I read once that french fries were the worst food that Americans eat. I don't know, but yeah, potatoes are not great.

I can believe that, with the nutritional value (or lack thereof) and the fat they're cooked in. That's why they should be cooked in duck fat.

I was ready to kill someone and use their skull as a rice cooker.

words cannot express how much I love this statement.

runs to COMM

That's why they should be cooked in duck fat.

This may just be the best idea EVAR.

Oh yeah, one of my personal non-favorites. Stand with me in parental solidarity even if you don't agree!

I think that's what he's trying to do. In his mind, she's not standing with him because she's not telling the kids to keep the doors open.

I can believe that, with the nutritional value (or lack thereof) and the fat they're cooked in.

There's also some crazy chemical reaction that happens with potatoes when they're cooked to a certain temp that makes them super-duper bad for you. Oh french fries, why must you betray us so?

Thanks; Ginger. I'll call my doctor on Monday.

Oh yeah, one of my personal non-favorites. Stand with me in parental solidarity even if you don't agree!

I think that's what he's trying to do. In his mind, she's not standing with him because she's not telling the kids to keep the doors open.

Yes, I'm sure that's what he's feeling. I'd stand with him more readily if he could have a reasonable explanation of why something so minor bothers him so much. This is often the case with him and the kids. Because I spend 14 hours a day with them, I'm much more prone to let the little stuff slide and work on the big stuff. His time with them is more limited so he doesn't let anything slide.

Hazard of the SAHM job, I suppose.

It might not be a question of a little thing. It's a question of triggers. My sister cannot stand whistling. Can't stand it. So she forbids it. She thinks this is reasonable because it's a sound, and sounds are "by definition" disturbing. Some people don't like to hear babies cry. Personally it's never bothered me. Visual things sometimes bug me much more. I don't think it less of a legitimate complaint because it's visual, not aural.

ETA: This is not to say you're being unreasonable or anything, because I very much agree with this:

Either way, I'm not sure why you're involved.

I have my list of things I won't tolerate, but I'm also more relaxed in general. DH seems to expect a level of perfection I don't think is reasonable. People are going to parent differently just like kids are going to behave differently. It's fine with me if DH is tougher than me on some things, just don't ask me to be upset about something when it just doesn't bug me. Can't we just all get along!?!

Back to the dishes. And the laundry. So much to do.

Just an FYI, potatoes are very good sources of a number of vitamins and minerals. And they do not spike my blood sugar( diabetic- so yes I have tested) any more seriously then many others. They are not evil. However, french fries are another thing.

Various people seem to react very differently to foods - and for reasons. I am sensitive to carbohydrates - too many and I fall asleep. That's diabetes. Dh could never eat read meat and be happy - I get cravings for it . DH has 3x more iron in his blood than I do. Both DH and my sister K have to watch the amount of fat they eat, because they have sensitive stomach. But I don't have digestive problems from a high fat meal.

Cass , are the kids old enough to understand that there are different rules for different parents? For example, when my dad was home , there was no eating in front of the tv. But if dad was away, mom said it was ok. Maybe It can be part of the before dad comes home ritual- pick up the toys, start dinner , open the french doors.

The tricky part is finding a diet that we can stick with because it fits our lifestyle and doesn't leave us feeling totally deprived.

Yes, very much this.

I eat red meat sometimes because, thanks to the fact I almost certainly have fibroids (not officially diagnosed yet, but all the symptoms match and they run in my family), my iron levels run low. I also take daily supplements and eat a fair amount of beans, but I figure the occasional beef dish is a way to make getting enough iron a treat rather than a chore. But I don't overdo, because one of the OTHER things that runs in my family is colon cancer.

I've been on Weight Watchers since the beginning of the year, and I've lost 3 lbs., which I figure is a decent start. I like it because it gives me the flexibility to eat foods that I enjoy and fit with my lifestyle as long as I stay within my point range, and I need that. I mean, my life is pretty crazy. I know it would be better if I never ate convenience foods and never touched a fried potato product again, but realistically that's not going to happen given my current lifestyle. And as for my lifestyle...well, can't quit the job, because we couldn't pay the bills. Can't quit writing, because that's the only way to GUARANTEE I'll never be published, and I get even snarlier if I can't write than if I can't have my carbs. Can't give up the husband and the daughter--I love them and am committed to them. So for the foreseeable future I'm going to be stupid busy, and sometimes that means less than perfect nutritional choices. I'm trying to find ways to fit more cooking time into my life and to cut way back on the bad fats and bad carbs, but for now I need a system with some flexibility and room to be good enough rather than perfect, so that I don't feel like I've Failed Utterly if some Thursday night I'm just too tired to deal with cooking or the kitchen is a mess and I order a pizza or, horrors!, get fast food. So WW works for me, but Atkins and its ilk are a big fat no, because even if they really are the ideal diet that everyone ought to be following, I know that I can't and won't stick to them.