How often do you cook for your family...?

Question

I rarely cook for my family. I hate to cook....and cleaning up. A nieghbor down the street cooks a meal every night. She even cook a meal for them to heat up on nights she has to work. Just wondered if I'm the only woman who doesnt cook everynight. Is it horrible that we generally eat frozen food or takeout??

Answer 1

Guess what, you're normal! Most of us don't like to cook all the time. It's such a chore. Sometimes you almost come out cheaper just running out and grabbing something that is already made (I love delis where you can buy the meat already seasoned and prepared, you just have to pop it in the oven). However, healthy is another issue. Making a few simple meals that taste good is a good habit to get into. What I'd do is make two big meals a week and enough that you have leftovers for the next night (that way there are only three days left for the week). Eating out the other three days is a good option. I try to cook more too - I guess I just don't "love" to cook like I thought I did. My husband's grandmother loves to cook and spends her day cooking one meal, cleaning it up and preparing for the next one. Not for me thanks! But, I do have to do the thinking on what we do for meals...if my husband had his way, we'd be eating out all the time. And I weigh 300lbs!

Answer 2

I love cooking and cook from scratch nearly every night.
However, if you're dealing with a family and working, I know that it's hard to find the time. I am worried about the health of your family as frozen food is full of additives and salt, and take out is usually very fatty. For a healthy diet you need to be eating fresh fruit and vegetables.

You and your partner could split the cooking, and older kids can help chop things, lay the table, or even cook themselves. When my siblings and I were about 15 onwards we started to cook some of the family meals, partly because we enjoyed it and partly in training for going to uni.

I'm sometimes amazed at how quick simple meals are to prepare. For example - you can make fresh soup for your family for a whole week. Cook carrots and parsnips in stock until they are soft (15 minutes), then blend them in a blender or hand blender. Stick in the fridge, and every day you mix some of the base with milk and reheat. Fresh, healthy soup! You can do this with lots of different vegetables.

Or pasta with a sauce - chop an onion, a red pepper and a 2 courgettes, fry in a saucepan with a little olive oil. Throw in a tin of chopped tomatoes. This should take 15- 20 minutes max. Cook the mixture, you could add some dried herbs. Cook pasta (takes about 10 minutes, do this while the vegetables are cooking). Serve. There - a healthy meal in 20 minutes and only 2 pans and a chopping board to wash.

Answer 3

I cook and clean for my family every day starting at the age of 6 and I am a male. It's OK if a woman doesn't cook, but it's horrible and unhealthy to eat frozen or takeaway food every night, do it once in a while is OK. You may go to a cooking class... we had different cooking classes when I studied nutrition course. We had 2 people as a group, we had around 10 groups responsible for 10 different dishes, rice meat vegetables dessert... we cooked Italian Japanese etc... and at the end we finished up all the food we cooked. You may also cook and design your salad with your LOVED ONE and I am sure it's fun. My parnter is good at bakery and pastry...

Hope these websites can give you some ideas:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Taste-of-Home/Main.aspx
http://www.gapyear.com/advice/cooking_for_beginners.html
http://www.kitchenlink.com/quick.html
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/


^_^ Bon Appétit

Answer 4

I do a little bit of take out during the week, but mostly cooked meals at home. You may want to give home cooked meals a try for a few days. I say a few days because your first couple meals may not turn out as expected, because great tasting meals take practice.
The one thing I do love most about cooking at home is that when the meal is served, I enjoy seeing the smiles on my children's faces and hearing them say 'thanks mom'. Cooking together as a family is also a good way to spend quality time together and give children a sense of accomplishment. Also everything we cook is very basic, nothing fancy. Usually takes under 30 minutes to cook. Check out http://allrecipes.com
You'll be amazed with how much money you'll save with cooking at home, in addition to the health benefits for your family.

Answer 5

At least five nights a week I cook for us. I'm a single mom of three and its my favorite time of the day actually. Its a time when we all sit down together at the table and just spend some real quality time together. I too, hate cleaning up.....but I see it as a small price to pay for having that time with your kids.....

Growing up, both my parents worked and my mom managed to put a hot meal on the table at least six if not all seven nights of the week. It was just something that she instilled in me.

Now my brother, thats an entirely different story. My s-i-l hardly ever cooks nor do they sit down together as a family to eat. And truthfully, I think its awful because their kids, have the worst table manners I have ever seen. They do not know how to act when they are encouraged to sit at the table like civilized human beings. They're always getting up and trying to run around, playing with their food, having to be told to eat, use their utensils and I really hate eating with them at all.

I understand people that cannot do this, when there is so much going on, i.e. things to do like sports, church, 4H groups, etc.......but what I'm talking about with my brother and s-i-l is just downright laziness when it comes to spending time with their kids.

Answer 6

Every night I cook for my family, my son's usually do the dishes. It's important for me to make a meal every night. No it's not horrible as long as you open the package and serve your family the meal. Take pride in the fact that you can provide takeout for you family ...a lot of people can't. Only you can dertermine your worth and beilve me your family will notice if you suddenly stop doing the take out. I would suggest when you do take out put it on plates if that makes you feel better. We all do what we can. No one knocks you worse than you knock yourself
Self love try it ... it's good for the soul.

Answer 7

I don't LIKE cooking every night, but I cook at least 6 out of 7 days a week. It's our duty as mother's to make sure our children eat healthy and if you eat out that often, that is NOT healthy. So in answer to your question, yes, it is horrible. If you have kids that are old enough to help out in the kitchen, let them help clean up the mess. They eat too and it does them good to help out, it will teach them to be better adults.

Answer 8

I cook almost every night. My gf cooks too, but not as well as I do. She always said I am a good cook. Probably just a way to make me cook ;)

Answer 9

We have a full dinner at home about 5 nights per week, one night is breakfast, like bacon & eggs. The last night is either sandwiches, or we go out.

Better for the kids if you all sit down together to enjoy dinner and talk over the day. Make an effort for them, Mom.

Answer 10

2-3 times daily. i hate the cleanup too. by eating frozen foods you are eating alot of chemicals. there are some websites with really easy recipes. get your family together and make it a group project, get your other half to cook or clean---share the chore..