[Dawn92]

I was just wondering how many people out there, particularly teens have moms or dads that cook actual meals for dinner.
I'm sick of eating boxed and frozen dinners or bagels and I was just wondering if people feel the same way or I'm just being overdramatic when I get angry at my mom for not supplying REAL food.

[Fr_Chuck]

What's wrong with bagels, eat them 1/2 of my breakfeasts.
But what type of frozen foods, meats, pizza, chicken, boxed, potatoes, box rise? Sounds like a fairly normal evening meal.

How old are you, I wouils asssume a teen, why not help by fixing a dinner sometimes also?
I will assume your mom works and has to fix a meal after she gets home.

[magprob]

I am 51 years old. My Mom was raised on a ranch in Arizona and learned to cook better than anyone I have ever known. She won blue ribbons at the state fair and cooking contests. That's the way it was then. Having said that, I will tell you that I cannot and will not eat any crap out of a box. Makes me gag to just smell it.
Even though I am a guy, my dear ole Ma, GOD rest her soul, taught me a little about cooking and taking care of myself. If you want to eat good healthy food, you need to get busy and learn what is healthy and how to prepare it right. It is wise to do that because processed food in a box will destroy your health and possibly shorten your life span. Just look around at all the ailments people suffer today. When you read the ingredients and can't pronounce half of them, don't eat it!

[justcurious55]

I live in a big family. My aunt just doesn't have the time and energy to cook for so many peopl every night. So since we're all old enough, we take turns cooking. Some nites we're lazy and just heat up frozen stuff. But we'v all learned how to cook simple, "real" meals too. So yeah, I'd say you're being overdramatic. Instead of getting pissed off maybe you can ask her "wanna take a cooking class together?" you guys can bond and you'll get your "real" food

[Clough]

How about starting a new tradition in your home? Maybe you could learn to cook some things and tell your parents (or, parent) that "Hey, let's try something different for a change!" And, offer to cook a meal for all of you to enjoy! I grew up in a home where we literally never ate together. The meal may have been home-cooked, but we never ate it together (except at holidays.) Is that the way that it is in your home?

[simoneaugie]

My mom just stopped cooking when I became a teenager. She hated having to take care of us all the time and work too. So, I learned to shop and feed the family. Now that I have my own teenager, she has the same complaint that you do. One thing she has learned from me is, never, ever, ever work as a cook. Burnout!

Our society discourages the tradition of a family eating together. It's simply easier to buy frozen dinners. The cleanup from a microwave meal is unbeatable. That doesn't mean it's right. It is just getting commoner.

[Clough]

A person could get burned out from any job that they didn't truly love to do. Some people do love to cook and might desire to make that one of their passions in life.

With people being spread out in so many different directions these days, the tradition of eating at least one meal a day together can at least be one thing that families can do together on a regular basis to feel more like they are united as a family.

[Dawn92]

Thanks, everyone.
I was going to try and start cooking the meals but I don't know any recipes.
Does anyone have any good ones?

[shygrneyzs]

When I worked full time and got home at 5:30 and supper was to be ready at 6:00, I relied on the crock pot. Got some cookbooks, made menus, supplemented with vegetables and salads and fruits and there the meal was. Took the headache right out. Now I have more time and still utilize the crockpot.

Go to your library and look in the magazine section for Taste Of Home magazines. They have several kinds, even the Quick and Easy (or something like that) magazine. Cooking can be as complex as you like and as easy as five ingredients.

Do they have Home Economics in school anymore or is that gone by the wayside? Check the web - there are many many sites for first time cooks.

Here is the start page for the five ingredient cooking:
five ingredient cooking - Google Search

Here is the page for easy cooking:
easy cooking - Google Search

For crockpots:
crockpot recipes - Google Search

[magprob]

The food network has some really good recipes that are easy, good and healthy. Plus, Racheal Ray is a little cutie pie!

[oneguyinohio]

Recipes: Find a Wide Variety of Free Recipes from BettyCrocker.Com

The Betty Crocker cookbook was one that I found very useful. Check out a variety of cookbooks. You can often find them for a quarter at garage sales or thrift stores. Libraries are another good bet.

Good Luck

[simoneaugie]

Keep it simple at first. A 3-4 item meal is plenty when you are just getting comfortable with it. Remember, beef chuck, top and bottom round are tough. The package may say steak, it isn't. Just look up meat cuts, you'll see. The only tender cuts are from the back where the cow doesn't use the muscles much, the loin.

Cook with your instincts, a thermometer and your nose. Recipes can be an excellent guide, but you're the cook.

Good luck.

[justcurious55]

I agree, the foodnestwork is great. Start with the ones that are rated easy and go from there. I actually started with a kids cook book. Then moved on to more advanced recipes as I got more comfortable in the kitchen. I like to stick with simple recipes still just because I feel like I can play around with them more without messing anything up. Chicken is usually pretty easy. The worst you can really do is overcook it so it dries out too much or oversalt it. I don't remember where I found it, but a really easy way to bake chicken breasts is to cover it with a little bit of salt, pepper, dried basil. Put it in a pyrex dish and pour a bottle or can of beer over it. Put it in the over just like that and when it's done (you'll know by looking if you just cut into the center a little bit) take sliced brie cheese and lay it over the chicken and leave it in the oven for a few extra minutes to let the cheese melt. While the chicken is baking you can make a salad or whatever other side dishes you might want.

[Clough]

Thanks, everyone.
I was going to try and start cooking the meals but I dont know any recipes.
Does anyone have any good ones?

What kind of foods do you and your family like? Or, maybe I should be asking, what don't you/they like? There are lots of simple things that a person can cook that are enjoyable that don't require any sort of fancy recipes. Part of making a meal enjoyable can also be something simple such as making the atmosphere of the area/room conducive to people being together, having a good time and willing to share with one another because of the way the atmosphere is made to be.

[shygrneyzs]

Here is an easy recipe for Pork Chops:

Pork Chops with Onions and Apples

2 teaspoons ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 boneless center cut pork chops
2 medium tart apples, peeled and choppped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a small bowl, combine the pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Rub over prok chops. Cook the pork chops, over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown onions and apples in butter until tender. Add the brown sugar, cook until thickened and bubly. Serve with the pork chops.