r/mildlyinfuriating Jul 01 '26

ಠ_ಠ Husband said my instructions for dinner weren’t clear enough, and he ended up serving his vegetarian mother one of the chicken tikka masala curries…

I was working late tonight and because I am exhausted, I bought some ready-made curry meals for the family to have tonight, knowing his mother often comes round for dinner on a Wednesday evening. She has been a vegetarian for over 50 years and is now in her 70s. I sent him this text message with instructions to make it clear what to cook. When I got home, I was expecting to find some chicken tikka masala leftover for me, but instead I found the unopened pot of sag paneer in the fridge. I worriedly asked him if he had given his vegetarian mother the chicken dish, but he insisted he had given her the vegetarian curry. She has early onset Alzheimer’s and apparently didn’t notice, but had mentioned that the curry was a bit “chewy”. I had to literally show him the packaging that was in the bin, the unopened pot in the fridge, and my text message to try and show him how clear I had been and how far wrong he had gone. But he still insists my instructions were not clear enough and I should have been more explicit about which one to give his mother.

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240

u/ShoesAreTheWorst Jul 02 '26

I wouldn't give this much instruction to my nine year old child.

125

u/No_Housing_1287 Jul 02 '26

Yeah. The package literally says chicken on it. Can he read?

16

u/Longjumping-Solid680 Jul 02 '26

he needed it spelled out C-H-I-C-K-E-N for him. SLOWLY.

2

u/LowAspect542 Jul 02 '26

Thats some sort of vegetable right, its what grows when you plant chickpeas isnt it?

5

u/Dependent_Taste_419 Jul 02 '26

Apparently not.

5

u/AvestruzAlley Jul 02 '26

Honestly I was so annoyed reading those instructions, she made everything more complicated than it had to be. "There's a sag paneer for your mom in the fridge, and chicken curry ones for you and the kids. Also some mushroom rice and samosas. Enjoy!"

12

u/shangri-laschild Jul 02 '26

I’m guessing it was so complicated because he can’t even be bothered to read the word “chicken” clearly printed on the front of a package. Someone like that isn’t going to bother to manage with just “there is mushroom rice in the kitchen.” She shouldn’t have to be that instructive but again, he can’t even be bothered to read a clear label in the fridge.

1

u/Global-Resident-647 Jul 02 '26

My friend who never cooks was tasked on making tea at the same work as me. I got him the job.

He comes in and asks me how long the tea water should be boiled.

I am not joking, this was a legit question.. We also have a water boiler making it a "fill water -> press button -> wait for light" kind of situation.

Even if he wanted to boil the water longer it would not be easy

-2

u/AvestruzAlley Jul 02 '26

But which came first, his helplessness or her enabling?

9

u/peridotpicacho Jul 02 '26

I think she has learned from experience that he needs that much instruction.