DEAR ABBY: I am a 17-year-old girl and somewhat spoiled. My mother delivers breakfast in bed to me daily. My dad eats a burger for dinner, but Mom cooks a ribeye steak with a loaded baked potato for me.
I don't know how to cook, but Dad says I must cook a complete Thanksgiving dinner with no assistance! My smartphone will help, but do you have any ideas? -- WORRIED ABOUT TURKEYS
DEAR WORRIED: Mastering the basics of cooking is an important skill you will need when you no longer live with your parents. Your father has the right idea, but he's going about it the wrong way. Expecting you to go from not knowing how to boil water to producing an entire Thanksgiving dinner without help is unrealistic, to say the least.
You and your mother should prepare the dinner together, and she should guide you as you prepare one or two of the dishes. This will ensure that there will be a home-cooked feast rather than a disaster after which your family will wind up in a restaurant.
Why is dad eating a different meal than the rest of the family? This seems really weird to me.
Anyway, the advice of making dinner together is good. And something they should be doing most nights anyway. Maybe she should start watching the Food Network. The boys love watching it and getting ideas on cooking.
Yeah, i would like more information to know the situation. It does seem weird. Seems like a very disconnected family. And, how did this come up that she is expected to cook the whole meal. That's bizarre.
Sounds to me like dad is trying to break a cycle or habit.
And different meals? No. I never made different meals, the kids got to choose a side that would go with the meal I was making, but the main meal was the same for everyone.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Sounds like a totally dysfunctional family! At
least the LW acknowledges that she is spoiled.
Why did Dad give an edict that LW must do all
the cooking, all of a sudden. And what would be
the consequences if she totally drops the ball on
all the items? How elaborate does Dad expect
the meal to be? Turkey, 2 sides, and a dessert?
Or canapes, soup, salad, rolls, turkey, 5 sides,
and 3 desserts?
She should sign the whole family up for volunteering in a local soup kitchen Thanksgiving.
Sounds like they each need to remember how blessed they are.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
One year, when all six kids were being really
obnoxious, DH and I served LEFTOVERS for
Thanksgiving, to show them how blessed they
were to have enough to have more than enough.
The following Saturday, we fixed a typical holiday
meal, with all the trimmings. They learned a
lesson reallllll fast!
Found out my cousin and her family is coming for Thanksgiving.
She was always a spoiled brat and now she's got two spoiled brats of her own. Her husband is about as interesting as a cotton ball and far less useful.
Yay.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Lily ~
I really like your suggestion of volunteering at a
soup kitchen. I would suggest that they also bring
food (a LOT of food) that the kitchen can't normally
serve. Think appetizers (pigs in a blanket), hot
mulled cider, or a humongous fresh salad, with all
kinds of special dressings (vinaigrettes, ranch, bleu
cheese, green goddess, etc.), complete with fresh
croutons.
