So this isn't really a nanny fail per se, I guess I'm just sensitive to onions. I always have been. When I was little I hated onions, and now if I'm cooking something in my own apartment, I make my husband chop the onion for me. If I try to chop an onion in a poorly ventilated kitchen (like my tiny galley kitchen) my eyes get red, sting, and tear up almost immediately.
One of my first recipes I made for my twin NKs (nanny kids) involved a chopped onion, but I had no problem in my boss's home since they have much larger kitchen. So I didn't tell my employers about my eye sensitivity. I mean, everyone tears up cutting onions, right? I didn't want to seem like a complainer. Plus they had a nice big window in the kitchen I could open if I needed it.
A while later, my MB (mom boss) suggested I make these meatballs for the boys. The original recipe required a grated onion. Not chopped, GRATED. I thought, no problem, I had grated other vegetables for their recipes before, like zucchini, which was easy enough although a bit messy and time consuming. I started with the grated sweet potato, which wasn't an issue, but needed a bit of elbow grease.
First off, grating an onion basically turns it to liquid. It's also super difficult and my hand nearly slipped a few times. Then my eyes started to go. I mean BAD. It felt like someone was stabbing me, and my eyes were streaming. I had to close my eyes, but as I said, the onion was turning to liquid. I didn't want to cut my hand, so I quickly rinsed my hands and walked into the living room, just to get away. I blinked a million times, and felt a bit better, and tried to continue. I made it maybe 30 seconds before I was a mess again.
Then my DB (dad boss) walked inside and saw me. He looked shocked. I thought my eyes probably looked like I was about to cry, so I told him I was totally fine, the onions were getting to me. I told him that grating the onion was just a bit tough for me. He told me don't worry about it, and to just chop the onion. He offered to do it for me, but I told him I just needed to splash some water on my face. When I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, I was red faced, puffy, and I could barely open my eyes.
When I came out of the bathroom, DB had opened all the windows and turned on the fan. Then my MB (mom boss) came out to the kitchen, trying to look casual, but I assumed DB told her I looked a mess. I told her I swear, I was fine, but the onions got to me. They probably thought my husband had left me or something!
After that, my bosses started buying pre-chopped onions, which I found truly kind of them. I can handle chopping them, but I'm pretty sure they started doing that for me. I know it's a tiny thing, and doesn't cost a ton, but it's the gesture. They're so thoughtful.
Anyway, grating onions is stupid! Any recipe I find that asks for a grated onion, I just finely chop it (or my bosses buy it already chopped). My NKs don't seem to mind, they gobbled up those meatballs!