Ok, foodies, Truth or Dare.

[snigger]

You appreciate good food.

You cook from scratch.

Would you be likely to let your standards slide if you were 'just' cooking for you and your DCs?

Do you make great meals for the family, but left alone for a week you'd embrace the opportunity to initiate yourself in the world of take-out, ready meals, and toast for dinner?

I've just had a surprising conversation on this topic with my friend.

not for a whole week, no. But I do make myself have a couple of lazier meals a week (eg shop bought meatballs instead of homemade but with homemade sauce). Can't stand ready meals and take out is a very rare thing in our house

if I was alone I probably would live on toast

In my case it would just be different - and at different times. And in different locations.

not for a whole week for the dcs

if it was a few days with the dcs I would have scrambled eggs / fishfingers / freezer leftovers

or if it was a week for myself I would mostly eat cheese on toast

but not for all of us for a whole week iyswim

I would cook different stuff like omlettes, rissotto and loads of salads - so not too much faff, but mostly still cook from scratch if a whole week (which is what I did when dp away).

Though he's out tonight and I had chicken noodles as couldn't be bothered (though did use homemade stock )

It's more of an effort to cook proper meals for one I think, which is fine if I was prepared for it adn would adapt my shopping. But when I have brought for meals for family and then just me eating I tend to save it for next meal and eat crap out of back of cupboard.

IF i were on my own i'd not bother and either grab ready made salads/sarnies or just eat toast

No but I tend to take the opportunity to use up left overs in the freezer as cooking for one is really a lot of work for little reward.

DW has never ever cooked so always goes to M&S and buys a ready meal when I am not there to cook for her. It has to be microwaveable or she does not eat.

sorry meant to say ds eats really early (about 4.30) so me and dp have seperate meal in evening so if dp away would just be me eating.

Left alone with DCs definitely not let standards slide.

Left on my own, I'd have a lot more takeaways and foods which aren't to my DH's tastes and no meat!

Last time I was alone with DD we had cheese and pea omlettes. On my own I would also eat mostly cheese on toast. Would include a variety of interesting cheeses with capers/basil leaves/anchovies or similar though!

oh but i do cook from scratch for myself several weekday evenings a week. last week i made risotto and pizza, usually it is more likely to be red meat because nobody else is keen on it. or sushi!

No ready meals - I wouls still cook from scratch, just different things that DH would not eat (for instance, anything with cheese!)

My dh is often away abroad: I end up cooking proper meals because the dc's complain if they only get a "lunchy" supper after a long day sweating over a schoolbook!

One bonus is there's only one lot of washing up as I don't have to do his later when he comes in.

One time when he worked away each week for 6 months I underestimated how much food to make and lost lots (too much) weight. I was cooking 3 toddler portions for 2 toddlers and me.

However, with no dc's? I'd probably eat very spicy lentil dahl food every day!

This thread has a massive gap in it on my screen. Is that just me?

DH was away a few nights last week

DS'sate very well (couldn't get to shops so ordered in from Waitrose)- I ate large bars of chocolate for dinner although by the last day I did give in and make a home made pasty LOL (so that Dh would stop buying cheapo crap ones for his dinner)

if there were no boys or Dh here I'd be gone to a friends- I hate bing alone- so problem solved! I was raised in a salt free house so readt meals etc inedible to me.

Either cheese 'n' chutney toasties made in my beloved Breville or I make lots of chickpea curries/lentil soups/spicy noodles, basically delish veggie food that I adore.

I buy pizzas when dp is away. Or cook something like blue cheese risotto, or have crab (neither of which he'll eat). Or sod it - ready meals. Or beans on toast with lots of cheese.
Then I sit on t'Internet all night or relish having the TV to myself and play on the Wii or watch crap, like Casualty.
Come to think of it I wished he'd bugger off for a few days (see my rant in Relationships) so me and ds can play Mario Kart until gone 7

My DP is often away. The DCs are at nursery so I don't feed them during the week. I still cook for myself regularly but occasionally, when alone, treat myself to some easy/ready meals that I love such as take-away curry, Deep Pan Super Supreme from Pizza Hit and fish finger sandwiches.

He's away tonight and I'm making Nigel Slater's spicy lentils with nan.

DH is often away, for up to 6 weeks at a time. I love cooking but when he's away standards really slide. Not in an unhealthy way just that I can't be bothered to cook properly IYSWIM. I do cook properly for DS but tend to be childrens type meals, unless we're having a roast.

I often cook just for DCs and me so I wouldn't let standards slide.

Left alone for a week I would probably cook lots more so the freezer was full thus making life less hectic once family returned. I would also make myself some spicier dishes as DH and DCs not keen.

I tend to cook everything from scratch, although often end up making two different dinners, one for me and man and one that is less spicy/fancypants for dd. When he is away which tbh is rare, we eat pizza from the shop and occasionally go to the restaurant at Migros for tea. Ready meals are a novelty in Switzerland (as is a sense of humour) and those that are available are filth. I'd give a kidney for M+S or Waitrose sometimes.

I wouldn't eat ready meals (bleugh!) but would probably spend a couple of days eating picky food or something like scrambled eggs.

Then I'd get the urge to try different things, get out the recipe book and start filling up the freezer.