Another 'honestly' poll....how many nights of the week do you cook dinner?

[Isabella]

And by 'cook' I don't necessarily mean a hot meal, just one that you've spent time preparing, and that is reasonably nutritious, as opposed to throwing some party pies in the oven!

 

Me...lately it's probably an average of 4 nights a week (sometimes 3, sometimes 5!). My girls are 15-19, so they can get themselves something. Even if I don't make a 'proper' meal, I usually throw some steak in the frying pan for Dh, and whip up a quick salad. I don't know why, but I still feel this is not 'making a decent meal'. I guess because I know that I'm feeling very lazy, and I'm only doing it for him because it wouldn't be right not to. The girls don't care - though they probably would if they had to get their own every night of the week.

 

ETA: Please don't be affronted by the comment at "7" :D ...It was said tongue in cheek, and I realize of course that there are many other reasons, including finances and allergies, that come into play. Honestly...it was meant lightheartedly, but I do apologize to those that saw it as thoughtless.:001_smile:

Edited April 25, 2012 by Isabella

[Jpoy85]

I cook every day as far as Breakfast, Lunch and making Hubbys Lunch... dinner? About 3-4 nights a week. Mostly its Crockpot meals because I <3 my crockpot!!!!!!! I do make homemade bread every other day. Does that count? :001_smile:

[Tap]

5 or so. I usually plan a few meals that are left overs and we commonly eat pizza once a week or so. There are a few times a month that I say, fix it yourself :D (dd5 will get chicken nuggets or a can of soup).

[SKL]

On a typical week: zero.

 

Sunday: my sister sits with my kids and cooks a very nice dinner (big enough to leave leftovers), while I work.

 

Monday: I get my kids a McD's oatmeal or throw together a pbj to be eaten on the way to evening swimming.

 

Tuesday: Leftovers or a modest restaurant like Bob Evans (kids eat free day).

 

Wednesday: Something snacky-healthy in the car on the way to the museum.

 

Thursday: Leftovers or something very quick like egg sandwiches.

 

Friday: A nice restaurant with my business partners (kids included)

 

Saturday: Dinner on the fly - a picnic or Panera or the like while out shopping.

 

FTR, my kids are very healthy and (at 5) know how to read & somewhat follow a recipe. We just don't have time for cooking and cleaning in the evenings.

Edited April 25, 2012 by SKL

[Jean in Newcastle]

About 5. The nights I don't cook are because we have too many leftovers and need to clean out the refrigerator.

[Ohdanigirl]

I pretty much cook all three meals every day. If someone really wants to, we may eat out once a month (breakfast or a dinner).

 

Danielle

[Dandelion]

Usually 5 nights a week.... One night a week, we'll get takeout - and the other night, the kids stay at my mom's and DH and I go out for dinner. :)

[LibraryLover]

So I said 6, but it's more than that as I do sauces, stews, soups, and broths that last more than one meal. The only time I do not cook is Friday night.

 

This is my choice. I hate for my family to eat fast or frozen food.

 

Cooking is a challenge at times as I often run out of ideas, so that can be a pain! However, my children often cook, plus they are easy to please when I am the cook.

 

Cooking long slow broths on the weekend is a hobby. lol Seriously. I truly enjoy knowing my family is getting the best ingredients I have. (Including our own animals.) It makes me crazy to think about my family eating hydrogenated or fake foods, 'flavorings' , GMO soy or corn, or oher questionalble ingredients.

Edited April 25, 2012 by LibraryLover

[sewingmama]

On a typical week: zero.

 

Sunday: my sister sits with my kids and cooks a very nice dinner with leftovers, while I work.

 

Monday: I get my kids a McD's oatmeal or throw together a pbj to be eaten on the way to evening swimming.

 

Tuesday: Leftovers or a modest restaurant like Bob Evans (kids eat free day).

 

Wednesday: Something snacky-healthy in the car on the way to the museum.

 

Thursday: Leftovers or something very quick like egg sandwiches.

 

Friday: A nice restaurant with my business partners (kids included)

 

Saturday: Dinner on the fly - a picnic or Panera or the like while out shopping.

 

FTR, my kids are very healthy and (at 5) know how to read & somewhat follow a recipe. We just don't have time for cooking and cleaning in the evenings.

 

 

So I'm curious -are you cooking during the day? If you aren't cooking at all where are you getting these "leftovers" from :D

[SKL]

So I'm curious -are you cooking during the day? If you aren't cooking at all where are you getting these "leftovers" from :D

 

The "leftovers" are from Sunday (my sister's awesome cooking) or the Friday restaurants.

 

I guess I wasn't that clear about Sundays above (I'll edit it). I don't mean my sister uses leftovers to cook. I mean she cooks enough for an army and we are less than an army, so we have leftovers from Sunday.

Edited April 25, 2012 by SKL

[LibraryLover]

And by 'cook' I don't necessarily mean a hot meal, just one that you've spent time preparing, and that is reasonably nutritious, as opposed to throwing some party pies in the oven!

 

Me...lately it's probably an average of 4 nights a week (sometimes 3, sometimes 5!). My girls are 15-19, so they can get themselves something. Even if I don't make a 'proper' meal, I usually throw some steak in the frying pan for Dh, and whip up a quick salad. I don't know why, but I still feel this is not 'making a decent meal'. I guess because I know that I'm feeling very lazy, and I'm only doing it for him because it wouldn't be right not to. The girls don't care - though they probably would if they had to get their own every night of the week.

 

 

Well, I do like the sound of 'party pie! Fill me in! I may well join you!

 

I think a salad and good meat is a proper meal. I roasted one of my own chickens tonight with some garlic, carrots, onions, baked squash, & put a salad together. Why would this, or what you made, not be 'proper'? Should I be growing lettuce in the snow as well? Raising my own olives for oil in a wrong climate?

 

Your children are also old enough to make decent meals. My 19 yr old makes a lovely quiche, and baked goods. My 18 yr old is a pasta whiz, and the preteen is a stir fry princess. She also makes wonderful breakfasts. The other morning she made banana pancakes, with a berry sauce. She also started the coffee. I do thank the heavens for her wherewithall. lol She knows if I smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, I can get out of bed with a much more pleasant attitude. (I am not quite a morning person. ;) )

 

Of course, dh and I have taught the children to do these things. We can be quite lazy in the AM. lol

Edited April 25, 2012 by LibraryLover

[joannqn]

I chose 6 to account for the occasional fast food, frozen food, or leftover meal.

[KathyBC]

I cook every day as far as Breakfast, Lunch and making Hubbys Lunch... dinner? About 3-4 nights a week. Mostly its Crockpot meals because I <3 my crockpot!!!!!!! I do make homemade bread every other day. Does that count? :001_smile:

 

Homemade bread and crockpot meals are absolutely decent meals!

[LibraryLover]

The #7, "My family deseves nothing less!!" option seems a bait, and rather unkind. I have cooked 7 times many weeks, but it's more because I am cheap, and enjoy preparing nice family dinner, even on a weekend (which seems very cozy to me). There is something very special about slow simmering as we go about our day off.

Edited April 25, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Tasia]

I make probably four good, healthy, cooked dinners per week.

 

The other nights are breakfast-for-dinner, frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, sandwiches or take-out.

[Melissa in Australia]

I do 4-5 nights a week. I referee basketball so my children can play 3 nights a week, so my children have a turn of cooking Ds16 &ds14 do Tuesday nights, DD12 does Wednesday nights, and DH heats up what I prepared the night before and makes a salad on Monday nights.

[Heather in Neverland]

I cook dinner 4 nights per week, 1 night we have leftovers, and 2 nights we eat out.

[Isabella]

The #7, "My family deseves nothing less!!" option seems a bait, and rather unkind. I have cooked 7 times many weeks, but it's more because I am cheap, and enjoy preparing nice family dinner, even on a weekend (which seems very cozy to me). There is something very special about slow simmering as we go about our day off.

 

I'm sorry you saw it as a bait....I absolutely didn't mean it like that. I think it's wonderful when anyone does do what I aspire to do. I'd love nothing more than having the energy/motivation to cook a nice meal for my family 7 times a week. And, I really DO think they deserve that - and so do I! But, for me, life (read laziness, really!) gets in the way. It was just a tongue in cheek comment, but I'm sorry that you felt affronted by it.:)

 

I completely agree with your comments about cosiness, and the great feeling of dinner cooking while you go about your day! That's exactly how I feel! I love feeling like I'm providing these good meals, but it happens less often that I'd like!

[Momma2Many66]

I cook supper 7 days a week. I would love to not have to cook all 7 days and eat out once in awhile, but we could not afford to feed our family of 6 on $ 100 dollars a week If I did not homecook all the meals every day.

[Audrey]

Honestly, I really do cook every night of the week. We go out to eat maybe once or twice a month, but every other night I cook a homemade meal from scratch. I like to cook, though, and I don't consider it a chore at all. I love trying new things, creating new dishes, and trying or adapting recipes I gather from others. It keeps me from going totally cuckoo, as opposed to my usual semi-cuckoo. :tongue_smilie:

[Audrey]

I cook dinner 4 nights per week, 1 night we have leftovers, and 2 nights we eat out.

 

 

Oops! If we're counting the nights that leftovers make an appearance, I've got to deduct one night every now and then. Should I deduct more if I've made a double recipe, or if I made 2 casseroles and froze one for another time? I do that a lot.

[Isabella]

Well, I do like the sound of 'party pie! Fill me in! I may well join you!

I think a salad and good meat is a proper meal. I roasted one of my own chickens tonight with some garlic, carrots, onions, baked squash, & put a salad together. Why would this, or what you made, not be 'proper'? Should I be growing lettuce in the snow as well? Raising my own olives for oil in a wrong climate?

 

Your children are also old enough to make decent meals. My 19 yr old makes a lovely quiche, and baked goods. My 18 yr old is a pasta whiz, and the preteen is a stir fry princess. She also makes wonderful breakfasts. The other morning she made banana pancakes, with a berry sauce. She also started the coffee. I do thank the heavens for her wherewithall. lol She knows if I smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, I can get out of bed with a much more pleasant attitude. (I am not quite a morning person. ;) )

 

Of course, dh and I have taught the children to do these things. We can be quite lazy in the AM. lol

 

You don't have party pies in the US? In Australia they are a staple at most kid parties especially (unless it's a healthy party). They are bought frozen, and are just mini minced meat pies. My girls love them, and will buy them to put in the oven as a quick and easy eat! They are great with tomato sauce.

 

Yes, my girls are getting better at cooking meals - it always used to be sweet things they loved to make. Probably one night a week someone else cooks.

 

:lol: No.... of course I don't think you need to grow lettuce in the snow to count as having prepared a nutritious meal!! Not many of us would qualify if that was the case. In my own example, I'm just going on my thoughts for myself - perhaps a perfectionist complex, or more correctly, what my dh would see as lazy. Yes, I know steak & salad are a 'decent meal' but both he and I know it is basically just an afterthought, an 'I better throw something together for dh because he's been working hard & will be crabby if I don't' thing, rather than a 'my family's meal is a priority for me' kind of thought. We don't all sit together on those nights, so it seems very lazy and 'slap-dash'.

The same meal if I'd planned it, made it for everyone, we all sat down together to eat, would feel much more like I'd prepared a decent meal. KWIM, or is it just me that's crazy! :lol:

Edited April 25, 2012 by Isabella

[Spy Car]

My wife and I both enjoy preparing healthful and delicious meals, and our little-man is an adventurous and enthusiastic eater who appreciates good food, so we eat most meals at home. On occasion we will venture out to explore a cuisine we might not otherwise experience at home, but almost never just because no one wants to cook. I'll call that 7.

 

Bill

[LaxMom]

I cook 7 nights a week. We cook lunch about 6 days a week right now, because we have games on Saturdays (though we usually pack food). And we cook breakfast at least 4 days, only because the kids actually like to have cereal fairly often.

 

I love to cook, though most of the meals lately have been of the "quick and dirty" rather than the inspired variety because of practice schedules. Thankfully (?) it's gotten cool again here - from 80s back done to 50s this week - so its mostly been soups, salads, and some sort of GF baked good.

 

I spend a lot of money on food, but we would spend quite a bit more, with lesser quality, if we ate out regularly.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I voted 7. It's not that they deserve less, it's that we can't afford more:lol: seriously, dh and I ate out 2 times last year.

[Jennifer3141]

I cook at home about half the time. The other half, we eat out. We're foodies and we like adventure! And dinner is usually where DH and I reconnect. That's often easier to do when I'm not working too. :001_smile:

[Donna]

I voted 3 because that's about how many I cook depending on the week. My husband cooks 2-3 nights a week. He loves to cook and is home at least 2 days a week while I work. Dinner is his job those nights and often, if home on the weekend, he or I will cook. Some nights we just have too much leftover and have a "must go" night. My dd and I are not home on Friday nights and usually eat somewhere between violin and orchestra rehearsals. Often we are not home on a weekend night if traveling for fiddle lessons.

[nova147]

I voted 5. We have dinner at my in laws once a week. Most weeks we either go out one night or have "whatever" for dinner. Leftovers, cereal, sandwhiches. Just not a regular meal. We used to go out once a week, sometimes twice. But cost is a big issue now.

[ashfern]

I answered 7 but it's because we're trying to eat a more healthy diet and save $. :D

[Rivka]

We get takeout about once a week: Chinese, Indian, pizza. The other nights I cook. I don't know how "proper" my cooking is by your definition, because we often use frozen vegetables, frozen rolls, or a loaf of nice artisan-style bread from the grocery store. But those would be in the company of a nice cooked-from-scratch entree like tilapia with dill butter or roasted pork tenderloin.

[Soror]

7 here, although sometimes we have leftovers. Eating out is rare maybe 1x per month- for dietary and budget reasons. I generally always cook from scratch although sometimes it is a 'quick' (30 min or less prep time) or a longer affair (1.5-2hr cooking). I like cooking and we like to experiment as well.

[chepyl]

It depends on the week. 5-6 nights someone usually cooks dinner. DH and I split the cooking duties. We usually eat out at least once a week, in a bad week we eat out 5-6 times ;)

[lynn]

I love cooking for my family. I cook most nights, during the summer we grill out during the weekend, dh does that part and I put together side dishes. We eat out or order take out 2-3times a month.

[Mimm]

Six nights a week. The seventh night, my kids spend at their grandparents' house and we have a long time tradition of getting carry out. I only prepare one meal a day. You are on your own for breakfast and lunch in my house. :)

 

I am wondering what people do on nights when they don't cook. Everyone cooks for themselves or their husbands cook?

[Onceuponatime]

6 nights a week. Wednesdays are at church. I set myself up for this, now my family expects it. It's not that big a deal. I'm so used to it and have a large repetoire of meals ready in 45 minutes or less.

[amyable]

7 but it's because of food allergies and I don't enjoy it one bit -- not because I feel "they deserve nothing less" like I'm such a great mom, but I'd rather they not break out in hives or die. :glare:

[MissKNG]

Typically six because we do like to go out to eat.

 

I also cook breakfast and lunch every day. I babysit two kids Monday through Friday as well and also feed them in the morning and lunch.

[DawnM]

Three to Four lately. We are fine with eating leftovers so I typically make meals that will feed us twice. We will eat a meal Monday and have it again Wed. or Thur. typically.

 

I also tend to do quick meals lately.....I just am going through a phase of hating to cook. Last night we had tacos/burritos, easy and fast. The night before we had frozen Costco pizza! :D I can't have the pizza but I just grab extra salad or something.

 

Dawn

[Lovedtodeath]

I answered 6 but we eat leftovers half the time. I thought they would count since I still cooked them. We even make our own pizza too because I am allergic to yeast.

[jennynd]

3,4

 

usually cook something nice during weekend

not so much during weekday since I work full time and after school

[KAR120C]

I buy groceries once a week to make six dinners (plus sandwiches/ mac & cheese, etc. for lunches) and then intend to go out one night. Sometimes that's going to dinner as a family, and sometimes it's the night that we'll all be running around doing something and have to grab a bite on the way. And if we don't feel like going out, I have frozen ravioli from Costco in the freezer.

[DarlaS]

I chose 6 to account for the occasional fast food, frozen food, or leftover meal.

 

Same here. Or the occasional meal that is just sort of thrown together with... varying degrees of success. :tongue_smilie:

[Gentlemommy]

Sigh. I WISH I could cook more often. With a clingy toddler though, it's hard. :001_huh: Plus we are running around so much it seems, that we never get home in time for me to prepare a complicated meal. Add in that dh doesn't get home until 7 or later, or is out of town, and my motivation to cook is nil.

Monday's is barn afternoon-we go play/work at a local barn and then go to chick fil a for kids night. Daddy works late, so he isn't home for dinner.

Tuesday's is Mommy's night off! Woohoo! No clue what dh feeds the kids.:001_huh: If I think about it, I'll stress out and not want to leave so I can make a meal, so I just pretend they are getting a wholesome meal lol.

Wednesday's are barn nights again. I try to cook dinner early. Tonight is will be sweet potatoes and artichokes.

Thursday's are gymnastics night. If I don't get dinner into the crock pot early, I scramble to make something late.

Fridays daddy is off, we may throw stuff on the grill.

Saturday's we usually BBQ with friends and/or family.

Sunday's is hit or miss, sometimes we stay in, sometimes we go out for dinner.

[delaney]

About 5. The nights I don't cook are because we have too many leftovers and need to clean out the refrigerator.

That. I also don't consider nuggets, fries, and canned green beans to be a real meal so it may be 7 most weeks if you count those kinds of meals.

[Kelly1730]

Since changing to "non-processed foods" last summer, I find myself cooking most meals, most days. We may eat out once or twice a month and I'm not above a frozen pizza every now and then but, for the most part, I make breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks each day.

[Cinder]

Typically 5 times a week. We usually have a pizza night and an eat-out night each week. Leftovers are eaten for lunches but occasionally there are enough to make it a help-yourself-to-whatever night.

[KidsHappen]

I picked other. I don't cook. I can but I don't. I hate cooking. My hubby does most of the dinner cooking but my children have two dinners per day and I usually catch the before bed light dinner. They eat after they get home from school somewhere around 4 or 5 and then again at about 9 or 10. He makes really dinners. I make Ramen Noodles or Easy Mac. The rest of the time, my kids are old enough to know where the kitchen is and how to read directions.

[Farrar]

I should have read before voting. I put 4, because that's how often I actually cook on average. But I put (through leftovers and what I call assembly food) out something decent probably 6 nights a week.

[Parrothead]

I said seven, but we go out or have delivery about once a month.

[elegantlion]

If I had to stand in the kitchen for longer than 15 minutes, that means I cooked it. The take and bake pizza I pop in the oven doesn't count.

 

I voted six, as we get take out about 1-2 time per month. We don't eat out, we just take it home to save money. We usually have pizza one time a week, but if I want any I have to actually prepare mine as I'm eating gluten free, so I have to make my own crust.

 

I don't cook breakfast, and I rarely cook lunch. I really despise cooking and would be happy to eat a bowl of rice for dinner every night. Somehow these people want to eat real food at every meal. :lol: