I’ve been blogging for a year now, writing a recipe blog. And I’m always surprised that the posts that get the most feedback are those in the category I call: “flops.”

These are not the prize-winning, aaahh-inducing dishes you might serve to your guests at the next get-together. These are the dishes where you have carefully assembled the ingredients, measured and beaten as directed, baked for the prescribed number of minutes and — failed. These are the recipes that have flopped. Big time!

I wonder as I type in my notes on the latest disaster and push the “publish post” button, if there’s really any benefit to telling readers details about recipes that didn’t work. And I’m continually surprised that these posts seem to garner more enthusiastic responses than any others.

Comments like, “Thanks for having the courage to share this.” Or “After reading about yours, I don’t feel so bad about my own kitchen flops.”

What is it that makes us so loath to let others in on the real story? The messy kitchen behind the brunch we hosted; the homework squabbles behind the kids’ good (or not-so-good) report cards; the McDinner evenings that, some nights, are all we can do?

It’s not easy to let the outside world in on the secret that we may not have it all together, at least not all of the time. But somehow, I think when we’re willing to share that shady truth, the rest of the world really doesn’t mind. In fact, they might even be a bit relieved.

So maybe we can start sharing a little bit deeper stories. Next time someone tosses me a quick, “How ya doing?” I may just answer, “Oh, flopping along.” And see where that takes us. How ‘bout you?  Are you flopping along too?

Lynn Bowen Walker is the author of "Queen of the Castle:  52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker" (Thomas Nelson, 2006). Read about her flops at queenofthecastlerecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/flops