That’s interesting , sabaray - I have been saying for years I have to learn to cook more home meals (I do barely any). An online class sounds very do-able! I’d be curious what you think of it.
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Yeah, I’m curious, too. I love to bake but not cook. It’s next on my list of things to conquer.
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Youdon_tsay - same. I like to bake - it seems easier with the strict instructions. Can’t seem to push myself to learn to cook main dishes etc. Perhaps it’s also because I have very limited food choices (mainly vegetarian) and hub is a confirmed carnivore.
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My neighbor and I were just talking about how baking generally requires a closer adherence to instructions and measurements and cooking can be more off the cuff. I am a rule follower.
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I’m the opposite, love to cook but don’t like to bake.
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Baking is a chemistry experiment that can fail. With cooking I can adjust as I go along…
But I love baked goods, so thank goodness for you bakers!
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I don’t mind some baking, especially quick breads. But I don’t do fancy cakes or anything. Although I do sometimes follow entree recipes, most of my dinnertime cooking is ad hoc (or simple recipes I know by heart). These days hubby does more of it too, not just gas grill chef.
Admittedly we also sometime Sam’s pre made entrees, where neither of us needs to cook. We like the flavor, but most are higher in fat and salt than I’d like. The healthiest of them is their stuffed peppers.
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I love to cook and bake and always never follow any rules, so I never measure, just follow the recipes loosely. Actually I don’t really read instructions very well, my husband follows the rules, I’m breaking them, haha.
Last year I made 2 birthday cakes for myself, it’s a lot of fun. I love the creative process, and had a lot of fun decorating.
I also made 9-course meal for Christmas Day, starting from scratch in the morning, except for the roast beef I had to salt/season it the night before. This is my 10th year of doing the 9-course meal. I enjoy treating my family to the best meat that I can buy for the season.
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When I worked part-time, I definitely had more time for cooking. Now that I’m back to an office full-time and H has a crazy schedule, coming up with healthy and interesting meals has been a challenge.
I have done a few cooking classes online and have really enjoyed the ones Elyse Kopecky does. She wrote the “Run Fast” cookbooks with Shalane Flanagan and her emphasis is really on healthy eating, using whole foods. The last class I did with her was focused on breakfast and she demonstrated things like making your own pancake mix, smoothies, nut milks, etc. - it was great - with the focus on having things prepped and ready to go for the week. The woman who assists her in the classes, Natalie, also did recipe testing and is a nutritionist as well. Her website is “Natalie Cooks” and she has a number of recipes available or you can subscribe to her weekly plan which sends you recipes, grocery lists, instructions for prepping and videos on technique. I’m still debating - $12.99/month. I easily waste that each month with leftovers I don’t repurpose!
I finished 3 months of the Mayo mediterranean plan but did not renew - I need something that gives me more guidance on meals and their recipes just repeated after 6 weeks. I have to say I was tired of the food by then and have neither the time nor energy to build my own weekly plan of menus right now.
I love cooking and baking. Right now I’m experimenting with a French pastry book. Gotta follow those directions carefully.
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I cook most nights but rarely bake. My husband isn’t a big sweet eater and I end up eating most of what I bake. I find it’s easier to eat healthy if I prepare my own meals. I try to limit eating out to just one or two meals a week. I also am pretty strict about only having bread, pasta, potato or tortillas on the weekend.
This week I randomly decided to cut my red leaf lettuce in ribbons versus tearing it apart. Finely shredded some red cabbage and also chopped it in smaller pieces. My husband loved the salad. Weird as it was same ingredients just cut into more of a chopped salad.
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I’m the same as him - salad tastes better to me when it’s finely chopped versus larger leaves. It’s also a nicer experience in terms of getting onto the fork. I’ll eat shredded lettuce for part of my lunch (with just salt and pepper) and enjoy that more than a typical dressed salad with other veggies and larger lettuce pieces. I guess I’m a lazy eater (or I want my mind free to scroll CC on my phone instead of spearing the variously sized and shaped lettuce fragments).
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Also a fan of chopped salads. I learned that from my SIL, who makes the best salads because she takes the time to cut everything finely. In every bite, you get lettuce and carrots and cucumber and onion and whatever. YUM!
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I agree that chopped salads are appealing. It’s probably why we are fond of some of the pre-made options (Asian, Southwestern) from Sam’s. We only do them now and then due to high fat and sodium, but perhaps I’ll try more chopping in our own kitchen.
This article, linked in a newsletter email from my healthcare provider is interesting. My MIL had type 1 diabetes, and she would have really benefited from some of today’s blood sugar tracking capabilities
I think a fun thread here on CC might be “what’s in your vegetable bin”. I think we might be surprised at what % of people actually don’t keep a lot of raw vegetables on hand.
I feel like I can make a fantastic chopped salad at nearly anytime just based on what is in my refrigerator. Right now it could include broccoli, shredded carrot, baby carrot, mushrooms, cabbage, mini sweet peppers, snap peas, red or vidalia onion and either romaine or spinach. I’m probably forgetting a thing or two! And then I raid the cheese drawer and pickled condiments like banana peppers, marinated beets, marinated green beans……
Chopping can be very cathartic!!
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Each and every morning, I grab broccoli, mushrooms, onions, spinach and red and yellow squash to make my morning scramble. Sometimes, I switch it up and use red and green bell peppers or asparagus, but ya, I try to keep my vege bin fresh. 
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We always have veggies and fruit on hand. I’m at the tail end of the week before the next stock up but I still have lettuces, zucchini, onions, fresh peas, carrots, black berries, grapes, and dates on hand.
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Lots in my compost bin too, I buy too much especially when they are on sale. In the past two weeks, 5 pineapple($1 a pineapple), 7 lbs of broccoli (5 lbs for 99c), 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts (2lbs for 99c), 2 heads of cabbage (3lbs for 99c), 5 bunches of green onions for 99c. I also jusr bought 2 large red bell peppers today(2 for $1). That’s just for 2 persons.
I also have a garden, unlimited collard greens, unlimited herbs, and lots of French Breakfast radishes.
Where are produce prices that low???
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They are lost leaders to bring customers in, but that’s all I buy. They are mostly from Korean supermarket, some are from Sprouts, some are from Persian supermarket, and some from Smart and Final. My husband and I happen to drive through these places on our way anyway.
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The only one of those we have here is Sprouts, which I love.
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