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Post by melanell on Sept 29, 2014 1:57:23 GMT
Thank you for the link. It is definitely something to think about. I have never felt like I was in any way an elitist, I grew up poor like you wouldn't believe, like a single pair of shoes poor. But my mom always cooked. She worked and went to school at the same time, but during those years her sister lived with us and shared in taking care of us kids. They both volunteered at the food co-op so we had access to vegetables. It has never occurred to me that how I *think* about cooking is part of a larger problem. I had a similar experience. there was never money for anything extra when I was young. My clothes were hand me downs and I turned around and handed them down as well. And we're talking hand me downs right down to undershirts and underpants. But we never ate out, ordered in, or bought heat & serve meals until things had changed and we *did* have more money. So in my mind that McDonald's value meal was for people with money. We couldn't have it because we didn't have extra money for that kind of thing. I have no idea what those items cost 35 to 40 years ago, but even now, if I ordered two dollar meal items for each person in my home, it would cost me $8.00, and we'd all still be hungry. (Do they still even have dollar menus? I don't know, but anyway, you get the idea.) I could spend that same $8.00 on more food if I bought the food from the store and made it at home. So I imagine things were similar then. We also had a garden and we would receive food from others who had extras from their gardens. I recall my grandfather giving my parents meat when he would come back from hunting with his friends. So many times being able to cook it at home meant being able to use free food, too. And I saw the same thing with my grandparents. I can not recall them ever bringing home food from anywhere already cooked or eating out. My grandmother cooked 3 meals a day, every day. My grandfather used to fish & hunt and he'd bring home government food once in awhile, too. I used to shop with my grandmother and she'd go twice a week. It was a 8 block walk and the store would deliver the groceries to her home. They would usually arrive there shortly after we walked back. She meal planned and she cooked at home. And that was just bit of cement on my childhood learning that those with less made their own food. |
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Post by Merge on Sept 29, 2014 2:06:07 GMT
Thank you for the link. It is definitely something to think about. I have never felt like I was in any way an elitist, I grew up poor like you wouldn't believe, like a single pair of shoes poor. But my mom always cooked. She worked and went to school at the same time, but during those years her sister lived with us and shared in taking care of us kids. They both volunteered at the food co-op so we had access to vegetables. It has never occurred to me that how I *think* about cooking is part of a larger problem. I had a similar experience. there was never money for anything extra when I was young. My clothes were hand me downs and I turned around and handed them down as well. And we're talking hand me downs right down to undershirts and underpants. But we never ate out, ordered in, or bought heat & serve meals until things had changed and we *did* have more money. So in my mind that McDonald's value meal was for people with money. We couldn't have it because we didn't have extra money for that kind of thing. I have no idea what those items cost 35 to 40 years ago, but even now, if I ordered two dollar meal items for each person in my home, it would cost me $8.00, and we'd all still be hungry. (Do they still even have dollar menus? I don't know, but anyway, you get the idea.) I could spend that same $8.00 on more food if I bought the food from the store and made it at home. So I imagine things were similar then. We also had a garden and we would receive food from others who had extras from their gardens. I recall my grandfather giving my parents meat when he would come back from hunting with his friends. So many times being able to cook it at home meant being able to use free food, too. And I saw the same thing with my grandparents. I can not recall them ever bringing home food from anywhere already cooked or eating out. My grandmother cooked 3 meals a day, every day. My grandfather used to fish & hunt and he'd bring home government food once in awhile, too. I used to shop with my grandmother and she'd go twice a week. It was a 8 block walk and the store would deliver the groceries to her home. They would usually arrive there shortly after we walked back. She meal planned and she cooked at home. And that was just bit of cement on my childhood learning that those with less made their own food. I grew up this way as well. Fast food was a rare treat; sit-down restaurant dinners (even at an inexpensive chain) something that happened only on very special occasions. I used to trade my homemade cookies for Oreos from other kids' lunch boxes because we never had any kind of store bought sweets. But my mom was also a SAHM with the time to can, preserve, bake, etc. We had a lot more convenience type foods when she went back to work when I was 14. |
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Post by melanell on Sept 29, 2014 2:11:46 GMT
My father landed a new job when I was 11. My mother also started working part time then. It was like a whole new world. All of a sudden they each had newer well-working vehicles, we moved into a home where we each had our own room, we took regular vacations, and we bought junk food! It was extremely exciting!  We'd go out to eat, bring home take-out once a week, and buy all this cool food I never had before! (It may come as no surprise that my weight issues started right around that same time.  ) |
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Aug 18, 2025 19:49:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2014 2:55:18 GMT
Okay, made most of the homemade BBQ sauce 2 days ago for dinner. Realized by the time I let it boil, simmer, and cook the chicken it wouldn't be done in time before I had to go somewhere. That's my problem with from scratch cooking. Prep time of 30 minutes is at least 1 hour for me. SO I finished making it today. My husband rarely comments about my cooking. He actually said this would taste good with chicken breasts (I used legs). So, here's the recipe. I was proud of myself for actually having everything on hand except molasses. www.bhg.com/recipe/best-oven-barbecued-chicken/I am making this cake from scratch tomorrow for my son's birthday. www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/triple-layer-brownie-cakeI had to buy whipping cream, unsweetened chocolate, chocolate chips, and 2 chocolate candy bars for this one. It probably is good I don't have those on hand.  I did buy extra chocolate chips. They were only $1.87 for the guittard brand. |
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Post by Legacy Girl on Sept 29, 2014 4:07:17 GMT
You're all making me so happy. I'm quite proud of my home-cooked meals, but I've been telling my DH for years that the way I cook (and the fact that he prefers to eat vegan cuisine) is NOT inexpensive. He always comes back with, "Well, it was when I was in college and I ate rice and beans (and occasionally frozen veggies) every day." Yes, but thankfully, we've moved beyond our college days and expanded our palates a bit since then.  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2014 5:43:34 GMT
I'm a hybrid/from scratch kind of cook. I think cooking at home can be very cost effective, but not for every meal. Some meals are pretty pricey.
But we also tend to have some meals that cost next to nothing to make and I sprinkle the week with meaty dishes. Or I try to make more than one meal with one dish. I'll buy a rotisserie chicken just because it's cooked and saves time. I peel the skin off and take all the meat off. I cut it up and cook it with an onion and achiote paste and a few other seasonings. This meat is used for chicken tacos, and the cost is minimal. Plus there's often enough for my Dh and myself for lunch the next day.
I make a soup broth with the bones from the chicken, I let them simmer for at least 3 hrs, which requires almost no work but tastes great. I use this soup for school lunches.
So that $8 chicken plus a few extra small costs fed our family of five a dinner, two lunches, and about 6 school lunches.
Growing up in a frugal home we often had homemade stewed beans, and I still make them once a week, for next to nothing because we buy them straight from the farmer. I serve them with cooked rice and warmed up corn tortillas or bread. And I always make extra because I'll make refried beans out of them and make bean pockets, or as a side to enchiladas.
But, I'm a SAHM and it's part of why I stay at home. I can absolutely see why this won't work for some families. I wouldn't want to spend my precious few days off doing nothing but food prep, or coming home at 5:30 and spending the next three hrs cooking a pot of beans.
Not that long ago I would have turned my nose up at moms who didn't cook mostly from scratch, but you know... life is busy and I'd rather spend more time doing other stuff as I'm sure others do too.
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I did buy extra chocolate chips. They were only $1.87 for the guittard brand.
