What would you like for dinner, dear?

Yes! Absolutely cheesed off with it at the moment.

I am one of those who makes something different every day from recipes, but Cba lately. Tonight we have a ready meal from M&S.

It's a pain in the a**e

I only have myself to cook for, but really cba.
Hate ready meals
Hate cooking
The answer is of course ^GO ON A CRUISE*!

Galen you can't live on one ALL year round ( or can you? Hmmmmn)
Must look at M&S ready meals now and then.

And present them as my own work.

Roses I believe there are people who do live on cruise ships all year round.

I do enjoy cooking , but since I left work - only five months ago, I find it is becoming all consuming. My husband loves me being at home but no sooner have we got the dishwasher on after dinner, he is asking what we are having tomorrow... I have been using my slow cooker quite a lot, which means I can stick it on in the morning and just forget about it

M+S for us as well,duck breasts with ready prepared veg.
My H's. stock response when asked what he would like is "what are the alternatives?" So I end up making the decision for 365 nights. I am totally fed up with it.

Since he retired my OH does all the cooking and loves shopping for food as well. Only downside, he is hopeless at portion control and cooks for 8 , even when there is only the two of us ,so we have left overs lasting 3 days, or a lot is frozen never to be seen again, given to the kids, or thrown out. He fills up the fridge with all sorts of ingredients he fancies and forgets to use them, ditto given away, frozen, thrown out or used in soup by me, at least I don't have to decide what he would like.

I have stopped doing it completely. Was so fed up after 40 years of having to think about what to feed everybody every day, and DH's critical tendencies, that one day I just said 'fine, you do it!' To be fair he has taken it onboard and it's working out well for us. I hate cooking and he enjoys it. Should have done it years ago.

When our DDs left home I said, "right, that's it, no more cooking". DH didn't believe me at first but soon got the message. I did used to heat things up for him so wasn't totally horrid to him. I do cook at the weekends, the rest of the time we muddle through heating something Tesco prepared earlier. When the weather is good I much prefer a salad or omelette, so much less faffing. I do so envy people who enjoy cooking but know that will never be me!

Its M&S all the way for us. Delicious meals and no waste. I was never much of a cook. When the children were young and into serious sport (inc DH) I was ending up doing 4 separate meals for various reasons. Also working very full time. Now its just the 2 of us DH does his own shopping and his own meal on a Friday evening. He chooses all sorts of daft combinations but hey ho its his choice. The shopping side is good for him as it gives him some idea of cost. He is blind to quantities and what's healthy and what's not though. He'll learn I hope!

rosesarered I have the same problem. Neither of us like ready meals, we even make our own burgers (have tried sausages but that's a step too far). OH will happily chop and stir but if asked what he wants he rarely makes a decision. Spaghetti bake tonight - my idea of fast food

Agree. It's all such a pain and I've never enjoyed cooking due to DH's critical tendencies (good phrase that, katek!)and picky eating. I bought a soup maker so sometimes we have veggie home made soup with crusty bread, we also have stuff on toast like mushrooms/egg/beans/tomatoes or various combinations. We sometimes get salads from the supermarket salad bar or else we have a cooked lunch in their cafe and just fruit and crackers in the evening. DH is quite good at oven chips so occasionally he does that and I do the fish fingers and veg to go with it. We eat a lot of fruit and veg so I don't think we are missing out.

So glad I'm not alone here. My repertoire of main meals seems to have shrunk to about half a dozen basic dishes of the cottage pie school of cooking. I am so bl@@dy bored with it all. My DH feels the same, I know, and we tend to put off talking about dinner until it's nearly time to cook the damn thing, and then one of us will tentatively say to the other, "any thoughts on dinner?". The reply is nearly always, "no - you?". DH will then invariably go out to Sainsbury or Tesco for a forage. I actually at this point don't care what he brings back - I just want to get the whole thing out the way for another 24 hours .
Tonight is lovely because DH always has a takeaway curry on Saturday, so I can please myself. That usually means an omelette or poached egg on toast (5 minute meals!), but tonight I shall be finishing up the leftover chicken and bacon casserole from last night. Simples.

If what I cooked was appreciated as it was for many years but now it isnt
Bits cut off and left at the side of the plate or just a disapproving silence is demoralising, and I have been doing it for 57 years now. I think a downing of utensils is called for.

Oh rosesarered
Ab-so-lootley!
Do men think we really enjoy coming up with something different/ tasty/ nutritious/AFFORDABLE. day in, day out?
I used to pride myself on my cooking, even did a bit professionally, but how tedious it has become, especially as DH seems not to have a lot of appetite and if there is even slightly more than he wants on his plate, I get the sigh, the pained look, the unspoken criticism that I have misjudged it!!nHe needs to keep his weight up and while I have no problems in that area, he can lose it which is bad.
I could let him help himself but as he can't carry a plate to the table I am also too lazy to run to serving dishes when it's just the 2 of us!
I cook from scratch most days but am working on the hapless "oh dear, I haven't got a lot for lunch" especially on Fridays when our treat is battered cod and chips at a local hostelry!

I am totally ticked off with the whole catering thing recently. There are so many things that already picky DH has now decided he doesn't like to eat any more that he is cutting my options down rapidly to the extent that I feel like saying "well, do yourself a b****y boiled egg then!" This week, he decided that he would quite like some belly pork as we hadn't had it for ages, so I bought some to cook on Wednesday. Then he decided he didn't want it on Wednesday. We were out Thursday and Friday, so we ended up having it today, but I am faced with cooking another roast dinner tommorrow because DD et al are coming over after doing a run for Sport Relief. Next week I have a friend coming over for lunch on Thursday, but now my son has just told me that he is coming down on Friday, so he'll need feeding so cooking again, and then again on Easter Sunday. My own fault I suppose; I should be more organised or learn to say no! Left to my own devices I would live on sandwiches and fruit!

NotTooOld.....I was trying to be polite!

I love cooking our supper for around 6pm and don't mind how much I have to do. DH helps with veg prep so it's often a joint effort.

When I retired it took me a while to get used to having to get something ready for lunch every day. What is it with men and lunch? On my days off I used to get stuck in to a job and grab something I could eat on the go.
DH knows I hate the L word so he sticks to euphemisms like 'bite to eat' or 'a little snack'

Last week a friend of his called round unexpectedly just before the dreaded 1pm when DH downs tools. I had my hands full hanging washing on the line but he still sidled up to me and muttered, 'Is there anything around here that you could rustle up for a bite to eat?'

I was pissed off feeling aggrieved at having a lot to do so felt like replying, 'What? Like the cat's left over breakfast or maybe I could stew up your underpants?'

But mindful of my mother's mantra, 'Always put yourself in a good light,' I smiled sweetly and rustled up a plate of sandwiches and mugs of coffee.

And when his friend left I gave him hell

My friend used to say I married you for better or for worse but not for lunch and it worked.
She was at liberty to go out all day every day if she wanted.This was of course when the offspring had left and there were only the two of them.

hah-ha merlot that made me laugh [stewed underpants] perhaps you should really have said it?
Nice to know that we are not on our own with the 'cooking thing' isn't it?
I have already started on the slippery slope to ready meals by making cottage pie [ cooking the meat and doing fresh carrots and gravy etc] but using Sainsbury mash on top. much easier!

Greyduster....takeaway for son and book nice hotel for Easter lunch!

I really enjoy cooking in the evening but I often cook double portions so there is always something in the freezer if I CBA and we have a range of takeaways and hostelries in the village if required.

I don't do lunch! Unless it's with girlfriends in the pub !