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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

628 replies

MGFM · 30/01/2017 14:06

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! -

OP posts:
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CommunionHelp · 01/02/2017 00:27

I hate the term 'from scratch', it just grates somehow.

Anyway, that aside, I cook every night. I do it because I love it, we chat with a glass of wine while I prepare ingredients etc. and if we stay away from home I really miss doing it.

Cooking relaxes me and makes me happy. Smile

bummymummy77 · 01/02/2017 00:30

Dh and I fight over who cooks usually. The alternative is having ds, the dog, cats, chickens and tidying. Grin

RhodaBorrocks · 01/02/2017 00:40

I cook from scratch 2-3 times a week. What I make usually lasts 2-3 days. So I cooked a pasta bake on Sunday, finished it tonight. Tomorrow I'm making a quiche which will last until Friday or Saturday. Then I'm making a veggie Thai curry.

But I'm only cooking for myself. DS eats different food to me and has ASD so has a limited diet - his food comes from the freezer because I buy it in bulk!

I work full time, so I don't think I could cook from scratch every day though! Not to mention it's hard to buy ingredients for a meal for 1 - you always end up with more than you need, so it's better to batch cook.

marhav999 · 01/02/2017 00:57

I am a SAHD. I make practically everything from scratch with a few chosen exceptions. Just finished the years supply of Seville orange marmalade, and would make the raspberry jam to go into the sponge! Would always make my own Bechemal sauce , passata, enchilada sauce etc. Wife and I make our own soup and bread. We don't do takeaways at all but there is the odd visit to KFC or Mac Donald's. (

LaurieF · 01/02/2017 05:43

I cook from scratch every night as I follow slimming world but then I really enjoy cooking :) I get home from work 4 days a week at 7.15ish, kids have usually already been fed by OH, in laws etc.
I meal plan for the entire week on a Sunday so make sure I have everything in that's needed and do a mixture of quick pasta dishes, grilled chicken, fish, steak, curries and slow cooker dishes.

LaurieF · 01/02/2017 05:45

@marhav999 that is some serious organisational skills. I am in awe! 😍

bananafish81 · 01/02/2017 05:59

If we were lucky enough to have children then we would make proper food

As it is, as there's just the two of us, we don't really cook, let alone cook from scratch. We don't really eat a full evening meal, more of a light snack I guess. Neither of us gets any pleasure from cooking, it's just a chore. If we had a small person to feed then obvs it would we would meal plan and make proper food.

Will try hello fresh or gousto as a way of trying to get into the habit of making a proper dinner. Although I don't think we will be as saintly as making our own bread or marmalade any time soon!!

frozenfairy123 · 01/02/2017 06:00

I'm with u and find it very hard to cook from scratch but I'm not a natural cook, I have 1 ds who is extremely fussy, 1 ds who is weaning still and needs finger type versions, I'm vegetarian and hubby likes lots of meat but not much veg. I'm making 4 different things all the time. If I do spaghetti Bol I use a jar as knowone liked my home made sauce and that's one of the only meals ds1 will definitely eat. My problem is I also work but then my kids won't let me go off into the kitchen to cook, I need to watch them or the youngest wants holding. Maybe when they are older I will get better?

Bettyspants · 01/02/2017 07:24

I work full time , studying and family of 4 (sometimes 5 depending if DD is here!) most days is a home cooked meal, casserole, stir fry frittata etc. It's really not the faff some people make it out to be. Yes I'll use pasta and a ready made pesto (i.e. Not cooking from scratch!) when time is short but it's easy to do a huge casserole in the slow cooker when I make one and put portions in the freezer. Cooking from scratch can be pretty simple and easy it just depends on what you cook!

Bettyspants · 01/02/2017 07:28

Marhav that sounds amazing wish I was that organised!

Sparrowlegs248 · 01/02/2017 07:30

@marhav999 I think you need to share your spreadsheet! No meal repeated in 13 weeks?!?!

Bettyspants · 01/02/2017 07:40

Marhav that sounds amazing wish I was that organised!

BertrandRussell · 01/02/2017 08:09

I am in awe of marhav!

But we practically always cook from scratch and always have. I like a freezer full of home made food- it makes me feel better about all my other deficiencies. And I'm mostly a mixture of Italian and Irish, so I am culturally cued to need to be able to feed people at all times.

Summerof85 · 01/02/2017 08:18

I have been reading this thread and it is inspiring me. When the 2 DC were younger, I made all their food from scratch. When they got older they became more fussy and would refuse meals I made, it became soul destroying and I ended up giving in and giving them stuff they liked. Also DH works shifts so wasn't always in for dinner, so I would just have a snack. If we are all going to be in for dinner I will make something like a casserole in the slow cooker or shepherds pie etc. I do tend to use jars and have used the bags which you put chicken and vegetables in and stick it in the oven, the chicken cooks very well. I've also used the chicken breasts with the sauce that you stick in the oven for quickness which I sure works out more expensive.
Marham can I get a copy of your spreadsheet please!!!

Summerof85 · 01/02/2017 08:19

Marhav that should say!

Mominatrix · 01/02/2017 09:33

Definitely not a criticism - just a real question. Pesto takes 2 minutes to make fresh and freezes well (ok - a slight bit longer if you toast the pine nuts, but that is not a crucial step) - is a jar really a time saving option?

bananafish81 · 01/02/2017 09:44

Definitely not a criticism - just a real question. Pesto takes 2 minutes to make fresh and freezes well (ok - a slight bit longer if you toast the pine nuts, but that is not a crucial step) - is a jar really a time saving option

Buy fresh stuff. (Buy blender in my case as don't own one). Blend. Freeze in whatever containers you freeze in. Clean blender

Get pesto out of cupboard. Approximately 5 seconds.

I'm not sure how the latter isn't a time saving option. If you prefer the fresh - that's a different matter. But how is prepared stuff not time saving?

Eatingcheeseontoast · 01/02/2017 09:51

I find pesto really expensive to make fresh and would save it for a treat = unless its middle of summer and the slugs haven't eaten it all.

Jar - in cupboard - relatively cheap - we don't use it that often.

Cagliostro · 01/02/2017 10:08

I make a big batch of pesto and freeze it in portions.

Our food processor is really heavy (but can't live on the counter as no space) and due to pain I can't lift it myself so I only use it now and again. I use plenty of prepared stuff, just prefer home made pesto

ZouBisou · 01/02/2017 10:15

How do you source all the basil though? It's been ages since I made pesto but I seem to recall needing practically an entire plant to make one small jar.

EmGee · 01/02/2017 10:19

Mominatrix you are right. I buy jarred pesto for ease but have made it and it is SO easy to make. I need to get some basil in a pot. Jack Munroe also has a good recipe for making pesto from radish leaves. Great if you have bought a bunch and wonder what to do with the leaves. Only problem is, it tastes a bit pepper-y so my kids don't like it.

I agree with OP re mince dishes and tomato sauces. I cook my mince recipes all day in the slow cooker. Sometimes the next day too. The more they marinate, the better they taste.

I have just bought the Poppy book about suppers for kids recommended upthread.

Have also just made some soup - quickest ever - had frozen pumpkins/onions in a bag. Added stock and spices (garam masala, cumin etc). Grated in some creamed coconut. Blended and voilà.

Driffield · 01/02/2017 10:23

I make deconstructed pesto. Cook pasta, fry some garlic gently on olive oil. Chuck in some Toasted pine nuts and a handful of ripped up basil. Lots of grated parmesan, sea salt and black pepper

GlomOfNit · 01/02/2017 10:25

I don't work outside the house (I make jewellery and sell it, I also do a lot of volunteer work) and am, I suppose, a SAHM. I almost always cook from scratch. We don't buy ready meals (unless they're really luxe ones with substantial reductions in Twatrose!), if we have pizza I generally make it (so, not very often!). I have two children, one of whom is severely autistic and has a very limited range of foodstuffs he actually considers edible, so sometimes I'll be making him his meal and DS1 will have something else. Then I or DH will make something mostly from scratch for our own supper. Lunches eaten in the house (if me alone) tend to be more along the lines of toast, salad, eggs, soup (tinned, gasp) so I don't view that as cooking.

I don't remotely see this as a hardship. I buy fresh veg (Aldi very good and cheap), I cook it. I don't like frozen veg apart from peas and spinach, because it tends to be soggy. It's cheaper to cook from scratch (though I'll admit to having started using jars of curry sauce rather than making that from ingredients, mostly because DS1 has started eating mild curries and really likes Aldi Korma and Tikka sauces!), you have more control over the ingredients, there aren't hidden ingredients like dodgy meat.

For instance, if we start importing chlorine-washed chicken, or hormone-injected beef, from the US (as seems likely) these meats won't end up shrink-wrapped and whole on supermarket shelves, they'll be used in cheap ready meals and because they'll be in a multi-ingredient product, the manufacturers aren't under any obligation to state country of origin. So you exercise a lot more control when you cook from separate ingredients.

I like most of my time in the kitchen and so does DH. I have the radio on, usually a laptop on the work space, it's a nice space to be in.

Lweji · 01/02/2017 10:29

I often cook from scratch, but rarely anything that takes more than 30 min to prepare. Bar roasts, but then I can put them in the oven and basically relax.

But I often have chopped ingredients in the freezer. :)

I tend to boil pasta or rice or potatoes, or put potatoes in the microwave.
For meat/fish, I often grill it.
For spaghetti bolognese, I brown the meat with chopped onions, then add sauce, or add pureed tomatoes, and some wine and herbs. One hour, tops.

Goldenhandshake · 01/02/2017 11:00

I think planning ahead is the main key isn't it? I don't go to the spreadsheet extent, but I plan our meals out weekly. This week as an example:

Monday: seasoned pork steak, sweet potato mash and spring greens.
Tuesday: Chilli and rice
Wednesday: Sweet and sour chicken
Thursday: Pasta bake
Friday: Herby chicken breast with roasted diced potato, peppers, mushroom and courgettes.
Saturday: Pulled pork in wholemeal rolls with salad and rice
Sunday: Chicken curry and naan

The only convenience bits used for these meals is the naan bread, rolls and tomato puree, and in terms of time, nothing takes more than 40 minutes max (I stick the chilli in the slow cooker in the morning, come home and boil the rice then serve).