Question of the Day: Do You Enjoy Cooking?

by Mandi on March 14, 2011

 

cooking for fun

source: William Ross

Cooking has never been my favorite chore. It’s always been just that to me — a chore. But a funny thing has been happening lately. I don’t know if it’s just because I want to provide healthier meals for my family or because I suddenly have more time on my hands now that Tara and I have turned in our manuscript, but I find myself wanting to cook more. And, even more surprisingly, enjoying it when I do cook!

I know I’m not alone in my aversion, but I also know that there are plenty of people who are happiest in the kitchen.

So today I want to know…

Do you enjoy cooking?

Do you enjoy certain things more than others?

If you like to cook, when did you first discover that it was something you enjoy?

What is your favorite thing to make?

Looking forward to reading your answers!


  • http://tinycornerbigworld.blogspot.com/ Susan F

    Do you enjoy cooking?

    Do you enjoy certain things more than others?

    If you like to cook, when did you first discover that it was something you enjoy?

    What is your favorite thing to make?

    I love to cook! The first thing I made was scrambled eggs when I was about sic. My mother is a great cook and from an era where fast food restaurants were nonexistant. I never knew a time when cooking was not a pleasure and it is one of the few things that I consider continuing doing until I am no longer able. The only thing that I do not make is candy or anything that uses a candy thermometer. It is a fear that I may concure one day but not now. At the moment I have a passion for baking cookies and exploring vegan cooking.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      What a great legacy your mom left you, Susan!

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    I love cooking. Always have. Maybe it was because my mom was such a bad one that I wanted to make my own ;-)

    Nearly all of my meals are homecooked. Love to experiment with new produce and combinations. There is so much that goes into it. Can express myself in so many ways.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      LOL — maybe I’ll at least inspire my kids to enjoy cooking!

  • Kristie

    I am learning to love to cook. I’ve always loved to bake, but never much liked cooking. Now with the internet and so many great looking recipes (with pictures!) I’ve really started to enjoy cooking a great meal.

    My favorite meals to make are things that take hours to cook so that I can prepare a good side dish or some good bread to go along with it.

    • Sarah M.

      Same here in learning to love to cook. I didn’t like it before because I felt incompetent. Now that I’m actually trying different recipes, tips, and tricks, cooking is so much more enjoyable and rewarding.

      • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

        I think like everything, the more invested we are in it, the more we’ll enjoy it. At least that’s what I’m hoping!

      • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

        I think like everything, the more invested we are in it, the more we’ll enjoy it. At least that’s what I’m hoping!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I’ve actually enjoyed baking more than cooking in the past too. But I want to enjoy both since I’ll spend so much of my life doing it, LOL!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I’ve actually enjoyed baking more than cooking in the past too. But I want to enjoy both since I’ll spend so much of my life doing it, LOL!

  • Maria

    I never enjoyed cooking until my hubby finally had it with me. He cooked for us everyday and I hated everything he cooked. My life was sooo busy, I grinned and bear-ed it. (mostly) Then I read Mark Bittman and knew I wanted better for my family. If I wanted better food, I would have to make it. and I did!!! Everyday is a new adventure and I can’t tell you I love it, yet. I enjoy it when I have the time and patience. We eat more whole foods and only have baked goods when I can make them, from scratch. (baking is a whole other story) We eat better and we have fun cooking as a family.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Yes! My husband cooks a lot for us, but his meals often include lots of convenience foods. If I’m not making it, I don’t think I have a right to dictate what he does or doesn’t make, but I want better for our family as well, so I want to enjoy it and take ownership of that!

  • Lynne

    Hi,

    I love cooking for my family and friends. I think that I knew I liked it when I was a little girl. During holiday times and through the year I got to cook with my family. Food brings me joy when the people that I love eat it and have happy satisfied faces on them.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      This is a beautiful way to look at it, Lynne!

  • Tpdal

    I do like to cook – but on my own terms! I find I can get great enjoyment out of cooking 1 meal a day – so the other 2 had better be easy and mindless!
    I also like to have a freezer stocked with ready-to-go meals so that if I encounter a day when I am just not up to it, I don’t have to panic!
    I do love soups…. here is a favourit – apple squash soup – it’s terrific served up with grilled cheese sandwiches. Enjoy!
    http://girlfriendlifeline.blogspot.com/2011/03/recipe-apple-squash-soup.html

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      This is a great philosophy: “I find I can get great enjoyment out of cooking 1 meal a day – so the other 2 had better be easy and mindless!” Love it!

  • aneelee

    i think that there is a HUGE difference between cooking and “getting dinner on the table.” i find that as long as i make time to do the cooking for fun (new recipes, entertaining, baking) that the making dinner bits are more manageable.

    • http://ivonneloving.blogspot.com Ivonne Loving

      Hi. I try to prepare most meals during the weekend so when I get home from work I only have to do a few things. I have made a new tradition between my husband and I: I will cook and you will make loving small talk and help while I cook your meal.
      Make it an experience not a chore and you will enjoy every minute of it. Also when you don’t feel like cooking just make some else cook that night. Easy peasy!

      • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

        I’ve asked my husband to sit with me in the kitchen before too because sometimes my aversion to it is really more about being isolated than the actual task!

  • http://www.ivonneloving.blogspot.com Ivonne Loving

    Hi,
    I love to cook. This is something recently discovered, I only started cooking @ 35 when I got married. Now I make my own bread, cook a homemade meals every night and try to learn atleast two new things a month. Just made my first corn beef brisket last week and whipped up some jars of apple butter for next christmas. My biggest flaw I cannot cook fish to save my life, it always ends up tasteing the same. Good thing that my hubby is not a fan :)
    I love to cook in my small kitchen with my toddler helping out listening to good music and having a glass of wine. My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I hope this is me in a few years!

  • Sdskern

    Do you enjoy cooking?

    Do you enjoy certain things more than others?

    If you like to cook, when did you first discover that it was something you enjoy?

    What is your favorite thing to make?

    I actually do love to cook, surprisingly. My mother never liked to cook (she preferred to bake), and it often showed in the meals. They were repetitious — spaghetti on Mondays, burgers on Fridays, pizza or soup and sandwiches on Saturdays. So growing up, I don’t know that I even considered that I might enjoy cooking. Once I began living on my own post-college, I started experimenting with flavors and found that cooking was a very therapeutic, relaxing and deeply fulfilling activity for me.
    I love planning out weekly menus and will pull recipes from various sources — sometimes blogs, my favorite cookbooks, a magazine that I subscribe to, a friend’s rec — and then I’ll doctor the recipes to suit our family’s tastes.
    Hmm, my favorites (hard to limit to one) would be a chicken stir fry (which interestingly is one of my Mom’s recipes), spinach fettuccine, beef pot roast, shrimp scampi, and bbq pork chops.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I think it’s telling that cooking is an art form for some people, and your passion for it shows through!

  • Anonymous

    I cooked for years, had a meal on the table evrey night. I grew to despise cooking. When I finally went to work full time when my kids were teens, hubby started cooking more. Now that I am back at home, I go thru fits and spurts. I do enjoy cooking really good food. Not too complicated, but lots of fresh ingredients and herbs. I enjoy even more so when hubby and I work together. I hate cutting stuff up and he doesn’t mind! I just don’t want to cook every night! And we have come up with some simple, yet fairly healthy and tasty convenience meals. Last night was grilled cheese and tomato basil soup!
    Bernice
    Finally Find Your Balance!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I love that you cook together — how fun!

  • Angel

    I don’t hate cooking, but I do stress out about it and grocery shopping and that makes it a dreaded chore. If I had an unlimited budget and no limitations on what I could cook I think I would enjoy it more. But I worry about $ a ton and I have very picky eaters that all like and dislike different things plus I’ve always struggled with my weight. So, all those factors make food related chores not fun at all and my major sort of household stress. I’d rather have a personal chef than a housekeeper any day. :)

  • Angel

    I don’t hate cooking, but I do stress out about it and grocery shopping and that makes it a dreaded chore. If I had an unlimited budget and no limitations on what I could cook I think I would enjoy it more. But I worry about $ a ton and I have very picky eaters that all like and dislike different things plus I’ve always struggled with my weight. So, all those factors make food related chores not fun at all and my major sort of household stress. I’d rather have a personal chef than a housekeeper any day. :)

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Ooh, me too — a personal chef would be wonderful. And I agree, picky eaters (my husband included) make it a lot less fun!

  • http://shellywildman.net Shelly W.

    I love to cook! Love it! Although I don’t cook every night (weekends are generally a time to go easy–i.e. OUT!), I usually like it when I do. I especially love cooking in the summer when I can use fresh fruits and vegetables and when we can put things on the grill. So much fun to use things from the local Farmer’s Market.

    My favorite thing, though, is baking. My husband always says that baking is therapy for me, which is very true. I’ve learned to make homemade bread in the past year, and that’s really fun.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Homemade bread is on my to-do list. I think I’m going to start with the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes method and see how I do!

  • KimH

    I started baking when I was about 8 years old and I loved cooking until about 10 years ago when I was 40. I enjoy it if I have lots of time and Im making something yummy.. but most of the time Im hurried and not enjoying myself. A glass or two of cabernet always makes it a much more pleasant endevor. :D

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I think maybe this the key — doing it because you “have to” versus “want to” makes it a lot less fun!

  • Sharon C.

    I love cooking. I get bored making the same things all the time. I have acquired a large cookbook collection over time. I also can and make jams and jellies which I give away as hostess and thank you gifts. My favorite thing to do? Find unusual recipes and give them a try. I used to have a mulberry tree in my yard, and not only did I make jelly, but found a wonderful recipe online for muffins and also tried out mulberry ice cream.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Ooh, fun!

  • Sharon C.

    I love cooking. I get bored making the same things all the time. I have acquired a large cookbook collection over time. I also can and make jams and jellies which I give away as hostess and thank you gifts. My favorite thing to do? Find unusual recipes and give them a try. I used to have a mulberry tree in my yard, and not only did I make jelly, but found a wonderful recipe online for muffins and also tried out mulberry ice cream.

  • Anna

    I enjoy cooking. I have always enjoyed making out menu plans and trying new things. I like to experiment, and I use recipes as starting points. (Sometimes this drives my kids crazy.)
    I started cooking a lot when I was a pre-teen. My mom and older sister were working evenings for awhile, and I was in charge of supper for the family- starting with easy things like spaghetti and casseroles. I always enjoyed the cooking, but hated washing the dishes. That part hasn’t changed!
    My favorite part of cooking is feeding people and seeing them enjoy it- whether in my house, or taking things out to people. I think my favorite part of cooking is baking- bread, muffins, cookies, especially.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      See, I can’t experiment. The type-a part of my brain just can’t wrap my head around it. That’s why I love the site CookingforEngineers.com. Step-by-step, detailed instructions.

  • http://thejoyofivf.blogspot.com Rebecca @ Unexplained X2

    I love love love it! I can’t wait to have a bigger kitchen so I can really go wild (God, that sounds so dorky)! I love to make eggplant parm, roasted chickens, pasta dishes, grilled veggies, fish, shrimp, anything!!!!!!!!!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Hehe, those of you who like it REALLY like it! Love your enthusiasm!

  • Catherine

    I do not enjoy anticipating having to ‘get a meal on the table’ every day but, when I am actually doing it, I enjoy it. Not sure what is up with that.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I totally get it — I think there’s a big difference between the chore of cooking and the hobby of cooking!

  • Michelle

    I love to cook even though I am no professional! I just love trying healthy recipes and new things. I helped my mom with cooking when I was little so that’s how I got started. But I only enjoy cooking when I have a very clean kitchen- I hate making a mess on top of another mess! A lot of times I clean and clear a huge open space before I begin. My favorite dish to make is a wheat pasta with basil, tomatoes, and shrimp in a cream sauce- yum!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      This is such a good point, Michelle — I HATE starting out with a messy kitchen, even though I usually make a huge mess in the process, LOL!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      This is such a good point, Michelle — I HATE starting out with a messy kitchen, even though I usually make a huge mess in the process, LOL!

  • Fiona

    Love it, just LOVE it! Collecting recipes, sharing recipes, food prep right through to the finished dish! I love to cook all meals and also desserts and Middle Eastern treats. My children ( eldest 21 ) just love cooking and baking. I think they do as from an early age just like myself, they had freedom in the kitchen.
    I love baking cookies, and moussakas, roasting chicken and making spaghetti bolognese. I’ve recently come across some of my grandmother’s wonderful recipes, and whenever i make them, I think of her kitchen and many childhood memories.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I love your enthusiasm, Fiona – it inspires me!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I love your enthusiasm, Fiona – it inspires me!

  • http://motherhoodtake3.blogspot.com/ Rebecca-Motherhood Take 3

    I LOVE cooking. I’ve always liked to cook, but when I worked outside of the home it was just another chore, and I didn’t get to spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Just recently when I became a stay-at-home mom, I started spending a lot more time in the kitchen. I started to plan meals, instead of just throwing something together. I began baking (I make all my own bread, I have not purchased a loaf in months), and I make all my baby food from scratch. I love knowing exactly what is going into the food that I feed my family.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Just another chore — that’s exactly how I’ve been approaching it, but now I’m starting to look at it differently too!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Just another chore — that’s exactly how I’ve been approaching it, but now I’m starting to look at it differently too!

  • Kkaye76

    I only like to cook when Im cooking something I like.. Funny.. ;)

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      LOL!

  • http://simplegreenishliving.blogspot.com/ Elisabeth@SimpleGreenishLiving

    Another great tip is peanut butter! I recently got the goo off one of my jars by spreading on some peanut butter with an old toothbrush (that is designated for cleaning) – I let it sit for a couple hours and then came back to give it a quick scrub with the same toothbrush. I did a final scrub with just a drop or two of Dr. Bronner’s and the jar was clean as can be!

  • http://www.joyfullythriving.com Kristen

    Good to know! I use Avon’s Skin So Soft bath oil. It works like a charm!

  • Tiffany

    Thank you so much for this tip.  The sticky stuff has been driving me crazy lately.  

  • Tiffany

    Thank you so much for this tip.  The sticky stuff has been driving me crazy lately.  

  • Vegas

    Any oil will work, really. Including cooking oil.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Good to know; that does make sense. Since citrus oil has cleaning
      properties, I wonder if it does it any faster or if it’s about the same
      regardless of which oil you use. I may need to test that to find out!

  • http://livingthebalancedlife.com Bernice Wood

    If your ship doesn’t sail into harbor, take a rowboat and go find it!
    Great post, Jeff (and I remember Fantasy Island well!)
    Bernice
    Six steps to stop procrastinating today

  • Alyssa_lamontagne

    do you think you could just use some lemon or orange zest then? or maybe rub a piece of orange or lemon on the jar?

  • Alyssa_lamontagne

    do you think you could just use some lemon or orange zest then? or maybe rub a piece of orange or lemon on the jar?

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