Ladies, come in and help this young man.

lakeriedog

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Originally Posted by DRIVEN

Hmmm, how bout a burger from Wendy's for now.
Nope, that really isn't going to cut it! The first meal my hubby tried to cook for me, was meatloaf...but one of his roommates actually did the cooking. I married him anyway
!
 

jane_vernon

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My boy can't cook very well, but he can do everything else around the house and he's a good handyman so I don't mind so much!!

Good on for learning how to cook!

Just take it slow and try everything! Try to get cook books that say Quick Easy Meals or one pot meals - This can make things easier at first. Also try to get books that teach the basics - This can help with other recipes in the future!

Also pasta sauces are good to make because you can freeze the leftovers and have them another day when you don't have time to cook!
 

tari

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Originally Posted by DRIVEN

And what's your favorite meal a guy can cook for you?
ANYTHING a guy cooks for me is wonderful! DH has very, very limited cooking skills, but from time to time he'll whip up some scrambled eggs for dinner because he knows I've had a hard day. Nothing's ever quite so wonderful.


I agree with the Betty Crocker Cookbook recommendation. It's a great basic cookbook, and a good place to start.

I love my slow cooker, too. I tend to make big batches of chili or stew or spaghetti sauce all at once, then freeze them in two-person servings. That way I have a quick meal to thaw out on the nights I don't feel like cooking.
 

MoochNNoodles

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I swear by my betty crocker cookbook because it has some good illustrations and deffinitions and things. I love my george foreman grill. Make cooking meat easy for me. Especially marinated meat. I usually get grill mates (or grill masers, something like that) packets. Good luck!

Oh, I just remembered. Our adult education place does short classes on types of cooking sometimes. Like 2-3 nights on grilling or something. That might be worth it for you if you get some spare evenings.
 

AbbysMom

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I have to agree about the Betty Crocker cookbook also.

I like to marinate. In the winter I marinate chicken and then bake it in the oven. In the warmer months we grill.

I like my Foreman Grill, but hate washing it.

Can I make the suggestion that you should get a simple meat thermometer? I used to overcook my meat all the time until I bought one of these.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Some of the best meals happen this way. I like to try a recipe as it is written first, then start experimenting with it.
 
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driven

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Originally Posted by AbbysMom

I have to agree about the Betty Crocker cookbook also.

I like to marinate. In the winter I marinate chicken and then bake it in the oven. In the warmer months we grill.

I like my Foreman Grill, but hate washing it.

Can I make the suggestion that you should get a simple meat thermometer? I used to overcook my meat all the time until I bought one of these.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Some of the best meals happen this way. I like to try a recipe as it is written first, then start experimenting with it.
You can make any suggestions you want.


I'm a complete newb, but I'm willing to learn and I know I need to.
 

momofmany

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Here's a very simple recipe for you. It impresses your friends (women?) cause it is "marinated" and sounds really fancy.

Mix equal parts of Catalina salad dressing and honey. The amount you mix depends on how much chicken you are cooking. Pour it over boneless chicken breasts, cover it up and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. If you grill it, just throw it on the grill for about 20-30 minutes, depending on how fat the chicken is. If you want to, baste the chicken with the juice while cooking. You could also bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Oh yeah, if you get the Foreman grill, get a basting brush - one that you can throw in the dishwasher (trust me on that).

My simple rule of thumb for anything that goes into the oven. If you are uncertain, bake at 350 for 30 minutes and check to see if it is done after that. For meat, it's usually 20 minutes per pound.
 

momofmany

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And if you get a crock pot, here's another really simple recipe:

Put a 3-4 pound rump roast, 1 can cheap beer and one jar of Pepperocini peppers into the crock pot. Cook on high for 6 hours. Pull out the roast, shred it into chunks with the fork and put it back into the pot. If you are daring, remove the tops from the peppers. Cook for another hour and serve on hard rolls.

It's considered a "Beef" sandwich in Chicago. It's whats for dinner tonight at my house.

Oh yeah, you find the peppers usually next to the olives in a grocery store.
 

menagerie mama

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Do you have a "Penzey's" shop near you? Look it up in the phone book, or you can order online. If you have one, you can go there and sample the spices. I recommend the Italian Vinegar and Oil Salad Dressing Base. You can make THE BEST salad dressing with this. My ex-boyfriend used to make it-green leaf or Romaine lettuce, red onions, black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and shredded parmesan cheese (I cheat, I use the canned stuff in the shaker can) and this dressing....it tastes gourmet, they'll never know!
I thought he was a master chef, until I learned his secret!!!
 

rachelh1018

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I am in the same boat, but I'm trying to learn to cook for my boyfriend. I could use some help too...
 

lillekat

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Sweetie - I suck at cooking. I'd love to help... but I thought I'd stop by and wish you the best of luck and remember, when the smoke alarm goes off.... dinner's done!
 

pandybear

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Originally Posted by Miss Mew

I'm not much of a cook. That's my fiance's area of expertise!. But one thing that I've found to be really good to have is a slow cooker. I love to have a warm homecooked meal but I hate the time it takes to prepare it. So what I did was get a slow cooker (crock pot) and a book of reciepes for it...and I put it all together the night before and turn it on in the morning and then viola!..a good dinner when I get home!
i have a slow cooker, i don't use it a lot but my husband loves it, he actually brought it for himself so he could make casseroles and soups without burning them, he generally leaves the cooking to me but he loves that slow cooker and uses it a lot, the best thing about it is you don't have to worry about watching it.

the first dinner my husband cooked for me was spaghetti bolegnaise (sp?) he played staiway to heaven for me too and we ate by candlelight, i though he was a great cook....then after a while i realised that's all he could cook.....three years later and he still cooks it lol

if all else fails...buy a microwave





felicia
 

kateang

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oooo.. well, i like steamed or boiled stuff.. if you dun have a grill.. try steaming chicken fillet or fish.. add a bit of oil, ginger, spring onions with it and steam.. it will be a good meal..
 
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driven

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Thank you again everybody. You've been a great help!
 

gailc

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If you are buying a slower/crockpot-there are many different sizes. I bought another one in November Hamilton Beach 4 qt. It was like $22-$25. Make sure the ceramic part is removable for easy washing. Also my latest knife -a 7"'santoku (I have the 5" one too but not as handy) Mine was expensive as it is a Wusthopf classic but worth every penny DH spent (I'm worth it!!) Its great for chopping veggies. I also have like a dozen wooden spoons and almost that many rubber spatulas!!!
I like epicurious.com for recipes-they also have lots of reviews.
 
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driven

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We finally got a crockpot from her Dad.



Do you guys realize this thread is 2 months old and I still haven't tried anything?




Also, I thought there was somebody who posted in one of my threads that they were a nutritionist and to ask them if I needed anything to let them know. Any idea who that might have been? I thought it was in this thread but couldn't find it.
 
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