Cutting back on eating out, how to not feel deprived?

[Anonymous]

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.php

Second this! I make recipes from my favorite restaurants. My favorite restaurants aren't chain restaurants but a quick google search usually finds me a recipe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.php

Since when did they start charging for the recipes? No way I'm using this website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

We only order alcohol if we are eating out with friends. If we eat out as a family we generally just drink water or soda. We probably eat out with friends 1-2x per month.

What's a good recipe for a yummy stir fry? I really haven't made that and we'd probably like it.

We have a freezer full of meat as well - which is great when I remember to take something out the night before.

It becomes part of the bedtime routine or the kitchen cleanup routine. When the kids were little, whomever cleaned the kitchen took something out. Now that the kids are older, they get to pick. So they really choose what we have for dinner. It's okay by us because it's all good so they can't make a bad choice. And since they picked dinner, they enjoy eating it.

If you forget to defrost something the night before, you can defrost it after you get home from work by putting it in a cool bowl of water. (Wrap it in a ziploc bag first to keep it from getting soaked, if needed). Then make dinner for yourself and DH after your toddler goes to bed, and make enough for leftovers tomorrow. Don't waste what's in the freezer!

Also, you mentioned all the meal planning, shopping, cooking is on you. Teach your DH a handful of go-to meals. I had to do this a few years ago, and it has paid off. I made DH learn how to sear meat/fish and finish in a 400 degree oven. He likes to make and eat salads, so there you go. Quick dinner. I think you really need DH to do more cooking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, stop with the baby talk. Yummy is baby talk. Time to grow up.

Next, just go to the damn store and buy food. Dang, it ain't that hard. I doubt you ever cook. Spending a thousand dollars eating out every month is a lot of money and a lot of food, it's shameful, unhealthy and dirty. Have you been in a restaurant kitchen before ? Go take a tour one day. I am sure you will never eat out again.

There are these things on the internet called recipes. Find what you 3 like and cook it.

Burden ? You have NO idea hon. I cook 3 times a day for 5 people. What you do is a hobby.

And it sounds like your lifestyle has left you a super pleasant person. I'd love to cook more if it will make me as charming as you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, stop with the baby talk. Yummy is baby talk. Time to grow up.

Next, just go to the damn store and buy food. Dang, it ain't that hard. I doubt you ever cook. Spending a thousand dollars eating out every month is a lot of money and a lot of food, it's shameful, unhealthy and dirty. Have you been in a restaurant kitchen before ? Go take a tour one day. I am sure you will never eat out again.

There are these things on the internet called recipes. Find what you 3 like and cook it.

Burden ? You have NO idea hon. I cook 3 times a day for 5 people. What you do is a hobby.

And it sounds like your lifestyle has left you a super pleasant person. I'd love to cook more if it will make me as charming as you!

I find the PP refreshing. There is a lot of whining on DCUM. And it really is amazing how many people on here can't do basic home ec/home maintenance tasks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, stop with the baby talk. Yummy is baby talk. Time to grow up.

Next, just go to the damn store and buy food. Dang, it ain't that hard. I doubt you ever cook. Spending a thousand dollars eating out every month is a lot of money and a lot of food, it's shameful, unhealthy and dirty. Have you been in a restaurant kitchen before ? Go take a tour one day. I am sure you will never eat out again.

There are these things on the internet called recipes. Find what you 3 like and cook it.

Burden ? You have NO idea hon. I cook 3 times a day for 5 people. What you do is a hobby.

I really don't know why you bothered to respond. You sound like a very sad and unhappy person.

Really, our lifestyles are nothing alike. You clearly are a SAHP to have that much time to cook. I'm not. I've never wanted to be more than a hobby cook, so I'm fine with that label. I'm very sorry that you're ok with slopping together a meal - I'd prefer to make something nice that we'd enjoy eating, in the same way that we like to eat at nice restaurants on occasion.

I'm looking for suggestions on what kinds of things to make at home for my family after working a 9 hour work day M-F.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

We only order alcohol if we are eating out with friends. If we eat out as a family we generally just drink water or soda. We probably eat out with friends 1-2x per month.

What's a good recipe for a yummy stir fry? I really haven't made that and we'd probably like it.

We have a freezer full of meat as well - which is great when I remember to take something out the night before.

It becomes part of the bedtime routine or the kitchen cleanup routine. When the kids were little, whomever cleaned the kitchen took something out. Now that the kids are older, they get to pick. So they really choose what we have for dinner. It's okay by us because it's all good so they can't make a bad choice. And since they picked dinner, they enjoy eating it.

If you forget to defrost something the night before, you can defrost it after you get home from work by putting it in a cool bowl of water. (Wrap it in a ziploc bag first to keep it from getting soaked, if needed). Then make dinner for yourself and DH after your toddler goes to bed, and make enough for leftovers tomorrow. Don't waste what's in the freezer!

Also, you mentioned all the meal planning, shopping, cooking is on you. Teach your DH a handful of go-to meals. I had to do this a few years ago, and it has paid off. I made DH learn how to sear meat/fish and finish in a 400 degree oven. He likes to make and eat salads, so there you go. Quick dinner. I think you really need DH to do more cooking.

You're right about this. I've been talking with him about it. We both work full time, we could certainly share this task a bit more.

He has agreed to do one weeknight per week and we're talking about him doing more of the weekend cooking. I might need to tell him what to make/provide a recipe bc he really has a very small handful of things he can make.

[Anonymous]

NP. I find the thing that I like most about eating out is being waited on. No one has mentioned that, and for me it's the main reason I eat out. I enjoy cooking and I sometimes make it fancy and try to cook different ethnic foods, but I like to sit in a restaurant vs getting carry out (even from some place nice). I want someone to refill my water, offer me fresh ground pepper and take away the dirty dishes as I'm done. Then, I want to just get up and go and not have to clean ANYTHING!! All the meal planning, buying good fresh foods, etc can compare with this part of the eating out experience and why I personally find it hard to give up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I find the thing that I like most about eating out is being waited on. No one has mentioned that, and for me it's the main reason I eat out. I enjoy cooking and I sometimes make it fancy and try to cook different ethnic foods, but I like to sit in a restaurant vs getting carry out (even from some place nice). I want someone to refill my water, offer me fresh ground pepper and take away the dirty dishes as I'm done. Then, I want to just get up and go and not have to clean ANYTHING!! All the meal planning, buying good fresh foods, etc can compare with this part of the eating out experience and why I personally find it hard to give up.

can't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, stop with the baby talk. Yummy is baby talk. Time to grow up.

Next, just go to the damn store and buy food. Dang, it ain't that hard. I doubt you ever cook. Spending a thousand dollars eating out every month is a lot of money and a lot of food, it's shameful, unhealthy and dirty. Have you been in a restaurant kitchen before ? Go take a tour one day. I am sure you will never eat out again.

There are these things on the internet called recipes. Find what you 3 like and cook it.

Burden ? You have NO idea hon. I cook 3 times a day for 5 people. What you do is a hobby.

I really don't know why you bothered to respond. You sound like a very sad and unhappy person.

Really, our lifestyles are nothing alike. You clearly are a SAHP to have that much time to cook. I'm not. I've never wanted to be more than a hobby cook, so I'm fine with that label. I'm very sorry that you're ok with slopping together a meal - I'd prefer to make something nice that we'd enjoy eating, in the same way that we like to eat at nice restaurants on occasion.

I'm looking for suggestions on what kinds of things to make at home for my family after working a 9 hour work day M-F.

Don't waste time trying to insult or second guess the critical poster. I actually think she / he has a point about privilege and waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.php

Since when did they start charging for the recipes? No way I'm using this website.

Sorry OP, was just making a suggestion.

[Anonymous]

If you have the money, maybe do a slow transition by getting a membership to something like blueapron.com. I haven't used them myself (can't afford it), but they advertise on some podcasts that I listen to and it sounds great. You order 'meals' for which they send you all of the pre-measured ingredients and cooking instructions. This way you get to learn how to make new things and the cost is probably somewhere in between cooking at home and eating out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.php

Since when did they start charging for the recipes? No way I'm using this website.

Sorry OP, was just making a suggestion.

They don't charge for all recipes...just some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The nicest compliment I ever received from my husband and kids is that they prefer my cooking to eating out. Not only is it less expensive, portions are the right size for everybody and there's often left overs.

For me the key is to buy fresh produce every week. I usually go to the Asian market and stock up on Sundays. I find that having a nice variety of fruits and vegetables makes all the difference.

My freezer is stocked with meat. I don't necessarily pre cook the food but I do pre marinate a lot of things before I freeze. So I'll buy lbs of chicken and marinate in italian dressing before freezing. Or I'll buy london broil and marinate. Stir frys can marinated in an asian soy sauce mix. In the morning, I just pull something out of the freezer to defrost. It's already prepped and season so all I have to do is go to work, let it thaw, and then cook it.

Add in some veggies and a starch and dinner is served.

I've never had a refrigerator that would thaw meat in 8 hours!