/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.20131950]

Hey /ck/!
I really need some help.

>Used to be really good at cooking and eating was one of my favourite things to do
>Mental illness /anhedonia causes me to stop enjoying food
>Cook anyway to stay healthy
>Over the years go from pasta, to soup, to ramen, to microwave meals, to toast
>Can't even make toast anymore
>Spend $850 a month on food delivery and this is with me only eating once a day
>Could deal with eating being bland, pointless and boring but now it is also expensive
>Whenever I feel a surge of energy I end up putting sardines, microwave rice and hot sauce into a bowl and eat that
>Otherwise my diet consists of yoghurt, protein bars and beef jerky - anything that doesn't mean I have to clean anything afterwares [I use disposable cutlery]

Help. Me.

[Anonymous No.20131971]

>>20131950
vax status?

[Anonymous No.20131976]

>>20131971
As if I would put that chinese poison in my blood

[Anonymous No.20131978]

Try designating Sunday as a day of doing shit that will make you happy for the rest of the week. You could make soups. Soup is great because you can cook huge quantities if you have a big pot. Then reheat it throughout the week and it tastes as good as when you just made it. Very few foods microwave as good as fresh but soup does. Sometimes better than fresh.

Make a nice Tuscany soup on Sunday. Put on some music that gives you nostalgia or that you love. Then you’re set up for the week and don’t have to worry about cooking.

[Anonymous No.20131980]

>>20131971
>>>/pol/
>>20131950
start with the basics again, try to remember where you started and repeat that. if you can't manage that due to your mental health issues then start there instead or simply learn to push yourself past your "laziness"

[Anonymous No.20131984]

>>20131950
>anything that doesn't mean I have to clean anything afterwares
what do you have going on when you[r not not cleaning your cooking mess and dishes

[Anonymous No.20131985]

Smoke a ton a weed

[Anonymous No.20131986]

>>20131950
Why not get some paper plates and bowls? At the very least it’ll help diversify your options for easy to make food.

Also Trader Joe’s sells a reasonably prized frozen rice, 3 bags to a box and 2 cups of rice per bag, I think it’s 3 min in the microwave and you can use that as a base for sauce and meat.

[Anonymous No.20132003]

>>20131978
This is a good idea my friends have suggested soup before. I will ask someone if they can be there while I cook so that I don't zone out and start a fire. Thank you!

>>20131980
I have two psychologists and a psychiatrist and I see them twice a week. I spend entire days trying to "push past my laziness" to the point where recently I bought all of the ingredients and then just stood there paralyzed for about five or six hours and then my housemate had to help me because both of my legs had completely fallen asleep.

[Anonymous No.20132009]

>>20131984
I'm sorry I don't understand the question

>>20131986
That is exactly what I am doing atm. Microwave rice + disposable cutlery and plates. I just want to be better is all.

>>20131985
The only good part about weed is that it stops me from dreaming. It doesn't make me hungry just more anxious but on top of that complacent

[Anonymous No.20132011]

>>20132003
just to be clear i know it's not laziness hence why i put that word in quotes, just couldn't think of a better word to signify a general inability. so i hope you didn't take offense.
>bought all of the ingredients
what did you buy? maybe the problem was that you bought too many and overwhelmed yourself? best to start slow, one step at a time, and pushing that further. as slow as you need to so long as you're taking steps. i'm guessing (or rather hoping) you've been told all that before though. and i surely hope your specialists are helping somehow but i know how it can be

[Anonymous No.20132021]

>>20131950
>favourite

[Anonymous No.20132035]

>>20132011
>>20132011
>just to be clear i know it's not laziness hence why i put that word in quotes

Oh I gathered that! I apologise if my response came off as cold or offended. I wasn't offended - quite the opposite.

I bought bacon, bread, butter and eggs. My plan was to just make a basic breakfast meal. It really sucks, basically my anxiety is getting spiked by buying and cooking food and that is ruining my appetite. I know that my brain is thinking useless thoughts such as "As soon as I buy these ingredients a timer has begun for rotting" which makes me anxious which makes me leave the ingredients to rot.

I am determined though. I am hopeless but I am determined. I refuse to be a loser.

[Anonymous No.20132036]

>>20132021
Convict, not a bong
'Tyres' is messed up

[Anonymous No.20132043]

>>20132036
An education is one thing you can get for free with minimal distraction while incarcerated in the United States.

[Anonymous No.20132046]

>>20132043
Hah I meant I'm Australian

[Anonymous No.20132051]

>>20132046
Didn't they offer to teach you guys how to spell while you were locked up in your Chinese-made Covid camps? If not, that's fucked up

[Anonymous No.20132057]

>>20132035
ok, good, just making sure!
was there any particular meal you had in mind?
maybe you could cook some bacon strips one day, and simply just eat them. buttered toast another day and just eat it. scrambled egg another day, just eat it. then either continue doing that at random for some time or do eggs or bacon and the toast and put it together when you're feeling ready. maybe add presliced cheese, then eventually do it all and have made a yummy egg sandwich.
for the rotting dilemma, putting the bread in the fridge and most of the bacon in the freezer could help? or even then it's difficult? the eggs are tough but at least they usually last a month or two without much worry.
i think the biggest thing is it could very well get easier on you after your first multi ingredient meal, that would be very good

[Anonymous No.20132075]

>>20132051
No, those were just for the homeless people. They were offered food, shelter and a playground but were only allowed to choose two upon entry

[Anonymous No.20132084]

>>20132057
>maybe you could cook some bacon strips one day, and simply just eat them. buttered toast another day and just eat it. scrambled egg another day, just eat it. then either continue doing that at random for some time or do eggs or bacon and the toast and put it together when you're feeling ready. maybe add presliced cheese, then eventually do it all and have made a yummy egg sandwich.

You're a genius. That is some genius stuff.

>putting the bread in the fridge and most of the bacon in the freezer could help? or even then it's difficult?

Not difficult, I am just terminally absentminded. So I will just completely forget, but forgetting isn't accurate. I would say that over the years nourishment has lost its object permanence so I forget about eating unless I incessantly remind myself/am reminded of it throughout the day. I was actually thinking of installing a chilled drinking fountain into my room, because I forget to drink water, which is terrible, so Istarted buying bittled water but now I forget about that as well. But a drinking fountain - I would use that

>i think the biggest thing is it could very well get easier on you after your first multi ingredient meal, that would be very good

This is what I am hooing fir deep down! I figure that if I can just oush myself into making a semi-ambitious meal then I would be able to use that benchmark as a mental tether.

[Anonymous No.20132108]

>>20132084
>Not difficult, I am just terminally absentminded
ahh, i see. i've been in that sort of situation, probably to a lesser degree but i at least understand the lack of appetite and such. with the bottled water do you just leave it all in the container and grab one when you think to drink one? what i would do is grab however many i thought i should drink in a day and leave it someplace i'd see often like on my desk and that turns into a sort of physical checklist. success rate isn't always high with that but it definitely did help. for me the biggest food that helped with giving me my appetite back was frozen pizzas, it was easy and i would just eat one every day or so as my one meal and it worked surprisingly well
>then I would be able to use that benchmark as a mental tether.
that would be very good. you were there before, so that means you can make it back there

[Anonymous No.20132125]

>>20131950
just don't be mentally ill

[Anonymous No.20132132]

>>20132108
>>20132108
>i've been in that sort of situation, probably to a lesser degree

Honestly this the most understood I have felt in a very long time I really appreciate your insight.
I started doing exactly what you've described with the water as of two weeks ago and it seems to be helping a great deal. I just have to remain vigilent with leaving them arranged the night before, and I will.

>for me the biggest food that helped with giving me my appetite back was frozen pizzas

I know this sounds pathetic but I don't trust myself to operate the oven without somebody else around. A couple of months ago I was making some lasagna.
I had preheated the oven but when I opened the door to put the lasagna in I saw this bright ruby glimmer. I switched the oven off and got my flashlight. I could see the refractions but not the object itself. Finally, I wrapped my hand in a teatowel, and then a second teatowel and pawed at the area. I felt something faceted and hard but it seemed to be stuck, fused to the side of the oven through years of intermitent heat. I grabbed a butter knife and began to pry it away. I ended up putting all of my body weight into it before there was a sharp Ker-Chunk and I fell forwards. Inspecting the oven I discovered that I had unlatched and opened some sort of secret compartment. I could see two large stacks of national geographic magazines as well as a solid gold yoyo encased in a protective perspex capsule. I felt like I had to tell someone about this but I was having trouble deciding on my sentence "_____ I was cooking and then the craziest thing happened"!" no "I found a secret compartment" That's pretty good, it's straight to the po-

and that is when I woke up and there were massive flames right in front of my face and I after that I was evicted.

[Anonymous No.20132144]

>>20132084
i buy things that just don't go bad.
of course i have stuff like bread and milk which do go bad, but i drink a lot of milk and i eat bread fast enough. plus bread freezes well.

for example, pasta is easy. if you don't want to make your own sauce, you can buy jars of sauce for pretty cheap. pasta, alfredo sauce, and frozen spinach makes a nice meal and the ingredients last forever.
boil pasta. while its going, microwave spinach in microwave. drain pasta with lid of pot, add spinach, add sauce. add spices if you want. eat directly out of pot.
all you have to wash is the pot, the bowl for spinach, and spoon.

you can make toasted sandwiches and quesadillas in the oven on a cookie sheet and the cookie sheet doesn't get dirty. use parchment paper if you want.

pitas and naan freeze well. frozen naan, warm in oven. put on hummus. microwave some broccoli or something and put on the hummus. easy, good, cheap.

if you have a blender, shakes are easy and the machine basically cleans itself.

[Anonymous No.20132157]

>>20132144
I know that you are trying to help but all of this is above my current skill level. I want to improve to be clear, I am just concious of how discouraging multiple failures due to being overly ambitious can consolidate into total immobility.

Out of everything I think that maybe I could give making things in a blender a try? That seems easy enough and to clean it you just fill it with water, right?

[Anonymous No.20132162]

>>20132144
>eat directly out of pot.

Why do people get so upset when I do this?

[Anonymous No.20132180]

>>20131950
>Help. Me.
nigger you need actual fucking treatment not a board full of retards giving you shit advice.
you want mine? make more sandwiches
bread, meat, cheese, then anything else you want. I like mayo and mustard, sometimes lettuce. if you can put sardines and instant rice into a bowl you can do this

[Anonymous No.20132186]

>>20132132
>I really appreciate your insight.
if you'd like to talk someplace off of here i'd be open to, i enjoy helping when i can
>I know this sounds pathetic
it's not really pathetic, especially not if you can manage to regain trust in yourself. it was only a few months ago and i think anyone would be hesitant after that especially with consquences like getting evicted happening.
that's interesting though, is it that you fell asleep somewhere around there and started dreaming? or was it some sort of hallucination? in either case where do you think the line between reality and not was crossed?

[Anonymous No.20132200]

>>20132157
>That seems easy enough and to clean it you just fill it with water, right?
i put dishwashing detergent (so it doesn't foam up) and hot water. run the blender, it's clean.
worst case you have to wipe it out with a brush or something if the food is stuck to the side.

i've got a nice vitamix and it'll do 2 liters at a time. i've made soups in it. shakes. nut butter.

they make little single serving blender things, like a "magic bullet". cheap and you could see if it works for you.

stuff based on oats, milk, peanut butter, yogurt, chocolate. you can go the "DIY soylent" route if you want. look it up.

[Anonymous No.20132204]

>>20132180
>>20132180
>you need actual fucking treatment

I know. It's just that it doesn't exist yet. I am doing everything that is expected of me though

>make more sandwiches
bread, meat, cheese, then anything else you want. I like mayo and mustard, sometimes lettuce. if you can put sardines and instant rice into a bowl you can do this

So the issue here [at the moment] is that all of those ingredients expire/rot much quicker than the rice and sardines, which is what happens. I have spent literally thousands on meat, bread and cheese only to throw it all away.

[Anonymous No.20132213]

>>20132204
my man:

naan, or pita bread. buy it frozen, or buy it at the store and put it in a ziplock and freeze it. lasts forever.

hummus. freeze it as is. when you want to use it, microwave it and stir. the texture degrades but the taste doesn't.

frozen bags of spinach.

take frozen pita out of freezer. put into toaster oven. run until done.
put hummus in microwave. run until warm.
put spinach in paper bowl. put in microwave. run until warm.

spoon hummus on pita. spoon spinach on pita.

eat.

you can even run the hummus and spinach at the same time. it takes maybe 2 minutes total to cook. this is cheap, easy, tastes good, good for you.

[Anonymous No.20132215]

>>20132186
>>20132186
>if you'd like to talk someplace off of here i'd be open to, i enjoy helping when i can

That would be really nice as long as you don't mind a friend that drops off the face of the map every so often. I am not ghosting I just sometimes don't go online at all for a while, but when I do I would be more than happy to talk.

>that's interesting though, is it that you fell asleep somewhere around there and started dreaming? or was it some sort of hallucination? in either case where do you think the line between reality and not was crossed?

Schitzoaffective disorder. Diagnosed when I was 6. I am 29 now and my maladaptive daydreaming has gotten exactly this bad. But it wouldn't be right to complain since my daydreams pay the bills. Life, right?

[Anonymous No.20132216]

>>20132204
I guaran-fucking-tee you’ve self diagnosed and have no clue what you’re talking about. Likely just depression. Go see a therapist you mong. Or don’t.

[Anonymous No.20132218]

>>20132200
Okay! Interesting.

One thing that I have noticed is that I am more likely to use a cooking appliance if I make sure it is expensive. I will look into this. This seems like it could really work. Thank you.

[Anonymous No.20132223]

>>20132213
>>20132213

>naan, or pita bread. buy it frozen, or buy it at the store and put it in a ziplock and freeze it. lasts forever.

Written down. This will be a staple

>hummus. freeze it as is. when you want to use it, microwave it and stir. the texture degrades but the taste doesn't.

Yup

>frozen bags of spinach.

I used to love spinach as a kid so this is a really good pitch.

>put into toaster oven.

I can't figure out how to remember toast, you know? I know that is common to forget you made toast once in a while but I forget 100% if the time atm. Maybe they have toasters that play a loud alarm or melody. Maybe I could build that.

This is all really encouraging! Thank you for being so thorough and patient. This goes for everyone else ITT as well.

[Anonymous No.20132230]

>>20132216
No, absolutely not. I actually find self-diagnosis quite hurtful in a way that I can't really explain. I can't call it performative because that isn't really the issue, I think the issue is that mental illness is contagious and nobody likes to talk about that.
I know it might be easier to imagine that I did a quizz and decided that I am riddled with afflictions in order to stay immobile and vacillating my entire life, but no. I was diagnosed as a child. I am an outlier. It is CRIPPLING.
I will not let it win and I will get better and better at not feeling sorry for myself.

[Anonymous No.20132234]

>>20132223
>I can't figure out how to remember toast, you know?
this is what i mean by a toaster oven, although i assume you could use the pop-up kind.
you just set the temperature and time on the front, and it cuts itself off after that. the thing cools off pretty quick, it's not like a conventional oven where the heat stays on. when the cycle is done, the heating element stops.

[Anonymous No.20132235]

>>20132215
i wouldn't mind at all, i can be the same way so likewise
you can contact me at [e-mail] and then go from there
>But it wouldn't be right to complain since my daydreams pay the bills.
certainly not! glad to hear that things are covered in that regard

[Anonymous No.20132236]

>>20132234
pic

[Anonymous No.20132258]

>>20132234
>>20132236
>when the cycle is done, the heating element stops.

This could be a total gamechanger!
Even if I forget the food I don't have to worry about dying in a blazing inferno.

>>20132235
Yeah! Honestly things could be a lot worse. At least I can afford to be this disfunctional.

[Anonymous No.20132270]

>>20132258
>This could be a total gamechanger!
yeah dude. i don't know if these sorts of toaster ovens are less common in other parts of the world, but i get a lot of mileage out of them.
in your case especially, it'd be pretty useful. plus it opens you up to all sorts of stuff. i've roasted vegetables in it, cooked bacon in it. reheated all sorts of stuff. i mean it's an oven, it does whatever an oven does.

[Anonymous No.20132275]

>>20132270
I have found one on amazon and I also found some sort of retard-proof alarm system that might keep me from forgetting. Maybe I just need more appliances? That could be something.

[Anonymous No.20132425]

>>20131950
I know that feel, OP.

My diet has improved significantly thanks to Costco. They sell almost-ready-to-eat stuff that requires nothing more than heating or baking for 20-30 minutes.

I eat a lot of their roast duck. It's preroasted, just throw it in the oven until it's warm. I usually have a bowl of one of their soups (dump into soupbowl, microwave to warm it up) along with the duck. I'll usually cut up a cauliflower and have it with some blue cheese dressing.

Depending on what your mental illness is, you might find psilocybin therapy to be greatly beneficial. It works really well for depression. It can be dangerous for people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

[Anonymous No.20132428]

>>20132035
>basically my anxiety is getting spiked
psilocybin can be your friend if you let it.

[Anonymous No.20132451]

>>20132425
>My diet has improved significantly thanks to Costco.

There is a Costco about twenty minutes away. I should check it out. Last time I went I bought and ate 10kg of golfish crackers and my gf broke up with me because of it. I was much healthier then.

>>20132428
Unfortunately I am schitzo so my only hope is MDMA being legalised, but I won't be holding my breath on that front.

[Anonymous No.20132763]

Bumping once for some more good advice.

[Anonymous No.20132782]

>>20132763
add 2-3 psych docs to your arsenal of shrinks and attack this from 365 degrees
also what was your question?

[Anonymous No.20132845]

>>20132782
You're right. With five or six psychs I would be unstoppable. I guess just general suggestions for going feom incapable of ramen to cooking meals. There have been some really good suggestions so far.

[Anonymous No.20132859]

>>20132845
take a picture of your kitchen as it sets now and we'll see what we are really working with
something tells me your living in filth and who would want to do anything in that environment.
if that's the case clean your kitchen and start feeling good and keep doing things around the house that make you stay busy and feel good

[Anonymous No.20132915]

>>20132859
It could be better, but I haven't really used it in months. My housemate does though.

[Anonymous No.20132920]

>>20132915

[Anonymous No.20133663]

>>20131950
find the source of your mental illness and treat it

[Anonymous No.20133667]

>>20132230
go see a specialist

[Anonymous No.20133695]

>>20132035
That food is on a timer for rotting anyway, regardless of if you buy it or not. It's the least you can do to try to push against the tide by getting some use out of it before that happens.

[Anonymous No.20133700]

>>20132162
>if you are sharing the food with others
Because you are a disgusting filthmonger and the idea that your spit has contaminated the pot in even the most minute capacity is nauseating
>if you're eating it by yourself
They're braindead normies who know you're "Supposed to" put food onto a plate and they get extremely stressed when they see someone not following one of their pointless, fabricated rules

[Anonymous No.20134320]

>>20132003
I don't have it as bad as you, but I get ambitious and buy food and then let it rot before cooking it at least half the time. Anhedonia sucks.

[Anonymous No.20134322]

>>20132021
You forgot "simple as". I fucking hate that one.

[Anonymous No.20134348]

>>20132223
Most people can smell toast. It's a distinct and inviting aroma that's impossible to ignore.

[Anonymous No.20134364]

>>20132451
She did not break up with you because you ate too many crackers, anon. That story doesn't add up at all. What really happened?

[Anonymous No.20134560]

>>20133663
Source: genetics

>>20133667
I am seeing several

>>20133695
I know! It is just the resulting anxiety of wasting food that prevents me from having an appetite and remembering to cook it. Sometimes I give the food away to friends before it rots and that makes me feel a bit better.

>>20134320
It does! But we got this.
There is something very valuable in perservering despite living on an emotional flatline.

>>20134348
Yeah I used to but now my daydreaming has gotten a bit too powerful for the scent of toast to cut through

>>20134364
Well she had BPD so breaking up with me was a pretty common occurrence. It was petty but after a while I was eating from my giant sack of goldfish crackers just because I knew that it would annoy her.
What happened is that I got so sick of everything I packed a few shirts and jackets and my lizard into a suitcase and just left everything else to be destroyed

[Anonymous No.20134567]

>>20133700
>They're braindead normies who know you're "Supposed to" put food onto a plate and they get extremely stressed when they see someone not following one of their pointless, fabricated rules

Obviously this. They get reqlly angry when I ask "why" food needs to be on a plate.

[Anonymous No.20136026]

>>20131950
>anhedonia
that just means you refuse to not be a silly little faggot.
grow up.

[Anonymous No.20136065]

>>20131950
Start here. Work your way back up to pasta.