How much time and effort do you spend on cooking?

[Starstruck2021]

I like nice food but I don’t particularly like cooking and find it a chore. Only me and one teenager at home and we like different things so that’s a pain too.

Sometimes I will just look in the fridge or freezer and make something quick and easy like pasta. When I make an effort to cook something like a slow cooker casserole we both enjoy it. I don’t know if I need inspiration or just need to stop being so lazy.

Is it the norm to cook a proper dinner every day? Do you find it a chore or do you enjoy it?

Like you OP, it's just me and a teenager and I've found myself less and less inclined to spend too much time and thought on cooking. I do like to cook but only if I know my efforts will be eaten and enjoyed.

I enjoy it but I don't like being the one who chooses what we eat all the time. I would love for dh to take a bit more initiative and he has started to tell me what he wants to eat. He does the cooking at the weekend too which is great.

My kids are 3.5 and 5 years old and have finally started to tell me what they want to eat which helps. My mum is a fabulous cook and always cooked us healthy meals from scratch which I would like to emulate as much as possible.

I do work though, albeit part time so days were I work dh will stick a dhaal on or we have something easy like jacket potatoes or pasta. I wouldn't make a biriyani after work! Don't put too much pressure on yourself, ask your teenager what they fancy and make one new thing a week, if you both like it great add it to your recipes. You could also get them to make a meal once a week too.

I love cooking, but with small children it is a chore. Tonight was bake in the bag chicken fillets with savoury rice and steamed veg.

Last night I did a ham in the slow cooker, with new potatoes, cabbage and peas.

We usually have a roast at the weekend, I slow cook lasagne, chilli and tomato sauce. We all love a curry. Even the stuff that is slow cooked is quick to prep.

I enjoyed it when I didn't have to do it.

Now I have to do it I hate it.
Monday and Tuesday were hm Lasagne in a fit of inspiration
Wednesday mozzarella sticks.... With a dip
Tonight Chicken chow mein and stir fry.
If I cook, it does tend to be hm but then I go loco and do toast or moz sticks... All or nothing.
I used to love baking, never do it now. There's only 3 of us so either I pig too much or it goes off 🙄🐷

I love cooking but if making something really time consuming and faffy, such as proper curry from scratch, I make a big batch of it and freeze it. Also make stuff like veggie packed pasta/pizza sauce in big batches to freeze. We do lazy days too, dd would eat nothing but tuna jacket potato everyday if I let her...