Everyday Systems

Doesn't happen very often, but it would happen on the 2nd day of doing No S!

I made a *terrible* meal this evening. New recipe, big disaster. Couldn't force myself to eat more than a few mouthfuls of it, nor could the kids. Obviously replaced the kids food with something else so they don't go to bed hungry but what do I do for myself. I stopped myself reaching for something else, because that felt like cheating (no seconds, after all - just one plate), but I can't see me making it to breakfast without feeling VERY uncomfortable!

Do I just say sod it, mark it a red day and eat something else? Do you mark it exempt as it was an extraordinary situation (in which case, I *really* wish I'd had that chocolate brownie I was offered at a friend's house this morning!!) or do you have a couple of pieces of fruit and still count it as a green "success" day anyway?

Interested to know what others do in this situation, or are you much more consistent cooks than I am!

I decided to allocate two Exception Days per month and not have weekday Special Days.

It wasn't very special when my son broke a candle on the table after I had eaten two bites of cereal. I told him not to eat any more cereal in case he got glass in his cereal. Then I looked at my cereal and literally asked myself if it was worth the risk to eat the rest of my cereal because I'd need to take an Exception Day if I got a new bowl of cereal!

I don't think you can anticipate all the circumstances under which you might break N Day rules. A bad meal is just one. I don't think it was a failure for me to replace my cereal because of the possibility of broken glass in the cereal bowl.

Kathleen

I'd just make something else and have that instead. The bite or two of the failed meal wouldn't count.

Thanks - daft I know, but I think I just needed someone to tell me it wasn't "cheating" and give me permission! Psychologically, I think I really need that first week of green days.

You have to eat something!! You only had a few bites, that's hardly a meal...

Throw it in the bin and make yourself something else that you will enjoy. Being miserable is not the way to go, no matter what happens. Starving yourself is no good cos' it leads to binge eating later on and then you feel bad about the whole thing.

In the bin !

Marc

If you didn't eat it, no problem, eat something else.

If you did eat it, well, at least it's over. You'll know to avoid that recipe next time.

If you ate half/some fraction of it, then I guess then have an additional fractional "virtual plate" of something decent.

I think that covers all the bases.

Over the long haul, I think you'll find the "higher stakes" of limiting yourself to mealtime eating nudges you to make better gastronomical choices. A not so wonderful plate every now and then can actually be a good education.

Reinhard

A couple of bites does not a meal make. Eat something different, don't even think about making it a red day and just remember never to make that recipe again.

I have one recipe that I've tried 3 times and thrown it out each time. I think I keep trying it because there are hundreds of positive comments about this recipe. Well, I'm not trying it anymore!

Thank you all. I went for a couple of pieces of fruit, as I had eaten some of the terrible meal, marked it as green and written it off to a learning experience! I was pretty hungry this morning and had a bigger breakfast, but not excessively so.

Reinhard: I see what you're saying about 1 plate making you think hard about your choices. However, at the same time, being quite a fussy eater with a limited set of dishes that we all eat and enjoy, I don't want to put myself off from trying new recipes even more as I think (for us) that it's really important to increase our culinary repertoire. It becomes a bit of a balancing act.

I really like to cook and try a lot of new recipes. Some don't work out. But usually, I have side dishes with the new main (or vice versa) that are acceptable.

If the recipe is just mediocre, I'd probably eat my plate full and call it a day.

But if it was inedible, I'd remove the inedible part and fill the now open part of the plate with one of the side dishes or a piece of fruit.

I do think Reinhard pretty much covered the general options . . .

Just add salt

Feed it to the dog. Then call the vet.