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How Many Hours U Spend In Kitchen Daily

Discussion in 'Spotless Kitchen' started by sumalynux, Apr 30, 2019.

  1. gknew

    gknew Gold IL'ite

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    I spend around 3 to 4 hours daily. Prepare the meal fresh every time. DH doesn't like prep food or frozen. So, all 3 meals will be fresh. I sometimes spend extra time in the evening for a healthy snack. Junk food takes less time though. Winter always will be like eating something hot in the evening.
    I do cleaning then and there.,So takes me less time at the end of the day clean up.
     
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  2. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Over the week, meal-prep, cooking, cleaning dishes, sink and kitchen floor/counter averages out to only 45-60 minutes per day. But, all are old enough to pitch in, no one minds eating food that is days old from the fridge, we have reasonably healthy take-out options, spend a lot on take-out. And I've never asked, "What would you like to eat today? or What should I make today?" to anyone. At the most, I say this and that are there, which one you want.

    The compromise is that the food we eat is not the healthiest we could be eating. There are definitely not enough greens ... but, whatever.

    Instant Pot and Vitamix have also contributed to lessening the kitchen time.
     
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  3. gknew

    gknew Gold IL'ite

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    That's so awesome.. Thanks for your ideas. I must learn to say this is the meal today..I usually ask question before I do cooking. I just ask their choices..
    It takes more time though. Will try to follow my own ideas and routine.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  4. daksh

    daksh Silver IL'ite

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    Almost similar to Rihana. Max 45 min - 1 hour during weekdays that includes cooking, loading dishwasher, light kitchen cleaning. I'll mostly stick to foods that can be prepared in a less time during weekdays. If anyone doesn't like what I make, they are free to have frozen paratha or curd rice with pickle.
    Over the weekend, make some elaborate meal, I'll spend anywhere between 1.5 - 2 hours in the morning and 45 minutes - 1 hour for dinner.
     
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  5. Anusha2917

    Anusha2917 IL Hall of Fame

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    It's generally breakfast ,afternoon Lunch and evening dinner which is mostly a repeatation of bf or something light . Bf and lunch for 4 people and dinner for two.
    An advanced weekly meal plan helps me achieve this 1.5 hrs. Since I know what goes into next morning's cooking the current day is utilised in getting most of the vegetables cut(except onion n such stuff )by a helper, The helper comes in the evening and finishes all cutting, chopping ,grating ,atta mixing etc and refrigerating whatever she does. Vessels also washed by a helper.
    Cooking only in the morning. Evening cooking I skip as we carry our box packed with some breakfast item and finish early dinner at workplace.
    BTW I also take help of my husband who helps me pack the inbetween snacks as its mostly fruits and can't use previously cut fruits....
    So the joint effort of a helper and husband helps me reduce my time in the kitchen. :blush:
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
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  6. silento

    silento Silver IL'ite

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    About 3 hours total weekday. I usually spend 45 minutes in the morning before going to work. After coming back more than 2 hours cooking, cleaning, loading unloading dishwasher, organizing.
     
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  7. smrithys

    smrithys Silver IL'ite

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    I spend around 45min in the morning for preparing (South Indian) breakfast, lunch. Since I try to cook fast, the kitchen will be a mess and I clean up the counter etc only in the evening. In the evening, it takes around 45min to prepare dinner and loading/unloading dishwasher. My DH helps in washing some utensils. We eat out once every week. The following things have helped me tremendously

    1. I do meal prep on the weekends.
    - Grind batter
    - Cook dal and keep in fridge(use within a week)
    - Cook Channa/Rajma (Prepare gravy on the weekday)
    - Grind coconut, cumin (Used for kootu/ kuruma)
    - Boil egg (Used for sandwiches/gravy)
    - Grate ginger and garlic
    - Peel small onions/shallot. [Only peel. I cut it when needed]

    2. We go to Indian store every other weekend. On those days:
    - Sort mint leaves/ methi leaves,
    - Sort coriander leaves, store the bottom stalk separately
    - Wash and dry curry leaves

    3. I cut the time consuming veggies (Beans, okra, tindora, squash, melon) on the weekend and use it either on Monday/Tuesday.
    - For cauliflower and broccoli, I separate the florets and keep
    - Prepare instant soup packets. I put the required quantity veggies[say , 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 celery stalk] in a ziploc. Then on the weekday, I just take out that packet, cut everything and dump in the instant pot along with some barley/ pasta and seasoning. It hardly takes 5 minutes for that. I find it easier because all the veggies I need are in a single pack and that gives me the motivation to make soup often.

    4. On the weekdays, I make easy dishes such as rasam, kootu.
    5. For chopping on weekdays, I use my Vidalia chopper. I would say that is the best kitchen tool I have. Cleaning it can be time consuming though..Poor DH:tearsofjoy:
    6. I do OPOS cooking for a lot of dishes
    7. Instant pot for dinner.[I don't have to keep watching the stove]
    Hope this helps.
     
  8. messedup

    messedup Platinum IL'ite

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    4 to 5 hours
     
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  9. sneha1985

    sneha1985 Gold IL'ite

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    I cook once over the weekend and once during the week. Although I wish I could eat freshly cooked food daily. So when I cook on weekends, I also do meal prep for the stuff that I am going to cook during the week so it becomes easier. I had tried cooking once a week i.e. just on weekends but it didn't work out well for my stomach. Although it was helpful for me to concentrate on other areas i.e. gym and studies along with work.

    So far I have been liking this cook twice a week routine.
     
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  10. Desiindian

    Desiindian Gold IL'ite

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    When I was a sahm mom, cooking and cleaning kitchen together would take four to five hours a day. Now that am working, on weekdays I spend around one hour in the morning to cook bf and lunch. I prepare only simple dishes. my husband helps me. Mostly dinner is dosa or kitchidi with chutney for four days. Cooking time only 30 mins. Friday reserved as dinner eatout day. Have maid to clean dishes and kitchen top. Weekends, will cook elaborate meal out of guilt. cooking tine will be around three hours. saturday night is our roti day for dinner.
     
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