Anyone else HATE to cook?

[Alex2kMommy]

My mom is a great cook, but never wanted us in the kitchen 'helping', so I never learned to cook. While single, and even when newly married, we ate out a lot or I bought prepared meals that you bake/microwave, very easy.

Fast-forward to today, with two little ones and a DH on a very low-fat diet, plus becoming a SAHM and our budget being a bit tighter: No more eating out, no more prepared meals, and my rudimentary cooking skills.

I bake a mean chicken! I do spaghetti and a few other standards, but my rotation is limited and boring. Every once in awhile I poke through the cookbooks or online for low-fat recipes that sound good, but my success with those has been hit and miss. I guess I need to find a handful of new ones and make those often enough that I can add those into the standard rotation.

 

[KarenB]

Yes, yes, yes. DH usually works until 8pm, both DSs are working but never the same schedule, I am exhausted after work.........enough whine?

 

[Figment22]

This is my scenario too, except for my picky eater is almost 12. He makes me crazy. The rest of us, including his younger brother, are pretty flexible, but he really makes it difficult.

I actually love to cook but what you've just mentioned makes me nuts. In my house, it's my older son (16) who's a pathetically picky eater. I used to drive myself crazy cooking the same few meals because I knew he'd eat them but the rest of us suffered from food boredom. I've totally gotten over the guilt and now there are plenty of nights where he eats Honey Nut Cheerios for dinner. It doesn't seem to bother him; he's six feet tall and healthy, so I figure the rest of us can eat some delicious new creations.

 

[Saphire]

When my older sons were teenagers I also found that they were somewhat picky. During the summers I made a rule that they had to cook for the family one night a week. They had to decide what we were having, I would buy the ingredients, and they would prepare it. It changed many things about our dinnertime. Mostly, it made them appreciate how hard it is to please everyone. I don't think age 12 is too soon to start this. I want my sons to be able to cook for themselves, and their future wives and children. This week, my 20 year old son is home from college and I told him he could make dinner one night. He has decided on stuffed peppers...wow, sounds good!

 

[disney4us2002]

When my older sons were teenagers I also found that they were somewhat picky. During the summers I made a rule that they had to cook for the family one night a week. They had to decide what we were having, I would buy the ingredients, and they would prepare it. It changed many things about our dinnertime. Mostly, it made them appreciate how hard it is to please everyone. I don't think age 12 is too soon to start this. I want my sons to be able to cook for themselves, and their future wives and children. This week, my 20 year old son is home from college and I told him he could make dinner one night. He has decided on stuffed peppers...wow, sounds good!

I may give this a whirl!! My boys aren't really picky per se, but it's always one complaint or another, "That again?", "Can't we just get a pizza?", "I'm starving, why is it taking so long?". My two older boys are 13 and 17 so can definitely handle some easy stuff. Oldest already has accomplished breakfast dishes. I think this will bring new appreciation for the process and why dinner isn't just "no big deal" as they think now.

I've tried the weekly menu planning thing but we never end up staying on it. Too often, someone will say they aren't in the mood for whatever and we'll order carryout or make grilled cheese or something. My dh thinks I hate to cook, but honestly, I don't mind the cooking part; it's the deciding part. Tell me what you want and I'll be thrilled to cook it!

 

[Saphire]

I've tried the weekly menu planning thing but we never end up staying on it. Too often, someone will say they aren't in the mood for whatever and we'll order carryout or make grilled cheese or something.

I must admit that when I told my co-workers about my weekly menu planning, many asked me "what if your'e not in the mood for that?". I found the question kind of funny. I am having whatever is written down in the notebook! I am always hungry at dinner, and never really think about my 'mood', lol. I save cravings for going out to dinner, I guess.