what do you do? Well you have two basic choices:
A) do nothing, be true to yourself, you say things because you mean them. Stupidity is not an excuse or even a good explanation. Its a cop out. You say what you say and deep down you know why. So be it. It is what it is.
B) change and turn in your penis for a sad song.

Don't expect her to ever change - she won't. People don't change dramatically or quickly. The best you can hope for is that she is mindful with certain comboinations of spices and takes the strong hint not to shop gay for you.

And you can change very so slightly by being mindful of her poor cooking and lack of present sense - best be proactive. Here is how:
A) when its her night to cook, set out a recipe book and pre-stage the spices and herbs. At least it will get her half way there.
B) before a holiday of gift giving, place a few flyers of your 'wish list ' items on her night stand or under her morning coffee.

If she doesn't get the hint, know that you tried and thats good enough for Government work!

" Anyway, if she DOES make something that sucks, I let her know I don't like it, and tell her why. I think honesty is a very valuable tool, especially when it's delivered properly"

You have to be kidding, right? I'd take my own life before I'd do this around my place. I have a good understanding wife but I'll not get into honesty about cooking.:eek:

I've pretty well given up on women, whatever the relationship, including my wife. They make no sense and whatever positives they bring to the party are not worth the negatives.

She does her thing, I do mine....all is well. I eat what is put before me without comment....

D.

Too funny, i am so using this line.

Don't coment on the bad food...but heap praise on the good food. She will make food you like best..

I tell my wife if I don't like her cooking, etc. She tells me if she doesn't like mine. Not a big deal.

There are subjects that are off limits but food is too trivial to qualify.

Vash, I'm crying alll over my microwave pie. If there is anything you don't want to eat - I'll eat it.


Even the MIL. I'll have her. I'm not even married but the idea of having a MIL coming around with food, you have it too good.

Two way street, I can't get butthurt if she won't eat what I cook. There are subjects a lot more sensitive than cooking. My wife gave me a big ration when I got fat, I've tried to be more gracious.