For people who can't cook

catsdogsh wrote: »

Perhaps you misunderstood. I work full time and care for 2 households. I'm responsible for the complete care of 2 elderly inlaws who can't even walk. I don't have time to learn how to cook or follow a recipe. Lucky when I have time to eat sitting down!!

Do you have a spouse / partner and kids that can help? I can understand your completely lack of time and energy but hopefully YOU don't have to do everything and have some help. Not just with cooking, either.

There are also a lot new options for easy meals in the frozen section, other than the Lean Cuisines, etc. They have those bags of veggies, chicken and sauce you can throw together in a skillet. That way your not having to heat up everyone an individual dinner.

The idea of eating frozen TV dinners every day....yuck. Not because it's "not healthy," but because 1) they don't taste that great, 2) the portion sizes are ridiculously small, and 3) they cost more than something you can easily make at home, even if you're not a chef.

I do cook, but I don't consider myself an expert by any means. I keep it pretty simple for the most part. Spaghetti, tacos, chili, lasagna, baked penne, a few casseroles, pork chops, etc. I do use the microwave for a lot of things - I actually think oatmeal tastes better cooked in the microwave for some reason, and I eat oatmeal almost daily. I also love me some protein waffles and have definitely gotten my money's worth out of my waffle maker. I'll get creative here and there, but I like to stick to what I know.

I do eat pre-packaged stuff too, of course, but it's extremely rare that I get a frozen meal and I usually regret it when I realize it's 1/4 cup of food for 300 calories. No thanks. I'm all about volume.

catsdogsh wrote: »

Perhaps you misunderstood. I work full time and care for 2 households. I'm responsible for the complete care of 2 elderly inlaws who can't even walk. I don't have time to learn how to cook or follow a recipe. Lucky when I have time to eat sitting down!!

I'm actually curious now. How are *they* getting fed?

I YOU are happy with frozen meals, and they fit in your calorie goals then go for it! I love to cook, but totally get it if people don't like it. Especially if you're just feeding yourself. I hate doing my taxes. That's why I hire an accountant. And I'd totally hire a housekeeper if I could afford it.

And slow cookers, bleh. I have about 5 recipes that are great in the slow cooker, but those chop & dump recipes on pinterest suck. Trust me, I've tried some of those, and I'd rather have a Lean Cuisine than chicken breast cooked into a mushy paste. Slow cookers are great at a few things, but I see too many people trying to make them do things they're just not made for, ruining perfectly good ingredients that would taste much better prepared other ways.

glassyo wrote: »

Legs_McGee wrote: »

glassyo wrote: »

Legs_McGee wrote: »

I don't cook - cuz I don't want to. I own one frying pan, and one corning-ware pot. I make hard-boiled eggs, occasionally bacon - and very very occasionally brown hamburger.

I've made hard boiled eggs in the microwave.

(Still soooooooooooo not cooking.)

I must learn your ways!

Young grasshopper, we will travel to a far away land known as the Amazon of Dotcom where we will search for a large egg in the Nordic Ware region. It will be boiling (it's an egg boiler).

amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Microwave-Egg-Boiler/dp/B0007M2BN0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459452164&sr=8-1&keywords=nordic+ware+egg+boiler

They came out really well!

(Every night I also crack an egg into a bowl, add a couple tablespoons of carton egg whites, cover and microwave that sucker for 1 min 8 secs. Does cracking the egg constitute as cooking?)

I think cracking an egg may come perilously close to cooking but you're not quite over the line yet. And I'm buying that magical microwave egg thingy.

xmichaelyx wrote: »

Cooking doesn't have to be time-consuming, and it's generally the cheapest way to eat.

1. Get 2 slow cookers,
2. spend an hour or so one day per week chopping up stuff to put in them,
3. put stuff in them and cook it for 6-8 hours,
4. freeze everything in individual containers
5. thaw, heat up, and eat as necessary.

If I relied on packaged, store-bought foods, I'd go broke.

I don't have time to learn how to cook or follow a recipe.

Then there is no hope and no solution to the problem you've chosen to have.

You don't even need to spend an hour chopping. You can go to the store and often find chopped veggies ready to go. I rarely use a recipe. I think of what I like to eat and throw it all in together. quick easy - stew beef, onions, bell pepper, celery and some soy sauce (and water or beef stock)


You may actually save time because you just throw things in set and come back hours later and all is ready. Now you spend time in front of a microwave waiting 5 or more minutes for each plate.