Tonight's dinner was an absolute FAIL! Well.. not ALL of it but my idea to make an apple chutney turkey loaf based on the apple chutney burgers (that I love) just didn't come out as I expected.
I used too much vinegar, not enough apples and the loaf just didn't stay together. I also attempted to make an apple based gravy which no one liked but me. However my Creamy Mashed Potatoes were a hit (they always work out perfectly) and the side of broccoli was the first thing gone off everyones plates. 
WHY am I sharing this failed dinner? Well it's simple... we all fail sometimes. No one is perfect in the kitchen no matter what they tell you. One of the goals of my blog is to inspire people to cook more at home. To take ownership of the food they feed themselves and their family and to to TRY! The benefits to cooking more at home are countless but there some pitfalls as well. There may be catastrophes, messy kitchens and possibly unhappy kids, or in my case husbands--that happens more often in my house. 😉
So I will continue to share my successes, failures and ideas in hopes to inspire. Trying new things is fun and the lessons my son has learned in our kitchen, invaluable. Tonight we talked about how sometimes you have to eat a few bites of something you may not like because it's what was made for dinner. Simple as that.
I promised the husband a "safe" dinner tomorrow. Meaning... no experiments. 😉
susiebeeonmaui
Yep, been there. Most recently, I tried to create a healthy cereal/snack bar. Tasted good but wouldn't stay together-big, crumby mess. Good on yogurt though!
Good lesson for your son.
Jeri Lyn
Thanks Roni for posting your "failure". There are many times I don't try because I hate to FAIL!! I am a perfectionist so rather than fail there are a lot of things I just don't start. I'm working on it & i'm trying to work on cooking more @ home, hopefully with few failures. 🙂
Amanda
I swear I am the fail queen! LOL Often times I like what I make but no one else does..I count that as a fail for them, and a win for me! haha but I hate when no one likes it including me..win some you lose some 🙂
roni
Funny you should say 50.. it's how many recipes I'm putting in the GreenLiteBites book I'm working on RIGHT NOW! 50 GreenLiteBites Favorites! 🙂
Jessica
I must admit that I chuckled when I saw the big, red FAILED. I heard the " THUNK! " with a deep voice saying " FAILED".(in my head)
And we still love you! For this one 'failure', you have produced, oh I don't know, maybe 50 successful recipes? Your batting average is still pretty safe! 😉
Marla
Thanks for sharing. I'm happy to see I'm not the only one. My husband actually has kept a tally of my bad meals, not to rub it in my face, but to remind me that there are so few and not to beat myself up when I do FAIL. I tend to be my biggest critic and kick myself for not doing better.
Debby
My failure's are always a reminder that there's nothing wrong with the old standby. We need to try new things, but we also need the tried and true meals, often our favorites.
I think we eat a homemade turkey and pasta casserole at least once every 2 weeks at my house. My hubby made it last week and "experimented" with new seasoning; it didn't satisfy my need for the familiar and was one of the few times I was on the other end of a kitchen failure! It was refreshing, just as your post here admitting your failure is.
FoodontheTable
This is a great post! At times I even experiment on company, which is a little scary. When things turn out bad (or inedible), it's just part of the learning experience of cooking. You have to keep practicing!
Lindsey Ferguson
HA! Yesterday I tried to "whip up" a peach cobbler and make it a little healthier. The husband, who never complains about dinner, asked me not once, not twice, but THREEE times to never make it again. LOL
This makes me feel better. 🙂
Laura
And this is post is one of the reasons we love and appreciate you, Roni! It's nice to be reminded that we are all in the same boat - there are going to be failures along the way. Thank you for posting this!
Krista S.
I just had one of the crappiest days ever and this post put a huge smile on my face and dare I say, I even LOL'd! Not AT you, but because I've totally been in that same situation (failed on making the same apple chutney turkey burgers last week...too much vinegar and too much mustard). Thanks for sharing...it means a lot.
CindMoore
It always helps to know when something didn't work and why so I can keep it in mind if I'm making something similar. Thanks Roni 🙂
Brandi
Aww, that's too bad:( Yeah, haven't we all cooked some really not so good meals... hence pizza delivery.
Casey
Ohh we've all been there. The chicken drumsticks (burnt on the outside, raw on the inside), grainy disgusting pumpkin brownies...
The real problem is that we usually just have to order pizza then. If you view that as a problem 😉
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
This has so happened to me!! I don't usually share them though. I applaude you for sharing, thanks!
Megan
Thanks Roni for posting this! Fails are no fun but it's good to be reminded they happen to other people too. At least now you know what not to do next time!
Jan
I have fails all the time. We just laugh about it and carry on to the next experiment. You never know if you don't try right?