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furs
Lack of Cooking Mark Unseen   Feb 25 17:48 UTC 2008

I read through all of your guys' post and think about what great and 
imaginative cooks you are, and then I think of what I cook and 
think "how boring".

How did this happen?

I used to cook a ton.  I think I am a decent cook too.  But when I got 
married, well I had a big problem:  Tim didn't like anything I cooked!  
Well that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but here are some of the 
specific problems:

He doesn't like anything spicy
He doesn't like mexican food
He doesn't eat any vegetables (Yes, that means NO potatoes, corn or 
beans even)(with one exception of salads, but he doesn't like my 
salads, only at a resturaunt)
He doesn't like cheese, melted on anything but pizza.
He'd eat pizza 7 days a week if I would let him.
He doesn't like nuts in anything.
He loves to eat out.  He would love if we ate out every meal. 

There are more examples, of course, but my purpose of this item is not 
to dog my wonderful husband, but to just talk a little bit about not 
cooking or cooking very simply.  Also, I do make a lot of things he 
likes, but they are limited, and we have a pretty set repitoire of what 
I will make him.

The other thing is, I have really tried to distance myself from food as 
much as I can.  The less I am in the kitchen, the better for my 
health.  So I make things quick, easy, and mostly boring. ;)  Our 
cooking consists of a LOT of grilling/broiling and steamed veggies (for 
me, of course)

So Friday, I was on my monthly costco date, and I bought the Ziplock 
Zip'n Steam bags.  I FREAKING LOVE THESE THINGS.  Saturday, we were 
going to a party, and Tim wanted to eat before the party (because he 
figured there would be nothing there that he would like, which he was 
mostly right) so I threw 2 salmon filets in with some teryaki sauce, 
and 3 minutes later, he was eating a nicely seasoned, tender salmon 
filet.

They are going to be great for easy, fast, healthy and tasty lunches.  
My goal is to not use them for every meal, but they make things pretty 
darn easy.  And for Tim, who eats a lot of chicken and fish, it'll make 
my life easier for feeding him.

So why am I entering this item?  Well I guess to rant a little, to find 
out what do you do that's easy and fast and not a gourmet meal that you 
all talk about?  Do you think less of me because I got sucked into the 
ziplock marketing scheme or that I don't cook gourmet meals anymore? ;)

23 responses total.
keesan
response 1 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 18:00 UTC 2008

We eat a lot of microwaved or pressure cooked potatoes.  Microwave some
vegetable to go on top.  I doubt there is any overlap at all between our diet
and Tim's.  Does he eat grains?
furs
response 2 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 18:07 UTC 2008

not much. 
keesan
response 3 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 18:11 UTC 2008

Does he get his cholesterol checked?
furs
response 4 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 18:49 UTC 2008

he does.  right now it's not a problem, but it will be as he gets older.
He does try to eat things heathly for him, but he just doesn't like 
much.  But believe it or not he is WAY better than his mom and brother.
keesan
response 5 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 20:23 UTC 2008

I assume he takes vitamin pills, but does he eat anything with fiber in it?
COuld it be that he is allergic to many vegetables?   What is it he does like
about restaurant salads?  
mary
response 6 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 21:29 UTC 2008

I've not heard of these zip cooking bags?  How do they work?  Oh, and 
fast and easy is what I do most meals.  And I depend on leftovers to 
cover meals where even fast and easy is too much work.  So there! ;-)

I used to cook for a very fussy eater and it's no fun.  None.  Zip.  The 
only suggestion I'd have is to come up with variations on a theme of 
what you know he likes.  If pizza works, then try a calzone with 
refrigerated pizza dough for a subtle switch-out.  Then move on to 
bottled spaghetti sauce and packaged ravioli topped with cheese.  Is he 
a burger man?  Make baked ziti with, again, spaghetti sauce, ground beef 
and tube pasta.  Next try packaged breaded chicken cutlets, baked, then 
topped with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella.  A quick stop under the 
broiler to melt the cheese and you've got Chicken Parmesan. You then add 
on a bagged salad (for you) and you've got some variety, prepared at 
home, fast and dirty, with leftovers for another meal or two.

Anyhow, that's some of the tricks I used when I was way too busy to cook 
for someone who only wanted pizza, burgers or ribs.

furs
response 7 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 25 23:35 UTC 2008

re 5
Sometimes he takes vitamins, but yeah, not much fiber, though I do try
to sneak it in.  I have no idea why he will only eat restaurant salads.
 He has eaten them at home OCCASIONALLY, but I really don't know.  He
also will only eat certain brands of stuff, and no left overs.

But enough about him. ;)

What other easy meals do you guys make, picky or not?

On the ziplock bags, basically they are specially designed bags for
microwave cooking, and you can cook lots of veggies and meats in them. 
They have times and instructions right on the bag.  You just add spices,
oils, etc.  So far I like them a lot.

I am actually kinda glad I don't cook like I used to.  I don't need to
be around food.  I only bake once a year (holidays) and other than that
I clear my house of all temptations.  
keesan
response 8 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 01:35 UTC 2008

Fruit usually has fiber.  I have microwaved apples with raisins.  Core them
first.  Put in a covered bowl.
furs
response 9 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:18 UTC 2008

(he doesn't like fruit either)
slynne
response 10 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:49 UTC 2008

I have found that Trader Joe's has lots of pretty healthy prepared
dinners. They have frozen pizzas, burritos, and rice bowls. Lots of
frozen veggies too. I microwave all of that stuff. 
keesan
response 11 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 03:32 UTC 2008

My brother has never liked vegetables either.  When he visited I asked for
a list of vegetables he did not like, but should have asked for the shorter
list of ones he was willing to eat.  Green beans.
How about nuts?  Does your husband have food allergies?  
furs
response 12 of 23: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 10:12 UTC 2008

no allergies.  Just doesn't really like to eat. ;)

re 10
Do they have much sodium in them?  I gave up pre-packaged meals about 3
years ago because of too much sodium.  
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