tlcorbin
Hazel CastilloEat out or Cook at Home?
May 8th 2008 23:33
With how hectic our lives can get lately, most of us opt to just eat out. Forget about the hassle of preparing everything from fridge/pantry to the stove/oven and to our tummies. Forget about the time you have to spend just preparing and all that thinking of what to prepare for lunch or dinner. Sometimes, it's just much simpler to eat out, yes it will cost us, but some people would rather spend just to get some quality rest -- yes QUALITY rest.
Let me tell you why I put "quality" with rest now. As a mom, there are two kinds or rest.
When I get home from work, I go straight to the fridge and bring out ingredients for dinner/lunch then change my clothes and sometime plop down the bed if I have a few minutes and just lay there, sometimes dozing off sometimes not. All this time I'm thinking about cooking dinner and my son's probably singing his heart out to the children's songs or disney movie he's currently watching or listening to.
That, my friends, is plain rest. Call it a quickie if you want.
Now, when I get off work and hubby and I decide to eat out, go home and just take that hour or two of nap with my son, THAT IS QUALITY REST. simple and truly recharging.
See the difference?
In whatever you do there are some people who will opt to eat out vs. having home cooked meals. Parents are not the only ones needing the Quality rest.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for healthy eating and I looooove cooking, it's just so much of a task after a hard day's work. --- and from what you've seen the past few weeks (more of what you HAVEN'T seen) I've been having a very hard few weeks of work. With that, I don't think I have the energy nor the time to even think of what to prepare for lunch and dinner. Most of the time i leave it to canned items or take out or eat out.
Unhealthy most of the time, i know that too but is there a better way? (aside from having your own cook at home
)
For the past few weeks I probably had 70% of my meals outside or take out.
If I had a choice, I'd rather cook 95% of our meals and have that weekend lunch or dinner out to literally wind down after a hard day's work.
What about you? What percentage of your meals were spent made by someone else or eaten outside and if it were your choice, what percentage would you have eaten out or cooked at home?
I started thinking about this because of this article I read from CNN HEALTH. Gave a list of restaurants that serve healthier dishes than the normal sodium spiked, calorie infused meals we usually get from the restaurants.
``````````````````````````
Alright anyway, I missed this place!! I'd give a free drink to the first 5 people to drop by and a slice of this yummy walnut coffee cake. Love walnuts!
Walnut Coffee Cake
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups walnuts, chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Heat oven to 350° F. Grease two 1 1/2-quart loaf pans. In a small bowl, combine half the sugar, the melted butter, and 2 1/2 cups of the walnuts to make the topping. Divide the mixture evenly between the pans, covering the bottoms evenly.To make the filling, cream the remaining sugar and the softened butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour and the remaining walnuts. Set the mixture aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil, along with the amount of water called for by the package directions. Beat until well combined. Pour 1/4 of the batter into each pan, over the topping. Spoon the filling mixture evenly over the cake batter, dividing it between the 2 pans. Add the remaining batter, dividing it evenly between the loaf pans. Place the loaves in oven and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then unmold bottom-side up onto a cake plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 445(1% from fat); FAT 28g (sat 7g); PROTEIN 6mg; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 82mg; SODIUM 235mg; FIBER 2g; CARBOHYDRATE 46g; IRON 2mg
Let me tell you why I put "quality" with rest now. As a mom, there are two kinds or rest.
When I get home from work, I go straight to the fridge and bring out ingredients for dinner/lunch then change my clothes and sometime plop down the bed if I have a few minutes and just lay there, sometimes dozing off sometimes not. All this time I'm thinking about cooking dinner and my son's probably singing his heart out to the children's songs or disney movie he's currently watching or listening to.
That, my friends, is plain rest. Call it a quickie if you want.
Now, when I get off work and hubby and I decide to eat out, go home and just take that hour or two of nap with my son, THAT IS QUALITY REST. simple and truly recharging.
See the difference?
In whatever you do there are some people who will opt to eat out vs. having home cooked meals. Parents are not the only ones needing the Quality rest.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for healthy eating and I looooove cooking, it's just so much of a task after a hard day's work. --- and from what you've seen the past few weeks (more of what you HAVEN'T seen) I've been having a very hard few weeks of work. With that, I don't think I have the energy nor the time to even think of what to prepare for lunch and dinner. Most of the time i leave it to canned items or take out or eat out.
Unhealthy most of the time, i know that too but is there a better way? (aside from having your own cook at home
)For the past few weeks I probably had 70% of my meals outside or take out.
If I had a choice, I'd rather cook 95% of our meals and have that weekend lunch or dinner out to literally wind down after a hard day's work.
What about you? What percentage of your meals were spent made by someone else or eaten outside and if it were your choice, what percentage would you have eaten out or cooked at home?
I started thinking about this because of this article I read from CNN HEALTH. Gave a list of restaurants that serve healthier dishes than the normal sodium spiked, calorie infused meals we usually get from the restaurants.
``````````````````````````
Alright anyway, I missed this place!! I'd give a free drink to the first 5 people to drop by and a slice of this yummy walnut coffee cake. Love walnuts!
Walnut Coffee Cake
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups walnuts, chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Heat oven to 350° F. Grease two 1 1/2-quart loaf pans. In a small bowl, combine half the sugar, the melted butter, and 2 1/2 cups of the walnuts to make the topping. Divide the mixture evenly between the pans, covering the bottoms evenly.To make the filling, cream the remaining sugar and the softened butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour and the remaining walnuts. Set the mixture aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil, along with the amount of water called for by the package directions. Beat until well combined. Pour 1/4 of the batter into each pan, over the topping. Spoon the filling mixture evenly over the cake batter, dividing it between the 2 pans. Add the remaining batter, dividing it evenly between the loaf pans. Place the loaves in oven and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then unmold bottom-side up onto a cake plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 445(1% from fat); FAT 28g (sat 7g); PROTEIN 6mg; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 82mg; SODIUM 235mg; FIBER 2g; CARBOHYDRATE 46g; IRON 2mg
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Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Sleezer's World
I'd have to say that Tisha and I eat 99% of our meals at home, when she's wore out and has that glazed over look in her eyes I cook for her: however, she constantly tell's me ours is a one butt kitchen and when she's at the controls, stay out unless invited in, hahaha.
Nice post, and I plan to tear the bark off a piece of that walnut cake, could I have a couple? Tisha will want one as well and two large Spicy Thai Chai please.
Raven
Comment by Hazel Castillo
Working Title
Cirrus Cloud
Movie Dime
Parent Adventures
You see I'm the only one who cooks, and I'm going to probably just opt to order out if hubby decides to cook
Here's three slices of the gorgeous cake and your thai chai
have a good day raven
Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Sleezer's World
Raven
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Hazel Castillo
Working Title
Cirrus Cloud
Movie Dime
Parent Adventures
would you like something to drink with that? Hazelnut Americano perhaps?
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by AmyHuang
Sydney Table
Project Job Search
Travel Debate
Travel String
Love Adventures
We mostly cook to save money. When I lived by myself I try to cook every night. Now that I have my wonderful fiance - he cooks
However we do make a point to eat out once a month. It's like a treat. It's always nice to go out and eat something different (somethings he can't cook, and nor can I).
Oh can I have a piece of the Hazelnut Americano too?
Comment by Hazel Castillo
Working Title
Cirrus Cloud
Movie Dime
Parent Adventures
Comment by AmyHuang
Sydney Table
Project Job Search
Travel Debate
Travel String
Love Adventures