[TresChic35]

Any other ladies here frustrated with cooking?



I'm a college student without a meal plan...so that forces me to prepare my meals everyday. The kitchen is located a few floors below me and walking down there just to wash pots/pans/dishes are a pain! Cooking a meal usually takes me at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours!

Sometimes I'm just so frustrated and don't know what to cook so I eat PLAIN JUNK for a whole week! Last week, I made enough pasta to last a whole week and thats all I ate for lunch/dinner.

I hate having to waste food! Most of the time my food gets spoilt in the fridge and I have to toss them out. Everytime I go to the supermarket, I spend at least $100 and thats with using coupons and only purchasing things on sale! I just don't know what to do with food anymore.

I guess its good that I'm able to practice my cooking "skills" while I'm in college, so when I'm older and in my own kitchen I won't have to worry about making a mess or stinking up the whole house. But its just difficult to do when I'm a full-time student.

Why do we even have to eat? Eating fattening foods make us fat and unhealthy. Why do we have to have tastebuds? Why can't we just drink some magical fluid that fills us up everyday. Grrrrr....

PS: I hate how so many guys my age are such skilled cookers and can cook without complaining. I am so jeaous of them! LOL... Oh, and I also hate cooking in the hot summer heat (definitely not using the oven in the summer!)

[MsTina]

Luckily for me I love cooking but I get annoyed cause it was time consuming and I am not the best cook. What I try to do is plan out my week or make a big meal that I could freeze on the weekend for the weekdays. Its not fun to eat the same thing all week but its a time saver. For example, I would make plain chicken (just salt/pepper) and for each meal add a different veggie or eat it with rice instead of pasta or make it a sandwich. Cooking in college help me a lot and I am so much more creative and my cooking skills are better now!

If you need help, I can try to help!

[callherpetrol]

i'm starting college this fall with a meal plan, so i dont have to worry this year. but, if i don't like the cafeterias food, i decided that next year i would be like, half raw vegan, and just eat raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc...

i am lazy, and even though i would have a full kitchen in my dorm, its a pain to cook for only one person, and i get creeped out by eating leftovers.

you could try using a slowcooker in your room though, and make things like soups, stews, pulled pork, beef stroganoff... they can cook while youre in class!

[grayxie]

Do you have a George Foreman Grill? With that you don't have to clean an extra pan, and just add it to a side dish. Or have it with some salad which doesn't require you to go down to the kitchen. Toaster ovens I think are the greatest kitchen appliance to have if you are a single person. It toasts, and bakes all in one, plus you can do a single portion.

There is a show on foodtv, I think the hosts name is Robin Miller. She does quick and easy weeknight meals using the same protein, but each night is totally different.

[lcterp]

It does get tiring after awhile, especially if your kitchen is not right in your area. I would generally cook a pack of chicken breasts then use them for various things that wouldn't take long to put together (salad, sandwich, wraps, etc). I would also make a pan of something (personally I did chicken enchiladas) that would last me the entire week.

[Calya]

Maybe you can get together with a few other students who are in the same situation. If you take turns cooking it won't be so bad. There won't be as many leftovers either.

[pollinilove]

why cant you get a meal plan ?

[cosmogrl5]

I agree about the Foreman Grill and a crock pot. You can literally throw anything in a crock pot and it somehow tastes good!

There is a book called A Man, A Can, A Plan and it is basically geared toward helping men cook meals fast with just a few ingredients. You should check it out.

For days when you really do not want to cook, you pop a Lean Cuisine in the microwave. I know they are filled with sodium, but having one every few days or once/week should be OK.

[tmc089]

I'm gonna have my first kitchen next year, I'm really not looking forward to this part lol. I have our minimum meal plan, which is 50 meals for the semester, which averages about 3 meals a week. My friend who work alot and live in an apartment make meals for the whole week on Sunday, so they can just knock everything out in one day.

[sds661]

My DH won't even look at ramen noodles anymore--the only thing he would make in college..My friends and I would get together and have "theme" nights during the week--Mondays were spaghetti at sally's..Tuesdays were tacos at tinas..wednesday..margaritas!!..you get the picture!!

[elizat]

lol- being frustrated with having to cook everyday does not stop when you graduate college! At least, not for me. I come home from work and cooking a meal is the last thing I want to do most nights!

Anyway, I digress. Get a Foreman grill or another brand. You can use it for meats, veggies, even as a sandwich press. A crockpot is not a bad idea either.

The Robin Miller show mentioned is great too. I don't ever really follow recipes when I cook but her ideas may help you a lot. Her ingredients are easy to find too from the recipes I've read, which is a big plus.

[twinkle.tink]

I would def. try and pool with other students...either take turns cooking or cook together and freeze. Just as easy to cook for 4 as for 1, JMHO.