Do people not cook at home?

[cg21]

Speaking of school... Should I take this time to remind us that they eliminated Home Ec at least a decade ago? If not more? I can personally account for 1992 being when I know firsthand when it was last taught.

That is plenty of time for working age folk to not have learned it.

They just changed the name because I in the 2000’s was taking a home ec although I don’t believe that was the actual name

 

[cg21]

Curious what are considered “non-elaborate“ meals?? I don’t have a set schedule….. but I would say on average we eat fast food once a week, and go out to eat once a month. When we are on our normal routine at home.

Traveling all bets are off but I do still prepare a LOT of meals when we travel just not nearly the amount when at home. We take full advantage of vrbo kitchens. I like to cook on vacation because it means I can go on more vacations if I am not spending $200 a meal. But I also hate it because my favorite thing on vacation is trying local cuisine at mom n pop non chain places.


but yea people do not cook. I have a nephew that is getting ready to leave for college and can only cook a frozen pizza and Kraft. But his parents don’t cook either……

 

[OneBadV8]

We cook at home and live on leftovers for lunches but we do go out at least once a week.

There are some though that eat out every day or only reheat frozen stuff.

Can’t imagine how expensive and unhealthy that is

We also try to get the kids to cook at least once a week so they know how to follow a basic recipe

 

[rob63]

There are certainly people that do not cook. My wife's sister has asked the same question, "where did you get this from," regarding a meal that I cooked.

My wife was visiting the same sister one time and decided to make herself a sandwich, but couldn't find the bread. It turned out that they keep it inside the oven because they don't use it!

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I fixed some Hamburger Helper once about 20 years ago for the kids, when my wife was sick.

My wife was away for several days last week. I made hamburger helper the first evening, and I had leftovers of that for supper the following two days. The last evening I really cooked...frozen chicken strips in the air fryer with instant mashed potatoes.

 

[tomcat13]

I stayed a Bachelor for a while, before getting Married (the 1st time).
I am a Self-Taught cook, because I Hate to eat out.
21 yrs into my Second marriage & now retired, I cook for us the majority of the time.
Wife has her own Business, so I guess I'm now what can be referred to as a House-husband.
I doubt that's PC, but No S**t is given about that nonsense!

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I graduated in 2008 and we still had home ec. It was a required class in 8th grade, first semester was sewing and laundry, second semester was cooking. I actually won the home ec award for my class lol. I knew how to sew, cook, and do laundry before i took the class though, my parents taught me those skills at a young age.

I have always loved cooking though, I compete in BBQ contests and chili cookoffs all the time, run the kitchen for the local conservation club and do a bit of catering on the side.

My family rarely eats out, and its been that way my entire life. Heck my entire family just went to Gatlinburg for 5 days and we only ate out 1 time the entire trip.

 

[littletommy]

True story: I got a 2 day suspension back in junior high because the mean old bag that taught home ec was showing us how to cook a burger.

She took it out of the skillet and turned to us with the cooked burger on a spatula and asked “can anyone tell me what we do next”?

I answered “you shove it in your buns”.

The principal wanted to laugh when she took me to the office, but he kept a straight face.

 

[Ark]

I cook everything and almost never eat out. Too expensive, and the calorie counts are usually too high for my budget. I pack lunch every day, and if I don't have a container of something to bring, there's a carton of ramen in the trunk.

I don't understand where some people get the money to eat out every day. Not when dinner for one from the "cheap" Chinese place has soared past $20.

 

[smokingman]

I enjoy great food.
The perfect chicken pot pie(it involves Guinness and a fresh made crust),a warm snickerdoodle(circa 1954 Better Homes cook book),fresh made bread(yes,yes bacon bread is still a thing!),even a simple thing like fresh hash browns(made from raw potatoes not frozen) with a few toppings can make my day.

Cooking to me is relaxing...or insanity(ever try to make real fudge...and fail.. even managing to break your candy thermometer? I did this last week.),or simply learning a skill that you will always be able to use.

The reward is something you made,to your own taste,and the knowledge you gained that connects you to your past or simply makes next time easier.

Flipping through this little box of cards and reading something my great grandmother made,or my grandmother, mom,or even great grandfathers note on what not to use(in the margins of his wife's cards) is also a great feeling and then trying to make it is a way to connect to my past. Probably one out of ten cards my great grandmother left were how to not screw something up lol. I would not give it up for anything. Fast food can not touch that at any price. In 10 years children and grandchildren will never remember a trip to McDonald's,they would likely remember cooking with you though.

 

[purdue98]

Last night I made smoked chicken with rice and cheese. So my wife takes some of the leftovers to school for lunch today. She will usually take a little extra. For some reason. I still can not cook for just two. So there is that. Well she ended up sharing with one of the new teachers.

She asked my wife which restaurant it came from ? My wife told her my Kitchen. Oh where is that I have not heard of it is it new? No my husband made it.

Do people just not cook at home?

I married up. Wife is an amazing chef. We added a Traeger 2 years back to our home cooking options. For us, it is a rarity to eat out. We prefer to know about as much as one can know about the food source, preparation and flavor.
Good on you for home cooking!

 

[1nderbeard]

My wife and I both make better stuff than restaurants serve. I can do simple stuff: Grill, smoked meat, potatoes, breakfast. She does more complicated stuff. We eat out very rarely. Maybe a few times a month.

 

[Creedmoor]

My wife was away for several days last week. I made hamburger helper the first evening, and I had leftovers of that for supper the following two days. The last evening I really cooked...frozen chicken strips in the air fryer with instant mashed potatoes.

I think they call that, warming up and re-hydrating.

 

[Super Bee]

Speaking of school... Should I take this time to remind us that they eliminated Home Ec at least a decade ago? If not more? I can personally account for 1992 being when I know firsthand when it was last taught.

That is plenty of time for working age folk to not have learned it.

Not all school systems, my wife teaches Home Ec for a local Fort Wayne school system. Last year was her first year at this school, and she had just 20 to 25 kids per class. This coming school year she has nearly 40 kids per class. Word got out her classes were fun and they had to turn kids away.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Not all school systems, my wife teaches Home Ec for a local Fort Wayne school system. Last year was her first year at this school, and she had just 20 to 25 kids per class. This coming school year she has nearly 40 kids per class. Word got out her classes were fun and they had to turn kids away.

Glad to hear it. I was one of the only guys in my home ec class. It was fun indeed.

 

[KG1]

Growing up eating out or fast food was not the norm. We only got to do it once a month.

 

[Onebad06vtx]

My ding bat sister in law put in a $40,000 kitchen 3 years ago and has only cooked in it twice. WTF
We use ours 6 days a week.

 

[littletommy]

Growing up eating out or fast food was not the norm. We only got to do it once a month.

When I was a kid, maybe two or three times a year we would go to Louisville to eat at the kingfish restaurant on the river in downtown. The place looked like a steamboat, and even had a little moat around. For a kid in a hick town in the 70s, it was like a trip to New York City!

We have a kingfish a couple of miles from us now, and we go there pretty often, but it’s just not the same. Food is the same, but I really miss the fake steamboat building.

 

[ws6guy]

My ding bat sister in law put in a $40,000 kitchen 3 years ago and has only cooked in it twice. WTF
We use ours 6 days a week.

I bought my house when it was 23 years old, the oven/stove was original and looked brand new like it just came out of the box. That was fixed quickly as we only get take out once or twice a month.

 

[KARP]

I retired 14 years ago and one of the " hobbies " I decided to take up was cooking.
Up till then my wife let me grill outside but she didn't want me messing up her kitchen.
She finally relented and let me give it go figuring I'd probably give up.

First came the cast iron skillet, then the insta pot, the air fryer, and all the other fancy utensils.
I found out I really enjoy cooking. So now instead of hearing " stay out of my kitchen ", I hear " what are we having tomorrow?"