Ed's Nightmare Soup

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Hanfordrose
Hanfordrose Posts: 688 Member
Let's me begin by saying that my hubbie Ed has a good heart but is a scary cook. Unfortunately, I can not get around easily in our small apartment kitchen, as I am in a wheelchair or sit at my desk most of the time.

My hubbie Ed recently bought a slow cooker, and that device has become his go to appliance in the kitchen. He likes burning meat on the grill, but everything else goes into his slow cooker pot. I refuse to comsume any of his NIGHTMARE slow cooker creations. :sick:

I thought you might enjoy hearing ideas from a NON-gourmet cook...my sweet hubbie Ed.

I start my day with a prayer. "Lord, help me. Ed is using the slow cooker again."

He has spent this morning trying to convince me to share in his concoction. "Not on your life!!!" :noway:

"But Mama...I washed all the vegetables." That's something new. I did caution him about scrubbing his carrots and potatoes the other day.

"I even bought a ham hock to make the BROTH."...like he knows the meaning of broth. "This is my daily PORK!"..."Pork is one of our DAILY SUPPLEMENTS."

WHAT?!!! Yes, Ed had the nerve to call pork a daily supplement, like vitamin C or D. We now have Vitamin Pork. (Ohhhh Noooo) :huh:

God...Please help me...and HIM.

Ed continued in his gruesome description of this slow cooker recipe, "I washed the vegetables. I even peeled the carrots and potatoes...and cut them into little bits...just like the recipe said."

What recipe?

That's when I found out that he had found this soup recipe on a package of split peas...dry split peas, which he just threw into the pot with everything else, ignoring the fact that the recipe called for precooking the peas. He also got the idea of ham hocks from that split pea soup recipe.

The back of the package called for some other things which Ed didn't have or understand at the time. SO...he improvised. :sad:

(Get ready for this, folks.) When he couldn't find Bay Leaves in the cupboard, he used Dry Basil. Ed's reasoning..."They both start with the letter B." (Groan!) He couldn't pronounce Thyme let alone find it...SO...he went with Ground Cumin, a flavor that he likes. Did he measure out those spices...NO..."I just shook some in." (Double Groan!!)

To make things even more interesting, Ed didn't bother to buy some of the other items which were listed on the recipe. He couldn't see any purpose for Olive Oil, since he already had what he called Ham in this soup.

There was one item not on the recipe, which Ed could not omit. The idea of leaving his precious Russet Potatoes out of anything he cooks is impossible to him, though he did peal the potatoes and cut them into small pieces...something new to Ed. I mentioned that his russet potatoes might dissolve in the boiling water; and Ed responded with, "They will add to the BROTH." He has found a new excuse for everything that goes into his slow cooker. All he has to do is call it an addition to the BROTH.

Life with Ed is never dull. His cooking alone is an adventure, but I refuse to join in this trips into experimental cooking. I will stick with my food plan today, which does not include Ed's Nightmare Soup.

By the way, Ed wanted all of you to know that he lost 0.5 pounds last week. He prefers 0.5 pounds to 1/2 pound. "It sounds like a bigger number than 1/2." I will attribute his weight loss to his daily bike rides...not his cooking. Ed is not on MFP, but he likes to hear about my friends online and what they have to say.

I will share your comments with him. Maybe you can encourage him to stop using that slow cooker. :wink:
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Replies

  • FinallyFindingLisa
    FinallyFindingLisa Posts: 222 Member
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    Ed sounds a bit like mine - thankfully I (& my son) CAN get around and DO like to cook so we're saved from most "creations".

    Perhaps you can encourage Ed to watch the Food Network??

    Wish you (& your digestive system) the best of luck.:drinker:
  • iampam4399
    iampam4399 Posts: 81 Member
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    Kudos to Ed for trying!!!!

    And kudos to you for sticking with your plan, and losing that 20 lbs.

    You two are awesome!!!!!
  • ShannonTourne
    ShannonTourne Posts: 77 Member
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    I love your story! I can tell that your dear Ed is a "ham" himself! You made me smile today...thank you. :happy:
  • PatrickSwayzesGhost
    PatrickSwayzesGhost Posts: 300 Member
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    Ed's quite the card!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    Your post reminds me of one of my hubbies disasters. He likes to think he can cook so he belongs to a cooking group on Facebook. One of the ladies posted a recipe for chicken casserole and he decided he would like to try it. So went to the store and bought the ingredients. Came home and baked the casserole, which we promptly plated and ate. Oh, wow. Very strange after taste, couldn't quite put our finger on it, but strange. We kept trying little bits of it over the next day or two, it didn't get any better. I finally threw it out. Later I discovered that he had crumbled cinnamon flavored Ritz crackers over the top. Apparently he didn't pay attention to the words on the box.

    To be honest, he can cook a few things very well, but mostly he is too creative for his own good.
  • Bbwnomore2
    Bbwnomore2 Posts: 225 Member
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    oh my! I thinnk my ex husband was like his son. (they cooked the same way) Best of luck to you two
  • jlemoore
    jlemoore Posts: 702 Member
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    Sounds like Ed and I cook a lot a like. And I am a FANTASTIC Cook!
  • Hanfordrose
    Hanfordrose Posts: 688 Member
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    Perhaps you can encourage Ed to watch the Food Network??

    Actually, he does watch Food Network with me from time to time. Unfortunately, he only seems to get ideas for 'new words' to call his creations. He learned words like BROTH...then, he tries to apply them to his concoctions. :frown:
  • KAA1982
    KAA1982 Posts: 90 Member
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    You should show him your appreciation for his efforts with a slow cooker cook book. There are a lot of good, easy recipes that are hard to mess up :laugh:
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    Bless Ed's heart! We all gotta learn slow cooker recipes at some point, but he should invest in a cookbook for novices as well.


    Cooking for Dummies is a good start!



    And I'm not being an *kitten*, either. The "for Dummies" series are great.
  • chatondoux
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    While I came here afraid to finda recipe for "nightmare soup" LOL what I found pleasantly surprised me :)

    I am obcessed with our crockpot, and I love throwing a bunch of stuff in it but I don't touch spices other than lawry's and garlic salt :D And I don't know what a hamhock is but I'm not a fan of touching raw meat the feeling gives me the creeps my mom always says I'll never be able to cook a turkey or anything like that :D Eww! Chicken I can handle, well boneless stuff anyway :P

    Your hubby sounds totally awesome, what a cut up to be around :) Thanks for sharing the story I really enjoyed reading it :D
  • Teachinjen
    Teachinjen Posts: 88 Member
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    I laughed out loud reading your post, because I had dental surgery on Tuesday, and made myself, SPLIT PEA SOUP IN THE CROCKPOT today to eat for dinner....I however, followed the directions that my recipe had......I love split pea soup, and needed something different that was soft to eat for dinner......My husband can't stand it, so he is having tacos.......
  • Hadley_SM
    Hadley_SM Posts: 43 Member
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    I think this story is very cute and it warmed my heart! :) Thank-you for sharing. Ed is just trying to show you how much he loves you....even though it may taste gross I would feel blessed to just have him at all, and especially cooking!! :)
  • shastacrystal
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    This post really did make me smile. Thanks! So did he think his soup was delicious?
  • PatrickSwayzesGhost
    PatrickSwayzesGhost Posts: 300 Member
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    Bless Ed's heart! We all gotta learn slow cooker recipes at some point, but he should invest in a cookbook for novices as well.

    Cooking for Dummies is a good start!
    Rude! :angry:
    And I'm not being an *kitten*, either. The "for Dummies" series are great.
    Oh! Well, what do you know? I checked the google, and this is true!
  • kabel4892
    kabel4892 Posts: 167 Member
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    Atleast he tried! haha This was such a cute story :)
  • Hanfordrose
    Hanfordrose Posts: 688 Member
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    To be honest, he can cook a few things very well, but mostly he is too creative for his own good.

    Yep. That is Ed. He can grill steak and bake a potato; but beyond that, we are in a scary place. :happy:
  • gailmelanie
    gailmelanie Posts: 210 Member
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    Although my mother understands directions, measurements, ingredients and has a good working vocabulary for cooking, the nightmare soup sounds like stuff she used to make when I was a kid. She's better now, but I'm still not impressed most of the time. Haven't seen her use a slow cooker. She likes the oven.
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,720 Member
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    I someday hope to infuriate a loving woman as much as good old Ed here. And for as many years.



    :flowerforyou:
  • MrsB123111
    MrsB123111 Posts: 535 Member
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    Bless his heart... At least he's entertaining!