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! -

We cook from scratch everyday. We take it in turns though so its not just one of us doing it all the time.

They're called wives.

hands up

I am one of those women. We only very, very occasionally have a takeaway and simply don't buy readymeals or even jars of pasta sauce etc. The only pre-made thing I tend to have in is bread and beans for the odd 'cheat' of beans on toast or baked potato and...

I enjoy cooking and simply don't find it onerous! I will even throw together a full roast on a week night without a second thought. I don't even get why people gawp at that because I just lob some meat in the oven, peel the veg, do some gravy and it's done, what's so hard? lol

My best tip is to plan ahead, I guess?

I cook from scratch most evenings - get home at 6:20 but dont eat till around 7:30 with the kids - have always done it this way and it's our norm, I have a passion for cooking and eating good food so well worth it, husband is also very helpful and will do dishes, prep etc whilst i'm cooking.

Husband and I are out of the house from 7am till 6.30pm and we cook from scratch. It's not difficult - we do meal plan so we know what to shop for and eliminate waste. Oh and we make our own bread from scratch too - and not with an electric bread maker.

I cook from scratch practically every day, always have. I don't (won't) buy ready meals/pre made sauces etc.

I cook from scratch most days. I say most days as some days DP cooks and some days I just can't be bothered but it's normally once a week we eat something I haven't made. (like today - pizza and garlic bread although I made the cheesecake from scratch which we are having afterwards!).

I make my own tomato sauce for spag bol and chilli. Simple, quick and a lot cheaper.

I do stew once or twice a week and throw everything in one pot to cut down on cleaning up. Takes half an hour to prep veg and sort everything and then it's just leaving it to simmer all day.

Spaghetti and meatballs is quick and easy.

Shepherds pie is another quick one and we use that on days we are all coming in late from work/activities as if I've prepped it, we can just put it in the oven to heat through.

I do prefer home cooked food. I would just prefer it if I wasn't doing it 90% of the time. I get bored of doing the same meals and always looking for something different.

I am amazed at the meal planning threads. The midweek meals are sometimes things I'd only have time to do at the weekend.

Imo a disproportionate number of people on mumsnet work from home and therefore are able to fit cooking in around that. On my work days, we leave the house at 8 and get home 5.30. We eat at 6. In that 30 mins I am also dealing with the dc, putting our things away etc. So it's quick meals for us. I can't be bothered using evenings to cook as there's other chores to do and I choose to go out or watch TV instead of cooking. And I say that as someone who enjoys cooking!

This 'scratch' sounds like amazing stuff, where can I buy it? 😎 Joking apart: yes, agreed with all the posts talking about one-pot meals and pre-prepping. I love cooking, but there are just some nights when you just 'carnt be arsed'. Just making a veggie risotto - great though does need surveillance if you don't want burned rice. Slow cookers are great too.

Depends what you cook.

I make my own pasta, pasta sauces, sausage meat pie, potato gratin,pizza, croquettes, strata, whatever other ingredients I have. .. I use them. Supercook.com is a good website to find out what you can make with what ingredients you have in.

I do buy stuff that's ready made as some nights as sometimes I don't want to make frim scratch. Something quick.

Slow cooker is the best way to go. Prep the night before, stick it on in the morning and come home to home cooked food (can even freeze the prepped food and just take it out the night before you need it).

I cook from scratch 99% of the time. When I'm not on maternity, I get in about 6pm - eldest does homework while I cook. It doesn't take up much time.
Meal plan is the way to go.

I home cook all my own sauces etc but I use little cheats like having frozen, chopped onion and garlic as I find peeling and chopping those were what put me off the most.

My sister MIL cooks 7 meals on Sunday. Fab cook. My friend and neighbour cooks from scratch all the time - but she has 3 very boys anf a husband wuth big (not fat) appetites! She says they couldn't afford it any other way. I wish I could cook like that but with you op these are wonder women!

We cook everything from scratch (including making our bread) he works 6 days I work 4.

We have 2 DC, 5 and 2. It's like anything it's about getting in the habit. I usually make a big pan of bolognaise mince which does with mash as a shepherds pie or with pasta in the week. We always have homemade pizza once a week. One day a week I put soup (usually lentil) in the slow cooker. When I've got time I make fish cakes and baked potatoes for the freezer for when the kids need a quick meal.

I get most of my recipes from BBC food website.

It works for my family but I know it doesn't work for everyone, my mum hated cooking and I grew up in freezer meals and survived!

I cook from scratch every other day, make enough to last two days. I am a SAHM now but I did this too when working, it was hard work! Cook basic things like roast meat/fish, pasta with homemade pesto. Salads as a side are quicker than preparing veg I find.

I cook 95% of my food from scratch, I plan and prep most of it Sunday, a few hrs prep makes sure I don't have much to do in the evenings. Happy to show you what I do if your interested ?

I have not read the thread but we're having Heinz tomato soup tonight.

However my dad cooks from scratch every night

I cook from scratch most of the time, sometimes cheating a little, like using a jar of pesto sauce or some frozen prepped veg. Plus my DH always does the washing up! There are tons of things you can make in 15-20 minutes, but I totally get it that if you've got to work all day and then drive DC around in the evening, then do homework, bathtime etc, it would be a challenge!

Of course sausage and mash are "from scratch" if you make your own mash and gravy. All it means is using no or few processed ingredients. I don't like ready made stir fry sauces, though I'll use curry pastes ready made sometimes (paste, not sauce. Because buying all those exotic ingredients separately would be uneconomic). And there are lots of simple meals like that which only take 20-30 mins to throw together on a week night. I'm planning a sausage stew with couscous tonight. Chopped veg, chickpeas (tinned), tinned tomatoes, spices, parsley. Fry sausages, pour boiling water over couscous - done.
Nothing wondrous about it. I think it depends whether you enjoy cooking or not. I don't like most ready meals and find cooking relaxing.

I was criticised on here once for using frozen chopped onion, garlic from a jar and tinned tomatoes, apparently they're convenience foods.

I cook from scratch, including bread and pasta sauce (both of which freeze well) Tonight was Spaghetti Carbonara (egg yolk, black pepper and crispy bacon) with salad. Last night was stir fried broccoli and cauliflower with sesame seeds and soy, served on fluffy white rice. Each dish took less than 20 mins to prepare and serve. It is definitely a habit though.

Should add I work until 5 or 6, we eat around 7. We have just one LO, that probably helps.

I cook from scratch at weekends but I find it quite a chore - shepherds pie on a Saturday (definitely not quick but failsafe) and roast dinner on a Sunday (again, not quick, but it works). We also have a cooked-from-scratch meal on a Wednesday, I usually make enough for two meals and freeze, so we have it the following week as well.

Otherwise, I do things like leftover chicken from roast dinner with oven chips, pasta with pesto from a jar and sometimes M&S meals or takeaway fish and chips. I eat a lot of salad myself but DH and DS don't like it. I make soup for myself but again they don't really like it.

I used to do everything including bread before I had a baby. Now I do cut corners like pre chopped veg, garlic in a jar and things. It's all fairly home cooked though. DH cooks a couple of nights a week and that is sometimes oven chips, sausages and peas or something similar