What has happened to people cooking!

Kelinik

lady_fuschia wrote: »

a packet of condoms, a tube of bonjela and an avocado.

I'm still trying to figure that one out...

Bonjela and (mashed) avocado for a teething baby and the condoms to prevent any more teething babies......

moanymoany

I got my first dishwasher 23 years ago and the whole world felt that they could comment - with almost religious zeal - about how unnecessary it was.:rolleyes: The boundaries have now shifted and it is the ready meals that get the comments.

I sometimes use the jars of curry sauce, but mainly cook from scratch. The prepared meals I've found take longer than a jar of sauce and boil in the bag rice and bought naan's. I've got a thing about stuff being 'heated through' which my family call - unkindly I think - cremated!

I used to do my mum's shopping, which was ready meals for the carers to put in the microwave and treats in the form of cakes and fancy puds in pots. I used to get some very sideways looks and many times found myself 'explaining'.

It's quite true, why should anyone else be bothered about what I buy and eat. My motivation is not spending money and that I prefer my own stuff. But, when is something readymeal or not? Beefburgers, fish fingers, biscuits, pastry, yoghurt, cooked meats, where do they come in? It all gets a bit anal.:p

HariboJunkie

Kelinik wrote: »

I'm a Mum of a 5 yr old and we don't eat with the kids during the week, they eat at 5, go in the bath around 6 and are in bed by 7 (eldest gets to read for half an hour) which is roughly when hubby gets home so one meal time for all of us just isn't practical! They eat the same food as us just a day behind and we eat together at weekends, both have good table manners and eat just about anything - don't see the problem myself?

I don't see the problem at that age either kelinik.
My OH works erratic hours so 3 nights out of 7 we eat later than the kids (5 year olds) and usually take the opportunity to eat something they don't like eg hot curry.

They don't eat alone in the kitchen as I am always there and like yours their manners are above average I'd say. I always make sure that all meals (breakfast, lunch and tea) are eaten together at the weekend.

sammy_kaye18

Well rest assured that my DS (aged 3 at the end of may) will not be one of these males who relys on the local takeaway being open or the nearest microwave meal. Id say 98% of our meals are homemade - with the odd treat being shop brought - or bread which is shop brought but i recently learnt how to hand make it so im getting there

Ive already got him in the kitchen helping me,

get ingredients from the fridge for me,
sieve the flour for cakes, biscuits and bread,
helps put all the veggies in a pan when we have our roast dinner,
puts all the peelings in the bin when preparing the veg,
checks on the cakes, roast (whatever is in the oven) with me
helps me with the blender when finishing off me soup
stirs any mixes we have - cake, batter etc
cuts out his own biscuits/scones whilst mummy does the rest
helps with cake/biscuit decorating etc
helps beat the bread after its proved
helps me meal plan would you believe! (basically he points to different things he wants in the freezer)

PLus i also have him trained in tidying up after himself, bringing his dirty dishes out into the kitchen, please and thank you are always said and he helps take food/drinks out to guests with me provided they are cold drinks.

Now if i could only train his father id be landed...................................

maryb

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Now if i could only train his father id be landed...................................

Don't hold ypur breath! I've been married 20 years and he will still walk across the kitchen towards the (empty) dishwasher - and put his plate down on the draining board!!!

Still at least it gets as far as that - I suppose that's progress

newster

We don't have a dish washer, but the comment of the dad leaving the bowl on the draining board made me smile. Due to family size versus size of house, we are all unable to sit down at the table, although we all (more or less) eat at the same time, so some are at the table and the rest are in the living room with trays, or just laps !!! Anyway, the living room eaters have an annoying habit of having the food, putting their plate in the nearest available clear surface, then going out into the kitchen to get a drink!!!!!!!???????? The number of times that DH and I have to call one of them back to collect their plate lol.

Sarahsaver

Even when I was 'between houses' and living out of carrier bags in the staffroom I had the stuff to make my own sarnies :eek: Either that or I cooked extra and bought it in to reheat in the microwave - soup, lasagne, curries and so on.

yorkshire puds - we sometimes have a biggie - about 12 inches by 8 inches and it cooks fine. The secret is to have the oil hot enough.

We always eat with the children, every evening, at a table. That way we get to do at least ONE thing all together. Only exception is like today when I was at yoga so DH has saved our food for later. It is sad schools do not teach cooking, although our primary does a little bit, to teach children for cultural reasons, a lot would not know what porridge is so when they learn about goldilocks they make porridge, pancakes at pancake day... Cross curricular food, that's what's needed!

shell2001

I encourage the girls to help in cooking, preparing meals. It is something they enjoy doing and I think that is part of the reason they are both willing to try anything. It is fairly basic levels at the moment as they are 4 and 2 but tonight while I was making the egg fried rice DD1 cracked the eggs and whisked it up with the fresh garlic. If we do a pasta dish they like to hand me the pasta to put in the pan (handful by handful - lots to pick up off the floor and put in the bin but they enjoy "helping". They both like buttering their own bread for sandwiches and I feel it is to be encouraged (time permitting).

We have regular baking sessions and they both really enjoy them, I hope this enjoyment last and they continue to learn how to cook.

I remember when I first left home I moved in with a girl I went to school with she made cheese sauce one night by putting the butter, flour, milk and whole block of cheese (not grated WHOLE???) in a saucepan and could not understand why it didnt look like her mums. Thankfully we did our own cooking! I was lucky in that mum used to let me help her and I remember cooking my first roast dinner at age 11.

These are the life skills our children need. It is great to learn about other cultures/religions but please teach our children how to care for themselves too!

Sarahsaver

I let my kids make their own sandwiches one day as a treat, also a timesaving experiment. THey didnt make loads of mess, and DS1 chose cheese and chilli salsa, dd had cheese and marmite and ds2 had marmite.
They all have their own 'signature recipes' so I can say 'oh come on your coleslaw is the best, we need you to make some...
DD can cook even though she is the fussiest of the lot. She whisks perfectly, makes anything involving batter, can do a mean crumble and the best pancakes. She likes to try and forget when she helped me, aged 3, make Irish stew with mutton, bones and all, AND she ate it.
Luckily living where we do cooking from scratch is the norm among most people, and we are surrounded by places selling the raw ingredients, veg, fruit, grains, pulses, meat (butchers let my kids see in the cold store one day ) so they know where it all comes from,not a box of bag marked 'tesco' or 'birds eye'

Mr_Proctalgia

A bit off topic...

I just wanted to say that it might be getting infectious. I was driving back home earlier; and having dropped into Mr T's to check the yellow stickers and, being disappointed was gladdened to see the queue outside the local butchers shop spreading down the pavement. The queue was about 20 strong and Tescos was about 100 yards away -

Nuff said I think and a big up for home cooking.