I know there is a thread for sharing recipes, but I'm more interested in finding out whether or not you folks cook meals vs going out. I personally wouldn't include throwing a pre-prepared meal into the oven or microwave actually cooking.

I do cook most of my own meals. I'm not a great chef by any means, but I know my way around a kitchen pretty well.

I cook the meals, yeah. I go out now and then, but usually eat my own meals at home. I don't consider myself good though, and don't really like to cook for others, but it's decent enough for myself

As for microwave stuff, I got a microwave as a bday present about a decade ago and the only thing I've used it for is microwave popcorn a couple of times a year, no joke. I generally despise microwave food and there's no way I'm gonna eat that by choice.

We make all our own meals in my household. As I mentioned in another thread we haven't eaten in a restaurant since 2003.

Most of our food preparation falls into the throwing-things-into-a-microwave category, though. We probably cook only about three or four times a week. Cooking is divided pretty evenly between myself the person I live with. I'd say 95% of the time, we cook together.

Since no one else is going to do it for me, it's either cook my own meals or starve to death.

I could go out, but I'm not exactly made of money, so that option is only there for me once in a blue moon.

I used to chef it up in the kitchen but sadly haven't done so in a long time. These days I just make something as quick and easy as possible, I've even resorted to fast food like McDonalds again after not touching the stuff for years.

I can't stand having other people around when I'm cooking (unless they're family or close friends). So living with three flatmates, staying out of their sight means little opportuity to cook. I usually end up eating takeaway or something I can prepare in minimum time. I can cook well enough though, and I would do it more often if I lived alone. My parents rarely go to restaurants, so homemade meals are something I'm used to.

I also prefer to cook solo, and frequently shove my other half out of the kitchen when I'm busy!

Anyway, yeah, I do a lot of cooking, though it's really the preparation that's a pain in the bum. I'm not the world's fastest when it comes to chopping vegetables.

Ha! Different on my side, we help each other in the kitchen makes cooking faster.

Only the most simple things, like rice or noodles. Besides that, I am professional at unfreezing foods.

I have one friend I cook with on occasion. He's a very good cook so I'm usually just doing the minor stuff like chopping things up, minding a side dish, etc. I don't mind not being in charge when I cook with him because the meals always turn out spectacular.

Other than him, all bets are off. Let me do my thing in the kitchen, and if you want to be in there and talk with me, that's fine, but don't get in my way.

I'm in the category of decent enough for myself when it's just me that will be eating. But if I'm making a meal for myself and guests, or for my parents when I visit them, I go all out and try to make a great tasting meal, even if it's something simple.

I hate eating out, and never understood its appeal. I fix my own meals, though I don't prepare much from scratch. I eat a lot of things like Zatarans and Hamburger Helper.

I'd concur on both counts.

I used to be a "cooking is boiling water for mac'n'cheeze" kinda person but I discovered I quite enjoy cooking real food about a decade ago. (Addictions played their part in this. Once sober it was easy and enjoyable.)

I like to think I am a decent amateur home cook. I've never had to throw anything out if that means anything.

I tried to eat fast food recently, Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King, they all tasted like [censored]! (Sorry, no way to put it more politely and be accurate!!) Good money gone to waste. What I could have created with that money...

The only time I've allowed someone to assist is having a chef friend chop garlic, veggies, etc. because he does that quick pro chop in a minute that takes me 20 minutes to do

I need to cook alone because I don't measure or anything, I put on some music and let the mood and my gut guide me...hasn't failed me yet.

I can cook and cook well, but Im not that creative.

I would like to think I cook 60% of the time and I include my girlfriend in that. But it might be closer to 50%. The other 50% would be frozen meals and take out.

In a manner of speaking, yes. I'm an old fart, live alone, and rarely dine out. Ergo the vast majority of my meals are self prepared. I am also somewhat eccentric in that I don't own a conventional stove or oven. I realized many years ago, back when I rented semi-furnished apartments, that I never used the stove the landlord provided but instead cooked everything in a microwave. When I at last bought a house I decided to hold off buying a stove so long as my microwave got the job done. Twenty-two years later it continues to do so, augmented only by a toaster. It helps that my dietary needs are simple: sane canned soups for lunch and lettuce salads with tons of veggies and a little tuna for supper (sometimes rice subs for lettuce). Breakfast is simpler still; a banana, sugar-free preserves and butter substitute smeared on wheat toast, a grass of milk. Those rare times I get a hankering for an elaborately prepared meal is when I dine out.

My younger self dined out more often than not. Those days are long behind me.

Considering that I want to eat well and cheaper, I make just about all my meals. The only time I won't is if I'm getting lunch at school, due to forgetting to bring a PB&J.

Yes.

For me it isn't about not letting anyone assist me, I just don't like being watched. I'll happily cook together with someone I feel comfortable with.

I enjoy eating out, but I don't do it much any more since it's so damned expensive. Hell, ordering a meal combo from McDonald's will set you back seven or eight bucks these days.

Seriously, and I think my body really thanks me for no eating out at all, as I dropped about 15-20lbs ever since I started living independently and cook my own meals.

Yes, I cook. I'm pretty decent with most things. After living in Virginia where prices were a lot higher than I was used to, I got pretty good at coming up with meals that didn't necessarily follow standard recipes. I don't use a microwave that much, but I do admit that they do come in handy for certain things. There are "steamer" bags you can buy, where you add your own veggies or veggies and protein and have dinner from frozen in 15 minutes or less. And I found out those steamer bags are fantastic at doing artichokes in a short time without needing pots of boiling water. Trim the artichokes, rinse off with water, add some lemon juice and microwave for several minutes.

I do enjoy eating out but most of my meals are prepared by me.

As a veggie I'm not at all enticed by quick meals, there isn't a lot of choice, although I am sometimes lazy when I'm just cooking for myself (which isn't often).

I find cooking a lot more rewarding when there are others to (hopefully) appreciate what I've cooked.

My microwaves been broken for about a year now but since it and the oven are built-in I'm waiting until I can afford to have the whole lot replaced or it all breaks. The ignition on the hobs has gone too but a stove lighter solves that problem. A microwave can be handy but I don't really miss it.

Yeah right. I am so bad in the kitchen I burn water.