To wonder who these wonder women are who 'cook from scratch' every day

[MGFM]

Following on from all the threads about supermarket shopping and how to make it cheaper etc, I just can't get me head around all of the families 'cooking from scratch' everyday.

Is it just me that thinks that cooking from scratch everyday is an absolute nightmare? Are people confused about what cooking from scratch actually means? Are all these people who do this SAHM/SAHDs? Are they getting up at 5 am to put the meal together to heat up in the evening. I just dont get it.

I am currently on Mat Leave but when I was working full time and getting home around 1645/1700 every night, the last thing I wanted to start doing was cooking from scratch.

And what does cooking from scratch even mean? I enjoy sausage, mash, peas and gravy. The mash is from scratch...does that count?

I tend to cook from scratch at the weekend....a big pan of chilli which can cook for a few hours, or spag bol and then will freeze the left overs but I dont start cooking this on a thursday night for example.

Anyway, If I am being unreasonable and it is actually pretty easy to be super mum/dad and cook from scratch, can I please have your recipes?

Thanks! -

How do people know what they want to eat that night? I think that's an issue - I have no idea what I am going to feel like until I finish work

That's why you keep staples in your fridge and cupboards.

I'm on the bus home now, won't be in until 7. It's just OH and I, and it's my turn to do dinner. Sigh. I'm tired, I don't wanna!

It will either be: chicken stir fry (toast chicken leftovers shredded and frozen) or tortellini. Sometimes OH decides to cook something with multiple bits when we get in, and we end up eating reeeeally late - 9:30pm etc.

I hate that, I tend to come home tired and hungry and eating late messes with my sleep.

However my DH would happily eat microwave meals every night - that's what his mum 'cooked' every night. I'm trying to educate him ha ha

The only problem with usually cooking from scratch is that if I really can't be arsed or it's getting late we tend to resort to takeaway as we don't have quick stuff in. Or cheese on toast :)

I cook from scratch every day during the week and probably half the weekend.

I don't have children. I do work full time.

I calorie count so need to know what I'm eating and I don't live in the UK so any ready meals are imported and therefore stupidly expensive (think £6 each expensive).

I generally spend about an hour in the kitchen. Today I made pumpkin risotto. Tomorrow I'll either make a mexican bean thing (can of black beans, chopped onion, peppers, tomatoes, spices) or a veg paneer curry (paneer, onions, tomatoes, carrot, peas, lentils, spices).

If I really can't be arsed then I make a jacket potato or something using eggs, usually an omelette.

Once you get into the habit of cooking it's not really a faff.

I'm not a baker however so never make my own bread, cakes, biscuits.

Okay but I don't eat many 'staples' so that's a non starter.

I go to the shop on my way home and pick up something that can be opened and eaten

So what do you eat, Livia?

Shopping-wise I usually buy what I need on the way home. If I buy too much in advance it doesn't get used.

We try to cook from scratch most days.

We don't always manage it due to busy schedules but I have found the Riverford recipe boxes a savour - like some have said upthread it's the thinking and planning that is hard to do when you are pressed for time. And we are always pressed for time due to 2x FT careers, 2 kids (one severely disabled) at different schools, DH travels for work every week. You get the picture.

Everything we have cooked from the recipe boxes has been so damned delicious that it's an incentive to spend the 25-30 mins following the recipe.

We have 3 recipe box dinners a week. On other weeknights its omelette and salad, smoked salmon on rye with salad, cheese on toast with apple, that sort of thing.

At the weekends we always cook from scratch or eat out, or a bit of both, usually. There will be at least one meal over the weekend that we will take time over cooking, and really enjoy the process - either a roast, or curries or something. And we all sit down as a family to enjoy.

I enjoy cooking but work long hours and DH is a SAHP so cooks during the week. Although DH is very domesticated in many ways, he has never enjoyed cooking but he manages ok meals, albeit basic, with the odd bought pizza thrown in.
For example:
chicken fajitas (buy the wraps and guacamole, the rest "from scratch")
spag bol (bought spagetti, stock cubes, tin of tomatos or passata, tomato puree, onions (sometimes frozen), garlic (sometimes from a tube or froze), carrots, herbs).
salmon with rice or coucous and veg.
lamb chops with pasta pesto and veg
prawns with noodles and veg

I think it would be nice if DH cooked more elaborate stuff but what the DC do eat is usually pretty healthy (lots of fruit and veg). DD2 is a bit of a fussy eater anyway (she eats most types of meat/fish/seafood/veg but is fussy about how they are put together, so most (but not all) things with sauces are generally out. In fact, it is quite hard to describe what she like and does not like. For example, spag bol is fine, lasagne is not! My shepherds pie is fine, but most other shepherds pie is not. I think it is a bit about texture. She claims not to like spicy food but does eat some stuff with strong flavours like chorizo. She is improving though so I am planning to suggest some additional recipes to DH. I am determined to get her to eat curry before her next birthday!

We have more elaborate meals made from scratch when I am around at the weekends, but there are some things that I dont think are worth the effort to make from scratch, such as pesto, hummous and pastry. Also chips, but we very rarely have chips.

Sandwiches
Yogurt
Fruit
Raw veg
Cheese and biscuits (if I'm feeling adventurous)

That's about it

Oh, and cauliflower cheese takes ages, at least half an hour, and you've got to stand over the bloody job to make the sauce. I would never make anything like that this evening, only at the weekend when I've got the time and energy.

I am a big fan of putting anything possible on a baking tray and putting it in the oven for half an hour - breaded white fish fillets, oven chips and peas and sweetcorn is my favourite kind of midweek dinner.

Oh and sometimes seafood and things like that

If I can eat it straight from the pack I'm sorted

I'm a sahm, I cook from scratch most days, as a pp said, it just means I don't buy jars of stuff. I have a couple of frozen bits for when I need something quick, particularly if my one year old is having a clingy day.

I followed SlimmingWorld quite a lot and that's particularly good if you cook from scratch. So I've just got 20 dinners or so I can do with my eyes closed. We've just had homemade burgers and potato wedges with corn on the cob. Only took a few mins to mix egg, seasoning and garlic in with mince and I just chopped potatoes into wedges, sprayed and sprayed with oil.

Admittedly when I was still working I did a lot of one pot dinners and pasta, I never felt like cooking after a full day working!

We've just had sushi made from scratch and it is good value and easy, there is always a large number of friends and family that love coming round and they are always welcome :) I work full time.

To make enough for 12:

You'll need a rice cooker/slow cooker for this.

Worth investing in Japanese sushi rice rinsed several times before cooking so at least 5-6 cupfuls. Put enough water in to cover by about 3 cm.

Open a can of tuna, can of sardines or whatever fish you have handy. and mix with a little lemon juice and mayonnaise. Smoked salmon, avocado and sliced cucumber can all be used.

When rice is ready, stir in sushi vinegar or failing that a mix of sugar and rice vinegar. Allow to cool.

Mold into shape so if you have the sushi mold use them or if you have sushi nori (dried seaweed sheets) put cooked rice in that.

Add fish mixture or veg and add more rice then roll up.

Cut to size using sharp scissors (I find these work better than a knife).

Sprinkle with black sesame seeds if you have them, a small dish of soya sauce for dunking or wasabi/horseradish on the side and pickled ginger (all optional).

If you find the rolling/moulding too difficult just wet your hand and squeeze rice into shape and lay the topping on top.

Guaranteed culinary success

That actually sounds really nice!

Cauliflower cheese takes no time. The sauce takes 7mins tops then bung it in a bit oven. Make loads and reheat the next day.

I do. It's very rare I'll have something that is just bung in the Oven. It's easier for me. Most things even from scratch are 25/30 mins cook time, by the time you've warmed up your oven for whatever you're having from the freezer it takes about the same.
Spaghetti Bol, chilli, risotto, paella are all quick. I also use my slow cooker a fair bit. I tend to batch cook and freeze. I'm not cooking every night. When I have my batches in the freezer it's a simple rice/salad/potatoes/rice and ping whatever I've already made. Less additives, less salt and generally I prefer the home made taste.
Each to their own though.
I genuinely find cooking therapeutic after a tough day. Some people meditate or do yoga or go for a walk, I find the repetition of chopping soothing

Do you put it over raw cauliflower?

Because presumably if not you have to add the chopping, boiling and draining of the cauliflower?

I occasionally have a lazy night of throwing pizza in the oven, as I'm a single parent work my full time, but generally I cook from scratch.

Can be very simple - tonight was a tuna pasta bake, 8 mins boiling pasta, while that was on I made a cheese sauce and added fish and sweetcorn etc mixed with drained pasta and topped with grated cheese. 15 mins in the oven.

I can't stand those packets of dust recipes like Knorr Chili, cheese sauce etc, it's easier in the end to make my own and tastes better.

Cheats for me are frozen veg, like mushrooms, peppers if I really can't be bothered. Otherwise I have a minichopper permanently next to the cooker which is just one small bowl to chuck in the dishwasher, but whizzes up, onions, garlic, breadcrumbs etc so you can make meatballs or meatloaf in no time, base for sauces etc.

In the week I try and make things that go into one pan, such as Jambalaya, goulash,?stew and dumplings etc.

We do a mix - so I would make chilli "from scratch" but we would have it with shop bought guacamole, salsa etc. Tonight is a Sainsburys quiche with baked potatoes and salad, and we use always pre-packed stir-fry veg, bagged salad etc. We very occasionally have a bung it all in the oven pre-prepared thing - M&S Dine In, for example - but I have no qualms about "cheating" on a Monday to Friday basis.

Because presumably if not you have to add the chopping, boiling and draining of the cauliflower?

Chopping a cauliflower takes seconds- chop,chop ,chop bung it in the steamer for 5 mins.

Depends what you cook from scratch,doesn't need to be elaborate
Some chopped fresh tomatoes,fresh basil,garlic,onion with pasta is no effort
Likewise omelette any filling
fried halloumi with salad leaves

I'd recommend batch cook and portion up in bags/tubs.freeze.in morning take out freezer,put in fridge to defrost and reheat at night

erm okay - does everyone have a steamer then? I have gas rings and an electric over