Why Women Return to Work When Their Husbands Retire – Reason #1

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Ingredients.”  What’s the one item in your kitchen you can’t possibly cook without? A spice, your grandma’s measuring cup, instant ramen — what’s your magic ingredient, and why?

My husband sits at the kitchen island with his computer while I prepare meals.  Suddenly he has become the secret ingrediant to my success in the kitchen. After all these years I couldn’t possibly prepare a meal without him explaining to me:

• How to clean a chicken
• Which herbs and spices are appropriate for the dish I’m preparing
• How many herbs and spices I should use
• What temperature the oven should be set at
• How to fold the grocery bags
• How to line up the cans in the pantry (all labels facing forward)
• How to most efficiently load the dishwasher
• What foods should never be put in the garbage disposal
• Why fruit flies have appeared in our kitchen
• How to make a better cup of coffee
• How to clean the coffee maker
• Which dishes/cups can safely be used in the microwave
• Which bread/salad dressings/pickles and other condiments he prefers on his sandwiches
• Why he is the best popcorn maker in the family
• Why our grand-daughter prefers his pasta to mine
• The proper way to clean dishes (hand-wash)
• The proper way to fold a dish towel
• The best brand of dishwashing liquid
• How to clean a cast iron skillet (the way his dad did)
• How to empty the drip pan under the refrigerator
• When the garbage can needs to be emptied
• Which items can be recycled
• Etc.

It’s amazing that my family has survived the past 40 years of my meal preparation without his supervision.  For those of you ladies who don’t have a man looking over your shoulder while you’re in the kitchen, feel free to borrow mine.

Please.