NinjaSarah Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 It's not so much the cooking, my sis & I cooked a lot before. It's the sheer number of dishes we seem to generate that is daunting. There are 3 adults in the house and Holy Crap! When we cook & prep ahead there's a ton of storage dishes used. Prepping out lunch ahead of time=more dishes. Cooking breakfast everyday....storing coconut milk....roasted vegetables keep in the fridge really well, but I've found best to not mix to many, because some get "slimier" than others and that makes them less appealing....I think we've run the dishwasher every night since starting. And hand wash a Lot of pots & pans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrustdc Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Yes, the dishes and the storage! On weekends i can hardly cram anything into the fridge or freezer, and by Friday there are huge gaping holes in the fridge and the counters are piled high with empty storage containers that I have nowhere to keep when not in use! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnab Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Okay, so I am lucky-- I only have to cook for myself right now (husband is deployed-- not lucky on that front) but I too was exhausted from cooking during the first week. What I do now is pick out 3 meals (one lunch and 2 dinners) to make for the next week on the Thursday prior. Then I make a shopping list for those recipes (and anything else I need for the week) and shop on Friday after work. If I have time that night, I prep all of my produce. Then I make one meal on Saturday and the other two on Sunday. I would say that all-in it takes about 5 hours of my weekend. I also try to make sure one of my meals is for the crockpot-- it saves time and makes my house smell wonderful! If you don't mind eating the same things several times during the week, I also recommend doubling recipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camilart Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 I honestly feel like cooking has taken over my life. I used to enjoy cooking, but now (Day 26) I am seriously resenting it. And it's two of us, so I can't even imagine what it's like on your own! Can't wait to finally eat out again next week and have someone else wash the dishes for once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennrider Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 It does get easier. The first two weeks, I only left my kitchen to go to the grocery store and run my kids around. I have always been big on home cooked meals so I have a well stocked kitchen. It takes time to learn new ways of using spices and combos of food. Things that I said 'no way am I eating that' are making their way into my meal plans. I love veggies and have enjoyed trying different kinds. We are big on saving at the grocery store. I started a spreadsheet with a list of new ingrediants, where I bought them and the price. Now I know what stores to run to when I'm out of things to get the best price. This week I have actually been spontaneous in the kitchen again. I took advantage of being tied to my kitchen. The closets in my house look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Cute printable for meal planning here, it's 3 days so not quite so daunting! http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/2012/08/meal-planning-tutorials-and-printables.html Totally with you on the dishes, 2 adults + 2 kids and no dishwasher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutmegananne Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 This thread makes me smile, because although I'm not tired of doing it, I do spend so much of my time either grocery shopping, planning meals, cooking, or cleaning up. My husband and I run a business and work from home. We basically work seven days a week. We have two teenagers who are always on the go - sometimes eating with us, sometimes not. My husband eats about 90/10 paleo/primal and has been with me for a while now. He is not Whole 30, although he eats very similarly to me right now. We often eat 3 meals a day at home (we're eating out even less than we used to right now as it is hard to find Whole 30 compliant food out). We're both foodies so we love good food and keeping thing interesting and not eating the same thing day to day is vital to us staying on our eating plan. So yes, a lot of time and energy is devoted to cooking for us. And the food bills, oh the food bills. I am just thankful that we can afford it right now. I try to think of how our ancient ancestors had to spend the bulk of their day hunting and gathering food, and figure it's pretty much a continuation on that...except I get to shop at Trader Joes and Whole Foods and cook interesting recipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXN11 Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Bringing this back from the dead... I get tired of cooking already (2 weeks in), so I just throw some stuff together onto a big plate or a salad bowl without making it all look nice and organized. It's a major lifestyle change, and I don't think the modern lifestyle is compatible with the way we should be eating and cooking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Boyle Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I'm on Day 25 and, for the first week, the cooking was ridiculously time consuming. Between it and the carbohydrate-hangover, I fell behind in all my schoolwork. It's gotten a little easier, but it's still not great. I guess I just mind less because, now that my energy is back up, I feel like I'm getting something for it. (It's also great to have my junk-addicted classmates complain that the smell of my sweet potato with curry is making them hungry.) Do you listen to podcasts or Audiobooks? It's a great opportunity to multitask, as long as you don't get too distracted while you're holding a sharp knife. Karen's suggestion of a food processor finally clicked with me. I've always thought of those as some fancy thing that wasn't for me (I didn't grow up with one or know anybody who had one). I'd dismiss any recipes or techniques that called for one. I need to reframe this. It's not a fancy thing. IT'S A ROBOT TO CHOP YOUR VEGETABLES FOR YOU. I'm going to go to Amazon right now (through the Latest In Paleo link, of course) and buy one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Karen's suggestion of a food processor finally clicked with me. I've always thought of those as some fancy thing that wasn't for me (I didn't grow up with one or know anybody who had one). I'd dismiss any recipes or techniques that called for one. I need to reframe this. It's not a fancy thing. IT'S A ROBOT TO CHOP YOUR VEGETABLES FOR YOU. I'm going to go to Amazon right now (through the Latest In Paleo link, of course) and buy one! Food processor is such an amazing thing! I got mine for a wedding gift 4.5 years ago but it never got so much work as it has since I went Paleo. It is especially important for me as I'm knife challenged. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KayJay Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I keep it simple on very busy days. Husband and I usually eat separate meals because of schedules, so I toss a chicken or a pork roast in the crockpot to eat off of for a few days for the main meal. I have a favorite microwaveable bowl that holds just the right amount of food for me for a meal. I buy some fresh veggies -- mostly onions, peppers, mushrooms, yams, and the weekly Yay! Something New! -- but for lunches and work meals I use Schwan's frozen veggies (or something I picked up on sale at the grocery). Five minutes in the microwave, add my meat, season differently if I want to (curry, mexican, herbs)... voila! Avocado, water, sometimes fruit. Frankly, I find this easier than figuring out how much pasta I wanted to cram in a pot to feed my never-ending hunger. When I have time on days off, I try something more complex. But a one-bowl meal is fine with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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