Cooking at home? need help/advice for good ideas?!
hi, I've been in college for 3 years now, and over the years I've grown accustomed to eating out!. Nowadays i eat out everyday (sometimes twice a day)!. I never got fat or anything, i just don't think i should continue to do it!. So I tried to cook at home, but i can never seem to eat at home for more than like 2 days in a row!.!.!. I just can't, I don't know why- I don't think the food I make tastes that bad either!.!. stuff i make is like pasta with whatever bottled pasta sauces, fried steaks, hamburgers, etc!.
also eating out everyday made me think I was wasting a lot of money, but it seems buying groceries often is at least the same amount of money if not more!.!.!. my question is what should i do/make when i cook at home to make me keep wanting to eat at home!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
also eating out everyday made me think I was wasting a lot of money, but it seems buying groceries often is at least the same amount of money if not more!.!.!. my question is what should i do/make when i cook at home to make me keep wanting to eat at home!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Invite friends or a girl over to show off your cooking skills!.!.!. I'm sure their compliments will encourage you to try new things when you're home by yourself!. Watch the FOOD NETWORK!. I love that show! If you're anything like me, you'll watch it & say to yourself: "I want to try that!"!. You can print out any recipe you've seen on the show from their website!. Take your print-outs & go to the grocery store to buy all of the ingredients!. Once you've bought the food, you don't have a choice!.!.!.!. You'll have to cook before the food goes bad!.
also, consider the fact that several restaurants (mostly the large chains), do not cook healthy!. At home, you have more choices & flexibility!.
If I were you, I would pick two nights a week & reserve only those nights for eating out!. Pick 3 weekdays to brown-bag your lunch!. Stoeffer's has the best microwavable meals!. Another good "brown-bag" idea is buying Uncle Ben's microavable rice pouches, (like Wild Rice), buy an already cooked Rotiserrie chicken & cut off a few slices!. That's one of the easiest & satisfying brown-bag lunches for work!. Use the rest of the Rotisserie chicken to make chicken salad for a sandwich!.
If you don't have a grill, get one! Everyone loves a good griller!. Buy a chef's apron that says "King of the Grill" just to make it more fun!.
To enjoy the experience more, buy a cheap patio dinette (like a small table & 2 chairs) to enjoy a meal outside during the sunset!. Or!.!.!. build or buy a 2 seater bar to place somewhere in television view!. The atmosphere of your home can make all the difference!.!.!. so you may have to re-decorate or create more ambiance!.
Lastly, clip coupons to ensure you're saving mulah for the times when you eat out!. And put $10 in a jar every time you don't eat out to congratulate yourself!. This will eventually add up to a pleasant savings or reward!.
Hope one of those ideas help!.
P!.S!. The pre-cooked rotisserie chickens in your grocery store are usually cheaper around 8:00pm during weekdays since there are usually a few left-over & they want to sell them while they're still fresh!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
also, consider the fact that several restaurants (mostly the large chains), do not cook healthy!. At home, you have more choices & flexibility!.
If I were you, I would pick two nights a week & reserve only those nights for eating out!. Pick 3 weekdays to brown-bag your lunch!. Stoeffer's has the best microwavable meals!. Another good "brown-bag" idea is buying Uncle Ben's microavable rice pouches, (like Wild Rice), buy an already cooked Rotiserrie chicken & cut off a few slices!. That's one of the easiest & satisfying brown-bag lunches for work!. Use the rest of the Rotisserie chicken to make chicken salad for a sandwich!.
If you don't have a grill, get one! Everyone loves a good griller!. Buy a chef's apron that says "King of the Grill" just to make it more fun!.
To enjoy the experience more, buy a cheap patio dinette (like a small table & 2 chairs) to enjoy a meal outside during the sunset!. Or!.!.!. build or buy a 2 seater bar to place somewhere in television view!. The atmosphere of your home can make all the difference!.!.!. so you may have to re-decorate or create more ambiance!.
Lastly, clip coupons to ensure you're saving mulah for the times when you eat out!. And put $10 in a jar every time you don't eat out to congratulate yourself!. This will eventually add up to a pleasant savings or reward!.
Hope one of those ideas help!.
P!.S!. The pre-cooked rotisserie chickens in your grocery store are usually cheaper around 8:00pm during weekdays since there are usually a few left-over & they want to sell them while they're still fresh!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I don't think it matters what food you cook, you are going out to eat for the social atmosphere!. I don't cook that much at home, because there is no one else to share it with!. I think conversation is needed to really enjoy the food, not that the food is bad, it is just having conversation around you, with human contact from near by customers!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
In the long run, cooking at home is better for your waistline & your budget!.
Make cooking at home more of an event - experiment with new recipes!. Rachel Ray, Sandra Dee, & hungrygirl!.com are all great sources for easy recipes!. Have friends over for dinner!. When I was younger, my friends & I would rotate having each other over for dinner!. We were eating better & still experincing the social aspect of eating out!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
Make cooking at home more of an event - experiment with new recipes!. Rachel Ray, Sandra Dee, & hungrygirl!.com are all great sources for easy recipes!. Have friends over for dinner!. When I was younger, my friends & I would rotate having each other over for dinner!. We were eating better & still experincing the social aspect of eating out!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
http://allrecipes!.com/
you can browse recipes and collections, do an ingredient search to see what you can make with what you've got, and read reviews on things to tweak it 'til it's really yummy!.
The key is to have stuff you can just grab!. You need a freezer so you can make a whole dish of enchiladas and freeze a couple dinner's worth!. There is nothing MORE satisfying than enjoying a meal that you've prepared yourself!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
you can browse recipes and collections, do an ingredient search to see what you can make with what you've got, and read reviews on things to tweak it 'til it's really yummy!.
The key is to have stuff you can just grab!. You need a freezer so you can make a whole dish of enchiladas and freeze a couple dinner's worth!. There is nothing MORE satisfying than enjoying a meal that you've prepared yourself!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Try this on q gas grill!. Buy a 8-9 lb Boston Butt pork roast!.!.On sale they cost about$!.99 lb!. At room temp spray with canola oil!. Salt and pepper to taste!.
On a pre warmed grill on low(if you have a two burner use one on high and the other off and place the roast on the "off" side)
Let roast for 3 hours!.
Meat should fall from the bone!.!.!.Take it off bone(called "pulled pork"
Serve with baked potato, steamed broccoli with cheese sauce and a big 'ol Pepsi!.!.!.!.!.You can eat 3/4 meals from thisWww@FoodAQ@Com
On a pre warmed grill on low(if you have a two burner use one on high and the other off and place the roast on the "off" side)
Let roast for 3 hours!.
Meat should fall from the bone!.!.!.Take it off bone(called "pulled pork"
Serve with baked potato, steamed broccoli with cheese sauce and a big 'ol Pepsi!.!.!.!.!.You can eat 3/4 meals from thisWww@FoodAQ@Com
Just go grocery shopping and get everything you like and get lots of freezer foods also maybe your mom could take you and tell you what you should get!. i did that the first couple weeks i was out of the house!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Well, you ARE spending a lot more money on eating out than on groceries!. That's pretty easy to figure out!. BUT, what you are talking about is a lifestyle change here!. It's not really a cooking issue as much as changing how you think about meal times!. A certain amout of it is probably understandable right now, and it's tough to cook for 1 w/o having tons of leftovers!. But if you get prepared, and freeze leftovers in small portions, you'll always have supper just about ready if you also have a microwave oven!.
Try cooking on weekends, and putting up individual servings in the freezer!. Each morning, pull out of the freezer what you will eat for TOMORROW night (not tonight)!. That will give it time to thaw in the fridge, and take even less time to heat up!. Next day, pull out to thaw for TOMORROW again!. So you've always got 2 portions thawing in the fridge: one for tonight (that you pulled out yesterday) and one for tomorrow (that you pulled out this morning)!.
Sort of plan ahead!. Figure out on the nights when you have a night class or study group, maybe, and just plan to eat out!. Try to do so inexpensively though!. Stick to pplaces you dont' have to tip a waiter!. But for other nights, plan to eat at home!. Having food already prepared is 9/10 of the battle!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Try cooking on weekends, and putting up individual servings in the freezer!. Each morning, pull out of the freezer what you will eat for TOMORROW night (not tonight)!. That will give it time to thaw in the fridge, and take even less time to heat up!. Next day, pull out to thaw for TOMORROW again!. So you've always got 2 portions thawing in the fridge: one for tonight (that you pulled out yesterday) and one for tomorrow (that you pulled out this morning)!.
Sort of plan ahead!. Figure out on the nights when you have a night class or study group, maybe, and just plan to eat out!. Try to do so inexpensively though!. Stick to pplaces you dont' have to tip a waiter!. But for other nights, plan to eat at home!. Having food already prepared is 9/10 of the battle!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
There's nothing wrong with eating out a lot for the social aspect of it!.!.!. but what you CAN do if you want is learn to entertain at home and invite friends over!. If you have any friends who are already good cooks, you can ask them to help and maybe even teach you how to cook some good basics, and if you're interested you can take basic cooking lessons later!.
Check out your local bookstore or library for a recipe book for cooking for 1 or 2 people if you're going to just cook for yourself!. When I was single I'd also often cook a pot of stuff like chili or soup and portion-pack freeze it!. That way I'd always have something good and home-cooked in the freezer in case I didn't feel like messing up the whole kitchen, or if I didn't feel well enough to cook or go out!.
Definitely good food is more pleasurable when shared with friends or family, but you can also enjoy it alone!. Even if it costs the same to cook or to eat out, there's something enjoyable in knowing that you made something yourself!. :-)Www@FoodAQ@Com
Check out your local bookstore or library for a recipe book for cooking for 1 or 2 people if you're going to just cook for yourself!. When I was single I'd also often cook a pot of stuff like chili or soup and portion-pack freeze it!. That way I'd always have something good and home-cooked in the freezer in case I didn't feel like messing up the whole kitchen, or if I didn't feel well enough to cook or go out!.
Definitely good food is more pleasurable when shared with friends or family, but you can also enjoy it alone!. Even if it costs the same to cook or to eat out, there's something enjoyable in knowing that you made something yourself!. :-)Www@FoodAQ@Com
First of all, go out and buy a spice rack with Lots and lots of good spices and herbs!. You don't want to keep eating out because it's costs a lot more than you need to be spending!. Whatever you are eating a restaurants you can make for yourself at home!. Invest in some decent pots/pans and some knives!. Make sure your oils are top quality!. In my cupboard right now I have Imported Extra virgin olive oil, Rosemary oil, Thyme Infused oil, And a bit of garlic oil i made!. It's important to have a wide variety of flavors to mix!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I just graduated from college, and I agree that buying groceries may seem to cost more than eating out, but put everything on paper, and it isn't!. Let's say, you eat out every day, which is minimum $15, that's $450 a month, while groceries for a single person cannot possibly exceed $300!. Plus when you cook at home you eat healthier, which will result in future!. My advice would be to cook more than for one meal, keep refrigerated and use it again in 2-3 days!. Just pay attention of how they are cooking all that food in those restaurants, and compare to home cooking!. At least you know what are you eating!. Www@FoodAQ@Com