Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

ReNauMoon — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:36:24 GMT

I am a little bit behind on my email.

Personally, I have been baking since I was 9 and cooking full meals since age 13. I love the kitchen. I love to cook and bake. I do it from scratch and really only open the cookbook for baking due to the more precise *science* of baking ingredient ratios ... or when I am bored with food in general and need a n idea or 2. I just wish I had more time to do it. We do not eat fast foods (at least I do not, my husband does on occasion). Eating dinner out for me is at most 2 times a month nowadays (since I figured out I am allergic to soy. Prior to that we ate dinner out once a week).

I usually cook enough food at dinner time to have leftovers for the next day that I can take to work with me for lunch and that my husband can heat up when he gets home from work. All the fast food that comes into my work place at lunchtime, speaks volumes of the folks that don't know their kitchen and are not on friendly terms with the spice rack. It makes me cringe and turns my stomach to smell all that grease. Having a soy allergy doesn't help matters but even before I realized my allergy to soy, I was still eating mostly the way I do today and the smell of all the grease turned my stomach back then too.

I do not have an eat-in kitchen (or I would spend more time in it), so the kitchen time is limited to cooking (and cleaning up afterwards). But it is a place where I create and my husband and I enjoy the food that comes out of it.

When my husband and I do go out to eat, we are still always stunned by the sad fact that we are usually the most slender couple in the dining establishment regardless of the age groups we are comparing ourselves too (hubby is 49 and I am 43).

I just can't understand why people want to damage their health and their finances by chronic restaurant and fast food dining.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

serose — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:04:26 GMT

I'm the last person who 'enjoys' cooking; however I NEVER buy pre-cooked or convenience foods. I think it's just a matter of changing habits.

I sprout anything that's sprout able. Any left over cooking water is frozen for stock.

It would be great if people could share some really healthy tips such as - is the water left over from soaked seeds good for us, or better discarded? How long is the optimum time spent to cook sprouted legumes?

Anyway My husband and me were puzzling about the English accent - which part of England - we couldn't quite place it?

Best

Roslyn

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

brazos2 — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:54:47 GMT

Appears all who have commented here do indeed inhabit their kitchens. If this is a fair sample of the general population that represents the overall, I'd say we don't have a problems here (I know, 12 replies ain’t nutin).

I'll be the first to admit that I don't spend much time cooking. I like it outdoors, so that where I stay...most of the time in any case. On the other hand, my wife COMPLAINS about all the time she spends cooking. I don't force her, she just feels compelled to do it. I reckon she figures we won't eat unless she cooks.

I, however, do feel compelled to eat whatever she might cook ;-)

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

pinkskittles — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:39:09 GMT

busy people can still find the time to eat.

the idea that anyone who can feed themselves is rich with lots of time on their hands, or is a homemaker, is a complete lie! we all have time for making food if we make it. we can still work 9 to 5 and wake up an hour early for breakfast and to make a lunch.. stuff like that. if we manage our time effectively we can all eat healthy meals. "i don't have time" is a load of poo.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Patty D — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:00:36 GMT

I'm glad to say I now inhabit my kitchen. I quit cooking in the late 90s when my then teenage girls decided they weren't going to eat what I made anymore. Then I got on the fast food wagon because, as a nurse, I worked 50 or more hours a week. A few years ago, I got hurt and can't work anymore. It hurt too much to stand and cook, so I existed pretty much on grilled cheese and peanut butter. A few months ago, I started seeing a chiropractor and he introduced me to the idea of natural foods and what truly healthy eating really was. I now cook every meal and find myself actually enjoying it.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

The New Christine — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:02:49 GMT

It absolutely shocks and appauls me how many people I have met over the years who don't cook. I mean really don't cook. In a conversation once about chicken soup, I nearly fell off the chair when we were talking about what's in our own chicken soups and someone asked me what brand do you use? I said brand what? They were all talking about their soups-but they were all canned. Mine was the only one out of about 10 of us that was homemade from all fresh ingredients. They looked at me like I was insane! I was asked, well how do you make chicken soup? They had no idea! Mindless broads, I tell ya! Needless to say, I couldn't associate with them too much longer. They mindlessness about simple everyday things drove me insane.

Everything I cook is from scratch. Almost always has been. I learned to cook over 25 years ago and have loved it ever since. Yes there are times when I've been too busy or whatever in life happens that I don't feel like cooking, but try to make wise choices when it comes to dining out.

My kitchen is the most inhabited room in the house. I spend all day in it. My office is also located in the kitchen so doing whatever work on the computer is right there. Can't imaging not being in the kitchen, especially meal time. It does take a lot of time and effort to plan meals-healthy meals, but after a while, you don't have to do much thinking. It comes natural. And yes, it does help being a stay at home homemaker. That will be changing soon. I will be pounding the pavement next month to find something part time. So my efforts will become a bit more challenged but all the more the importance of cooking fresh, healthy meals! ;)

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Young Health 4 Life — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:56:40 GMT

On inhabiting the kitchen; when my children were in their growing up years, I had them participate a bit in the kitchen. Each week they got to plan a dinner. We checked in the house for the needed ingredients, they shopped with me for what was missing and they helped to prepare it on the designated night.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Young Health 4 Life — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:53:27 GMT

heykapo,

I have used the pulp in egg dishes, meat loaf and all kinds of soups. Just need to modify according to your Nutritional Type. I believe there is a lot of nutrition in that pulp, a lot of known and yet to be discovered health components designed to work synergistically towards maximum health!

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

heykapo — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:07:09 GMT

Miss Lucy,

Do you have a recommendation for the pulp left over from vegetable juicing? I know I should eat the stuff, but I just can't face it.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Vermont Wren — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:05:55 GMT

I inhabit my kitchen so much that I wonder what the rest of the house is used for, and I get so frustrated with lack of space in a kitchen designed for retirees that either didn't really cook or cooked from storebought prepped stuff...and all the gadgets not to mention foods I need to build and maintain health, have no where to go...any groovin' suggestions that don't include an addition...and money's not in abundance. I guess I just thought up one which I've known, hanging from the ceiling...but that's limited on what can go there...does anyone know of extremely helpful kitchen organizational stuff can be had?

I'm so exhausted with growing, gathering, preparing foodstuffs and also maintain a job outside the house in order to put a dent in those unconstitutional taxes we are all assessed when we have the social slave number and in addition to that, I raise poultry, beef, and milk goats twice a day, make kefir and Feta and don't get enough sleep...3 or 4 hours a night seems to be the average...any magic natural potions one can suggest?

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Vermont Wren — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:05:55 GMT

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Lucas_Chohany — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:13:13 GMT

Well said. This "inhabiting" practice should be applied everywhere. Even if you are microwaving a salisbury steak, it's much better to be fully present with your actions. If you think of your actions simply as a means to an end then you will always be looking towards the future, but of course the future never comes. "I have to microwave this poptart so I can get some quality fuel in me. I have to get this quality fuel in me so I can get to work. I have to work so I can make money for my family..." And it never ends.

By "inhabiting" your kitchen you can make preparing your food as enjoyable as eating it. And that's the next thing: being mindful while eating.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

Wedgirl — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:58:50 GMT

The kitchen is where the family gets together at our house. My girls have been interested in helping with food preparation. It is amazing how much better they eat when they have helped with making the meal. We only eat in the kitchen/dining room and manage to eat breakfast and dinner as a family everyday. It is amazing what conversations take place.

re: Who's Inhabiting Your Kitchen?

KAC — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:11:08 GMT

Growing up I lived on frozen and fast foods. I don't think I'll eat another frozen salisbury steak again!! I am a single mom and work full time with 2 kids. My kids get a homemade dinner most everynight. I live in my kitchen. It is the most occupied room in our home. People nowadays appear to be lazy about preparing food. It is all about convenience and using the radioactive microwave oven!