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The average person spends two hours per day cooking


August

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That would be me, also. My SO complained about the food I served one too many times and I informed him he could cook for himself. He decided to do exactly that. :clap: :clap: :clap:

My mother and aunt. With my parents my dad retired first and took over cooking while mom was still working. With my aunt and uncle, she cooked the first 25 years they were married and he's cooking the second 25 years. :D

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I guess I could run and wash every time someone dirties a cup or spoon, but I'm too lazy for that. I wait until there's a load. :shifty-kitty:

Or whoever dirties a dish cleans the dish instead of setting it in the sink dirty.

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I think you are absolutely right about this. And the foodies posting their complicated meals all over social media don't help this problem. I know some people who are convinced that it is just too hard for them because of the gourmet cooking shows and such things. So they rely on take out and prepared/processed foods which are less than healthy most of the time.

Things like saffron, cardamom, and vanilla beans are used a lot on my household. We don't buy anything canned except soup for when sick, and make most things from scratch. But a lot of those cooking shows use stuff that even we don't buy. I think the most "real" cooking show is Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade, but that's just a bunch of boxed mixes, which doesn't really count.

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Things like saffron, cardamom, and vanilla beans are used a lot on my household. We don't buy anything canned except soup for when sick, and make most things from scratch. But a lot of those cooking shows use stuff that even we don't buy. I think the most "real" cooking show is Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade, but that's just a bunch of boxed mixes, which doesn't really count.

I think that only applies to the sort of people who pretend they know a word rather than asking what it means. The kind who hate finding out new stuff because it makes them feel dumb. If something's widely available in supermarkets t's just a matter of buying a thing with a different label. I never buy packet mixes of stuff, am I supposed to be paralysed in terror at the thought?

Like, I'm exploring mexican food right now and bought some corn meal flour stuff, then came home and looked for things to make with it (tamales! I ate one once from TJs, now I'm going to try it myself). On the same trip I also bought a gluten free white cake mix and am trying to find ways to make it not boring for my celiac friend. And, I'm exploring the food of Yotam Ottolenghi and needed allspice. Why is the cake mix supposed to be less intimidating than this flour or the allspice?

By the way, holy cow! 99cents for the non gluten free cake mixes! Who knew they were so cheap!

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I also once dumped some into home-made asparagus soup to thicken it. Now I know where that oddly chemical flavour came from in my mum's asparagus soup. Took me straight back to my childhood, and the soup went down the drain.

And that's me back to the prayer closet to contemplate my crimes against cuisine.

Funny you posted this. I have a relative who uses instant mashed potatoes to thicken numerous items.

Her cooking is mostly awful. I decline offers of food when I am visiting at her house. (There was a time when she was younger that she was, for the most part, a good cook. Not now.)

As far as having instant mashed potatoes on hand for "emergencies" - around here, there is one brand that is OK. No illusions that it is equivalent to real potatoes. But OK. The other brands can stay on the store shelf as far as I am concerned.

My oldest daughter HATES instant mashed potatoes. I think school lunch turned her against them. She will ask whether the potatoes are "real" before she will even taste them.

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Funny you posted this. I have a relative who uses instant mashed potatoes to thicken numerous items.

Her cooking is mostly awful. I decline offers of food when I am visiting at her house. (There was a time when she was younger that she was, for the most part, a good cook. Not now.)

As far as having instant mashed potatoes on hand for "emergencies" - around here, there is one brand that is OK. No illusions that it is equivalent to real potatoes. But OK. The other brands can stay on the store shelf as far as I am concerned.

My oldest daughter HATES instant mashed potatoes. I think school lunch turned her against them. She will ask whether the potatoes are "real" before she will even taste them.

we were told to use them to thicken my daughter's food, because they were gluten free, but she wouldn't eat it, and I can't blame her. It was awful.

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Or whoever dirties a dish cleans the dish instead of setting it in the sink dirty.

That might work when everyone in the household actually can wash dishes, but it's not necessarily a good option here. We have three people out of five with eczema, and two of those can't use dish gloves to protect their hands. I figure that if a couple dirty knives and a cup or two sitting in my sink is the worst thing that happens to me all day, then I really am doing quite well for myself.

Do people really judge whether or not someone has a few dishes in their sinks? I've gone over to people's houses plenty and seen a glass or whatever in the sink or the counter and not thought a thing of it. There are way bigger things to get judgy over, imo. :?

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we were told to use them to thicken my daughter's food, because they were gluten free, but she wouldn't eat it, and I can't blame her. It was awful.

Can you use corn starch instead? Unless I'm much mistaken, it's gluten-free. (Could be wrong, tho).

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Most corn starch is made from wheat or has wheat added to it (yes, I know!), but arrowroot would work, or potato starch or rice starch. I think Bob's red mill does arrowroot. Try whole foods for it.

From Bob's red mill site:

Arrowroot is a large perennial herb (Maranta arundinacea) found in rainforest habitats. The herb is cultivated for a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock), which is also called arrowroot. It is a thickening agent that may be used as a one-for-one replacement for cornstarch. As a thickener, it can be used for soups, sauces and puddings. It has no flavor of its own and is the easiest starch to digest. It is also an excellent ingredient for gluten free baking or breading and creates a softer and lighter texture to cakes and breads. Our Arrowroot Starch is not irradiated and contains no added sulfites.

Directions

For thickening: Arrowroot is best used at the end of your cooking just before boiling, as continued heating will cause it to lose its thickening ability. For gravies and sauces: add Arrowroot Starch to a small amount of cool liquid first, then whisk into hot liquids.

For homemade ice cream: Arrowroot starch can help stop ice crystals from forming, which can make the ice cream too frozen to scoop. Use 1 tsp Arrowroot Starch per pint of ice cream.

As an egg replacer: whisk together 1 Tbsp Arrowroot Starch, 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, ¼ cup water to equal one egg.

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Most corn starch is made from wheat or has wheat added to it (yes, I know!), but arrowroot would work, or potato starch or rice starch. I think Bob's red mill does arrowroot. Try whole foods for it.

Shouldn't it say that on the label, though?

http://www.argostarch.com/faq.html

"Argo and Kingsford's corn starch are 100% pure corn starch."

(I know there are other brands, but this is the only one I know of by name, lol).

That's crap that they don't identify all the ingredients and are passing it off as something it isn't. We had to read labels really carefully growing up because my sister was really limited in what she could eat, too (t1 diabetic in the days before pumps and synthetic insulins, etc).

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Shouldn't it say that on the label, though?

http://www.argostarch.com/faq.html

"Argo and Kingsford's corn starch are 100% pure corn starch."

(I know there are other brands, but this is the only one I know of by name, lol).

That's crap that they don't identify all the ingredients and are passing it off as something it isn't. We had to read labels really carefully growing up because my sister was really limited in what she could eat, too (t1 diabetic in the days before pumps and synthetic insulins, etc).

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/Glute ... n-Free.htm

Corn starch is NOT made from wheat, and if it were, US law requires that the label say so.

This link says that some brands are made on shared equipment and may have small amounts of gluten contamination (that might be enough to cause a person with celiac disease to have a problem). It also recommends particular brands as not causing a problem.

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Can you use corn starch instead? Unless I'm much mistaken, it's gluten-free. (Could be wrong, tho).

Now that she's older I don't have to thicken food for her, and they said that she doesn't have celiac disease, thankfully. I fully feel for celiacs, it is a hard road.

Why don't we ever hear of fundies with allergies? Do they just not notice?

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Anyone else here a hetero woman who spends less time in the kitchen than their male partner? I feel like I'm in the minority here!

My mom and MIL. Both my dad and FIL are retired and love to cook, and are far better at it than their wives.

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cornflour definitely contains no gluten in the uk. That is the point of it!

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http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/Glute ... n-Free.htm

Corn starch is NOT made from wheat, and if it were, US law requires that the label say so.

This link says that some brands are made on shared equipment and may have small amounts of gluten contamination (that might be enough to cause a person with celiac disease to have a problem). It also recommends particular brands as not causing a problem.

That's great that they label it now! It didn't used to be the case when we were doing eliminations to try and narrow down an allergy. You couldn't get gluten free oats then, either, for the same reason, using the machinery for different crops at different times of year. In fact, oats still don't have a warning label. I'll bet the packet of store brand quick oats in my pantry weren't harvested and processed at a special dedicated facility. At the time Bob's red mill was the only company which would tell you up front that something had chronic cross contamination (this was before their tested and certified gluten free line came out). While the crazy faux gluten free people annoy the shit out of me, they have helped create a critical mass to make labelling and formulation adjustments which help the real gluten intolerant people.

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My mom and MIL. Both my dad and FIL are retired and love to cook, and are far better at it than their wives.

One of my sisters-in-law does not cook at all. Her husband does the cooking in their family.

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And now google thinks I'm celiac. I'm seeing some great deals on gluten free cake mix!

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And now google thinks I'm celiac. I'm seeing some great deals on gluten free cake mix!

Wait a month and you'll be able to get some dirt-cheap deals, if you live anywhere near a grocery story selling Passover items. Any mixes labelled as "non-gebrotkes" will be gluten-free, and stores clear out the merchandise as soon as the holiday ends.

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Wait a month and you'll be able to get some dirt-cheap deals, if you live anywhere near a grocery story selling Passover items. Any mixes labelled as "non-gebrotkes" will be gluten-free, and stores clear out the merchandise as soon as the holiday ends.

After spending a short time gluten free while trying to identify an allergen I will never ever voluntarily consume that crap again. Bleurgh!

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After spending a short time gluten free while trying to identify an allergen I will never ever voluntarily consume that crap again. Bleurgh!

Ah, just realized that you were saying that the google bots were showing ads based on your search, NOT that you had used Dr. Google to diagnose yourself as celiac. Bad reading comprehension.

The only GF-free mixes that I like are potato-starch brownies and chocolate cake. GF doesn't mean healthy - these things are basically starch, eggs, oil, cocoa and sugar. Lots of sugar.

My nephew is on a GF diet, and fake foods intended to imitate real foods with gluten are generally disgusting and expensive. If anyone does need to follow a GF diet, I'd advise them to skip those products and simply eat things that never contained gluten in the first place, like fruits and veggies, proteins, rice or potatoes.

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Tangent.

When we were sick as kids my Mum used to make cornflour up with milk and sugar. Kind of like a white bland custard. I have no idea why and imagine it has no benefits whatsoever but it was pretty yummy..well sugar duh? :lol:

I must make it again and see if my memory is playing tricks. She did the same thing with ground rice.

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Tangent.

When we were sick as kids my Mum used to make cornflour up with milk and sugar. Kind of like a white bland custard. I have no idea why and imagine it has no benefits whatsoever but it was pretty yummy..well sugar duh? :lol:

I must make it again and see if my memory is playing tricks. She did the same thing with ground rice.

Poor man's junket? I can imagine it was yummy, the only difference between that and custard is a bit of cocoa or vanilla. Eggs are optional.

We had an old school cookbook growing up. I used to love the "foods for invalids and convalescents" chapter. There were a lot of egg and milk based bland foods. There's a recipe on the side of the junket box, but it looks creepy (Junket tablets are used to make cheese, which is why I have them, try hard hippy that I am).

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Poor man's junket? I can imagine it was yummy, the only difference between that and custard is a bit of cocoa or vanilla. Eggs are optional.

We had an old school cookbook growing up. I used to love the "foods for invalids and convalescents" chapter. There were a lot of egg and milk based bland foods. There's a recipe on the side of the junket box, but it looks creepy (Junket tablets are used to make cheese, which is why I have them, try hard hippy that I am).

Junket? Would that be like blancmange?

Convalescent food is fascinating through the ages. I mean now you would probably not give as many milk based foods. I was the guest of the NHS a couple of years ago, Jelly was on the menu every day as a pudding option, the last time I had Jelly I was probably five! Strangely it was indeed the one thing I could eat and perked up my appetite :lol: Jelly =Jello I think?

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Tangent.

When we were sick as kids my Mum used to make cornflour up with milk and sugar. Kind of like a white bland custard. I have no idea why and imagine it has no benefits whatsoever but it was pretty yummy..well sugar duh? :lol:

I must make it again and see if my memory is playing tricks. She did the same thing with ground rice.

This is just how you make homemade pudding. Mix a little cornstarch with sugar, then add milk. Microwave it. Add an egg (tempered first) and then add vanilla and/or cinnamon. I add cooked rice and raisins to this to make rice pudding. Or with cocoa instead of vanilla you can make chocolate pudding, might need more sugar though.

It's nice soft food if you are sick, have a sore throat, whatever. I don't consider it especially unhealthy. Certainly it's better than storebought pudding.

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Not quite.

Junket: milk, sugar, rennet

Blancmange: milk, sugar, gelatin, sometimes cornflour

Custard: milk, sugar, egg or egg and cornflour or cornflour

UK custard= US pudding

UK jelly= US jell-o

UK jam or jelly= US jam or jelly

UK distinction between powdered dessert jelly and jarred preserve jelly is by flavor (mint, red currant= jar, strawberry etc = powdered mix), but like US, there are no bits in jelly, and there are in jam.

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