How to motivate myself to cook

Sarah - posted on 04/22/2011

I hated cooking too, but at some point it does become a neccessity. I subsricbed to a cooking magazine, so I got new ideas every month. I like Rachel Ray, her recipes tend to be healthy and fulll of veggies and although the include higher-end ingrdients, I dumb them down easily enough. :)

Paula - posted on 04/22/2011

The crockpot can be your best friend! There are books out there that will have recipes for everything to do in the crockpot including desserts! As far as your leftovers,put a large freezer container in the freezer, so each time you have some you just toss into it and each month or however quick it fills make a stew or soup with them.
Lunches, when I make lasgna or spaghetti, or soup and sometimes roast I put a serving in a reheatable container for my husband who often works nights. He can't say its leftovers 'cause it was served directly from the pan to his lunch container (You could freeze these portions to use on another day.} Hope this helps.

Jenny - posted on 11/19/2009

I like to turn cooking into "me" time. I pour myself a glass of wine, grab the Ipod and the headphones and go to town. I groove around the kitchen cooking away and the rants and raves of the children are left for their father cause I can't hear a thing =). I'm a big fan of grilling (I make a mean rib eye) . Brush veggies with olive oil and cook for a few minutes on each side. Or add onions, garlic and spices to any canned veggie, throw it in a tinfoil dish, drizzle with olive oil and leave it on the grill for 15 minutes while you cook your meat

The crockpot has been mentioned. My easiest crockpot recipe: toss pork roast in crock pot, add one sliced onion, top with full bottle of BBQ sauce and leave on low for the day. With some some nice buns and a side of coleslaw you have delicious pulled pork sandwiches. Prep time: 5 min.

Trisha - posted on 11/19/2009

Mrs. Lisa, One question. Do you have any kids? If so make it a family thing. make chicken pasta with alfredo. let the kids help boil the noodles or cut the chicken breast up in dice size. And they can make a salad. Make your on garlic bread. But, make sure you use wheat noodles for your healthy meals. And hear is some other ideas for a great meal and for your kids to help. Chicken and rice casserole, tortilla casserole,or a zesty chicken mozzarella sandwiches. And for the kids make taco bake, chilli chees fries or chilli cheese fritos, or Nachos. This is things that is easy to cook and easy to clean up. I hope that you get the urge to cook. it's a beautiful thing. I cook every day. i even cook egg omlets for lunch or dinner. you can swith up the meat. you can do bell pepper. with cheese or bacon, ham, sausage, chicken or turkey with any ingredients you like. But, good luck my friend. If you need to no the recipes on some of those. Let me no. my email is white355@windstream.net

Julie - posted on 11/18/2009

To take some of the stresses off, I find that making a menu for the week. That way when you go grocery shopping you can pick up everything you need at the beginning of the week. As for variety, us the internet. I go through the sales flyers for the closest grocery stores and decide what I will make. Then I look up different meal ideas. I also find it easier to clean up while I am cooking so that way there is not a huge clean up once I am done. As far as leftovers, it makes a great lunch the next day. If you made meatloaf for instance, make your hubby a meatloaf sandwich for lunch. Then he won't feel like he's eating the same thing and your not feeding him processed meats.

Helen - posted on 11/17/2009

I totoally get what you're saying! First thing I must say is, if your kids are old enough make them wash the dishes. Thats what my mom did. all you have to do is make it fun once tell them how to do it right and praise them for helping!
Second I used to dread cooking too. But now i just sort of scan the kitchen for what we have. and i kinda think of ideas while im looking. then i go to cooks.com and type in different ingredients that we have for one recipe. then you have to hunt around for an easy one. but it takes away a lot of planning. Ihave done that enought that I can just look in the kitchen and put stuff together. And I used to be afraid to cook spegettei..
I would suggest trying some cassaroles. that way you can just throw some random(not too random) things together and read a book for 30 minutes. its a pretty easy way to sneak in veggies.

Lydia - posted on 11/17/2009

Amen to the crockpot. Awesome, throw it in the crockpot in the morning, go to work, come home to a meal!

Katherine - posted on 11/17/2009

LOL I'm with you there Lisa, all the way. Don't we as mom's have ENOUGH to do? I have a new community called Burned out Moms, join! It's pinned to the top of the welcome page. We can rant there :)

Lori - posted on 11/17/2009

Well i do not really have to ever get motivated to cook, but I think that if there is something you really want for the holidays and it was ruled out as a dish to bring! Make it this week then you will not be craving it! Or maybe if you are going to be taking something that you havent made before then, maybe try it out first! Anyway! Cooking is fun!!!!! So moms lets get motivated!!!!!!!!!

KATHY - posted on 11/17/2009

I do alot of grilling...steaks, chicken, pork. It's fast, easy and no clean up! Add some frozen veggies, side of pasta...fruit for dessert...done!

Jennie - posted on 11/17/2009

OMG! I think we are twins! Your story sounds exactly like mine right down to the hypoglycemia. I just joined e-mealz. www.e-mealz.com. It is inexpensive and really helping me. they even give you the grocery list for the week. I still hate to cook, but this has helped a lot. My family won't eat all the meals they suggest but I save each weeks menu in a notebook and switch as needed. You'll understand when you visit the site. If you join please list me as referring you so I can get a discount. My name is Jennie Busteed. Good luck.

Anna - posted on 11/17/2009

Keep stocked with a big supply of food so you don't have to plan so much eg canned tomatoes, chili beans, pasta sauce, frozen stuff - so you can always throw something together without having to go shopping.
Simplest meals: vege soup - you just throw a lot of vegetables in a pot with water, a little salt or instant stock, maybe some lentils or split peas for protein - easy. Stirfries. Baked potatoes - just throw them in the ove, no dishes required & top with canned chili beans, cheese, coleslaw, sour cream or whatever you like. Roasted veges. Pizza - use pita breads or frozen pizza bases. Tortilla wraps filled with beans, cheese and salad. Frittata is easy & only uses one pan.
We have a little herb and salad garden outside the kitchen - it can make any meal look and taste more presentable with some fresh herbs added and a few gourmet salad leaves on the side.

Simone - posted on 11/17/2009

i have 3 children to juggle, my partner and the house just like most mums, i make sure all meals i cook don't take no more then half an hour. i do pasta, with tuna and salad. or you could try turkey sausages with mash and onion gray, rice and tuna mix, cook a pot of rice, grate some carrots, slice spring onion, herbs and spices, cook down the tuna, add some tomarto's, mix it all together and then your done. and with the hubby's lunch, give him pasta salad, sandwiches, like egg mayo with a touch of cracked black pepper and salad. these loads of easy meals you can do. i use to be a chef so i don't mind cooking. i'm from the carriabean and so is my partner so we cook food black food to, and that takes sometime to cook, but it's a good thing my man can cook. lol

Maura - posted on 11/17/2009

Here is one idea: Cook a good size whole chicken in a large pot for soup, add celery, carrot, onion, spices (don't put rice or past in, cook that separately and add to each bowl). Use the chicken meat for a separate meal (ie. homemade chicken salad sandwiches, yum, or chicken curry and rice, or chicken pie). I don't know how big your family is, but I do this every week and get at least three meals out of it, which I try to vary. It helps to have a routine. Also, I don't know how much else your husband does, but mine agreed to do the clean-up in exchange for the cooking and that has helped to make the cooking part more enjoyable. Another easy one, couscous, broccoli, and lemon. Fast, no mess, yummy. Now I'm hungry :)

Sharon - posted on 11/16/2009

Ok I didn't totally follow your sensitivities but...



..campbells soups meals - really easy rice/pasta, soup, boneless chicken, ground beef or stir fry meat pieces + a vegetable



..stir frys - really easy - meat, pkg frozen veggies, jarred sauce or soy sauce w/a little orange juice & brown sugar - all of this can be kept frozen until you need it.



.. fried rice - steamed rice, bag of frozen mixed veggies, scrambled eggs, & some kind of meat - all this can be kept frozen until you need it.



crockpot meals are AWESOME. maybe 5 ingredients for the simple stuff, toss it in, set the heat and walk away, its barely cooking at all.