Interesting topic. Per @Porthos' definition of full-on cooking, "I cook a protein, I cook a starch from raw ingredients, I cook fresh or fresh frozen veggies, etc. They may be individual foods on a plate or a one-dish dinner, but the cooking and the seasoning was done in my kitchen," I probably cook two or three meals a week via this method (and that number varies week to week, depending on schedules). There are only two of us eating, and often it's just me, as my daughter is more picky about what she eats, and frequently eats a late lunch at work and so isn't hungry for dinner. The other nights are either leftovers, rewarmed or restyled in some other fashion, carryout, eating out or just snacking. Again, much of that is driven by schedule. Rarely do I use prepared foods (again, "prepared" as in a frozen entree, canned or frozen seasoned veggies or veggie combos), mostly because there are very few I care for. Likewise, rarely do I eat fast foods from the plethora of chain joints around town, with the exception of occasionally the hot wings joint or Taco Bell when I get in a taco mood.
I cook more in the summer, when there's an abundance of fresh vegetables. I can most of my own tomatoes, and freeze lots of peas and corn and some fruit.
I make all my own bread (of which we don't eat a lot), but I keep a loaf of soft white sandwich bread on hand to make grilled cheese sandwiches for the kid and the grands. I make my own granola and yogurt, which was an every day breakfast until I got out of that habit.
When I cook a big chunk of protein, as in a beef roast or roasting a whole chicken, as I plan to do tomorrow, I generally do so with a rough plan as to how I'll use it in different fashions in two or three separate meals. I use my vacuum sealer a LOT to portion cooked protein, and I often make "homemade TV dinners" and freeze them in aluminum trays.
