Dinner Confessions from a Mom who Hates to Cook

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Sometimes we eat popcorn for dinner. With M&M’s if we’re feeling fancy.  

Sometimes we eat Totino’s Party Pizzas for dinner. Occasionally I bake chicken nuggets on the same pan and I feel pretty productive.  

Other times my husband cooks dinner.  

Sometimes I make nothing at all and my family and I scrounge through the fridge and pantry for something to munch.  

Sometimes I make a mouth-watering brisket with tasty au jus sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts, and homemade rolls. Like a modern-day Mrs. Maisel.

But not very often.  

I can cook. But I don’t like to cook. 

Most often my cooking falls somewhere between nutrient-light convenience foods and my mother’s Sunday dinner spread. I make a lot of simple chicken recipes, walking tacos on repeat, spaghetti with red sauce, and pork roasts in the crockpot.  

I am always trying to talk my frugal husband into going out to eat or ordering take-out. We do sometimes, but we can’t always because of adult responsibilities – things like budget and health.  

I see cooking dinner the same way I see scrubbing the showers. It’s a job I don’t enjoy – not even a little bit – but the end result is pretty satisfying. Still, I’m so glad when it’s over. 

That said, I only have to scrub my showers once a month.

Dinner happens every single night.  Even on weekends.  

It’s always there. Dinnertime. One constant in my motherhood journey.  

And I don’t like it. Because I hate to cook.  

Sometimes I feel a little out of place in mom crowds when the conversation turns to an amazing meal they made for their brood. I’m not jealous, exactly. I’m happy they’re happy and impressed with their culinary skill. It’s more accurate to say that I’m disinterested. I’d almost always rather talk about something else.  

I tried really hard for a while. I went to Pampered Chef parties, filled my kitchen with the coolest gadgets, read recipe blogs, and even tried a few meal swap groups. But, alas, it’s not for me.  

My food legacy will be simple repetitive decent tasting meals that nourish our bodies. My kids will remain fed and satisfied but nobody from the Food Network will be knocking on my door to sign me up for a cooking show.  

I’ll continue to lean into pre-packaged convenience foods on occasion – without guilt. And I’ll remember all the other things in life that I do really well when I feed the kids cereal for dinner for the second night in a row.  

Do you enjoy cooking? 

dinner confessions

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