O.K. this is not ame related but since I am ame and all of you are my family, I have to ask the question. I do not like cooking. I am 51 and as I was growing up we did not have microwave and all those quick things you can do now. My daughter is my joy and my everything so when she was little I did all the motherly things, I baked, cooked from scratch had snacks on the table when she came home from school etc. Then when she was 8 I announced "I am done. I am not cooking anymore." She said that's fine. (I think she was relieved, o.k I may have burnt the food sometimes, is it my fault the aluminum foil falls off the turkey, and who would think to add oil to fry porkchops) she started cooking and was and is a fabulous cook. Of course I take credit for that. I love take out food and ording Mcdonalds chicken breast salads, wendy's chilli, burger king's chicken baquette without the baquette etc. And I have made wonderful friends with the people who work there. O.k I tell myself it is evangelism but they seem happy to see me.

I have one friend on this board who also likes take out, I cannot reveal his name for clergy confidentiality. Actually I feel it would be life affirming if he admitted to the world. YES! I don't cook and I proud of it. I order out. You go home boy.

Well my daughter things it is sad that I like takeout. I am thinking of starting a support group for those who do not like to cook. It would have a 12 step format. Something like "Hi, my name is Denise and I am a recovering hater of cooking". Then the group would say "Hi Denise Welcome!" I suspect there are more people out there. Hiding this secret, leaving their homes to order take out and slipping in the back door and putting the food on a plate as if you cooked. Stand up, don't be afraid, be counted. Say it with me.

I HATE COOKING! AND THANK GOD FOR TAKE OUT. oops gotta go and order something love ya.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2003

Answers

Rev. Denise I'm with you my sister. I have a twelve year-old daughter and I work full time (sounds like a good excuse not to cook), am a single mom and as much as I'd love to cook her a wholesome nutritious meal every night, take out always seems do be more convenient and much faster. The funny thing about it is I am really a good cook and I really like cooking for large groups of people but I don't get the same joy as I used to. So I join you in declaring my dislike of cooking (hate's kina strong...).

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2003

My sister, do not dispair. Because my daughter started cooking so young she is a gourment chef and runs a PR and event management firm. So, by allowing your daughter to cook you are preparing her to be ceo of her own company. By the way I have been a single mom all of my daughter's life. She is a licentiate and preparing to enter seminary to become a minister. You are a great mom. God will reward your hard work for your daughter. We must do take out together. Joy

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2003

Well, at least I know two homes where I won't get any home-cooked meals. Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Cooking is an honorable profession, the kitchen is holy and collard greens & hamhocks are sacred (I Dickens 5:15). In the name of Jesus I rebuke this spirit of culinary uncooperation and enemies of the pots and pans :-) QED

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

You guys are so funny! What is your favorite take out? Mine is cheeseburgers and fries.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

Sorry ladies, part of me is with you and the other part is with bother Bill. In our area we have a segment of the news titled Dirty Dining, an invesgetative reporter visit bay area restaurants and fast food joint and do an health inspection and to my suprise the ones with the most health and code violations are the ones serving the best food. Go figure. So now because I lov this healthy body God has blessed me with, I am cooking at HOME. I am single 55 and I do the big dinner for family on Sundays. Be careful where you eat, ask to see hte lasted code and health violation certificate. I love take out but I love my body. I hate cooking but I will do it whenever I have to.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

Sister Linda you made a big mistake by letting my baby brother Bill know that you like to cook. I should have warned you. Now he will be expecting you to send home cook meals to his office, home etc. And I know you are both in the same district, watch out. And to my baby brother, I cannot wait to ask Jenny how often you good.

To felicia, I love cheeseburger, but I cannot eat them because I am on a diet. So I eat McDonalds chicken breast salad with low fat vinagrette salad, 300 calories, Wendy's small chilli, 210 calories. If I eat chineese, I ask for no msg and I order steam vegatables with chicken. No sauce.

Linda I love my body also. And I take good care of it. I have been an insulin dependent diabetic for 39 years. I work with a nutrionist and work out in the gym. My nutrionist has worked out the fast foods I can have. So I am not ashamed to say I love take out.

Fast food can be healthy if you order the right things and watch portion control. I do not eat french fries etc. And in terms of the investigative reports on fast food restraunts, I have seen the same reports on supermarkets. So we should all be careful.

The bottom line the post was to make us smile, God is so good.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

I too love the body that God has blessed me with and although eating is a challenge, I think all food is suspect in some way shape or form. We really don't know what we are eating with all of this genetic engenering stuff going on with both animals, fruits and veggies. I do cook when I can but eating out can be a welcome change of pace for a busy lifestyle. I love sushi, mexican, and ethiopian foods for dining in and for fast foods none really stand out but taco bell is the choice on most visits to fast food resturants. And thanks Denise for reminding us not to take life so seriously. Joy is just as essential as food for a healthy life!

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

I am back.....

I think some of you are forgetting the adage that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

My mother was, and my wife and sister are excellent cooks. I was forced to learn how to cook because my mother knew that "women in the 80's and 90's would want to go out and eat instead of taking care of their man - her words".

I can hold my own in the kitchen and have cooked for 30-40 people at a time.

Cooking for me is fun; it is a way to explore new tastes. Since I am on the Atkins diet, I really need to watch what I eat.

I LOVE COOKING! AND THANK GOD FOR THE SKILL!.

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2003

Now you tell me you can cook! I just saw you a week ago;-) It's really interesting that you share that you are an excellent cook. My father too was an incredible cook he use to be a cook on the trains and learned to cook everything. Like you I too am dieting. I have lost 70 pounds and my nutrionist use me as a role model for her new patients in terms of how to eat out. One of the tricks she teaches all of her clients is to ask for a to go box as soon as you sit down, then when your food comes take half of it and put it in the box and it can be had the next day. Portion control in restraunts is hard because the portions are so big.

I have not heard that old adage "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" in years.

hmm maybe that's why I am single;-)

P.S. What are some of your specialties and for my brother bill what are the favorite foods you like to eat.

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2003

For you ladies that are watching your weight as I am, the best man on the market is George. That's George Forman. I cook every thing on him. Being single he's the best offer yet. Of course God is number one. Try him ladies and you will love him.As for bro. Bill waiting for me to send him a ckook meal. I'll send it c.o.d. , ha,ha,ha.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2003

I too am in love with George. I call him my 7 min. man, it is only seven minutes to a scruptious meal. He cooks meats and veggies alike.

The other essential piece of equipment is a wok. Stir-fry anything is good. You can buy frozed combinations of stir fry veggies in any supermarket. You can add a little meat or not, a 14 minute pot of rice and "Wow, a satisfying and eye appealing meal.

You see, I was a take-out queen for two years ( and many lbs. ago) but the error of my ways caught up with me. Congestive heart failue, diabetes and the like dictate that I follow a healthier path. I am so glad that the George Foreman gril land the wok were there to help me in the transition.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2003

Min. Joan, I too am diabetic, I am on insulin. I have lost 70 pounds and I have done it with take out. Of course I do not eat Big Macs, but when I go to MacDonalds, I order their chicken breast salad with the low fat vinigrette dressing. I get the grilled one, at wendy's and burger king, I get the small chili, and burger king has the best side salads, at subway I get a half sandwich with musturd instead of the mayo and only 2 slices of cheese. Taco bell, I can have a bean burrito. Chineese food, just steamed vegatables with chicken or beef. No sauce or the sauce on the side. And no msg. I work with a nutrionist and she goes over the menu's for fast foods and helps me to pick the healthy choices.

I have wondered about the george forman and will now try it! Thanks linda and min. Joan.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2003

The George Foreman Grill is wonderful! Thanks for those of you who have helped me remember that I actually own one and have to used it faitfhfully. It cooks well and fast and it's very easy to clean. I've actually started cooking more since I last posted on this thread and my daughter loves it. She is even helping me in the kitchen. I highly recommend the GF Grill. I own the small one but there are a variety of shapes sizes and colors and very reasonably priced. Thanks all for the reminder. I'm going to pull it out of the cabinet and dust it off and cook on it tonight!

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2003

Praise the Lord for the George Foreman Grill!!! I remember when the lovaeble Big George was just a heavyweight boxing champ. If this is what it takes to bring women back to the noble and honorable profession of cooking perhaps I should direct my broker to buy a lot of shares in this company. It would be a win-win outcome for me - more home cooked meals when I visit folks and a nice financial windfall from stock appreciation :-) QED

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2003

O.K. brother Bill if we ever have an ame-today reunion. I will cook you a dish and I am sure the other women will also. And yes we will talk sister Linda into this also;-)

I am blessed because my daughter is a great cook and she loves cooking. So we do have great meals at home.

Bill you have yet to tell us what dish that you could well.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2003

I also eat out alot, I have a fourteen year old daughter and I work full time and was attending school part-time so I know the many stresses of life. When I get off work I would usually stop at a restuarant like popeyes or at a chinese restaurant. Eventually you get tired of that not homemade taste and all the food began to taste the same, it least it did for me. To the lady who lost 70 pounds, congras to you. I would like to know how long did it take you to lose that amount of weight and did you incorporate an excercise program. I am trying to lose weight and its has been very hard to stay motivated, please give me some tips. Thanks

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2003

Quite a few of us have been working on our weight. Our moderator Rev. Harper lost a lot of weight also. He did atkins. Now to answer your question how I lost 70 pounds. It has been a slow and long journey. For me I had to realize that obesity is a medical problem and thus must be treated by a specialist. I could not do it by myself. I am an insulin dependant diabetic and started working with a diabetic manager who is a nutrionist. One of the things she discovered was that my thyroid had stopped working completely. I cannot take the the synthetic thyroid medicine because I am allergic to them, so I have to take the natural ones like armour and they work very slowly, believe it or not I always liked going to the gym and 11 years ago started lifting weights and competing doing the bench press. Wait, I have to explain;-) I had two heart attacks 12 years ago and open heart surgery, my doctor told me to lift weights after rehab to strengthen my chest muscles where they made the incision. Well a year later when I went back to see him, he asked if I was exercising, I told him I did what he told me and that I was bench pressing almost 200 pounds at that time. He couldn't believe it! He asked me why, and I said because you told me to. He said I meant 5 lb weights. I got it wrong and just kept stacking on more weights!!!!!!!!!! True story. Weight lifting is great for it burns up more calories and keeps working when you are not exercising.

Go to a nutrionist and begin by walking a lot of malls have walking programs start with 10 minutes the first two weeks then add 5 minutes every week after that. I still have more to lose but God is good.

One last thing, eating out really helped me a lot to lose weight, because my nutrionist has all the calorie counters for the fast food restraunts, McDonalds has the best grilled chicken salad in the world. And order the Paul Newman low fat vigngarette. The most important thing is to get professional help.

I hope Rev. Harper shares his secret too.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2003

No secret to Atkins; you just have to stick to the plan.

Just so you know, I have lost 45 pounds without working out or exercising. The plan says you should, but I couldn't. I will starting next week.

It has been a test of will power.

When I am offered candy, the first I do is check the carb count. Then it becomes a matter of choice. I can have 6 chocolate-covered espresso beans OR 2 oz of an Atkins (or similar) bar. Guess which one wins?

The same goes for other meals. After a while (I've been on it since June), it becomes second nature.

The diet, strangely enough, is like sin. In order to stay on the path, you have to abstain from the very appearance of evil.

Do I miss soul food? Yes. Do I miss pizza? Yes. Do I miss not having to buy XXL clothes and size 46 waist pants? NO (XL and 38 now - I haven't been at this weight since DADDY Bush was in office).

Here are some "fun things" I eat on the Atkins plan:

Kraut Dogs (hot dogs with mustard and sauerkraut) - I use the low- carb tortilla.

Breakfast Burritos / Quesadillas / Tacos (Bacon, eggs, onion, cheese, and green chiles) - I use the low-carb tortilla.

Peanut Butter sandwiches (2 tbps only) - I use the low-carb tortilla.

Ham Hocks and Greens (it's the red beans and cornbread that get you).

Cobb Salad (ditch the carrots and use a low/no card dressing).

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2003