Cooking - I’ve forgotten how!

I can still cook, but it is a big effort, and with arthritis I don't have as much energy to lay on elaborate meals. It's as much heaving piles of plates around, stacking dishwashers, and moving tables as anything else. What does annoy us is that people in the extended family assume that it will be a pleasure for us to provide them all with three meals a day for a week - after all, we are retired and have nothing better to do. It will be lovely for us to see the children and enjoy some family time. Luckily, we have found a local Airbnb...

I cook for the grandchildren every day.
I don't do nuggets or fingers.
All home cooked. Especially the soup. Soup goes by colour. We have red soup (mainly carrots) we have white soup (either rice or cauliflower) we have green soup (either pea or brocoli)
Not all the grandchildren like vegetables. BUT, hey ho, they don't know what's in the soup!!!!!!
One of their favourites is "chicken soup without the chicken" they actually ask for this. Rice, lots of leek and some carrots.
Make your food fun. I don't follow recipes. I could never make the same thing again.
BUT I always get clean plates.
Also another thing I do. Make more than you need.
Freeze it without labels.
Then when you defrost it.
It's a surprise.

I do sympathise with you all. I'm finding it particularly difficult to remember Christmas cooking as it's only done once a year and I didn't use recipe books! I used to make fruit cakes regularly but since my heart condition started I find standing difficult and gave up for several years. I made one a few weeks ago, thinking pull myself together and get on with it, and luckily I found my mother's recipe which I'd always used. I'd written it out for my daughters. What a joy that was. I wish I'd written a lot more things down in the days when I still had a decent memory! Best wishes to you all. I love gransnet!

Reading this thread reminded me of the trouble I used to go to over Christmas dinner and as no one else ever mentions doing the same makes me wonder where I got the idea from.

On Christmas Eve I always boned the turkey!!! The bones and skin were roasted in the oven then popped into the pressure cooker to make stock.
The turkey meat was well seasoned West Indian style (rubbed all over with finely chopped up onions, garlic, celery, chive, thyme, salt, pepper, vinegar etc.) and little cuts made to get the seasoning well into the meat, all popped in a sealed container to marinate overnight while the stuffing was made from minced pork with more of the West Indian seasoning plus coarsely chopped red and green peppers.
Christmas morning the turkey crown was placed over a mound of pork stuffing in the oiled roasting tin and the legs with stuffing down the middle replacing the bones assembled on either side so it looked like it did before de boning. Streaky bacon to cover then slowly roasted to perfection with the roast veg around it.
At the table it was a doddle to carve and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
Whew! Haven't attempted that for 20 years.

I know what you all mean....last year I left the parsnips in oven . No one missed or noticed ...that’s because I’m still trying to do it all on my own from scratch.....I don’t mind the meat and veg prep , but am now drawing the line at doing three separate desserts made from scratch....this year I’ll be investigating Iceland...M&S.... Waitrose , to see just what they have to offer.

Thank you EllaB for bringing this cooking hassle to the forefront.
I too get anxious making the Christmas dinner and all that goes with it.
Keeping the plates warm was always a hassle for me so this year I have bought an electric plate warmer. It’s like an electric blanket for plates. Tried it out and it’s fab.
Happy cooking all aaagh x

I think I must be very lucky. I retired 3 years ago after working an extra 8 years (due to ex dropping me in a financial hole). Now I have the time I really love cooking and trying new recipes on poor innocent friends and relatives. If they visit they're agreeing to be guineapigs! I and they seem to like the experience, and I haven't poisoned anyone yet. What more could I ask for?

I always make loads of lists when cooking the turkey etc. The night before I write down all my timings, and each food item goes on the list. So far, I've never forgotten any bits of food but there has to be a first time!! This year going to son and his wife (and he's an excellent cook) for Christmas. First time I wont have fed the 5,000 on Christmas day for well over 40 years! Looking forward to seeing the grandchildren (6 and 3) putting out their stockings etc etc.

OMG Thought it was just me and sis. We seem to be unable to put a list together, let alone cook. Heaven help us on Xmas day. A few pernods ( our tipple of choice on Xmas morn) should see us right. Won't make us cook better but we won't care !

Yep! Same here, actually its all the meal making that's gone awry especially the evening meal We'll have been married 60 years next May and when you add up all the teas/suppers (whatever you call it) I've made in this time its one h3ll of a lot.
My best ever was the Yorkshire puddings. I've always been the Yorkshire pudding Queen of the family - they always rose to the oven roof with a nice round dip in the middle for the gravy BUT:- I'd show off to a new friend just how easy it was. So off we go - equal volumes of egg, flour and milk + water. Hot oven, fat sizzling, pour in batter, wait half an hour or so and serve ...................... +and on that occasion a batch of flat solid biscuits that even the dog wouldn't eat.

Serve me right for showing off.

Now if family come I get as many as I need of those boxes of 'Simple to Cook joints (beef, lamb, chicken or whatever) which serve 2 people, and they're foolproof (though the Yorkies are ok when I'm not trying to show off). Its expensive but it saves a mountain of worry.

I'm almost 72, and though I still want to do the 'catering'. It does make me anxious now. I'll be catering for eleven at New Year, including vegetarians and children who have aversions to a number of flavours, consistencies etc. At the same time, one DD, SIL and two GD's will be staying for a couple of days. I'm pleased that they won't arrive until early New Year's Eve as it'll give me the whole day to prepare, though I will do as much as possible in advance. I remember when my mother, in her seventies, announced, quite rightly, that that was the last Christmas lunch that she was doing. All of my similarly aged friends and relatives agree that they have far fewer visitors now than before, tending to meet up outside their homes, and it's to do with being less keen to cater in the main, plus being less able in some cases.

I'm fortunate, my daughter and family,5 plus come often at weekends and have lunch with me so it is still second nature and I still am in my element when I'm feeding people, ( family and friends.).

Thank you for this - I thought it was just me! I feel exactly like Greciangirl although I'm about 10 years younger! Cooking for visitors actually makes me feel queasy. And I recently tried to knit for the newest member of the family - used to do it all the time - and couldn't remember any of the stitches.

So glad to hear it’s not just me. I do feel anxious about Christmas, in my head I know what I need to do but I don’t seem to have the same energy or motivation to get it done.
I have family and their dogs coming to stay so it won’t be restful and although I look forward to seeing them all I breath a huge sigh of relief when they pack up and set off back to their own homes.

I too burnt out with cooking for family and visitors all those years. Last Christmas I was cooking for 13. My husband had a tantrum when I refused to do it this year. I am 76, in pain waiting a year for a knee replacement, breathing problems. My experience is that Christmas is no pleasure at all for the one in the kitchen. No-one will even take responsibility for setting the table. Then later, no-one offers to put together a snacky tea; they say they're not hungry but snaffle it all up when I prepare it. Ain't going to happen this year.

Me too. Lack of energy and get confused more easily. I used to love having people for dinner and trying new recipes for our friends.
Now I often buy my potatoes ready washed from M&S. And their microwave trays of vegetables.
Fresh vegetables though and meat/fish in oven is still easy to do....when there's only us two.
But for visitors and trying to do starter and sweet it would have to be bought from M&S and it would still be difficult.
It's very annoying. I miss being able to do it all Even baking scones is a big achievement now. I do have M.E. which is part of the problem.(been in bed nearly all day.)

I can't tell you how grateful I am for this thread. I thought it was just me!

I think GN can be so helpful at times Bluecat.

Definitely. Comforting to know that you are not alone.

Even though I am fed up with cooking and no longer relish entertaining, I really don't mind doing the Christmas Dinner (I have 9 adults and 2 children to cater for this Christmas Day) - I view it as just a larger Sunday roast, something most of us have cooked nearly every week for donkey's years! But, I just can't be bothered searching for new recipies and trying out new things, I have completely lost my enthusiasm, I am however still cooking every day, but it's the same old meals.

I also don't want to cook anymore but all the family expect it. I agree that expectations are higher now and I can find myself catering for meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans and gluten free people all in one meal. I get very stressed and cook far too much (badly) because I am so anxious to please everyone. I can tell that I am not pleasing my guests. It is hard, even with my new hostess trolley, to get everything ready at the same time. It's a nightmare and I am getting upset just thinking about it! I myself much prefer to eat simple foods now. I wish people wouldn't treat a home meal as though they are in a restaurant! I am not a professional cook just let me retire! Thank you for this thread.

Agree with all that's been said, I tell my family that one Christmas it will be beans on toast or nothing......luckily my OH doesn't mind helping, but even if it's just the two of us, we tend to "graze" all day and not have "set meal times ". It doesn't bother me one bit but probably would surprise some !!

EllieB52, I can sympathize. My much praised potato salad didn't turn out so great the last time. The potatoes were under cooked and the entire thing was woefully short on salt! In fairness, I was a bit under the weather at the time, but I often fear I'm going backwards.

I used to love to cook, but these days not so much.
Our DD2 will be hosting this year and they live far away so we'll be staying until the week after. I'm always expected to contribute a dessert or two to the holiday meal or to cook a few favorites at some point during our stay. I'm just hoping I don't disappoint.

I do think its more of a challenge to cook now. As Rabbitgran says people go out to restaurants and get ideas. They watch cookery programmes on TV. There are allergies and special diets galore. I cooked all of our family meals for years but they were pretty straighforward and everyone ate the same food. Now there are nine of us for the festive family get-together and even with that number we have one vegetarian, one vegan, one dairy free and someone who cant eat any type of seed including tomato pips - and everyone expects a choice of two or three desserts.

I don't mind the cooking but I sometimes get a bit fed up making the decisions on what to have. It might sound trivial and on the whole I do know it's not a big issue but I occasionally wish someone else would plan dinner. I also have days when I really do not like doing the food shopping. Anyone else have days like this?