My Husband and Rachel Ray

Everyone always says the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  Well, if you want to get my husband's heart, you better be armed with a Rachel Ray recipe.  Not even kidding.

Before we got married, we discussed chores and cooking.  We agreed that I would cook dinners, and Stewart would be responsible for weekend breakfasts.  I asked if there were any foods he did not like (celery, olives, mushrooms).  In the beginning, I played around with different foods not really following any recipes since all of my cookbooks were in storage.  Every night I would sit down at the dinner table and wait with anticipation while Stewart took the first bites.  I wanted to figure out what he liked.  He would just eat and not comment on the food unless I asked if he liked it to which he would reply that he did.  It wasn't enough for me.  I wanted to make something that would have him actually saying it was good without having to be asked.

We got my cookbooks out of storage, and I got to work pouring through them planning out the dinners for the week.  Everyone loves Pioneer Woman, right?  Nope, Stewart had to be asked if the food was good.  I found some Food Network recipes online that sounded good, and I thought they were super tasty.  Nope, still nothing.  I made some of my favorite recipes from growing up.  Nada.  I had resigned myself to the idea that Stewart just didn't give compliments on food unless asked.

Enter Rachel Ray.

I was leafing through a Rachel Ray cookbook that I had and came across a meal that I thought sounded good.  I made it for dinner that night and was not prepared for what happened.  Stewart and I had been chatting while setting the table and sat down.  He took a bite .... and told me how good it tasted!  I hadn't even asked!  Several times during the meal he made comments about how he liked it and the chicken was really good.  Ok, I was on to something.  I finally found something he liked!

So I made chicken again.  No comments.  But he just liked that meal the other night.

I made another Rachel Ray and the same thing happened.  He couldn't stop commenting on how good the food was!  I couldn't believe it.  What is it about her recipes that he notices?  I've thought all the recipes I've followed have been good.

I decided it must just be some weird coincidence.  Until the asparagus incident.

Stewart and I were at the store one time, and he commented about how he likes asparagus.  Awhile later, I was planning out the menu and was going to make a Rachel Ray recipe that didn't have any sides included or even suggestions.  Knowing how much Stewart likes asparagus, I made it as the side.  We sat down to dinner.  Stewart, again, commented on the chicken and how good it was and then said "but I don't know about the asparagus, I guess I don't actually like it".  Wait.  He actually managed to pick out the one part of the meal that Rachel Ray did not dictate.  Again, I told myself that this must all be coincidences.

I made another Rachel Ray a couple weeks later and she said to make asparagus as the side.  So I did.  Even if Stewart doesn't like it, I do, and I was the one cooking.  We sat down to dinner and, as I expected, he commented on the main dish and how much he liked it.  And then .... he said how much he liked the asparagus!  What?  He only likes it when Rachel Ray says to make it?  How does he even know?

This past month, both of us have been pretty sick and cooking has not been up to par.  We've had a lot of easy meals and soup.  Last night, I cooked dinner and fixed a Rachel Ray recipe complete with asparagus like she said.  Throughout dinner, Stewart commented on how much he liked it.

I don't know how he does it.  He never comments on the food if it's not a Rachel Ray recipe.  But if it is hers, he raves about the meal!  All I know is that Rachel Ray is the way to Stewart's heart.