help with life stuff

henlo everypony. we didn't really know where else to post this, but we figured this was worth a shot.

recently life has been really hard for various reasons. while some of those are emotional and largely intangible, one of the main reasons we've been struggling a lot lately is because we don't really know how to do basic life stuff that people are expected to know how to do every day. we find it incredibly difficult to go outside, and to go grocery shopping, and to shower, and to cook. cleaning is the only thing we are kind of okay at.

when we were growing up, our mom wasn't around to teach us about cooking or cleaning or any of those other things. we sort of just figured it out as we went. then we got to 29 and realized we didn't know how to eat anything that didn't come out of a microwave.

since our big move a few months ago, basically the only things we have been buying, cooking, and eating, are energy drinks and packs of bacon. it has gotten to a point where we don't want to eat any more bacon, and we are convinced the energy drinks are bad for us.

whenever we are in the kitchen, we are very close to having a panic attack. we have a lot of bad memories of being in the kitchen, and being yelled at, and getting things wrong, and being nervous about things not being cooked enough, or being expired, or having bugs in them, or soap in them, or just tasting wrong because of the texture or spices or something else. we are very low-functioning on the spectrum in this particular area.

essentially what we were wondering is:

does anypony out there know how we might slowly work up to cooking healthy things and having them in our kitchen?

lately we have been really big fans of ceasar salad with chicken, but when we tried to make one ourselves we overcooked the chicken and the lettuce was smooshy and it didn't taste very good. we like to buy the premade ones at the grocery store but they're pretty expensive ($7 after tax). we ordered a salad from a fast food place last night but it was pretty terrible.

if anyone out there would be willing to give us a little help with our budget and also figuring out what to eat and how to make it, it would be greatly appreciated. we anticipate there will be a lot of "i would like to try that but i have trauma around it and therefore it's been very hard to even work up to thinking about trying it". please don't think we're just being curmudgeonly because. we genuinely wanna find a solution. we just don't have a lot of confidence in ourselves in this regard.

thank you to anypony who offers to help. we love you all and are kind of happy that we have fans sometimes.

Comments

[garatheauthor]

i've actually been slowly teaching myself to cook since i moved out last January, If you'd like i can share a few of my easier recipes if you'd like, though i am a vegetarian.

[Live Wire 03]

Really the only suggestion I can really think of is googling good recipes, I know this sounds a little underwhelming, but I kinda have the same problems too, I mean, I’m only a high school student, and I wish they actually taught this stuff in school, but really, for things like cooking and cleaning properly, google is my best friend, that and YouTube, I find it easier to do things when I have a visual demonstration, but other than that, there’s not much else I can tell you, I hope that some one can help you with these problems

[terrycloth]

Bake cookies. It's really hard to mess up if you have all the ingredients and equipment, and not *that* difficult even if you don't. Plus if you mess up they usually still taste good.

[TheTownCrier]

Use a crockpot. Well, find recipes first. Then use the crockpot. They are probably the easiest to master.

[duithy]

my budget dinner is thus
2-3 servings
requires
2-3 chicken breasts boneless (sub for tenders or other)
one cup quaker oats
tablespoon of lemon pepper (sub some salt and pepper if not)
bag of cheap salad mix (the iceberg and romaine and carrots one should be about 1.5$)
some parmesan romano cheese
salad dressing of choice (optional)
a few cheap croutons (optional)

tools
tinfoil covered baking sheet
big bowl
cheap coffee grinder

preheat oven to 350
when doing that grind your oats and spices in the coffee grinder to a power
on foiled cooky sheet bread the chicken it does not have to be perfect coverage it some will come off in cooking remember to wash hands before and after this step
when the oven is preheated put the chicken in set timer for 18 minutes
when the timer goes off set a new timer for 5 minutes and start the salad
in the big bowl put the mix and the dressing mix well
plate the salad sprinkle the cheese and croutons as wanted
about that time second timer and chicken should be done
pull out chicken cut into the biggest part of biggest peace color inside should be white if not cook 3-5 minutes more otherwise plate and serve

cheap coffee grinders can be had on eBay for about 5-10$ you don't need or want a good one for this
some upfront costs but when you average it out it is about 4$per person
reply and I will answer any questions
also, there is a tv show called good eats its great for learning how to cook

[Wild Zontars]

If you have a nearby thrift store, look for a nice old-fashioned cookbook, particularly the old Betty Crocker ones. They have "help how do I cook" sections.

I have taught myself many simple healthy recipes, but I am very OK with simple flavors, eating the same thing several times per week, etc. Is that sort of thing OK for you?

"Oatmeal with stuff in it" and "rice with stuff in it" are always good and cheap.

Pro-tip: "converted" or "parboiled" rice can be boiled up in a pot just like dried pasta, no fooling around getting it to absorb exactly the right amount of water. You cook it until it's not crunchy or chewy anymore, then drain and rinse. It keeps in a sealed container in the fridge. Same with brown lentils for fibre and protein. Taste and texture is not completely different from fried and drained lean ground beef. They go well together. Put some in a bowl (2-3 parts rice for 1 part lentils). Add some veggies, cooked/canned meat/fish, egg, whatever you like, and microwave it until warm. Add sauce or spices you like. Good combos: egg, veg, ketchup, soy sauce; fish, sweet chili sauce, lemon juice; shredded cheese, salsa.

For oatmeal, I like: a pouch of flavored instant oatmeal, a half cup of plain oats (very cheap!), a handful of dried fruit/seeds/nuts/trail mix, and a cup and a half of water. Stir. Microwave for about 4 minutes. Stir again, let sit a bit until thicker and cool enough to eat. If the oats are chewy, cook it longer next time. If it boiled over, cook it less. (You want a big bowl for this, as the oats puff up with steam. The bowl should be half full or less before you start.)

[SWikey]

My go-to is Tyson grilled chicken. They have instructions on the packet that are very simple and using oil reduces the chance of undercooking. I mix that with noodles, rice, or salad for variety.

[Super Trampoline]

Buy the premade Caesar salads without chicken, then buy frozen precooked cubed chicken and just defrost some to add to your salad.

5265687
If you can afford it, get an Instant Pot. Best damn cooking purchase I’ve ever made. So much you can make with it.

[Dagon M Dragoon]

Get both a rice cooker and a slow cooker, those things are novice friendly.

[Catalysts Cradle]

For chicken breast: https://youtu.be/OS9u0PlY41Q

My go to quick chicken recipe is to get some bone-in chicken thighs w/ skin and pat the outside dry with paper towels (this is important to get a crispy skin). Next, I season with Lowry's seasoning salt, black pepper, and a bit of cayenne (optional), then bake (skin side up) for 40-45 min at 375°F. Gives nicely cooked chicken thighs with crispy, roasted skin.

When cooking, it can be helpful to keep some notes. For example, if you overcooked your chicken in the oven, note how long and at what temp you cooked it so that the next time, you can try less time and/or a lower temp. This is especially useful since many ovens can be quite different (e. g. whenever I move, I often find I have to adjust the cooking times and temps for my go to recipes). Notes can also help with determining the optimal amount of seasoning you like.

[Radiant Dawn]

Go to a thrift store or Goodwill and see if you can find a cookbook. Then, make sure you have a few frying pans (at least one large and one small), a few saucepans (same, one large and one small), and at least one oven pan for general baking. Chicken can be pan fried, but it must be sliced thin and kept moving in the pan or it will burn; if you bake it, it's best to form a little steam pocket with foil, and add a little butter or oil to keep it from drying out (roasting it with a few cut potatoes or carrots will also keep it moist). Unfortunately, there is no easy way to learn to cook. It just takes time and practice, and you will burn things in the process.

As for veggies, fresh is best. To keep your lettuce crisp longer, keep it in the fridge and keep it misty (not wet, just spray it with a fine mist of cold water every day, and gently shake off excess moisture). Green cucumbers pair nicely with Ceasar salad, as do baby carrots and croutons. For cheese (if you want any), it's largely up to preference, but strong-tasting cheeses can overpower the taste of the salad itself, so try to stick to light flavors.

[Lainofthewired]

Baked salmon is the stupidly easiest thing to cook in an oven. And I concur that a crockpot makes things so easy. Fresh salsas of all types are fun if you're fine with more finely chopping up veggies or fruits.

[Sorden]

Hmm, where to start? I've been cooking for myself for over two decades now and switched to healthy ingredients last year or so (due to an early onset of diabetes), so I should have a few practical tips for newbie-friendly cooking. Here you go, in no particular order:

• A common beginner's mistake is too use too high a temperature when cooking - this is usually only good for food you want raw on the inside and charred on the outside, like steak. Medium temperature over a longer period of time will yield more evenly cooked food and leave it moist and tender.
• When frying in a pan, don't use butter; it's delicious, but burns easily. Use about a tablespoon of oil instead if you want to play it safe, and only add butter to finished dishes. (Of course you can still fry things in butter if you think you've got a hang of the temperature.)
• When boiling vegetables or pasta in a pot, it's usually best to add enough salt that the salinity is close to sea water.
• Potatoes are cheap, filling, reasonably healthy (unless you're diabetic), keep well in a dry, cool, dark place and have some easy, forgiving cooking methods; they're practically impossible to mess up if you just boil them for 15-30 minutes (depending on size). Use high heat to boil, then turn down to medium. It's not too tragic if the temperature is too high, although mealy potatoes may fall apart, especially if peeled. Poke them with a fork to check whether they're soft enough to eat. The downside is that you need to brush the skin clean or peel them, depending on your preferences and risk of pesticides. The boiled spuds are great even with just some butter and salt or sour cream. Note: if you peel them, get a peeler - using a knife needs a bit of experience.
• Your run-of-the-mill mushrooms should be affordable and are resilient to excess heat. They're also a great alternative to meat if you need something savory. Best stored in your fridge's vegetable crisper.
• Tomatoes keep well in the open at room temperature. Eat them raw or fry chunks/slices in a pan. Like mushrooms and cheese, they tend to make meals more savory.
• Broccoli only needs to be boiled in salt water for 5 minutes or so (longer only if you like it mushy). Adding some salt and butter to the strained vegetable makes it quite delectable. I suspect that its poor reputation is due to being served overcooked and without any accompanying fat. Best stored in the crisper.
• Zucchini are easy to cut into slices and fry. You can eat them raw, so there's no risk of undercooking, but they're also quite forgiving if you burninate them for too long. Best stored at room temperature.
• Salmon is also very forgiving to over- or undercooking. The only thing to bear in mind is that you should only flip it once halfway through or it will fall apart.
• Do wash your veggies under running water before cooking.
• Stews are delicious and easy to make - chop up your ingredients, e.g. a selection of the robust veggies mentioned above, plus some bacon or similar, add some broth (powdered is fine, the dosage should be on the packaging) to the pot, some herbs if you're feeling brave and enough water to cover the ingredients. Bring everything to a boil and let everything simmer at medium to low heat for 30 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste, and some cream if you're feeling decadent.
• Cooking is way more forgiving than baking, so once you're somewhat confident in not setting the kitchen on fire, it's fairly safe to experiment. YouTube is a great source for cooking tips, and seeing people in action works better than a wall of text.

PM me if you have any questions; I've barely scratched the surface, but this is probably already TMI. I may have left out some important details that I see as self-evident, but aren't.

[Firelight_FS]

You Suck at Cooking
Life of Boris

These channels really got me into cooking more. One of the things that really held me back was thinking how hard it is to actually cook a meal. Once I saw how even these idiots are able to throw together a really good meal, I actually wanted to see if it was as easy as they made it out to be.

Also, I have a really hard time learning things if the way they are being presented isn't entertaining. This is definately not a problem with these two.

[Toksyuryel]

Easiest way to start I find is to get stuff like hot dogs, pasta, mac n' cheese, and tv dinners that have simple, easy to follow directions printed on the package. Once you're more comfortable around a stove and oven, start looking into simple recipes and work your way up from there. This is what worked for me.

[forbloodysummer]

I'm a big meat eater, but I'll be the first to say that quorn products are absolutely fantastic for cooking convenience. Get a big frying pan, or, better yet, a wok. Put it on the heat, add a bit of oil in the bottom, and then put in some quorn fillets/pieces. They cook straight from frozen, so it's easy to measure out the right amount, whether cooking for one person or several, and then clip the bag shut again and leave it in the freezer. More importantly, it doesn't really matter how long you cook them for, there are no adverse health effects or particular penalties to the taste if you cook them for too long or not long enough.

[Algedor]

'Binging with babish: basics with babish'
Videos for starting cooking.
He has another series for healthy recipes.
Also try 'Food Wishes', tons of recipes. Some easy, some hard.
These are all on youtube so you c pills n watch how they do it.