Sunday, March 11, 2007

Don't buy the chopped meat

I know that I've written of my mother-in-law's shopping skills previously. She has mentioned to us before about buying ground meat for hamburgers. "Why should you - I have the attachment for the Kitchen Aid to ground meat". Who has the time, I wonder. It's not like we buy it often.

She must have worked on Scissors pretty hard as he said when I got home the other day, "I bought some meat at the butcher's, my mother's grinding it up for us". No arguments from me, but I smile. We had the burgers that night and boy, they were pretty good I must say.

Tali visited Grandma a day later and at dinner at home that night she mentions that Grandma has said not to buy ground meat. "She's weakening the fortress from all angles" I mutter under my breath. "She asked me if I had hamburgers last night. She also asked how big they were and how many I had" Tali offers, her smile getting broader as she recounts each of Grandma's breaches. "Did she ask what plate you ate it from" I muse.

You see, this is the beauty of children - she can sit at Grandma's table having honey cake, being peppered with questions. She'll typically answer in one word responses, all the while seeing the absurdity of the situation and being amused by it. I'd just get annoyed. In this scenario, everybody's a winner - we get the ground meat knowing (more or less) what's in it, Tali gets honey cake and Grandma is happy in her knowledge that she has saved us a few dollars.

Oy, makes you want to become a vegetarian.

24 comments:

Al said...

Funny post.

Before you become a vegetarian, G, you might want to find out beforehand what your Mother In Law already knows about how to do that "right," too.

Carrie said...

Who has time, indeed!! I've gotten lazy enough to buy the already made patties. WHAT? It's easier when I'm rushing through the house!!

My brother is a vegetarian. You know what his doctor told him? He needs to eat more vegetables. hee, hee, hee!

Anonymous said...

It's nice when everyone gets satisfied.
I like the green background. It makes me feel more like I am grazing the Internet instead of surfing.

G said...

Al: Thanks. Who am I to spoil everybody's fun?

Pinky: I agree totally! Look you're busy renovating houses - how do you even make time to cook?! Funny on your brother - hee hee.

Lammy: So true. Haha, I like that - grazing the internet.

Anonymous said...

concur with Al. Funny post.

I hate honeycake basically because I hate honey. Always have wondered if that makes me less a Jew

Doug The Una said...

No mother-in-law could ever make me want to be vegetarian. They all make me want to stay single.

Claire said...

It is a great thing to have a daughter do the end run around the old mother-in-law!

G said...

Pia: Thanks. I don't think less a Jew, just a picky one :) Too bad, I make a decent honey cake too.

Doug: They do have that effect, be warned. Then you build up an immunity, I mean love, love!

Claire: It's a thing of beauty really. I'm sure it's what keeps the family intact.

tsduff said...

I've only recently acquired a mother in law - she cooks Icelandic stuff.. like lamb and fish. Yummmmm.

~Mo'a~ said...

I don't have to worry at all.....wait, wait.....I am a Mother-in-law.....the best kind as I live 3000 miles and an Ocean away. But I would love to grind some meat for them.
My Mother-in-law died 20 years ago :(

Unknown said...

Having read Fast Food Nation, I don't think it's a bad idea to grind your own beef.

robkroese said...

Stupid blogger.

Anonymous said...

this is exactly why i'm a vegetarian. (well, this, and a lot of other things, but for now, this'll do!)

i could have sworn i left a comment when i FIRST read this wonderful post, NBFF, but then, i could have sworn today was only Monday, so, y'know, i'm having trouble with that whole time/space/comment continuum thing again. (i just hate when that happens!) xoxox

G said...

Actonbell: Exactly it - nothing is aimed at you. You just get to be the beloved daughter/grandaughter, like Tali. You are indeed not of slow brain - your pondering makes sense indeed. Although the butcher is Kosher anyway, they can never be clean enough and did I mention the price savings? And who knows what they put in it and did I mention the price savings? So it goes.

Terry: Now see, I guess it's not all bad. My MIL does cook us some delicious things. So there's that... :)

Mo'a: I am sure you are the best kind. My MIL really loves us, does she have to show it so much, all the time?

rkr-diesel!: Don't say anymore although after Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, our imaginations didn't need to stray far. I'm liking this home grinding idea more and more.

Diesel: Indeed

Neva: Haha, oh do I know of that whole continuum conundrum. I'll get the whole list of reasons out of you! xox

Anonymous said...

I had this mother-in-law! After every meal she would say, "this will freeze nicely" meaning i was to wrap the leftovers in foil and freeze them. No matter what. I love how you can let it go...and how Tali can too...Oy! I wonder what kind of mother-in-laws we shall be. Let's write our pact now.
Hugs, and XXXXXs
P.S. buy morningstar farms grillers when you go veggie (ha!) because Boca burger is owned by Phillip Morris.

P.P.S.

Did you get my email?

Nessa said...

Very funny. And I know the situation well. My mother is always sending little packages because we are not capable of taking care of ourselves properly. But, what are mothers for, right?

Nessa said...

I like the color change. Looks like spring.

Heather said...

I too like the color change...change is good. I don't have any MIL so I don't know about such things, but I remeber as a child my grandmother would come to visit with groceries...and then clean the fridge while she put away the stuff she brought. I wonder what my paents thought of that little trick? Ha! Actually I remember my Mom's huffing and puffing about the house never being clean enough and her not being a good enough cook...
I love Honey cake...hint, hint. And your new artwork is wonderful...I have been doing a lot of collage work of late myself and I found this one to be so inspiring, thanks for sharing!

G said...

Cindra: Hah, I often think that - what kind of MIL...then I promise NOOO, let's make the pact.

Actually that is the kind of veggie burgers (as I do enjoy them) we buy. Have never had a Boca Burger - that I know. And keep an eye on your inbox, I am the tardiest of the tardies. xox


Goldennib: I always keep in mind that it is done with love. It is amazing how I navigate life though...
Goldennib: Needed a little spring pick me up. Thanks.

hmbt: Yeah, those are the MIL moments that keep we DIL's muttering. Ooh you do love honey cake do you? Hmmm, take a slice on your way out then :) Oh and I'm glad my little muse could inspire. She's lovely isn't she?
Nice to see you.

ckmunson said...

:) I have the attachement too... but I've never used it!

FirstNations said...

oh my goodness yes store ground beef isn't kosher. if that's her beef (you see what i did there) then it's a legitimate one. but still...my ex's mother used to check my dishes for spots. like a fricken commercial. so i know the feeling of 'let me run my own house, lady!'
i of course am a perfect mother in law.
perfect.

G said...

cj: Hah - see! That's why I don't bother to get it. :)

fn: No, the ground beef is indeed Kosher, remember we're dealing with Kosher butchers and markets. It's not a matter of Kashrut, just saving money and actually knowing what's in there. But mostly saving money. Of course you are a perfect MIL, did we have any doubts?

ann said...

Brilliant..... yeah and I'm a mil too.... oh dear!!!!

Funny thing is spending time with current and future dil in Israel together prompted to pen a verse at my other blog

actually, if you don't mind, here it is because hardly anyone goes there... doh!!!! I wonder why??? LOL Because it's rubbish... yeah!


Sitting quietly
Listening
Listening to their stories
Their stories about their mothers
Their mothers from hell
They couldn’t tell
They couldn’t tell how I felt
But now I understand
I understand we are condemned
Condemned by a single word
Whether we do wrong
Or even right by them
For
Either way
They remember it all their lives
But they forget the rest
When their mothers did their best
Now I contemplate
So unsure
Wondering
Wondering what the hell
What the hell do they say about their mother-in-law?

Anonymous said...

So--what? She shouldn't try to help you? *shrugging shoulders*