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Post by mcgee on Jun 1, 2023 19:07:01 GMT -5
When I was younger I cooked a lot and rarely repeated the same recipes. Now, even though I have a much nicer kitchen, I find myself cooking less and less and when I do cook it’s not unusual for me to use convenience items. I remember Sundays I used to pore over the CLBB and my magazine and cookbook collection, coming up with different recipes for each night of the week. I just don’t really do that anymore. Tonight I’m adding some tofu to a Trader Joe’s salad kit and making wraps - easy, peasy. The other day I picked up a rotisserie chicken and used it as the basis for several meals - two of the meals included Uncle Ben’s long grain and wild rice mix.
Do any of you find your passion for cooking waning as you get older?
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Post by wallycat on Jun 1, 2023 19:39:13 GMT -5
Yes.
I'm dealing with a sick DH; stress in my life I never imagined; busier with medical crap and outdoor crap when we get a chance. I love cooking, but some days, all I want is a meal from scratch (or fairly so) that is healthy and tasty.
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Post by karenw on Jun 2, 2023 17:44:15 GMT -5
I think I swing both ways. Some things I do more of than I ever used to like yeast baking. When my kids were little sandwich bread was from the store with a rare loaf of homemade. Now that the kids are grown, DH and I no longer buy sandwich loaves but I make all my own bagels, bialy's, English muffins, flatbreads, etc... with an occasional purchased loaf of e.g. garlic bread or buns for burgers. This weekend, for example, is going to be cool here so I am making burger buns to freeze for a casual family dinner we are having next weekend. I also do a lot more sweet baking now since I have a home based bakery business, but much of that is not consumed by DH and I. As for meals, it is both extremes. I make homemade soups weekly for my lunches (no cans!!) but dinner is a mix of convenience throw together meals, simple home cooked meals, to the occasional elaborate project. Fortunately, I still enjoy doing it and am still able!!  |
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Post by Catbatty on Jun 3, 2023 0:05:22 GMT -5
I lust after your recipes, Karen. Catbatty (hopping to bake buns and flatbreads soon--my fantasy, my dream -- so, if you have any more to share...please DO!!)  PS: Husband spoils me with his good cooking and it feels like he has taken over the kitchen...BUT, I so want to get back into it. Just, we don't eat the same as we used to. It used to be so easy to make meat and potatoes type dinner. (Not that I ever was very diverse. I did pork chops, ribs, roast beef, Swiss steak, hamburger, steaks...and some chicken. Ho Hum.) Nowadays, it's not so easy. I don't know HOW to cook anymore...because I can't rely on meat like I used to. Husband has a knack for it. I need to build a new knack. But gee, it's just so easy to sit back and let him do it if that is what he seems to enjoy doing so much anymore. I dunno. But at least...I know I want to BAKE and most often, he doesn't do much of that. (For my medical stuff...it appears that our newer diet is better...supposed to help fight inflamation...plant-based diet. That kind of inspires me to learn a whole new world of foods. (Trying more veggies...finally gave fennel a try (have always used the seeds for spag sauce...but never the veg itself)...in a soup I made. GOOD STUFF. Mostly like a celery, I thought. I feel very brave and ready to try more things new to me. (Hope I'm not rambling. I know I do MORE of that now that I am older...) |
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Post by PattiA on Jun 3, 2023 17:34:56 GMT -5
I'm cooking both less and more. Less because I closed my personal chef business at the end of 2022 so I am only cooking for us, and more because for the past few years I have been making all of our bread, burger buns, etc. and I am exploring vegetarian options for meals. I'm cooking beans more than relying on canned beans. I do still use some canned beans, but I mainly cook dry beans. I still don't love baking except for bread baking. All the measuring for muffins, cakes, cookies, etc makes me a little antsy. But I've always like baking bread, pizza, etc. I'm still interested in cooking new things. I make yogurt about every 10 days. And I still try to keep meals in the freezer for when I don't want to or don't have time to cook. I get together with a friend a few times a year for a cooking weekend. In January we made about 50 quarts of soup to share. I'm down to my last few quarts. We'll be getting together in a few weeks to make fish cakes and probably some other things. It might be time for a dumpling fest.
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Post by Catbatty on Jun 3, 2023 19:35:49 GMT -5
Patti - Thanks. I wonder if your biz closed because people are changing...doing more cooking for themselves and staying home because of all we all have been through re Covid? I hope you are happy with the decision. I want all your recipes, too! LOL I hope I already have them. I've got to make time to go thru and organize what I have from each of you! It will be an act of love, for sure! TREASURES!!! I mean it. Daughter who had TRIED to watch what she ate, like me, recently had health run-in. WHOLE NEW WORLD has now entered her life. She needs (per doc) after many tests and an intestine almost blowing up...to change to plant-based diet (which I thought she mostly was...) and exercise. She is talking ANTI-INFLAMATORY eating. Well, I am same. There is some evidence (MAYO talks about doing this for my PMR and other auto immune diseases...they know of 80 at this point in time)...so I'm all in!! We were pretty good most of the time...except for dairy. I think that's pretty much out now. Will check on that. So, daughter tells me that AVOCADOS and TOMATOES and GRAPES and so many other wonderful things that we love are anti-inflam! I'm excited. Now, what to do with the fridge full of cheese? Ice Cream? Apple turnovers? (I think sugar is another that is out.) BEANS yes yes yes. LOVE BEANS!!!!!!! Oh gosh. OH...and those hot dogs I found...LiteLife...omg....so darned good you feel like you ARE eating a hot dog. Hope those are good for us. Even my husband likes them (which is huge huge. Pretty sure I've mentioned them on other threads...or perhaps this one. Not sure if I post (or not) about his pastrami-like sandwich which makes you feel like you are having close to the real thing. Tonight, daughter is coming over and we are making those zucchini little pizza slice things. We are craving them. AND we are planning to put Nutritional Yeast on them for the cheese. THAT STUFF, I've read, IS PACKED WITH NUTRITION AND IS SURPRISING GOOD STUFF. Enuf so that when out eating burritos w/cheese I have often sprinkled that on as well. Didn't realize it is so good for us until recently. I just thought it was darned tasty.  |
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Post by Catbatty on Jun 3, 2023 19:43:17 GMT -5
BTW: Feels to me like the entire population is coming down with auto-immune disease. Everywhere I turn, I hear about it. Every condition I hear about they say is an auto-immune one. Our immune systems are seeming to be out of control!!! Anybody else noticing? NAME something...I bet it is also an AI. MS is. Lupis is. Arthritis is. I think I heard that Parkinson's is. what others? omg (what i have is...PMR...second in line to Rheumatoid Arthritus). THANK GOODNESS FOR PREDNISON AND NEW KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IT. APPEARS TO BE SAVING MY BACON...so to speak. <gulp> Oh dear...this belongs on a diff thread. I'll think about moving it. Or does it fit with cooking in older age? Maybe so. LIFE is about COOKING and EATING, right??  (then probably what eating does to our bodies...) |
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Post by PattiA on Jun 4, 2023 19:14:20 GMT -5
Patti - Thanks. I wonder if your biz closed because people are changing...doing more cooking for themselves and staying home because of all we all have been through re Covid? I hope you are happy with the decision. I want all your recipes, too! LOL I hope I already have them. I've got to make time to go thru and organize what I have from each of you! It will be an act of love, for sure! TREASURES!!! I mean it. Catbatty, I closed my business because after 20 years I was ready to. I had been winding down for a few years. At the start of Covid, I had two clients. Covid didn't really change much for my clients, but after a month of trying to meet my weekly client's needs, I decided to stop cooking for them. The foods they ate the most of were scarce (pastas and chicken) and I was unwilling to make all the shopping trips needed to get the groceries needed for them. Things did ease up, but I was happy with the decision I made to stop cooking for them. After looking over my business expenses vs income, I decided to close my business at the end of Dec 2022. It was an easy decision that I am very happy with. I'm enjoying not having to think about other families likes and dislikes. |
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(then probably what eating does to our bodies...)