She Joked about the Secret Ingredient in Her Recipe. Did She Go Too Far?

Azka
Angry MIL
Shutterstock | 124564

A couple recently moved back to the husband's hometown and hosted his family for dinner. The wife cooked a few dishes and made French onion soup, which was a hit. When the mother-in-law asked for the recipe, the wife jokingly said that the secret ingredient was her tears (because onions make you cry). This seemingly innocent joke caused the mother-in-law to stop eating, and they all left without speaking. Now, the mother-in-law refuses to talk to the wife. Was this joke harmless or did it go too far? Read on to find out what happened.

Hosting family dinners in a new town 🍕

cheap_extension5015 | cheap_extension5015

Joking about secret ingredients can sometimes lead to awkward situations 😬

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Organic-loving cook gets triggered by innocent onion joke 😅🧅

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When in-laws don't get along, who's at fault? 🤔

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Did she ruin dinner with one joke? 😬🍲

Hosting a family dinner can be stressful, especially when you're trying to impress your in-laws. But what happens when a harmless joke turns into a major conflict? In this post, a woman shares her experience of making French onion soup for her husband's family and jokingly reveals that the secret ingredient was her tears. Little did she know, her mother-in-law was extremely strict about the origin of her food and did not appreciate the joke. After the comment, the mood at dinner changed, and the mother-in-law and her family quickly left. The author's husband has been trying to make amends, but the mother-in-law is still not speaking to her. Is the author the a**hole for making the joke, or did the mother-in-law overreact? Read on for the comments and reactions from the community.

Commenter defends OP's joke, others join in with funny replies.

cvrmxn | cvrmxn

A joke gone wrong or a joke gone too far?

magnus_the_fish | magnus_the_fish

Joke about onions causes MIL to walk out. NTA.

Sloblock777 | Sloblock777

Organic tears shut down MIL's criticism. The comment section agrees. 🌱😂

Hikerchick66 | Hikerchick66

Defending a joke or the lack of sense of humor? 🤣

Rural_Bedbug | Rural_Bedbug

Spicing up the comments with a mayo joke 🌶️🥪

[deleted] | [deleted]

Harmless onion joke causes drama. Don't be an a**hole. NTA 👌

[deleted] | [deleted]

A lighthearted comment with a punny reply 🐝

ComprehensiveState11 | ComprehensiveState11

Commenter defends joke, receives support and explicit agreement.

DanaMorrigan | DanaMorrigan

NTA comment and sarcastic reply. 🤣

Shoo_B_Doo_B_Doo | Shoo_B_Doo_B_Doo

MIL vs. DIL drama 👀 NTA strikes again

Kittymom4 | Kittymom4

Commenter defends OP's joke and suggests distancing from MIL.

Distinct-Practice131 | Distinct-Practice131

Commenter shows concern for soup maker's mental health.

neeksknowsbest | neeksknowsbest

A harmless joke that sparked a big reaction 🤷‍♀️

Rohini_rambles | Rohini_rambles

Being high maintenance backfires. NTA's glad to avoid drama.

Ejclincoln | Ejclincoln

Redditors agree: not the a**hole for sharing funny recipe secret 🤣

Snausagefestivus | Snausagefestivus

Salty tears and secret ingredients make for delicious drama 😋

unknownun2891 | unknownun2891

Lighten up and laugh a little 😄

lihzee | lihzee

When sarcasm is lost on someone, the results are...interesting 🙃

fleshcoloredbanana | fleshcoloredbanana

Defending a joke with a NTA verdict 🤷‍♀️👍

Decent_Sky_9880 | Decent_Sky_9880

A lighthearted joke at dinner leads to MIL's overreaction. NTA 👍

guessmyageidareyou | guessmyageidareyou

NTA. MIL owes OP an apology, not the other way around 😤👎

dfjdejulio | dfjdejulio

Joke or not? NTA comment defends controversial secret ingredient.

Beneficial_Step9088 | Beneficial_Step9088

No harm done, just a harmless joke 😅🍲

Used_Mark_7911 | Used_Mark_7911

Commenter suggests there might be underlying issues at play.

VlaxDrek | VlaxDrek

Food sensitivity concerns dismissed with a well-placed joke 😂

Chelular07 | Chelular07

Commenter wants recipe labeled as 'Tears of the Cook Soup' 😂

Erisx13 | Erisx13

Don't lose your sense of humor over sensitive people 🤣

NoLifeKing610 | NoLifeKing610

Unexpectedly wholesome comment section 🤣

Siriuxx | Siriuxx

NTA for calling MIL a drama queen, but cutting ties extreme.

lilyofthevalley2659 | lilyofthevalley2659

Empathetic reply receives support from comment section 🙌

Bostongirlgreenwood | Bostongirlgreenwood

MIL's cooking secret ingredient joke gets mixed reactions 😅🍴

[deleted] | [deleted]

Cook's mother-in-law disapproves of soup joke, but commenters are on her side 🙄

[deleted] | [deleted]

Harmless joke or crossing the line? NTA thinks former.

[deleted] | [deleted]

Commenter calls out strange behavior in lighthearted recipe thread 🔍🤔

One_Condition_7001 | One_Condition_7001

Cook's NTA comment triggers sensitive friend. 😬

EmpressJainaSolo | EmpressJainaSolo

Understanding OCD and food obsessions: a compassionate response 🧡

AlbinoMetroid | AlbinoMetroid

Misunderstandings can happen even with harmless jokes. NTA 🤷‍♀️

FruitPopsicle | FruitPopsicle

Neighbor calls out rude cook, but commenter agrees she's NTA 🤷‍♀️

Littleballoffur22 | Littleballoffur22

Organic tears for seasoning? User deemed NTA in comment section.

jazzinitup | jazzinitup

When dad jokes save the day 😂👨‍👧‍👦

lorinabaninabanana | lorinabaninabanana

No a-hole here! This comment is a breath of fresh air 😌

Poor-Decision1979 | Poor-Decision1979

Commenter stands by their verdict: Not the a**hole 👍

zquietspaz | zquietspaz

A cute joke lost in translation? NTA for the chef.

ObviousToe1636 | ObviousToe1636

Joking about secret ingredient - harmless or crossing a line?

[deleted] | [deleted]

MIL can't take a joke? 🤷‍♀️ NTA for moving on.

Mumfiegirl | Mumfiegirl

User defends OP's harmless joke, calls out MIL's overreaction. 😂

TheBattyWitch | TheBattyWitch

Mother-in-law drama? NTA, but sprinkle in some humor 😜

[deleted] | [deleted]

Commenter defends non-vegan tears as NTA, sparking laughter and agreement.

Tricky_Violinist_906 | Tricky_Violinist_906

Confused about the onion joke? This commenter clears it up! 😂

Sensitive-Jello9171 | Sensitive-Jello9171

NTA cook claps back at haters, suggests they enjoy silence 🤫

wfowfo | wfowfo

Understanding and empathy for a possible disorder. #NTA 🙏

lulu-52 | lulu-52