DD says all the food I make is rubbish.....I think she may be right.

[VivaLeBeaver]

She is a good eater - for other people. Came home raving about the CM's cheesy, chicken pasta bake. So I found a recipe, showed her the photo, she said it looked the same as the CM's. I cooked it today, before I even got it out the oven she was moaning saying she wouldn't eat it as it would be awful as all my food is.

Hubby won't eat my food. Its like an episode of Butterflies round here. Anytime I cook I'm the only person who eats what I've made.

DD lives on pasta with grated cheese, pizza and jacket potatoes. At home, she'll eat other stuff out and about.

Just don't know where I'm going wrong. I have plenty of recipe books, Ministry of Food, Nigel Slater, Leith's bible, Nigella, Good Food, etc.

I make fantastic cakes so I can follow some recipes. I think I follow normal meal recipes ok but it turns out wrong.

Do I give up and just buy ready meals?

Stock up your store cupboard with seasonings. In place of salt try a dash of tamari or marigold veg bullion as they have more flavour aswell as salt iyswim. But remember some spice blends contain salt (eg garam masala,ras al hanout). Try a dash of tabasco, vinegar or lemon juice to liven flavours up towards the end of cooking. Herbs and spices are your friends, don't be shy, use them with a generous hand. Browning things brings out their flavour. Some dishes bennefit from a tiny pinch of sugar (brown or white). Use bay and nutmeg in white or cheese sauces. Chuck old parmesan rinds in pots of tomato soup. Remember fat tastes good so a little olive oil at the end, or even butter can work wonders. Sorry all random and rushed

She's 9. Old enough to have some manners.

Cook a meal. Serve the meal. If she eats it, fine. If she refuses, take the meal away and tell her calmly that there is plain brown bread, fruit and milk. Nothing else. Do not get involved in any discussion on the subject at all. If she refuses it rudely, then do whatever you do when she is rude - withdrawl of privileges, sent to room - whatever.
Do NOT blame yourself, bend over backwards to cook her other stuff, apologize, yield to threats or get involved in any discussion at all.

Honestly, she's taking the mick. Don't rise to her bait.

If my 9 year old spoke to me like that there would be hell to pay. And if my DH refused to eat my food and made out I was some useless joke of a cook there would be hell to pay there as well.

Seriously.

Your daughter is 9. She has evidently picked up your insecurity with cooking and boy is she capitalising on it.

Don't make a great big fuss with the food. Don't get yourself worked up in knots. Cook something simple, and say that is all they are going to get. I can't imagine your food is really as disgusting as you say.

If you are really that insecure, rather than go down ready meals route, try those Shwartz cook in sauc e packet things (don't laugh). I used to be a very nervous cook, but following those packet instructions really boosted my confidence and skills, and are a lot less daunting than following a full blown recipe when you are unsure of the basixcs.

But more importanly don't let your family take the piss.