Eating out vs. eating in?

We barely ever go out to eat. I make nicer meals than you can get in a restaurant and I'll make whatever my family wants. You name it, I make it. In fact, my DH won 300.00 in gift certificates to Longhorn Steak house and even though it was a free meal, we were all sort of let down by the food. I got a salad with grilled chicken and it was some funky greens that were literally impossible to pick up with a fork. DH had a shrimp and steak and DM had grilled chicken with rice. The kids ate chicken nuggets and fries. Before dinner we had an onion flower and some shrimp in sauce with black nacho chips (ick). We didn't finish either of them. Not that we were complaining, it's just we're used to good home made cooking. The kids were fascinated by the steer heads on the wall and they were over the moon when we lifted them up to touch their noses lol.

We cook a lot here, John is a chef and I am no slouch in the kitchen - except for the cleaning up. We enjoy planning meals, finding recipes and even the shopping. When we do go out it is usually somewhere nice in Washington DC or local Thai food. When I go out for lunch by myself I like Panera.

I make better food than what I can buy. When we do eat out it is South Indian (they also serve Indo-Chinese), Vietnamese and Mexican Seafood (I can't buy the uncooked seafood that cheap).

I make Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Tex-Mex, Cali-Mex, Southwestern, Southern, Campfire, Cuban, American, Steak, Cajun, Creole, French, Morroccan, Greek, Barbeque and California Cuisine better than I can buy. It must have something to do with the fact that I used to work at a cooking school.

Since I'm on a diet, we only eat out when we are away from home. Otherwise, we would probably eat out once a week and have take-out once or twice a week.

The few restaurants I liked changed their recipes, and being as most of my family is vegetarian, the choices are limited. Besides, as someone else mentioned, cleanliness. We have four generations living in our house, so there is always the treat of eating Mom’s cooking. We don’t have a schedule or anything; just whoever has more time, energy, or if something in particular is wanted (we each have our “specialties”).

I voted other. We usually eat at home through the week...but eat out a lot on the weekend. Well..let me clarify that. That is ..in the winter months. In the spring, summer, and fall when we are working outside a lot...we eat at home on the weekends a lot more.
I have been trying to cook more on weekends because like a lot of you have said...it's expensive to eat out...and I too, worry about cleanliness,etc.

Perhaps if we had more selections we'd be tempted to eat out more. There are only three places to choose from here, and one of them is closed right now. We do eat out more when we're travelling, which is usually only in the summer for a couple of weeks.

When we do eat out I always like to order something that I don't make at home. I'm usually disappointed if I order something familiar because often I could have made it better. I begrudge spending money just to be disappointed.

It is not much fun eating out by my self, I do cook often more than I need for one meal, and put the rest in the freezer, or add other things with it to make it for the next day, only time I eat out ,? when I get invited,!!!

Other. We eat out when we feel like eating out. We don't need a special occasion.

After 32 years of marriage, Friday night is still our dining out date night.

I had to look at this for a while because eating out has been an evolution. We are slowly evolving back to only eating out a couple times a week. The DH eats out for lunch most days and I often do but I guess I never really counted that. I enjoy going out to a nice resteraunt but as others have said, the food has to be very good and the service also. As I get older I find the repeated happy birthday choruses and/or line dancing waiters don't do it for me. I just want to enjoy my food and the people I am there with

Almost always cook at home and all eat together, unless we want something really unusual. I didn't as much before. Now I rely extensively on www.epicurious.com because you can look in the fridge and see you've got olives and maybe a zucchini, and that site will find you a dinner you can make with those ingredients. (Plus, they're rated by folks who try them out.)

The children and I take mini-picnics along if we're going to be out for a while, to avoid the drive-through trap. :)

We are trying to eat healthier, so we eat out as little as possible. I have given up fast food altogether. Resturants aren't high on my trust list anymore either, especially when you consider things like this:

http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/applebees/applebees-apple-walnut-chicken-salad-now-with-free-insect-leg-243840.php

WARNING: This article could serious gross people out; it's about "something" found in an Applebee's salad.

We used to do take out or delivery or eat out 5-6 nights a week. I'm pregnant and have gestational diabetes, so I've changed by eating habits dramatically. We eat at home, and I try to make low-sugar homemade bread and eat more whole foods, and less processed. In the last three months since I found out I was pregnant, I've lost 15 lbs., not by dieting but by eating right and in correct portions. We almost exclusively eat at home now.

Since I love to cook we eat in quite a bit. Generally once a week we go to lunch or dinner. Regardless of family affiliation everyone gets to be experimented on! I grow most of our vegetables. I have started cooking seafood much more now and eat red meat once a week. The only pizza I'll eat anymore is from Chicago. Since we don't go the Chicago very often I don't eat pizza very much!

Wow...I had no idea that just FOUR (4) of us thus far had clicked on "almost always eat out." Most of my friends almost always eat out also. I teach school, and my DH works out of state, so when he's home on weekends you would think we would cook on our new Viking stove, but no...he almost always wants to eat out. Makes ya think I"m a bad cook...huh? :) But I LOVE to cook for all holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays...) and and make EVERYTHING from scratch. No canned goods, canned hams, cranberry sauce jelly in a can, boxed cake mixes, etc. for me!

What makes gardening more FUN is that I get to cook what grows and that's a PLUS on eating at home. My wife and I are great cooks and she is a great baker, so eating out doesn't hold a candel to us eating at home.

DH and I eat out a lot, and when I do cook it's always something simple, like broiled lamb chops or fish. Or I'll make a meat loaf or stew and have it two or three times the following week. We both make our own breakfasts and lunches. I cook and he does dishes. We have a big assortment of restaurants to go to so we never get bored with them. I used to like to cook, but cooking just for the two of us isn't like cooking for a family. Only one person around to rave about my cooking, and that's not enough incentive for me. LOL My son's a chef, so I always cook whenever he comes over. He appreciates getting a home cooked meal now and then.

I'm surprised more people don't eat out more often. Sounds like most of the group are homebodies. Nothing wrong with that. I could stay home all the time except for eating out. LOL

Time is a commodity I don't seem to have much of. It takes more time to eat out than I care to spend during the week. We do go out a few times on the weekends though.
I try to plan meals ahead and have something I can cook quick. One thing I find I made easier a few years back is per cutting salads. I use the compartment containers for my salad fixings and a larger one for the greens; then we get what we want. I also make soups in the winter to keep on hand for quick heating. The DH is the griller, so that is a big help too.

Love the grilling DH!

My husband does 99% of the cooking so I have my own, personal chef! Once in a great while, I make a couple of dishes I do well (he says better than he can...I wonder). We try to go out for dinner every week or so...to give him a break in routine and try something "different." One gets tired of the "same old thing" week after week. Variety helps. He also does the dishes!

My DH loves to grill (meat/fish) as well - now he's mastered the fruit! The fruit slices don't fall between the slits anymore and stink up the neighborhood! LOL!

I'm among the 29% at this stage! :)

I suspect that anyone who has read my "Heidi saga" with daily menus [for Heidi] that read like "carcass of rotisserie chicken from deli with pint of rice left from Chinese delivery and breadsticks from last night's pizza" has figured out by now that I don't do a lot of cooking. Every now and then I AMAZE myself by fixing something tasty and then as I'm patting myself on the back I realize that I made it by combinging the steamed chicken and veggies (no sauce) from last night's Chinese delivery with the pesto sauce from the deli and fresh angel hair pasta from Publix; so all I REALLY did was simmer the pasta for 45sec and stir it all together - maybe I patted myself on the back prematurely. Well, ok, for me cooking means combining various ready made components.

MySharona.. My DH grills a lot year round, We haven't done fruit but I have some great grilled veggie recipes. if you are interested I will post them somewhere for you

This has been a fun thread to read. My DH and I are recently retired and it's made a big difference in our eating-out (and in) habits. Now that we're more apt to be home in the daytime--it's really FUN to go out to lunch, to break up the day--and then, we can just have a very simple evening meal, especially if we're brought home a "doggie-bag." So we probably eat out 4-5 times a week, but almost always only for lunch.
BTW, I love to cook, but find that it's the most rewarding when we have our daughter and her young family over for dinner, or otherwise entertain. Otherwise, it just feels better to dine quite lightly in the evening--cheese and crackers, or a salad, or a light vegetable dish.
And yes, it feels like a real luxury to be able do this. I did put my years in cooking every night for my family!
Do other people feel as if folks just plain eat out more often nowadays? My DH and myself included!

we both love to cook and we are both on diets AGAIN. LOL she is strictly a recipe type cook and i like to throw things together just to see how it will turn out. works for both of us.

My Dh likes to suggest that I put things into my recipes. He says that is why all the great chefs are men. He gets "the look" quite a bit. really he just started branching out cooking-wise. Inside the the house the only things he makes from scratch are Chili and . Cheesy Spagetti is his own invention and involves minced garlic, fresh muchrooms, half and half and parmesian..(I didn't say it was low cal)
I have gotten to the point where my favorite way to top spagetti is with a good quality olive oil and some parmesian. I also love to throw in some sundried tomatoes, feta, chopped kalamata olives or whatever suits me or that I have. I am not too keen on red sauces any more unless I have made them

I don't suppose anybody would be up for a "simple evening meal" recipe exchange!

Sheila, I love your idea of using compartmented containers for salad prep. That way I can buy the packaged greens, throw whatever we like into the compartments and have a salad ready in seconds. Then if I broil a piece of salmon or teriyaki chicken, I can throw that on top and it's a meal!

I just don't have the energy at the end of a long working day to do anything much more, but my budget would prefer dining at home, so I need HELP!

Judith

I run a small business, so time and energy are both at a premium. Mum and I do all my cooking on my day off, with a heavy emphasis on dishes that you can "set and forget" roasts or pot roasts, stews, soups etc so we can spend as much time as possible out in the garden! We make big quantities and then pack into one serve containers that I can take to work and nuke in the microwave. Some things we freeze and store so we can mix and match for meals.

I am also on a restictive diet due to diabetes and other health problems so eating out can be difficult unless it is either smorgasboard so I can pick and choose, or the kind of restaurant which is expensive enough that you can ask what they put in the food and they actually know! LOL! I also make all my own salads (mayonnaise from scratch - It's easy with a stab blender).

Just to freak every one out here's the list of things I can't eat that we know about (so far!) Sugar (and ANYTHING containing it), Coffee in any form including as an ingredient in other foods, Oranges in any form - even artificial orange flavouring! and raw tomatoes, which is the really weird one, I just can't eat them; Grilled is no good, Baked into quiche or sliced onto pizza is no good, but tomato sauce, soup, chutney etc are all fine? Is it any wonder that I prefer my own cooking!

I'd like to make a comment to revclaus(Judith) above, I eat really well, grow my own fresh herbs, some of my veg - we have a fabulous city market here and I spend a lot less on food than most people I know - try the cook in bulk, freeze in small quantites method - pasta sauce is a easy way to start, and it doesn't HAVE to go on pasta, a spoonful at the side of scrambled eggs can really liven up breakfast. Cook on your day off, make it a family activity, preserve the results, save money, improve your health!

I'll stop now, I think I'm ranting (OOPS),

Jacq.

When I went back to work full time I was feeling overwhelmed with how to get people fed and get all my work done so I cheated. I subscribed to Leanne Ely's Menu Mailer. Each week I got menus and a shopping list for the week. All I had to do was see what I did and didn't have and then go get the rest. She included serving suggestions so you had what you needed to go with it also. It was very easy and most of the recipes were very good. I would say that there were probably one out of 20 that I didn't really like but often I knew I wouldn't like them before I made it and was trying to be open minded.. She uses a lot of seasonal things, I found that it wasn't the cooking that stressed me out but the wondering what to make adn if I had what I needed..WHen I had a plan it didn't bother me a bit.

Oh, I got so sick of eating food that was not prepared by someone who loved me! I had to change my evil ways - I do much more cooking now ("even if it hurts"), and like SherryLynn I just discovered Super Suppers. Yay, Super Suppers!

Now if I get the hang of this "garden" thing I can have the very best food in the world - home grown and home-cooked.

Love the suggestions from other posters. I'm going to check 'em out.

I like eating at home. I don't mind cooking and even doing the dishes, But we reserve one night a week out. Russ

Between my Contact Grill, Multifunction pressure cooker and new cookware for the stove top and oven, I have too much fun cooking at home to think about going out. I pretty much took on the 'healthy cooking and eating' mantra. I grow alot of my own vegetables and some fruit, so now I'm spoiled by the 'fresh from the garden' flavor. If I need inspiration, I turn on the PBS cooking shows on the weekend. If eating out, then I choose a specialty or ethnic restaurant so I can have something that I probably wouldn't cook at home. Then it becomes an adventure!!! Bon Appetit!!

Any day without rain/snow hubby is grilling or smoking something. With 2 kids a 7 month old and 4 year old we hardly ever go out. We're lucky to get pizza once a month. Love the slow cooker.

What a fascinating read about people's cooking habits (or not). As I have Coeliac disease (no gluten, so nothing with wheat, barley, rye or oats) eating out is a rare option. (McDonalds potato chips are fine though... LOL) Being on my own, and not enjoying cooking, it has had it's moments. Cook for more than one night, grow my own veges and fruit (as one of my daughters said, once you eat your home grown fruit, no shop bought appeals) However, can eat Thai food, so the whole family, grandchildren and all, are going out next month for a meal. A real occasion!

Too expensive to eat out, and nobody does barbeque as good as I do. I make my own sauce, and grill year round, even when I lived in New England.

my hubbie and i eat out probably 3-4 nights a week. fri and sat night are the norm because we usually go out or get together with other people or what not. and then once or twice during the week we usually meet up with each other after work for some down time. both our schedules are sooo very hectic that we find that going someplace to enjoy a meal together and sit and chat and NOT have to do the dishes and clean up is really nice for us.

I can't believe we have eaten out from Saturday a.m. breakfast to tonight's dinner. We brought home enough leftover breakfast items to heat up this morning, and yesterday's stop for a burger resulted in another take home of large quantities of food. I did have to run the dishwasher...we ran out of coffee cups. More leftovers tonight. I don't want to get used to this, I'm lazy enough already.

Oh shoot, I forgot to add that one of my favorite new things is the salad bar at the supermarket. They have containers with compartments too, and I can get small quantities of things instead of opening up something at home and having it go to waste. Olives, and artichoke hearts, and different kinds of lettuce so I don't have things growing in the crisper. With only two people to feed, perishables are at risk.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2007 12:59 PM