Don't people COOK anymore???

[Miniv]

All this summer my daughter has had friends over..........They ALL end up asking if they can spend the night..........

Why? BECAUSE THEIR MOM OR DAD DOESN'T COOK!!!! I keep being told that their mom either puts stuff in a crock pot and everyone fends for themselves, or the meal is a microwave dinner!

These kids keep telling me, "This is the BEST MEAL anyone has ever cooked for me."

What the heck? What's going on????

Are Larry and me living in the stone age????

 

[chandab]

I do cook, but only really easy meals, its only 2 of us; and I do alot in the crockpot.

I do know several couples with kids my age that really dont do much cooking; mostly double income families, so everyone is exhausted when they get home.

 

[Shari]

If you are MA... then I am too.

If I want to eat ... I have to home make everything from scratch, including bread.

I can't cheat and eat box meals and so on..... I can't even eat at resteraunts, I would end up in the ER.

Good thing both my Mom and Grammy are good cooks,,, learned a lot from them. Took me the longest to learn from Grammy because she did not use measuring cups and all her food always came out devine!

My DH is also a good cook and our DS is learning too.

So MA,, you are not alone.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Not the stone age, but.........close!

.......well, the kids now days are often unaware of how we "oldsters" used to cook, have family dinners every night

and so on. The "families" of today are often eating out (much fast food!) and/or microwave meals. Those who have a crock pot going are probably among the one who at least have real food handled in the house --- even if not in the old style of cooking "dishes" of veggies, meats, breads, etc.

You should see what the school menus look like now. I was shocked to see every day was a "fast food" diet offering. Geeesh, no wonder the kids are overweight and out of condition (no regular physical ed classes are required now). Nutrition is out the window.

I worked, raised 2 kids, cooked a full dinner most every night & breakfast in mornings.....lunches on weekends because we were home. I still cook but not every night. However, my micro dinners are leftovers

being heated. Occassionally fast food is served -- a frozen pizza or such.

Sad, isn't it?

 

[Miniv]

Shari...........

Yes, this is MA.

To be honest, when I've got the flu or something I STRESS because I'm not sure what the family will do........

I was gone for a week last April and you'd think the world had ended!

But they managed.

Thanks for the reminder. I'm just shaking my head over the young ones who have been visiting here that tell me about their DAY TO DAY life in the food department. (I don't even want to get into the other stuff! Yikes!)

All of a sudden we have several gals who are asking if they can some and stay.........Yes, I know it's not just the food....sigh. Tomorrow, we have two of them spending the day here........

 

[Marty]

I know exactly what you mean. There have been many years where we fed plenty of kids. My boys were always dragging kids here to play and eat over and it was always the drop off place for so many kids and sometimes they would tell us they didn't have any food in the house or they didn't have anyone to fix them something. I'm not sure if I buy that story or not but we always were known for feeding half the kids in the county regardless. They ate us out of house and home and I mean like a week's worth of groceries vanished in a couple of days. I couldn't starve them out if I tried. Funny now how I used to gripe about it and how I miss those days so much. Summer around here is so quiet I still can't get used to it.

I hate to cook, but I do and I am pretty good at it when I apply myself but no I don't bake my own bread or make a lot of things from scratch like that. I usually always cook a good dinner every night to this day but the kids even when little could fix their own sandwichs and stuff like that for lunch if they wanted to make their own. They were always pretty resiliant that way. When I was laid up after a wreck years ago I was very suprised the way they all were so good at cooking and taking care of me for a change. Lately I am cooking on the grill or I am using my crock pot a lot because the oven is making the house so HOT I can't stand it.

 

[Charley]

I always cooked for our family of six. It was rare when we would eat out..an occasion for many years. Then I started working and would bring home pizza once a week. We still never ate out regularly.

It never was a chore to cook and all my kids know how to cook. In fact now that they are grown and now off on their own, they are all better cooks than I am. My son, who is married, is a better cook than his wife. And, they all cook at home.

I find that with just the two of us to cook for, it is harder to get ambition. I don't bake cookies and goodies anymore unless we are having people over for dinner...just too many calories. Crockpot meals get divided and half of it frozen (which turns into microwave meals when thawed). Many of my recipes are now halved before I make them.

I do find eating out is cheaper than cooking at home when we used the fast food dollar menus or specials. But the calorie count is high and the nutrition is low. With the economy like it is, I find that we are eating at home more and enjoying it. Some times I am aghast at the condition of the restaurants. We went into one this summer that was spray painting in the cooking area and the whole restaurant smelled like paint, we quickly left and went home to cook a meal.

 

[Filipowicz Farm]

I come from the old school and you had dinner ready for your family when your husband came home from work. I know now a days both parents work and meals from scrastch are harder to get ready. When I worked I would make several meals on the weekend and then put the rest together when I came home from work, Made stuff cabbage before hand then when got home got the potates going and the other food that went along with it. I still cook for the two of us.

 

[lilmiraclesfarm]

I hate to cook, if we eat a home meal its usually my other half doing the cooking. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I'll cook, but very rarely.

 

[gatorbait4sure]

I made Chinese last night from scratch...of course I didn't begin it until 6:30, but it was yummy...I have however, taken to accepting invites to "Dinner Out" more frequently as the Summer ( and this ever lovin' house rehab) intensifies.

If I don't get a FRONT DOOR soon there'll be heck To Pay on Cape Cod! ( the builder is building it from scratch to match the other front door)

dru

Anyone willing to write up "Scratch " recipes on this list? I love trying new things!

 

[kaykay]

And here I thought I was the only one left that cooked LOL. All the boys friends love coming here because we have actual meals. They are amazed that we all sit down every night and eat together. Its a rule here that I will not bend on even though they are now 19 and 17. No tv, radio, cell phone. Dinner is always at the table with no distractions. I think its so important as its a time to connect with each other. When the girls still lived at home we used to have a table for 8 most nights. Now they all beg me to make my homemade pizza

 

[LindaL]

I hate to cook, if we eat a home meal its usually my other half doing the cooking. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I'll cook, but very rarely.

DITTO THAT! LOL

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Well, I am old, so that means I am old school. I cook a real meal at least once a day. On weekends, at least two. It was so hard to get used to just cooking for two, too much food left over. Then I found these little divided, covered dishes that you can put in the freezer, and started making leftover meals. Jerry takes them for lunch at work, and he has another homecooked meal during the day. Saves a lot of money on lunches! It costs a lot to get a meal at work if it is something other than a hot dog or burger, and even those cost for what they are. Not long ago he microwaved his lunch, opened it and the guys told him he must be a good cook, or he had a good wife. They were eating cold sandwiches, or something out of a vending machine. Just think of the extra nutrition he's getting!

 

[~Lisa~]

Horrible parent here we do not cook very much at all. Yet my child is not begging others to stay at their house imagine that

With my illness and Raven being a vegeterian - we rarely eat the same things or at the same time. I have never been one to force eating on my children at a certain time or you will eat what I made kinda mom. They eat what they want when they want. They listen to their bodies both of my girls have no issues with food like many women today they do not eat for emotional reasons or boredom or simply cause it is there they eat when they are hungry and they eat what they are hungry for. A foreign thing to me but I am glad they do things the right way.

 

[Shari]

Recipes you say....

Here is one of many....

Its bad enough I can't eat foods with dairy in them but one can get around that and still have tasty food to eat.

But having a "No Salt added" diet is a pain. People just don't realize that having a diet of 1000mg or less of salt a day is nigh on impossible in this day and age. One slice of store bought bread and a little ketchup can be over 1000mg of salt per day!

*

So if I want bread, any kind of bread I have to make it.

Oh how I miss having bacon or sausage!! Bacon sadly is a thing of the past but my search was on for a Sausage with out standing flavor and I think I finally ironed it out.

Bangor "No Salt" Sausage

1/2lb lean ground pork

1/2lb Veal or very lean ground hamburger

1/2 to 1 package of no salt Ritz crackers crumbled fine

1/4 tsp blk pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp Mace (can be hard to find so ok if left out or use allspice)

1/4 tsp ground thyme

1/4 tsp ground Sage

1- large egg well beaten

6oz of Veg shortening or Pork fat

*

Mix together Well- pat into circles or link rounds and cook in pan with a little more shortening until as near to golden brown as you can.

You will be surprised how well this tastes.

It freezes very well too.

 

[Shari]

Shari...........

Yes, this is MA.

LOL.. I should of said... if you are back in the stoneage MA... then so am I !

 

[Steph_D]

I actually have family members give me a hard time because I've started cooking more from scratch. Hamburger Helper used to be a staple for us but now we eat it maybe once every 6 months. I bake a LOT and love to try new recipes.

Here's an awesome cinnamon roll recipe that I found.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup warm milk

1 egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups bread flour

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.

2. When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.

3. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 (or more) one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

Also, a friend gave me this recipe. I made it for church and the ladies in the kitchen kept back half of it so that they could eat it themselves, LOL!

Strawberry Soda Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

2 (3 oz) boxes strawberry jello

1 cup strawberry soda

1 box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 8 oz tub of cool whip

Prepare and bake yellow cake mix as directed. When done (while still hot) punch full of holes. Dissolve strawberry jello in 1 cup of boiling water. Add 1 cup of strawberry soda. Drizzle jello mixture over cake to fill holes. After cake completely cools, frost with instant vanilla pudding mix, prepared with 1 1/2 cups cold milk and cool whip folded in.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I worry about both myself and my future children as I'm one of those who cannot cook a lick. Frankly no one ever taught me and I'm so intimidated by the kitchen (okay, and the expense of food to experiment with!) that I've just never tried. The few dishes I've attempted have come out fine, but those were simple casseroles and noodle dishes. I have no idea how to choose a good cut of meat, how to prepare it, etc. etc., and without those basic building blocks I feel like I can't get to any of the recipes. There are good books to teach me, I even own a few of them

, but it feels so much like remedial training I'm embarrassed to use them in front of anyone!

I hope to heck my husband can cook or there's going to be a very rough learning curve.

Many of my coworkers are whizzes in the kitchen and it never fails to amaze me when they bring in these delicious home-made preserves, meatballs, cakes, etc. It's like magic!

I come across as stingy because I never contribute anything but a bag of chips or a purchased vegetable tray but honestly, that's all I know how to produce.

Well, and cookies. I haven't made cookies or muffins in years but I do pretty well with those because that is something I made with my mom when I was little.

I have never been one to force eating on my children at a certain time or you will eat what I made kinda mom. They eat what they want when they want. They listen to their bodies both of my girls have no issues with food like many women today they do not eat for emotional reasons or boredom or simply cause it is there they eat when they are hungry and they eat what they are hungry for. A foreign thing to me but I am glad they do things the right way.

Lisa, I was raised that way too and am so glad of it! I got regular healthy meals as a kid and was asked to try everything on my plate but if I truly didn't like it I didn't have to eat it (although I did have to try it every time) and I was never forced to clean my plate. As a result I naturally stop eating when I am full and have no problems with weight due to "disconnecting" my "I'm full" sensor. It's interesting too because I'm a bit hypoglycemic and when I asked my dr what kind of foods I should be eating he listed off everything my body naturally craves and I happen to love. I guess that, like the horses, my body knows what it needs and tells me!

Shari...........

Yes, this is MA.

LOL.. I should of said... if you are back in the stoneage MA... then so am I !

Someone sent me a "Flair" button on facebook that says "'Let's eat, Johnny.' 'Let's eat Johnny.' Punctuation. It could save a life."

Leia

 

[Reijel's Mom]

We don't have any little ones yet, but we're expecting in September. Both of us work full time jobs outside of the home and I do wonder how we'll get everything taken care of, like making nice dinners - but I was thinking crockpot meals WERE nice dinners

!

 

[Danielle_E.]

Being that I am french meals are very important to us. I have of course used prepared foods when our schedule is crazy but for the most part I don't and I use fresh ingredients and no boxed or canned stuff. Also because I work for Health Canada I am more consciencious of all the garbage in prepared foods. Meals to me are more than sitting and gobbling down as fast you can and leaving the table, but that again is the french in me

. I love to cook!!!!