Cooking vs Restaurants

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Speaking of systems, I once knew this couple that had a dinner system.  Monday night was spaghetti, Tuesday was meatloaf, Wednesday was salad, Thursday was tacos and Friday was leftovers.  Repeat same each week.  They did this for years.

Did they not eat at the weekends?

I don’t recall a system of meals when I was a kid, but meal times were pretty rigid - brekkie at 6:00, lunch at 1:00, supper at 7:00. No exceptions, no excuses.

Boru

[arewethereyet]

Speaking of systems, I once knew this couple that had a dinner system.  Monday night was spaghetti, Tuesday was meatloaf, Wednesday was salad, Thursday was tacos and Friday was leftovers.  Repeat same each week.  They did this for years.

Did they not eat at the weekends?

I don’t recall a system of meals when I was a kid, but meal times were pretty rigid - brekkie at 6:00, lunch at 1:00, supper at 7:00. No exceptions, no excuses.

Boru

Breakfast was a Sunday thing at our house as dad was out on calls super early before we kids needed to get up for school and you really should have called it brunch since it happened after dad got a round of golf in. But lunch was at 12:00 sharp Monday through Saturday and supper was at 6:00, unless mom and dad were going out to eat. It wasn't unusual for brunch on Sunday to be the only meal served.

Around here (not necessarily my house) Taco Tuesday is a thing.

[Spongebob]

Speaking of systems, I once knew this couple that had a dinner system.  Monday night was spaghetti, Tuesday was meatloaf, Wednesday was salad, Thursday was tacos and Friday was leftovers.  Repeat same each week.  They did this for years.

Did they not eat at the weekends?

I don’t recall a system of meals when I was a kid, but meal times were pretty rigid - brekkie at 6:00, lunch at 1:00, supper at 7:00. No exceptions, no excuses.

Boru

I don't recall what they did on weekends; I think they went out mostly.  But let's be clear; they were a couple of weird fuckers.  He was convinced the world was ending in 2012.  She eventually left him for a child molester.  Not fucking kidding!

OK, in the south the meals are breakfast, dinner and supper.  Served whenever; we'll put a plate in the oven for a snack later.

[Jackalope]

We eat small portions, and with the current situation, we aren't hanging around unmasked randos, so we really don't out much these days. We get takeout maybe once a week and enjoy a lot of leftovers. My wife does most of the cooking, and she is an amazing cook. When we're at our winter home, we do a lot more takeout as it's more affordable and convenient, and we will probably go out more as open air restaurants are the norm there.

[Spongebob]

I think my wife actually enjoys being out as much as not having to clean up. We both enjoy good restaurant atmosphere, but a lot of the time you don't get that. And covid added that extra bit of FU with all the people that wouldn't use a mask. We both enjoy being regulars and getting to know the staff and owners of certain places. It's nice to be recognized and especially for people to know what you like. We've become pretty regular at a restaurant where our daughter used to work, so we know the owner and the staff very well. It helps that we tip them very well. It feels more like going to friends house than a business.

[Brian37]

I think my wife actually enjoys being out as much as not having to clean up.  We both enjoy good restaurant atmosphere, but a lot of the time you don't get that.  And covid added that extra bit of FU with all the people that wouldn't use a mask.  We both enjoy being regulars and getting to know the staff and owners of certain places.  It's nice to be recognized and especially for people to know what you like.  We've become pretty regular at a restaurant where our daughter used to work, so we know the owner and the staff very well.  It helps that we tip them very well.  It feels more like going to friends house than a business.

I get that. Not quite sure what I am going to do this NFL season with all the covid crap dragging out. Part of me says, "You are vaccinated" and wants to go to my regular sports bar to watch Washington suck donkey balls. But the other side of me still worries about the variants and makes me think I should just find the Washington games on radio/internet at home. 

The staff at the place I was going to before this virus was quite used to me.

[zwanzig]

I rarely eat out. Ever since I started trying to get healthy and fit, I have been trying to monitor what I put into my body. Even if a restaurant lists the calories, not all calories are created equal. Besides, making my own food, I can put all my favorite things into a meal whereas sometimes ordering out, I have trouble with the options being too slim or putting in stuff I have to ask them not to put in there. I went to Panera bread for the first time today, actually. I was going to get the Cobb salad but I hate raw onion and hardboiled egg, so, I didn't want to get that because I'd have to ask them not to put that crap in there...and there was nothing else to the salad without them. But then their low calorie caesar was just fricking chicken, romaine, cilantro, and parmesan. Wtf? Romaine is fine but I could make a better salad at home with tons more veggies and variety of lettuce greens.

I don't know what advice to give for someone with a spouse trying to convince them to eat at home. Cooking for just one person, I haven't had trouble with doing dishes. But it's like 3 dishes total a day. But everything gets messier when you add people to the dinner plan, yeah?

[arewethereyet]

I rarely eat out. Ever since I started trying to get healthy and fit, I have been trying to monitor what I put into my body. Even if a restaurant lists the calories, not all calories are created equal. Besides, making my own food, I can put all my favorite things into a meal whereas sometimes ordering out, I have trouble with the options being too slim or putting in stuff I have to ask them not to put in there. I went to Panera bread for the first time today, actually. I was going to get the Cobb salad but I hate raw onion and hardboiled egg, so, I didn't want to get that because I'd have to ask them not to put that crap in there...and there was nothing else to the salad without them. But then their low calorie caesar was just fricking chicken, romaine, cilantro, and parmesan. Wtf? Romaine is fine but I could make a better salad at home with tons more veggies and variety of lettuce greens.

I don't know what advice to give for someone with a spouse trying to convince them to eat at home. Cooking for just one person, I haven't had trouble with doing dishes. But it's like 3 dishes total a day. But everything gets messier when you add people to the dinner plan, yeah?

Bold mine...LOL

My issue is that after cooking for a family of five (and various friends) I have a huge problem cooking for two. After a couple years of throwing away too damn much food I just sort of gave up on cooking. I really didn't ever enjoy it anyway so I don't see it as a loss...husband would like a meal now and then though, I'm pretty sure. But damnit...I know he can cook...he just quit several years before I did.

[brewer]

The right appliances certainly make a difference when cooking. I'm using the hell out of my instant pot.

[Fireball]

My wife's a great cook, but as she's currently the only one working, it has devolved to me cooking dinner. The other meals are up to the person wanting it, at least during the week. We have two Baby Huey sons, 35 and 32 YO, still living at home. At least the 35 year old likes to cook, and if he's home on days when dinner is to be made, he usually fixes dinner. I despise cooking, and appreciate that he lived over at my MiL's house to take care of it after she started her slide into Alzheimer's and learned and did his own cooking there, even if he's one of the messiest cooks I've ever seen. He also enjoys gardening, which I learned to despise as the oldest son, as the girls were only allowed inside tasks like washing dishes and some housecleaning, and my brothers were sufficiently younger that it all devolved on me. I did cook dinner for myself before getting married, as I didn't like dropping a lot of money on food.