Cooking for One

It's been eight months since Art died and I haven't yet adjusted to shopping and cooking for one.  And eating alone still leaves me feeling sad. I have always enjoyed cooking, but I'm not finding much joy in it lately—at least not on a day-to-day basis. I have had opportunities to cook for company during the holidays and in recent weeks, and I found that enjoyable, but cooking for one still seems like too much of a chore. I often start out the day with a plan about what I'm going to cook myself for dinner (from "scratch"), but as dinner time approaches, I, more often than not, talk myself out of cooking what I had planned, and shift to "Plan B."

Plan B might involve scrambled or poached eggs and toast, plus fruit of some kind; or heating up some frozen "pot stickers"from the family sized bag I bought at Costco and keep in the freezer for just such an occasion; or opening a can of Wolfgang Puck soup and having that with some crackers and, maybe, some cheese. One of my favorite Plan B items is Madras lentils, an all natural vegetarian dish made with lentils, red beans and spices in a creamy tomato sauce. It is available at Costco in a box (TastyBite brand) containing 4 individual foil serving packets that can be warmed in a saucepan of boiling water, or emptied into a bowl and microwaved. Sometimes I eat it over rice or make a small side salad to go with it. Other times, I just eat it with a slice or two of bread, preferably whole wheat, of course. Either way, it is a delicious, nutritious and satisfying meal that can be prepared in a matter of minutes.

On days when I'm feeling more ambitious, I might cook something that requires a bit more prep time, such as a stirfry, made with chicken, whatever fresh vegetables I have in the refrigerator, and rice. I keep individually wrapped, boneless chicken breast quarters in the freezer for this and other quick dinners. I also keep a bag of uncooked shrimp in the freezer. I love shrimp and often sauté a few with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, and add them to a Caesar salad; or add some chopped fresh tomatoes and serve them over pasta or seasoned white beans. When I am in the mood to actually spend more than a few minutes cooking an evening meal, I try to make enough so that I have leftovers to eat for lunch—or for dinner on a "Plan B" night. I do try to maintain a relatively healthy diet and am, generally, careful to avoid the temptation to fill up on snack foods. I'm also fortunate to have many invitations to eat out, which gives me an opportunity to eat some of the favorite things that I wouldn't take the time and effort to cook for myself.

Obviously, I am not the only person in the world faced with the prospect of cooking for one. There are other people who live alone, either by choice or happenstance, who successfully deal with it every day. I am confident that I will eventually reach that point. Like so many other adjustments in this life I didn't choose, it's just going to take some time.