Hi all!

[John B Good]

I'm an amateur cook who is looking for simple new things that I can try cooking for my small family. I've been lurking here for awhile and have enjoyed reading the conversations. I was hesitant to join at first because it seemed like many of you are older retired people but then I realized that I am an older retired person myself so I should fit right in.

Thank you for allowing me to join your group!

John

 

[msmofet]

Welcome to DC

 

[dragnlaw]

Welcome aboard!

 

[HeyItsSara]

Welcome! I am neither older nor retired.

 

[dcSaute]

Hi John -
yeah, cooking for two old retired geezers can be a bit of a challenge.

I recommend you get a scale to weigh ingredients - in grams, 1 gram resolution.
OXO is my fav.

most recipes from good sources produce 4-12 "servings" - how big is your freezer?
with a scale and Excel, it's pretty easy to reduce the recipe size down to a more reasonable level.

there are some things - latest repeat excursion - was stuffed shells. did fifteen shells in a 9x15 pan, divided the left overs into two freezer packs. it's a messy prep, and reheats well, so it is a good 'freezer bait' - there are others.
example: being able to weigh solids _and_ liquids to the gram . . . I can make three biscuits.
git made, git baked, git ate . . . no waste, no leftovers . . .

happy cooking!

 

[dragnlaw]

Further to the advice above, be sure the scale has both gr and oz.

If a recipe tells you 250 gr of chicken and you have no idea what that is, use google to do it for you. eg. 250 gr = almost 9 oz (8.818) in other words a tad over half a pound.

I also weigh my meats when I divide them up into little packs for the freezer. I'll buy a bunch of chicken breasts and plunk them in zip lock bags. But I also weigh them and mark the grams on the pkg.

I'm Canadian so a lot of our stuff is grams and kilo's but all the old recipes I have are still in pounds, etc.
But with the popularity of food/cooking and interest in the culinary world in North America (yeah, I'm talkin' to youse in the States), many recipes are now converted. LOL - google is your friend!

Mind you, all this is assuming you are not a math genius who could put us all to shame.

 

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Andy M.]

Welcome to DC.

 

[pictonguy]

Welcome John, I'm sure you'll fit right in.

 

[Kathleen]

It's really not the years, @HeyItsSara. It's the mileage.

I'm happy to have finally joined the retired lifestyle! Welcome to DC, John!!!

 

[taxlady]

Welcome to Discuss Cooking.

 

[John B Good]

Welcome! I am neither older nor retired.

I think that's one of the things that make this such a great forum - input from all walks of life!

 

[John B Good]

Hi John -
yeah, cooking for two old retired geezers can be a bit of a challenge.

I recommend you get a scale to weigh ingredients - in grams, 1 gram resolution.
OXO is my fav.

most recipes from good sources produce 4-12 "servings" - how big is your freezer?
with a scale and Excel, it's pretty easy to reduce the recipe size down to a more reasonable level.

there are some things - latest repeat excursion - was stuffed shells. did fifteen shells in a 9x15 pan, divided the left overs into two freezer packs. it's a messy prep, and reheats well, so it is a good 'freezer bait' - there are others.
example: being able to weigh solids _and_ liquids to the gram . . . I can make three biscuits.
git made, git baked, git ate . . . no waste, no leftovers . . .

happy cooking!

Thanks for this - I'm open to any and all advice!

 

[John B Good]

Thanks to all for the warm welcomes - It's nice to know that there's a place to go for advice and answers when standing in the kitchen scratching my head trying to figure things out!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I am just old and tired.

 

[jennyema]

Hi! And welcome. I’m old and just recently retired but am still pretty passionate about cooking!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Hi! And welcome. I’m old and just recently retired but am still pretty passionate about cooking!

Don't worry Jenny, you'll get over it.