What do you do when you love to cook....

[suziquzie]

but you don't have anyone to eat it???
I'm finding more and more that the kitchen is really where I want to be. I could just go in there and crank stuff out all day. However we are only 5 people, 3 small people at that. Now I'm sure when they're teenagers I wont have this problem!
DH is trying to lose weight, so I'd rather help than hurt.
I only work weekends, I cant unload stuff on co-workers. My husband has no co-workers, he drives a truck. And really I dont think our extended families want to visit every weekend.
SO... keep cooking and dont eat it? Or find a new hobby to love . I mean a person can really only knit so many sweaters too...

 

[cupcakeChiq]

oh yes I do find that! one thing you CAN do is turn it into a little business! as for me you can see i LOVE baking cupcakes and sweet treats but i oculdn't be eating them all of course! i dont at all infact hahah....so i look for orders where i can experiment & have fun!

also, you could give them to bless others. this pro baker lady i know only has a lovely thin husband who wont eat much - she loads her bakes on orphanages & homes!!

 

[shortchef]

I'm a volunteer with Hospice, and I love to cook, so my patients get homemade soup, pie, chili, salads, etc. Most of the people I see, don't have anybody to cook them homemade meals so I try to see that they have good, nourishing food. It makes them happy and it makes me happy too.

 

[miniman]

Make cakes for your kids schools (the staff room will probably appreciate some snacks).
Cook for charity bake sales etc, find out your local charities.
Host fundrasing dinners for a good cause.

 

[Bilby]

I normally give things to my neighbours but you could also cook for school or church as said above. Bake things that freeze well and stick 'em in there. Swap some of your cooking for chickens, or bypass the chickens and just swap for the eggs. Bake healthy things that won't hurt DH. Make non-edible items like play-dough or "pottery" or those glazed bread wreaths etc as house decorations - something labour intensive. Make real food that's really tiny, so labour intensive but very good for children's tea parties. You won't have time to make too much then!

 

[Marko]

If you like to bake - and you're very good at it - approach a few local restaurants with samples of tarts, cakes, pies and breads. A lot of restaurants order in desserts, and quite frankly, they taste like it! Nice home made desserts presented professionally may put some change in your pocket. But you may lose your passion when it becomes a job.

Food for thought.....

Marko

 

[jabbur]

I enjoy cooking for a large crowd too. I tend to always make more than enough. On those occasions I try to plan to freeze some of the stuff. I get my fix every other month when I cook for a homeless program. We feed between 40-50 for supper and show a movie at a local church. I plan the menu and buy all the stuff and do the majority of the cooking. It's hard work but I enjoy it. If you are talking about cooking main dishes and sides, check with your local meals on wheels agency. They may have a way for you to help with the cooking instead of the just the delivery. I know they can always use the help.

 

[buckytom]

it's been bothering me a little lately (again) about how much food my family wastes.

not just the stuff that goes unused and then bad, but also how much cooked food eventually gets tossed.

i eat a lot of leftovers, mostly for breakfast and lunch. but i noticed a trend with my wife and i that we are increasingly cooking too much: somewhat for the pleasure of cooking it, and on the chance that it comes out exceptional , there'll be leftovers.

so, we feed the outdoor cats, and i often bring food to my parents and into work.
i wish i had the time to volunteer to cook for the needy. it'd exercise my cooking soul, and i'd waste a lot less while doing good.

 

[GotGarlic]

Do you have friends or neighbors who don't enjoy cooking? Maybe they would buy ingredients and you could cook their evening meals. Some people (Giada de Laurentiis is one ) have made a business out of becoming a personal chef. Since you have small children, hire a teenager to make deliveries for you.

 

[ljmyers]

I have often fed my neighbor who is single and a full time school teacher. At Christmas I made dozens of cookies (one way of trying new recipes, which I like to do) and made baskets for all the neighbors. I often drop food left overs off to my parents which is why I'm sure that is why they love to see me coming. hahahaha I would ask around to find that little old lady or couple who have outlived her relatives and now live alone - and - could use the leftovers due to mobility, health or financial reasons.

 

[crono760]

I have the same problem: I want to cook more and more, and for more and more people, but we can't throw dinner parties every night (sadly )My solution is to get a job in a restaurant kitchen, but of course I'm still working on that For now, I tend to just start cooking something that takes a long time. I'm fond of making Brown Stock according the Escoffier, which takes him a good 8-10 hours Mike

 

[buckytom]

i share my garden with my neighbors, but they all cook more than we do, and it's us on the recieving more often than not. besides, there's huge communication problems, so negotiations or explanations over just about anything are difficult at best.

one of my neighbors is turkish, and is always careful to remind us that they don't eat pork or pork products, so they are wary of the things we offer their kids.
don't all americans eat pork rinds and ham hocks twice a day?
so far, fruit and cheese has been ok.
i laughed when they checked the ingredients of a lemonade pouch. yup, there it is: lemon flavored swine extract!


then there's the macedonians. no matter what i've given them, they tell me how it is made far better in macedonia. that gets really tiring, so i don't bother anymore. the wife next door does bake a lot, so we get a lot of breads and cakes from her. there's not much that we can offer them (certainly not as good as it could be gotten in macedonia ), so it's been a weird relationship.


then, there's the poles across the street, but they keep to themselves for the most part. and the little old couple next to them often refuse our help out of little old people's pride. whatcha gonna do?


unfortunately, the best i can do is out-produce all of them in my garden and then force my veggies on them.

my english becomes very bad when they try to refuse
mwahahahaaaa!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

This is a really interesting question, suzie. Do you belong to any women's groups? Or PTA? Or take any classes with other women? During the years I cooked really badly, I would often barter sewing or tile work or sheet rock repair or babysitting for home made meals. It was always with women I knew - never strangers or Craig's list or something like that. It worked out great for me. So if you know any women who can't or don't like to cook, who don't have time to cook during the week, who's kitchen's are being renovated, etc. - approach them and and see if they want to barter some services.

 

[suziquzie]

This is a really interesting question, suzie. Do you belong to any women's groups? Or PTA? Or take any classes with other women? During the years I cooked really badly, I would often barter sewing or tile work or sheet rock repair or babysitting for home made meals. It was always with women I knew - never strangers or Craig's list or something like that. It worked out great for me. So if you know any women who can't or don't like to cook, who don't have time to cook during the week, who's kitchen's are being renovated, etc. - approach them and and see if they want to barter some services.

Nah, I dont do anything! Sounds horrible doesn't it?
I'm so ridiculously shy I don't join classes and stuff, I just teach myself from what I can find online and at the library.
And every time I try to do something by myself, even go to works 2 days a week, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to my kids by not being home with them.... even if it's Dad they are home with!
Wow I sound like a big loser.

 

[CharlieD]

Hey I always need some help, when I am helping others, you are welcome to share my load, or take the load of my shoulders, whatever the saying.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hey I always need some help, when I am helping others, you are welcome to share my load, or take the load of my shoulders, whatever the saying.

Hey, you're both in MN - sounds like Charlie needs a sous chef

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Nah, I dont do anything! Sounds horrible doesn't it?
I'm so ridiculously shy I don't join classes and stuff, I just teach myself from what I can find online and at the library.
And every time I try to do something by myself, even go to works 2 days a week, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to my kids by not being home with them.... even if it's Dad they are home with!
Wow I sound like a big loser.

No, no, you sound like you have my life! I'm not shy but I homeschool my kids so I am always with them. The only groups of women I see are at homeschool park day, La Leche League, etc. All kid centered stuff. Let friends and family know you'd like to do some cooking in exchange for whatever you have a need for. If you are a good baker, you'd be surprised at how many people would love to get a home baked cake or other goodies for an office party or a church pot luck or a birthday party. (The good thing about bartering is that you don't need a health certificate for commercial cooking.)

 

[suziquzie]

(The good thing about bartering is that you don't need a health certificate for commercial cooking.)

LOL I looked at this REALLY FAST and thought it said bartending!!!

Hmmm theres an idea. It's kinda like cooking, with liquids!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Hey, bartending could be fun if we are the only customers!

 

[suziquzie]

I'd love to Charlie!!
Maybe you should be the one I trade babysitting with!!!!!