Citizen Erased Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Home-cooked stuff never tastes as good as McDonald's. I don't know what their secret is, but they obviously wouldn't have become one of the world's favourite restaurants if it was that easy. Give your guy a rechargeable gift card (don't forget to top it up regularly), and he'll forget all about you burning the odd morsel. It's that damn Big Mac sauce. I swear they put cocaine in it or something. Link to post Share on other sites
clv0116 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I mean seriously, that would make you not want to propose? I make my own money, I am independent, I am smart, I am in shape, I take care of myself, I am faithful, loving, caring, but because I do not cook they won't want to marry me? Well I suppose everyone is different, but honestly I would only marry to start a family, and kids need their mom at home. I'd feel really guilty about taking you away from your career and I'd worry that you might resent it on some level. Link to post Share on other sites
Storyrider Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Ground meat-based dish: Start by browning two pounds of ground turkey or beef on medium heat in pan until no longer pink. 1st night: To one pound of meat, add jar of pasta sauce. Boil water and add noodles. Strain. Combine. Serve with salad and bread. 2nd night: To one pound of meat, add taco seasoning. Warm up package of taco shells on low heat in oven. Serve with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa. Chicken-based dish. Get two rotisserie chickens at grocery store. Warm in oven on medium heat. 1st night, serve one whole chicken with rice and veg (steam fresh broccoli and or green beans in microwave, 5 minutes in closed container with water). 2nd night, cut up left over chicken. Mix with leftover veggies, add whatever other veggies are around. Warm in frying pan over medium heat. Add soysauce or similar. Warm up microwavable rice (Uncle Ben's in package). Serve as stir-fry. -or- Add some noodles to canned chicken broth and boil. Cut up chicken into soup pot. Add leftover veg. Season to taste with pepper, garlic powder, etc. Cook until all is tender. Serve with bread and salad. Sausage-based dish. 1st night, put sausage in pan in oven at 350. Cook for 45 minutes. Serve with two steamed veg, as above. 2nd night, slice leftover sausage. Crack eight eggs into bowl, add shredded cheese, leftover veg. Scramble in pan on high heat. Serve with bread and/or salad or canned beans. Link to post Share on other sites
Author CandyGirlXO Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 Well I suppose everyone is different, but honestly I would only marry to start a family, and kids need their mom at home. I'd feel really guilty about taking you away from your career and I'd worry that you might resent it on some level. Yeah not even sure if I want kids. Not anytime soon at least... I am 26. Link to post Share on other sites
Author CandyGirlXO Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 Ground meat-based dish: Start by browning two pounds of ground turkey or beef on medium heat in pan until no longer pink. 1st night: To one pound of meat, add jar of pasta sauce. Boil water and add noodles. Strain. Combine. Serve with salad and bread. 2nd night: To one pound of meat, add taco seasoning. Warm up package of taco shells on low heat in oven. Serve with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa. Chicken-based dish. Get two rotisserie chickens at grocery store. Warm in oven on medium heat. 1st night, serve one whole chicken with rice and veg (steam fresh broccoli and or green beans in microwave, 5 minutes in closed container with water). 2nd night, cut up left over chicken. Mix with leftover veggies, add whatever other veggies are around. Warm in frying pan over medium heat. Add soysauce or similar. Warm up microwavable rice (Uncle Ben's in package). Serve as stir-fry. -or- Add some noodles to canned chicken broth and boil. Cut up chicken into soup pot. Add leftover veg. Season to taste with pepper, garlic powder, etc. Cook until all is tender. Serve with bread and salad. Sausage-based dish. 1st night, put sausage in pan in oven at 350. Cook for 45 minutes. Serve with two steamed veg, as above. 2nd night, slice leftover sausage. Crack eight eggs into bowl, add shredded cheese, leftover veg. Scramble in pan on high heat. Serve with bread and/or salad or canned beans. Thanks for the post. I think I might go out and buy a very simple recipe book and just try it out some time. Sometimes not being useful in the kitchen besides cleaning of course, makes me feel worthless. Link to post Share on other sites
Storyrider Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Home-cooked stuff never tastes as good as McDonald's. I don't know what their secret is, but they obviously wouldn't have become one of the world's favourite restaurants if it was that easy. Give your guy a rechargeable gift card (don't forget to top it up regularly), and he'll forget all about you burning the odd morsel. I guess he can eat his burger in the car on the way home and then just daintily nibble on whatever she burns for dinner. Link to post Share on other sites
Dumbledore Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Sausage-based dish. 1st night, put sausage in pan in oven at 350. Cook for 45 minutes. Serve with two steamed veg, as above. 2nd night, slice leftover sausage. Crack eight eggs into bowl, add shredded cheese, leftover veg. Scramble in pan on high heat. Serve with bread and/or salad or canned beans. Magnificent post!!!! One question. Do you play with the sausage for 45 minutes, or just leave it to sizzle by itself? Link to post Share on other sites
Storyrider Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Magnificent post!!!! One question. Do you play with the sausage for 45 minutes, or just leave it to sizzle by itself? Depends on whether it is a batter sav. On second thought, foreplay is always a good idea before the main course. Link to post Share on other sites
clv0116 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Yeah not even sure if I want kids. Not anytime soon at least... I am 26. Why would you want to be married then? Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Why would you want to be married then? Why? Great example....as I type this, sheriff helicopter is circling about a mile away. Another drunk crashed and took out the 12KV system. Wife is snoring away; UPS (the kind that keeps our computers running) is beeping, indicating power failure. Black as space as far as I can see. Walk out in cold; hit transfer switch to take us off the grid; walk out to shop, pre-flight the genset and get her started up. Switch over to internal power and connect up the house. Walk back to house. Lights on; no more beeping. Wife continues to snore. That's why she is married Link to post Share on other sites
Woggle Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 She doesn't have to be a great cook but be willing to dote every now and then. At least take me out or pick up something good. It's not about the actual cooking but this feminist mentality that cooking or doing anything loving whatsoever for a man is being a slave is what men want to avoid. Link to post Share on other sites
wuggle Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Hmm, let me think, what's the first thing I think about when I see an attractive woman ?? (for those who don't do sarcasm it is'nt 'can she cook). Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 How true is this? Would you date a girl that did not cook and had little interest to learn? Is that really a deal breaker for most men? all of the women i've dated long-term have been above average cooks. i'm a good cook so i expect them to be one also... janet made great spaghetti with meatballs linda 1 made a pot roast that would melt in your mouth joan could make a cheesecake to die for mary made incredible sauerbraten linda 2 could cook up a storm in both the kitchen and bedroom marie's mac 'n cheese from scratch was unbelievable teresa made this chicken & sausage dish with lemon and herbs that bowled me over there are others too numerous to list...but its true that one of the ways to a mans heart is thru his stomach Link to post Share on other sites
fral945 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Personally, it's not a deal breaker because I can cook myself, but it would be a nice plus to have. I have to say it does seem to be a dying art, so if it is a deal breaker you're limiting your dating pool. One reason I say it's a nice plus is that I am health conscious and assuming a woman doesn't cook much, it's very likely she eats out a lot, and/or eats a lots of processed food, neither of which I do much. So we would probably have some major lifestyle differences. Of course, I have found even with women that cook many times that is still the case. So in summary, no, it's not a deal breaker. Link to post Share on other sites
kashmir Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Like anything else, cooking takes practice. The excuse that you can't cook because you're horrible at it is BS. Anyone who cooks will tell you that they've had some disasters, but that never stopped them from continuing. Along with not having the skill to cook, that quitter attitude is also a turn-off. Link to post Share on other sites
blind_otter Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Part of the problem is that I live on my own, I do not have children. So for me it is cheaper to eat simple things like cereal, PB&J, grilled cheese, etc... It is kind of expensive to go out and buy all that is neccesary to cook a meal. For a family its cheaper to cook, but for a single person I am not too sure about that. I'd have to agree with you there. I was raised with a good ol' Southern father and an asian mother. I was cooking simple things by the time I was 10. I learned how to make a roux when I was 8. It was just a skill that every woman should know, according to my Dad. Knowing how to cook is about knowing your ingredients well enough to be able to mix, match, add, subtract ingredients. I'm at a point now where, knowing ratios and flavors pretty well, I make up my own recipes. In any event, when I was single and alone I really didn't cook all that much. Luckily my mother cooks all the time so I basically survived off eating at Mom's. Mostly, I made eggs and baked potatoes. I rarely actually cooked meals because it's just not so fun to cook for one....but there's one cooking show that always features "meals for one" - it's called "Everyday food" on PBS. It's a great show, google it for the website and you can find their recipe archive, if you're interested. There are a lot of resources for cooking online; I have a folder of cooking related bookmarks. But really, cooking is an essential thing, IMO. You will always have to eat, and why not learn how to make things the way you like? As for being a dealbreaker - most of the men I've been with did not necessarily require a woman who cooked, but they were impressed by my culinary abilities and enjoyed the skill very much. My partner now says he fell in love with me after tasting my buttermilk biscuits and gravy. It can't hurt to learn how to cook, is what I'm saying. It can only help. And YOU will be able to reap the benefits of your new skill, as much as anyone else. For me, though...I even make my son's baby food. I want him to know what fresh food tastes like. I'm training the palate of my little gourmand. Link to post Share on other sites
fral945 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 It is kind of expensive to go out and buy all that is neccesary to cook a meal. For a family its cheaper to cook, but for a single person I am not too sure about that. It is almost always cheaper to cook no matter how you look at it. At worst you'll break even. Give it a try for a month. I've done the math for myself and I save a lot of money by cooking vs. buying prepackaged, prepared food. Plus it is healthier. Admittedly, it takes more time and effort to cook your own meals, but for me, laziness is not a valid excuse not to cook. And there are shortcuts. Buy a rice cooker and a pressure cooker, and cook meals ahead of time and freeze for meals during the week. You pay for the convenience of boxed foods. I can make red beans and rice from scratch that will feed a family of 4 for less than $5. Try cooking from scratch sometime and you'll see. Link to post Share on other sites
boxing123 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 It depends on what you are looking for. An excellent woman to date, does not also make an excellent wife. Two completely different women sometimes. Similar to a best friend who might be a horrible business partner. I simply cannot get this through my mind.. How can you "not be able to cook?" By cooking, I do not mean being an excellent chef. Just being able to whip something up to sustain life. Breakfast foods, lunches, pasta, potatoes, meat, salad etc. Or, if you cannot cook, be sure to at least make lots of money, and split EVEYRTHING 50/50. If you do not cook, and do not make lots of money, what exactly are you doing to add value? Link to post Share on other sites
Lauriebell82 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I'm not a real great cook, mostly because I was in college for 7 years straight trying to finish my Masters degree. I had a meal plan all through undergraduate, and then when I got to grad school I was so broke that I just bought microwavable stuff and tv dinners and things. Plus my graduate classes were all at night so by the time I got home from class I was too tired/starving to try to cook a big meal. My boyfriend loves a woman who cooks. He LOVES my mom's cooking, he practically drools over it. So I tried to make something the other day. The other day I made this grilled shrimp on the stove with italian dressing and put it in a salad. I just kind of created the recipe myself. It was actually pretty good! I guess I "can't cook" because I really never learned how. We made a deal that I would cook dinner every Wednesday night for him. On the weekends we will cook together. (During the week I have workout classes and such at night). He said it isn't a dealbreak for him, however he said he would appreciate it if I'd try to learn how. Link to post Share on other sites
BoooredGuy Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I would not date a woman who doesn't know how to cook, or refuses to learn. I know how to cook. I'll eat out once in a great while (never fast food), but nothing beats home cooking. Many times I cook from scratch and make my own noodles for pasta, my own crust for pizza, mashed potatoes from actual potatoes, pastries, etc. I also grow my own vegetables in a garden as there is no such thing as purhasing organic unless you go to a farmer's market (Whole Foods is not organic). The same goes for cleaning. I make enough to hire a maid, but that's not the point. I clean up after myself, and I keep things clean. I do my own laundry. I wash my own dishes. I vacuum and clean counter-tops, etc. I would expect my SO to be similar. I don't think any of these are unusual. Link to post Share on other sites
Lauriebell82 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I would not date a woman who doesn't know how to cook, or refuses to learn. I know how to cook. I'll eat out once in a great while (never fast food), but nothing beats home cooking. Many times I cook from scratch and make my own noodles for pasta, my own crust for pizza, mashed potatoes from actual potatoes, pastries, etc. I also grow my own vegetables in a garden as there is no such thing as purhasing organic unless you go to a farmer's market (Whole Foods is not organic). The same goes for cleaning. I make enough to hire a maid, but that's not the point. I clean up after myself, and I keep things clean. I do my own laundry. I wash my own dishes. I vacuum and clean counter-tops, etc. I would expect my SO to be similar. I don't think any of these are unusual. I'm just curious, but if you do all those things why is it important to you to have your SO know how to do all those things as well? (I understand the cleaning up part though, nobody wants a nasty messy SO living with them). Link to post Share on other sites
Stockalone Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Looking at the thread about why men date some women and settle down with others, it was brought up that men want to settle down with a woman who cooks. How true is this? Would you date a girl that did not cook and had little interest to learn? Is that really a deal breaker for most men? If so then I am screwed! Back in college, I knew a woman who couldn't wait to graduate, because then she would finally make enough money to hire domestic help so she would no longer have to deal with household chores. She was very smart and driven, so I am sure she succeeded, but I could never be with a woman like her. That being said, a woman who can't cook is only a dealbreaker for me if the woman is proud of the fact that she can't cook and has no intention at all of learning at least the basics. But I would wonder why she can't cook. How could her mother not have taught her how to cook? I would never hire domestic help for things I am supposed to do by myself, as long as I am capable of doing those things like cleaning, doing laundry, or cooking. It just wouldn't feel right to me. Personally, I love to cook and so far, have gotten no complaints about my cooking. So I would be able to teach my gf the basics. Besides, cooking together can be so much fun, I would miss that if my gf had no interest in cooking. As far as marriage is concerned, a woman should know enough about cooking to be able to feed the children. I don't have a problem with someone who doesn't like to cook. That I can respect. I hate doing laundry, but I do know how to do it. If I had doubts about her ability to take care of the kids, then I would not marry her. Link to post Share on other sites
boxing123 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I'm just curious, but if you do all those things why is it important to you to have your SO know how to do all those things as well? (I understand the cleaning up part though, nobody wants a nasty messy SO living with them). I can wipe my own bottom too. Tie my shoes. Feed myself. I would also expect my SO to be able to do the same. Link to post Share on other sites
Geishawhelk Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 As your SO, I would refuse to wipe your bottom, tie your shoes and feed you. Link to post Share on other sites
norajane Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 all of the women i've dated long-term have been above average cooks. i'm a good cook so i expect them to be one also... janet made great spaghetti with meatballs linda 1 made a pot roast that would melt in your mouth joan could make a cheesecake to die for mary made incredible sauerbraten linda 2 could cook up a storm in both the kitchen and bedroom marie's mac 'n cheese from scratch was unbelievable teresa made this chicken & sausage dish with lemon and herbs that bowled me over there are others too numerous to list...but its true that one of the ways to a mans heart is thru his stomach And yet, you haven't married any of them! Guess it takes more than cooking to win you over, sweets. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts