Who cooks in your house and how often?

[Claire]

Who cooks day-to-day in your house, and how often. For example, I cook (and I mean really cook, not heat up something from a can or the freezer) at least 8 times a week. My husband used to like to cook, but living near my family killed it for him, and now he rarely cooks. I've been watching my friends, family, and acquaintances and it seems even those who love to cook don't really cook more than a meal or three a week. Popping a frozen lasagna in the oven doesn't count. Popping a frozen lasagna YOU COOKED in the oven, albeit last week, does.

 

[Raine]

When we are not doing weight watchers ( and having to pop those frozen dinners in to keep on track) My husband cooks everyday.

 

[amber]

I cook dinner, seven days per week. I make breakfast but thats typcially cream of wheat for my daughter, toast, sometimes omelets, pancakes, french toast. I make my daugthers lunch to take to school, and my husband comes home from work for lunch and makes his own lunch, which is usually ravioli from a can, or spanish rice, or tomatoe and rice soup.

 

[mudbug]

I do most of the cooking because I'm home and have the time to do the shopping and fiddling around with recipes and experiments.

Handy Husband likes to make breakfast on Sat/Sun mornings, which usually includes bacon or sausage, with biscuits from a can or waffles/pancakes/eggs. I let him do the barbecuing because he's better at it than me.

If he did all the cooking, we would rarely have green veggies except for lima beans, and no salad, no fruit, no fish except shrimp, and bread with every meal. And I would have to do the cleaning up!

 

[pdswife]

I do 90% of the cooking around here..
Mostly it's "not out of a can"
Paul will make his own scrambled eggs for breakfast a few times a week.
But, I make his lunch and dinner. Lunch is usally leftovers from the night before. Pretty easy really.

Dinner... that changes week to week. Depending on his meetings and such. I try to cook a "real" dinner at least four times a week.

 

[Claire]

My husband used to make pizza, bread, and pasta from scratch. Often as a part of a dinner party. We lived near my parents for a few years, then went on the road for a few years, and somewhere in there, I lost my chef. He's a bit anal, and wants to be able to predict everything. Anything involving yeast is not predictable, and anything involving a large family is definitely unpredictable. So he simply gave up, because while I may not make pasta from scratch, you can call up and I can turn dinner for 6 (the minimum I cook) into dinner for 15.

I'd complain but, in fact, my husband takes great pride in the meals I toss out, and my ability to entertain at the drop of a hat in a relaxed manner. It stood him well in our military years (oh, dear, 150 Christmas cards, a tree trimming party, a twelfthnight party (40 people each, minimum), and attending two parties every Fri, Sat, and usually one on Sunday, most of which you're bringing a dish to? Can't everyone do that?). to be honest with you it was a blast, I loved every minute of it, and miss it. But I do miss that husband who made me fresh bread or pasta ....

 

[htc]

I do most of the cooking at my house. When DH complains too much that I don't let him cook, I give in and let him cook. I hate doing dishes, so this doesn't happen very often. We cook on average of every other day at home. This is for breakfast, lunch and dinner, since we pack left overs for lunch and sometimes my son likes to eat left overs for breakfast.

 

[Darkstream]

I am not sure I understand.

If you do not cook, you do not eat.

If you let someone else outside your familly cook for you, then you are dependent on them.

Yet it seems to me that some of you do, even though it is not neccesary. So why do you put such power into other peoples hands?

 

[kitchenelf]

I cook (really cook) nearly every night. He used to cook for his ex wife every night but he says I intimidate him in the kitchen :roll:

I usually make enough to have for lunch the next day - or make some sort of lunch myself like ham salad from left-over ham or chicken salad (like today) from the left-over chicken from the pot pie or just a sandwich. He's even forgotten how to put water in a glass LOL BUT he works (whoops - which is what I should be doing - some typing for him) and I do sometimes so that is the least I can do. It's the housekeeping duties I HATE!!!!! I mean REALLY hate! I take care of his 3-year old daughter who pees on the carpet (ok, ok, it's a dog :P ).

Breakfast is usually cereal or our "egg mcmuffins" or something easy like that - cereal is up to them to put in a bowl and pour milk over it though

 

[Darkstream]

"He's even forgotten how to put water in a glass"

Do you REALLY think this is a fair comment?

 

[mudbug]

Not sure I understand you, Darkstream.

"Yet it seems to me that some of you do, even though it is not neccesary. So why do you put such power into other peoples hands?"

Is it a power trip for someone who loves you to cook food for you? Does that make me "the weak one"?

When dining out, I pay for the service of having someone else prepare my meal. Is that not a perfectly respectable commercial exchange?

 

[kitchenelf]

I LIKE to cook for my family - just because someone else cooks for me or I cook for them doesn't mean that person is dependent on the other one - it means it's just the role you've taken on in your family and are glad to do it. I like my role - EVEN getting the water. It was meant a bit more light-hearted than you are taking it.

 

[norgeskog]

Since I live alone, three guesses who cooks, first two do not count. I cook all my meals from scratch unless I go out. Everyone here except the newbies knows I do not buy food in boxes, cans, freezer; nothing precooked. I do occasionally buy some items from Trader Joe's to keep on the shelf but they are no preservatives, additives, trans-fatty acids or chemicals about which I know nothing. I also sometimes make my own bread.

 

[wasabi]

I cook on the weekdays, DH cooks on the weekends.

 

[LeeAnn]

I do most of the cooking in the house, unless my girls decide they are going to make a meal. They don't really make "meals" but they are some of the best hostesses I've ever known!

For the most part, things are done from scratch. It's less expensive and tastes better. But there are plenty of nights when it's frozen pizza or the like, sometimes I just do not have the time. I'm working on my time managment and the things that are in our schedule, I'll get it figured out.

I used to do some once a month cooking, that worked well for us at the time. I need to do some more planning.

I think if it's healthy enough and everyone is eating and their tummies are full, then that is good. Things in moderation and we will all be happy!

 

[Paint]

Well, it really depends on how busy I am at college/clinicals, but at the moment I cook dinner around 5 evenings a week, and we eat out or have take-out around twice a week for dinner. Breakfasts: everyone gets their own, except if the kids want oatmeal, then I sometimes cook that for them. The kids and hubby have lunch at school/work, I'm not too bothered about eating lunch, but will nuke a lean cuisine if I'm at home. At weekends we usually eat lunch out.

My husbands very rarely cooks (about 6 times a year), but he makes such a mess in the kitchen that I really prefer to cook myself.

My youngest daughter (9) loves to help me cook. She has her own set of mini (but real) cooking utensils, a pink chopping board in the shape of a flower, her own sharp knife and her own little saucepan and 8" frying pan. She can heat up soup or make omelettes, mac & cheese or hotdogs with very little help. My eldest daughter (14) is quite good at baking cupcakes, but doesn't really like to cook as much as her little sister does.

I'm very possessive about my kitchen and prefer to cook alone most of the time. I'm terrible about planning meals, so end up shopping at the grocery store nearly every day. I've tried planning ahead and shopping weekly, but it just doesn't work for us....I often have to change meal plans at very short notice because hubby has had a big business lunch, or is going to be working late and needs a meal that will re-heat well when he gets home, and often I find I've got too much homework and need to prepare a quicker meal than the time-consuming one I may have planned.

Paint.

 

[kitchenelf]

My husbands very rarely cook

You lucky duck - you have more than 1!!! (sorry, Michael in FW taught me how to be a smarty pants!!!!)

 

[goodgiver]

who cooks

I do 24/7 and I do mean cook. All the real stuff from scratch. wheeeee

 

[Paint]

KitchenElf....it's because he's as much trouble as several husbands combined LOL!

Paint.[/quote]

 

[kitchenelf]

LOL Paint!!!!