Spare time whilst cooking - lighthearted

[TheSunIsStillShining]

I cook dinner every day. Appr. 340 days of the year. Making dinner by now is about 25-50 mins.
There is downtime of 5-10 mins - waiting for the water to boil, waiting for pasta to cook, stirring occasionally..... things like that.
I usually do some kind of "research" into whatever is my latest flight of fancy is that I don't have "officially" time for and actually learn a lot in a few days time just by using this time.
I had the idea of using my Raspberry Pi as a recording tool with a direct input pedal that I bought a few weeks ago. I know very little about signals, recording in general. But in 3 days I have the whole thing figured out. (yes, basic level)
I mentioned this in passing to a friend who was amused on how did I find the time to research/look up/learn the bare basics when she knows I have been working over the holidays, this weekend ....
I thought everyone uses the cooking time to do stuff. It turns out, after a quick roundtable question to friends, that everyone just sits down with their tablet or phone to play a quick game or to catch up on sm. Or they actually don't do anything but wait.
I am now curious: what is the "norm" in your household? What do you do in the "spare time" whilst cooking when you don't need to slice, dice, chop?

Do a bit of training refreshing with ddogs and veg scraps!!

I do some kitchen tidying, there is always kitchen tidying

Empty the dishwasher or generally tidy up!

Tidying, there's always something to do with dishwasher. I always have something running in the background, Radio 4 comedy, audiobook.

Running in and out of the kitchen to the outhouse, my washing machine is in there, so forever putting a load on, or hanging it out to dry on the line or bringing it in to finish drying in the airing cupboard.
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I never have spare time cooking. There’s always something needing tidied or cleaned, dishwasher loaded or unloaded, surfaces wiped, table laid etc etc.

Yes there’s always tidying up, setting table, child wrangling, emptying potty and the like! A bit of texting or MNing if I’m lucky.

I tidy up, empty the bins, complete a Duo lingo lesson or, this week, do the daily Wordle!

Okay I might be a cheater. Since I moved into a position where daily 3-5 hours are spent in calls/meetings from the kitchen our kitchen is the most pristine place on earth :) by the time I do dinner there is nothing left to do....

I listen to audiobooks and clean the kitchen or fold laundry. I don't particularly like cooking, but don't want teen to starve, so I have to have an amusement.

I usually catch up on the news while cooking. The DC have my cooking time as screen time so are nice and quiet and not demanding of my time. It's also a good time to put an album on and dad dance while they are occupied.

I'm amazed someone would use this time to learn something new. For me, it's the one time in a day I have time to myself so use it to relax.

Usually watch my latest series or listen to a podcast whilst potering about the kitchen/living room

I usually use the time to have some squares of chocolate. Then realise I’ve finished a family size bar. Then realise I’m too hungry to eat dinner 😆

Mostly I’m just trying to keep the children from destroying the house though

I have my kindle set up so I can read whilst waiting for things- it’s the only chance I get sometimes to be left alone!

I drink wine.

Have streaming program on, tidying up, etc.

I’m always on the go so now I make a conscious effort to have a cup of tea. I’m sick of filling every moment of the day with something productive.

Watch tv, listen to a podcast on Alexa, enjoy a bit of peace

I attend to my two small children in between the bits of actual cooking. Or if they're sleeping I tidy, or clean and make up the babies bottles.

Washing, fill the dishwasher, grab my sax and play along with you tube for a tune 4-6 minutes re check the food… but has to be low maintenance dinner to be able to that.

My husband will sit down in this time and go on his iPad. I wash up, clean the kitchen, put pots away, maybe put a load of washing on. If none of that needs doing then I do micro bursts of exercise eg squats, jog on spot, balance on one leg etc.

Eat my bodyweight in cheese 🐷

Tidy up, empty/stack dishwasher, make packed lunches for the next day.

I used to be really good about using the dead time to do things like put washing up away. These days spend too much of it on my phone. Trying to get better!

Watch one of my programmes . Flit between kitchen and stables ( I can get two horses in, checked over and in their pyjamas in the time it takes pasta to cook ) - feed the weeping angels ( ungrateful stable cats ) , feed the dog , empty dishwasher , pair socks , read cookery books ..