93: The anti-cook

Image from lunchboxbunch.com

Food. I assume we are all familiar with the concept. Eating? Ditto. Now, I need to combine these two on a daily basis not necessarily because I want to - although, at times that is the case - but because I need to. You see, I have to do this called living. I'm sure you've heard of it. However, I have to be honest here, if that wasn't the case - if that combo wasn't a necessity  (just go with it for a mo!) - I'd be one happy lil' lady because it would mean that I would no longer have to do something I dread doing on a daily basis. That something is otherwise known as...

COOKING

If you are sat there thinking, 'what does she mean? I love cooking!' then, boy, am I jealous of you. Because I hate it. I do. Which doesn't make for easy evenings when I have to peel myself off the sofa, or away from the internet (lets face it, always the latter), and make my way over to the kitchen with only the large feeling of dread that settles itself inside my chest for company. 

How fantastic are these magnets?!! Left, Right, both Anne Taintor

Ok, so yes, that may be my dramatic side rearing it's not-so-pretty head but, honestly, I really can't stand it. And surely I'm not the only one?! (Please tell me I'm not?!). Furthermore, not only do I not enjoy the act of cooking but I also don't like coming up with dinners. Actually, I think I dislike this the most. Looking at recipes isn't for me (I'm not one to spend hours trawling through Pinterest, as I'm sure you've already gathered). I get bored after about 2 minutes because, the majority of the time, I'm faced with lists of ingredients that include things like yeast (honestly, who has yeast in their cupboard? Do not say you. Just don't!), cayenne (I never have it. Even when I've noted down on a list that I need to buy it, it never makes its way into my trolley), walnuts (or a kind of - I swear - mythical nut that only the nut-gods stock, because Asda certainly doesn't) and some sort of fresh bloody herb (don't even get me started on parsley), all of which are never a feature of my kitchen. I never, ever have what the recipe-maker seems to suggest should be a cupboard-staple because, honestly, when are any of those ingredients staples?! I've got salt, pasta and boxes of stuffing in mine. Et voila!

Kenwood kMix Blender

Not only that but I also don't have all the necessary equipment one needs for some of the more, shall we say, elaborate recipes I come across (or not so, in the case of soup!). I own one saucepan. ONE. With a broken lid. And I don't own a shu-sher (that'd be a blender) which would be a good thing to own because the amount of times I have come across a soup recipe, bought the ingredients and then realised I can't make it because of the lack of shu-sher-ness is probably a good few more times than I'd be willing to admit to. 

Image from A Beautiful Mess

This situation is a frustrating one because, you know what, I do like food. I like trying new things. I dislike my boring dinners (of which, out of 7, all of them are so). I scroll through foodie blogs and think 'YUM, I want that for dinner' but I can never seem to recreate it, even when I try. This seems to be worse now I'm a veggie because a lot of the recipes I come across, the really good-looking ones, are vegan and I'm not sure Nottingham is that vegan-friendly (grant it that may just be because of where I live/slash the places I shop at). Not only that but I find recipe-following to be expensive (don't forget one has to live on a student budget). Each one seems to list its own herbs/spices/whatevers of which none coincide with those on any others so I'm always stuck to know what to do. Or rather, this means I do nothing because I can't choose which to cook over the other (my indecisiveness forever kicking up a fuss) and thus we are back to square one. Boring mealtimes. 

I'd love a cure for all these - seemingly ridiculous and not at all serious - problems. Quick, easy but fabulously-tasting (although not too-extraordinary when it comes to its ingredients), student-budget-friendly dinners. That don't need a shu-sher. Anyone fancy helping a gal out?!!