Hey Keike, saw this thread earlier today so thought I would come back and comment since I've had some menopausish experiences myself lately (ie I have very low oestrogen levels, might or might not be permanent). This means I'm doing the whole hot-flushes, mood-swing thing so I might have a bit of insight.
As to what it feels like to go through menopause? I'm not fully there yet, but what I have had is this - physically uncomfortable - hot flushes, insomnia, itching, acne, dry skin, dry mouth, irregular periods that are torrid when they do turn up, and the newest thing - headaches/migraines, a lot. Mood wise, it can be anything from even even even, through to PMS-grade ultra-crabbiness, crashing depression and everything in between, with no rhyme or reason and not even the benefit of a menstrual cycle to map it against.
I haven't noticed a change in the way things taste but come to think of it I am more fussy now about whether I like food or not so maybe there is a change. Apparently it's an actual menopause thing - change in how things taste or smell. So there could be an actual difference in how the food seems to her.
What I do know for sure about menopause is that makes you never put up with crap ("crap" being a very arbitrary thing when you're menopausal LOL) - so even if her sense of taste hasn't changed, maybe she's acting out on her food preferences in a way that she may never have done in her mild-mannered oestrogenically-charged past.
Also, I saw you mentioned in another thread that she had dentures - maybe this is what it's really about? I had some pretty dreadful dental issues for a while there and that *really* affected what I could comfortably eat. It needed to be soft (because I was pretty much gumming my food instead of chewing it) and blandish (because the nice flavours - tangy, salty, sweet - hurt when you have sores in your mouth). That pretty much ruled out 90% of veggies, plus anything with any crunchiness, plus any really interesting food. So maybe it's about the texture/comfort level of the food rather than the actual flavour, it would explain the mashed potato thing.
If I were you, I would pick a time when she seems happy and calm (not a meal time) and bring it up. Ask her what it is that she's not enjoying, and try to work out a middle ground that will keep her happy and still allow you to cook with a little more variety. Like, maybe you could do a vat of mashed potato or macaroni cheese or soup or whatever on the first night, and then reheat some of that for her on the next couple of nights along with a portion of whatever else you're cooking that she does like. Surely that would be a good compromise and take the pressure off you. If it turns out to be a denture issue, then maybe you could also encourage her to get them refitted, it can make a world of difference.
Almost there but don't have any awful symptoms yet but oestrogen is the nurturing hormone. It is what helps us get up to our kids in th middle of the night and put everyone else before ourselves. When it diminishes those tendencies also decrease. We become "grumpy old women". OK that is a stereotype but I think MD gave you great advice on how to handle it.
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