Hi, this is what you wrote:

"Unfortunately I am a one woman show as they say. I do ALL the chores and work a full day too. So I need ideas,recipes to make cooking easier,simpler etc. My husband is also a big eater unfortunately and gets rather cranky with me when there isn't a dinner for him."


THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELL and I'm shocked no one has even brought that up. EVERYTHING IS OBVIOUSLY ON YOUR SHOULDERS.

I used to be like that. I would do everything, clean everything (Alan didn't know his way around a kitchen and wouldn't even try).

When we both worked (20 years ago), no one cooked at night, we did chinese takeout or some other takeout but THAT ADDS TO EXPENSE.

So when we both worked, I made Sunday, (that is if you don't work on Sunday), I used Sunday to make all my chickens, (we ate beef way back then), I used to make Beef Stew, I made all the meals, popped them in the frreezer in serving trays. And when we came home, we took out the trays, microwaved them. and I would then micro a potato and we had our dinner with a baked potato.

BUT..... all that changed when I had to stop working (because my son had so many problems in school), I had to become a stay at home mom.

So what did I do??? I became a home typists for laywers and judges.

Now try cleaning the house, cooking, and typing all day long. I wanted to kill Alan because, even though he worked, he would think "well, she's home all day long"...

Want to know how I STOPPED ALL THIS NONSENSE!!!

First, believe in yourself. Second, your husband MUST GET INVOLVED with helping you around the house, doing laundry, and most important, getting in the kitchen with you. It's not enough (in 2007), for both of you to do a full time job, and the woman comes home and cooks and serves the guy.

That kind of thinking has to go out the window. You'll get a stroke and you are not well to begin with.

So how did I do it.? Well, I stopped making him breakfast and lunch. That was for starters. One day, he got up and said "what's for breakfast". There were the cereals all lined up on the counter. He knew where all the bowls and spoons were. He knew where the milk was and he knew where my muffins were (all ready under my cake thing).

So I said "where is it written that because we are both home, that I do everything and you get served"? Tell me where it's written!!!!

He looked at me and said "you mean you want me to make breakfast?"

I said "There's the cereal, you know where everything else is,if you want to eat, GO AND DO IT". He grumbled a bit, but that was the first day.

Then lunch came. I used to make him salad greens with lovely grilled chicken.

Lunch time came and he said "what's for lunch". I said 'you can make it or you can starve". He said "what?? but I made breakfast". and I said "WELL WHOOPDY DOO FOR YOU".

Guess what he did. He made cereal and ate a muffin.

Then I looked him dead in the face and said "No, too many carbs, make a power shake. He did so. So now he makes his own cereal and most times he makes a power shake. I will, now and then, make him the grilled chicken thing. But HE ALSO DOES THE LAUNDRY ONCE A WEEK, FOLDS IT AND PUTS IT AWAY.

Supper is my domain. I'm a good cook and he couldn't bake a stone in he tried.

That I don't mind. BUT, I get him to mix the muffin batter. and if I make meatballs (using ground turkey), I put everything in the bowl, and I go over to him with a big potato masher and I say "you're much stronger than me, please make these". He does, (after flexing his muscles).

I could never go back to the way I used to be. I did EVERYTHING and he reaped the rewards.

Now when his neuropathy was really bad and he was on the fentanyl patch, of course I did more....... but once he saw Dr. Theirl and he got better, then why on earth would I let him sit in the living room chair watching tv, when I am cooking, cleaning up etc.

He doesn't do dishes. But he will take the Swiffer and go around the rooms.

And you should see the look at his face when I tell him "Cmon, it's time to turn the mattress around and fix the bedroom.

But he did it. See he realizes how much I take care of him and he has to do MORE FOR HIMSELF because what happens when I'm not arround anymore (if god forbid something happens to me).

He always used to say "man if you die on me, I'll starve to death".

Guess what??? He won't starve anymore.

Try this (in small doses) and see what happens.

Then pm me and I'll give you my muffin recipe.

Melody