For those who don''t cook ...

[elrohwen]

... what do you eat???

I know a lot of people (especially the under 30 crowd) who claim that they never cook. For them, making spaghetti (with canned sauce) or mac & cheese is a big night of cooking!

But I''ve never quite understood what people eat when they don''t cook. Do you get takeout every night? Frozen dinners? I''m very curious!

 

[JSM]

I am actually curious too! Most days we have a nice home cooked meal (though I admit sometimes I can''t handle anything more complicated than mac and cheese as well!).

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:14:42 PM
Author: jsm
I am actually curious too! Most days we have a nice home cooked meal (though I admit sometimes I can't handle anything more complicated than mac and cheese as well!).

Haha, ditto! I enjoy cooking, but I'll admit we do takeout once a week (sometimes two) and there's often a mac & cheese night too. I love doing it a few nights a week, but I think I'd run out of options quickly (not too many takeout places here in the 'burbs).

 

[Madam Bijoux]

If I''m eating at home, I have an apple with a frozen dinner or soup or a grilled cheese sandwich for supper. I have instant oatmeal, toast and a banana for breakfast.

 

[E B]

My husband''s cooking.

I''ve decided that I want to learn, though. Well, scratch the word ''want'' and replace it with ''need to.'' 2010 is the year I learn how, for real.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:31:01 PM
Author: EBree
My husband''s cooking.

I''ve decided that I want to learn, though. Well, scratch the word ''want'' and replace it with ''need to.'' 2010 is the year I learn how, for real.

That''s a good New Years Resolution, Ebree! And what a nice hubby to do the cooking

Mac & cheese night is usually my DH''s night to cook

 

[Sabine]

When I don''t cook, I eat a lot of frozen stir-fry type meals.

 

[Haven]

This is so funny--I thought about starting this exact same thread yesterday.
I cook dinner every night Monday through Friday, and breakfast on the weekends. DH and I were just trying to figure out what our friends who don''t cook eat every day.

 

[MagsyMay]

Hmm, good question, since I would say I "don't cook."

Frozen dinners (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, SmartOnes), steamed frozen veggies (like the Green Giant steamers), cereal, sandwiches, chicken (that I do "cook" in pan on stove) on top of a salad, salads without any chicken... Sometimes couscous, rice/bean mixes, or cheese quesadillas if I'm feeling really ambitious!

I hate cooking and hate cleanup even more. I grew up in a house where my dad is an amazing chef and loves cooking and my mom never had to cook a thing (besides kids meals like chicken nuggets, mac'n'cheese, etc.).

Sadly, my FI doesn't cook either so that's a problem... he also eats the same things as I eat posted above, but we usually "prepare" our own separate meals.

ETA: Oh, and I'm 28 and FI is 33...so it's not like we're college kids or something and have an excuse!

 

[zoebartlett]

We usually buy the same basic things at the grocery store: boneless/skinless chicken breasts, thin cut pork chops, ground beef, whole wheat pasta, low sodium taco seasoning, a jar of pasta sauce, sandwich stuff, and brown rice (and veggies too but my husband doesn''t eat them often). We usually have pasta with meat sauce one night, maybe two if we make enough for leftovers, and we have tacos occasionally. We try to buy salmon once or twice a week and have that with brown rice and a veggie, usually corn.

It''s funny, the things we (I) tend to cook are much more boring and ho-hum than what we''d eat if we went out or got take out. I''m not good at whipping up something by tossing ingredients together. My husband is very picky also, which doesn''t help. I make lasagna or soup/beef stew or chili, and 90% of the time, he finds something that he doesn''t like. It''s frustrating.

I can follow a recipe, and I love looking through cookbooks, but since there are only two of us, it just seems like so much work.

 

[kittybean]

My husband cooks. I do bake, though!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Are the people saying the never cook as in do not touch a pot or pan or are they saying they''re not savvy in the kitchen? I don''t cook extravegant meals, but do make food at home. Often I cook up ground turkey and take natural tortilla chips and sprinkle the turkey and some cheese on them and call that dinner. My kids always eat that and then an hour later before bed, when they say they''re hungry, they get an apple.

Considering the simplicity of my meals, I don''t "cook."

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:36:29 PM
Author: Haven
This is so funny--I thought about starting this exact same thread yesterday.
I cook dinner every night Monday through Friday, and breakfast on the weekends. DH and I were just trying to figure out what our friends who don''t cook eat every day.

DH thinks your hubby is lucky and wishes I would made him breakfast on weekends! Unfortunately for him I just don''t like breakfast food beyond simple cereal, pastries, etc. Besides, DH will eat almost a dozen eggs at once, or half a loaf of challah as french toast. It''s like cooking for a family of 4

I don''t know where he puts it.

 

[zoebartlett]

For those who DO cook, what do you tend to make? Should this be a separate thread?

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:40:20 PM
Author: MC
Are the people saying the never cook as in do not touch a pot or pan or are they saying they''re not savvy in the kitchen? I don''t cook extravegant meals, but do make food at home. Often I cook up ground turkey and take natural tortilla chips and sprinkle the turkey and some cheese on them and call that dinner. My kids always eat that and then an hour later before bed, when they say they''re hungry, they get an apple.

Considering the simplicity of my meals, I don''t ''cook.''

MC, my friends who don''t cook would absolutely consider what you do "cooking." I don''t make elaborate meals during the week, but I do put a pan on the stove and make food in it. My non-cooking friends rarely even boil pasta - spaghetti with sauce out of a jar is a big night of cooking for them and happens rarely. I had a friend who didn''t turn on her stove for a full 3 months (and another friend who claims to never use his stove or oven).

 

[MichelleCarmen]

There should be three threads. This non-cooking one, one for semi-cookering, and one for real cooking.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:39:39 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
My husband is very picky also, which doesn't help. I make lasagna or soup/beef stew or chili, and 90% of the time, he finds something that he doesn't like. It's frustrating.

That's rough - I get extremely frustrated with picky eaters over the age of about 6. When we first started dating, DH would be a bit picky at times (though I think he still ate everything, even if he thought he wasn't crazy about it). After being together almost 4 years, he'll eat anything and his tastes have actually become a lot like mine.

 

[Haven]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:41:04 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 12/2/2009 5:36:29 PM
Author: Haven
This is so funny--I thought about starting this exact same thread yesterday.
I cook dinner every night Monday through Friday, and breakfast on the weekends. DH and I were just trying to figure out what our friends who don''t cook eat every day.

DH thinks your hubby is lucky and wishes I would made him breakfast on weekends! Unfortunately for him I just don''t like breakfast food beyond simple cereal, pastries, etc. Besides, DH will eat almost a dozen eggs at once, or half a loaf of challah as french toast. It''s like cooking for a family of 4

I don''t know where he puts it.

That''s funny, because I LOVE breakfast foods and DH can take them or leave them.
There''s nothing better than buttermilk pancakes, basted eggs, and fresh coffee in the morning, if you ask me. MMMMM. Maybe I''ll make breakfast for dinner tonight, now that I think of it . . .

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:44:25 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 12/2/2009 5:40:20 PM
Author: MC
Are the people saying the never cook as in do not touch a pot or pan or are they saying they''re not savvy in the kitchen? I don''t cook extravegant meals, but do make food at home. Often I cook up ground turkey and take natural tortilla chips and sprinkle the turkey and some cheese on them and call that dinner. My kids always eat that and then an hour later before bed, when they say they''re hungry, they get an apple.

Considering the simplicity of my meals, I don''t ''cook.''

MC, my friends who don''t cook would absolutely consider what you do ''cooking.'' I don''t make elaborate meals during the week, but I do put a pan on the stove and make food in it. My non-cooking friends rarely even boil pasta - spaghetti with sauce out of a jar is a big night of cooking for them and happens rarely. I had a friend who didn''t turn on her stove for a full 3 months (and another friend who claims to never use his stove or oven).

No stove at all? What about frozen french fries? lol That''s kind of extreme!

Do they even microwave popcorn? I had a friend who would only eat movie theater popcorn and use to go to a theater JUST to buy the popcorn (not buy at ticket, go up to the food stand, get the popcorn and leave). We worked together and she''d walk right into work with her bag in hand offering to share with me. She did cook fancy meals, though, so she did know her way around the kitchen. I haven''t talk to her in years. Not sure if she''s still addicted to the movie stuff.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:46:53 PM
Author: Haven

Date: 12/2/2009 5:41:04 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 12/2/2009 5:36:29 PM
Author: Haven
This is so funny--I thought about starting this exact same thread yesterday.
I cook dinner every night Monday through Friday, and breakfast on the weekends. DH and I were just trying to figure out what our friends who don''t cook eat every day.

DH thinks your hubby is lucky and wishes I would made him breakfast on weekends! Unfortunately for him I just don''t like breakfast food beyond simple cereal, pastries, etc. Besides, DH will eat almost a dozen eggs at once, or half a loaf of challah as french toast. It''s like cooking for a family of 4

I don''t know where he puts it.

That''s funny, because I LOVE breakfast foods and DH can take them or leave them.
There''s nothing better than buttermilk pancakes, basted eggs, and fresh coffee in the morning, if you ask me. MMMMM. Maybe I''ll make breakfast for dinner tonight, now that I think of it . . .

Oh my goodness, DH wants to move in with you. Breakfast for dinner is his idea of pure heaven.

In college he thought the best thing ever was when one of the dining halls would do "breakfast for lunch." I''m pretty sure if you asked him the thing about me that bugged him the most, it would be my lack of love for breakfast foods.

 

[Octavia]

My husband does. not. cook. His idea of "cooking" is to to a) heat up leftovers from the fridge after I''ve cooked, or b) pour a bowl of cereal. Once in awhile, I prevail on him to make scrambled eggs for breakfast, since he''s very good at that, but that happens maybe two or three times a year. Before I came along, he literally ate out every meal, unless he ate cereal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week. He''s still inclined to eat out a lot more often than I''d like, and has no inclination to learn how to cook...I''m working on it. But this might be one of those of those things that you just can''t change about a person...we''ll see.

 

[Kaleigh]

I would imagine getting take out every night, or eating out would be very $$$$$. I cook most week nights. I am making chicken breasts, steamed asparagus and new potatoes as I type. But the weekends, I am off duty...

 

[Laila619]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:10:35 PM
Author:elrohwen
... what do you eat???

I know a lot of people (especially the under 30 crowd) who claim that they never cook. For them, making spaghetti (with canned sauce) or mac & cheese is a big night of cooking!

But I've never quite understood what people eat when they don't cook. Do you get takeout every night? Frozen dinners? I'm very curious!

My hub and I hardly ever cook. We do frozen TV dinners, frozen pizza, hot pockets and salad (DH's favorite at the moment!), takeout, or pre-packaged stuff where all you have to do is heat it up and serve. Once we have kids, I suspect we will start cooking a whole lot more.

The rare times where we do cook, DH is the one who does it.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:49:07 PM
Author: MC
No stove at all? What about frozen french fries? lol That''s kind of extreme!

Do they even microwave popcorn? I had a friend who would only eat movie theater popcorn and use to go to a theater JUST to buy the popcorn (not buy at ticket, go up to the food stand, get the popcorn and leave). We worked together and she''d walk right into work with her bag in hand offering to share with me. She did cook fancy meals, though, so she did know her way around the kitchen. I haven''t talk to her in years. Not sure if she''s still addicted to the movie stuff.

Haha. That''s hilarious! These friends do use their microwaves, though it''s funny you mention the movie theater thing. The one girl, who didn''t use her stove for 3 months, would go to the movies and ask for half a bag of popcorn, then she''d run to the salt and butter station and load up. Then she''d go back to the counter and have them fill the rest of the bag, then she''d add more salt and butter. Haha. Cracked me up every time.

 

[Haven]

That''s so funny elro, because I totally grew up in a breakfast-for-dinner family. I often beg DH to go out to Walker Bros. for dinner, it''s a local pancake house. My DH would definitely prefer pasta for dinner, though, so we only go every once in a while.

In fact, we joked about having our rehearsal dinner at a couple of funny places, and my family was pushing really hard for us to have it at Walker Bros.! Oh man, now I really want breakfast for dinner tonight. I was planning on making chili, but I may have to switch.

Did I mention that I make *everything* from scratch--even the maple syrup? MMMMMMMMMMM!

 

[zoebartlett]

MC -- that''s it -- I''m not savvy in the kitchen. That''s a great way of putting it. I''m incapable of buying things at the store and then knowing what to do with them once we get home. That''s why we''ll have very basic dinners.

My husband is so picky that when he orders Chinese food, he specifically asks them to leave out the vegetables.

I made lasagna the night my family arrived for their visit during Thanksgiving, and my husband thought the sauce had too many chunks of tomatoes. All I did was open a jar, but apparently the sauce was too "vegetabley." I ventured into making beef stew one time, following a recipe, and of course there was something "wrong" with that, too. Not really wrong but not what he would have made himself. Many times we''ll do our own thing.

 

[Haven]

_________
Author: MC
No stove at all? What about frozen french fries? lol That's kind of extreme!

Do they even microwave popcorn? I had a friend who would only eat movie theater popcorn and use to go to a theater JUST to buy the popcorn (not buy at ticket, go up to the food stand, get the popcorn and leave). We worked together and she'd walk right into work with her bag in hand offering to share with me. She did cook fancy meals, though, so she did know her way around the kitchen. I haven't talk to her in years. Not sure if she's still addicted to the movie stuff.

__________________________

The first time my husband ever used the stove in his old condo was when he put it up for rent and I told him to bake cookies to make the place smell good when people came over.
He lived there for SEVEN years! He didn't even know if it worked!

ETA: Sorry, I don't know what happened to the quote box!

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:54:28 PM
Author: Haven
Did I mention that I make *everything* from scratch--even the maple syrup? MMMMMMMMMMM!

Ooo, yummy. DH''s boss makes about a gallon per year, so we always have some of his in the fridge. I can appreciate it, but I still don''t eat it except maybe once a year

And having a rehearsal dinner at a pancake house would be fantastic. My friend from Georgia jokes that she''s going to get married at Waffle House.

 

[Shoopy]

This made me laugh so hard because last night I had mac and cheese for dinner!

And making spaghetti IS big night for us!

We are BIG restaurant people and as a result we are BIG people. We don''t cook for two reasons: 1) I don''t know how to so I''m self-conscious about it and 2) I''m so exhausted after work that the thought of cleaning a kitchen after cooking doesn''t sound appealing to me at all.

Surprisingly, we don''t do much takeout or frozen dinners (kind of grosses me out)

My FI is an awesome cook but I''m really picky so he gets frustrated and says forget it. Plus when I say "let''s go out that way we can have a drink too" he''s all over it. We''re making more of an effort to cook though and my New Year''s resolution is to cook one new dish a week.

 

[Haven]

Date: 12/2/2009 5:43:23 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
For those who DO cook, what do you tend to make? Should this be a separate thread?

There are a couple things I make every week or two:
- My homemade marinara w/meat sauce (DH''s favorite)
- Homemade chili
- Rice and beans (we eat this at least once a week, we both LOVE it and it''s super cheap and easy. AND I''ve gotten DH''s heat tolerance up to two jalapenos with seeds, so the repeated exposure is working!)

Other than these staples, I use recipes from cookbooks or allrecipes.com for the rest of the week. I like trying out new recipes, so I make a lot of different things every week. I''ll usually make a chicken dish one night, and a soup or stew another.

I plan out our weekly meals on Sunday, and then on Monday I shop for the non-perishables for the whole week and the perishables for Monday and Tuesday. I go back to the store on Weds and Fri for the rest of the fresh foods I need. I use a cute little weekly menu pad to write out my grocery lists, it''s pretty easy now that I have a system.