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5:47 am
January 1, 2010
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Hi! Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts on the passing of my husband on August 23 of cancer. I'm trying to go on and I'm taking it one day at a time but it's lonely at nite. Does anyone have any recipes that are good for 0ne or 2 serving? I've canned some peaches for this winter and also made some canned grape juice. Can't wait to drink it this winter! I used to hear widows say that they didn't like to cook after their husband died and now I know what they mean. It's too expensive to go out everyday to eat at restaurants and i'm going to force myself to make some simple meals that are healthy so I don't end up sick myself. My late husband loved "Grandma's Bread" and I'm going to try to make a loaf for myself. Maybe freeze a loaf and take out one or 2 slices at a time so it doesn't go bad.
7:08 am
October 18, 2010
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Alana, that's a good idea to freeze the bread. My sister lives by herself and that's what she does. She also cooks a veg. like squash, mashes it all up and has it for several meals. Soups and stews are good to make and then freeze in single-serving containers.
Please don't let yourself skip meals because it's just too much effort to cook. I did that when I was alone and wound up sick.
We are all here to help…just ask!
7:16 am
February 10, 2009
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Oh Alanna, I've cooked for just myself a lot, though not for the same reason as you… the combination of your pain over the loss of your husband made worse by cooking favorites of his for just yourself must be extremely difficult.
I'm lucky that I love leftovers and don't mind eating the same main dish either as is or slightly modified for several meals, still, dividing things immediately and freezing in CLEARLY MARKED containers is a good thing to get used to doing. Trying to figure out mystery containers is very discouraging though, don't believe yourself when you hear yourself saying internally, "oh, I'll remember this!" It's NOT TRUE! Though it can lead to some adventurous mystery meals.
It IS too expensive to eat out, and not at all healthy! Restaurant food is so salty and so high in calories. It's nice for a treat and I won't deny it's hard to resist, and a call to a friend to meet you to share some appetizers and a visit is DEFINITELY worth it! …It may be bad for you on some levels, but it's good in others and I for sure won't say you should never do it, just watch out for salt especially.
Chicken breasts either bone in or boneless are fairly fast and easy, and easy to vary recipes IMO. When you're short on time, boneless, pounded thin and browned in olive oil, a splash of white wine and some oregano, cover to simmer while you make yourself a salad and served with a little pasta, quick, easy portion control and good for you.
Meatloaf for me is, first night as is, next day sandwiches with mayo and lettuce, next morning, browned in a pan with a fried egg, YUM! 
That's one of my faves! I'll eat more sammies too, but that's just me. Oh and you can chop a bit and add some diced potatoes so its a bit like hash too. Or, chop, mix with rice and veggies so it's a quasi fried rice dish. I still often make too much though so having a dog really helps! 
Spring for a small crock pot too. It helps to have one of those smaller ones so things don't look lost in your large one, plus it works right for small quantities and it's really very well worth it.
You're a smart lady and I bet you'll come up with some great ideas too once you get going on it. 
7:42 am
November 15, 2010
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I cook mostly for myself. My daughter is in university and a vegetarian. My boyfriend doesn't eat anything homemade (I know, such a shame dating a chef). So mostly I cook for myself.
I find the trick is right at the grocery store or farmer's market. Please don't get caught up in buying only "single serving" items. You will pay more than twice the price. I go ahead and purchase the family packs of meat when they are on sale. The large turkey. The full ham. And then when I get home I get to work. Freezer bags and knives are your best friend.
Oh, and of course a good Sharpie, to mark all your bags with contents and dates please (must be safe too!) Package up chicken parts into 1 or 2 pieces and label accordingly. Cut up a roast that is on sale into steaks or several smaller roasts. I try to package meats and veg into a 2 serving portion, so that if I do have company I'm covered, and also for leftovers for only 1 more meal.
Also, pressure canning is ideal for leftovers. When I make spaghetti sauce, I just can the remaining sauce. Same for chili or beef stroganoff (before adding the sour cream). That way I have multiple meals of more intensive larger type recipes ready at my fingertips.
It does take a little more planning, but you end up eating well and healthy. And still can eat frugally. Good luck, and remember, sometimes breakfast for dinner is also a good thing!
9:35 am
May 3, 2011
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I usually cook for myself, sometimes not. I have found that making a big pot of soup, chili, pinto beans or any other good stuff is just too much to eat on for one so I cook a pot full, get out my containers and freeze portions of it to have when I don't wanna take the time to cook but still want something good. So many things take a long time to cook and after working I don't care one thing about dealing with something that takes 2 hours to cook. I eat out at lunch and that's enough eating out for me.
9:38 am
December 14, 2010
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Debbie,
I once posted a piece titled "To cut you food costs you need a sharp knife". In that post i said about the same as you have today, that if you buy meat on sale and in sizes too large for one or two a sharp knife and a bit of knowledge can convert a very large piece of meat into many meals for a frugal cook.
Many people I know complain about how hard it is to cook for one person but it is just a mind set Leftovers can be just as good as the first time around.
Last night I seasoned and browned a pound and a half of lamb in small chunks and we had some for supper. Tonight I will make the rest into lamb stew.
1:09 pm
December 14, 2010
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A sharp eye is almost as good as a sharp knife. I stopped at Safeway on my way home for lunch and found four and a half pounds of pork chops for 69 cents per pound. They were up against the sell by date. They will become breakfast sausage. The bones will be cured and smoked for soup stock.
2:12 pm
June 1, 2010
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Alanna: I'm in the small crock pot group. The fragrance of food cooking all day will help your appetite. There's usually enough for one meals he day of and a second, refrigerator meal the second of third day. Any more meals I pack in labeled plastic bags. (labeled before filling) I freeze the bags flat; then once they're frozen, I stand them upright as it the freezer were a filing cabinet.
Most of the meals are one-dish goodies. There's just not the will to make a separate veggie, a starch, a salad, and a dessert.
I also find it helpful to eat "dinner" in the late afternoon, while it is still light outside. I have a real problem preparing a dinner once it's dark outside. Sometimes it's just too gloomy. So I keep a number of grab-and-eat items on hand: salad fixings (think salad in a jar), cottage cheese and fruit, cheese and crackers and fruit, sandwich fixings.
Do make plans to meet with friends and eat out at least two or three times a month. It can be hard, but it is good for your health.
4:25 pm
December 14, 2010
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We have had to help several recent widows over the years and advise several things . Set the table and have something to read.
Watch for real depression, invite a friend for supper or desert.
Don't eat at the sink out of a refrigerator container.
My first wife died when she was 26 and our baby was 11 months. My in-laws tried to take over my life and that became a time of conflict.
Go for peace in your world.
Cooking for one is not as difficult as eating alone.
5:36 pm
February 9, 2010
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Alanna, I am very sorry to hear about your loss. Taste of Home magazine has a section in it called cooking for one or two. I can't remember if they have a whole magazine called cooking for one or two or not. It is not a very expensive magazine, it might give you ideas. I got it for a friend who lost her husband. It might be worth checking into. She bought a mini loaf pan. It has 6 or 8 holes in one pan and when she makes meatloaf she cooks in there. She has dinner for one night then freezes the rest so she doesn't have to think too much about it.
I know words don't fix it now but you are in all our prayers.
7:13 pm
May 23, 2010
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Alanna, I've been thinking about you and praying for you. I don't know if you have a widow and widowers group or a senior center nearby, or even church groups but they have get togethers and other fellowship type activities. I say this because we need people around us to lift us up. When I went through my first divorce, I got into a divorce group and made friends for life. We all experienced the lonliness and many times, we would call each other just to get together for the company. My male (and female) friends would come over and we would sit and have coffee. We all helped each other out, too (no strings attached), as we learned our "married" friends were just too busy to help when we needed help. One time, I needed help cleaning up my basement and a single pastor offered to help if I would feed him. I told him I didn't have anything to feed him and he helped anyway. (It felt like a story out of the Bible.) All of a sudden, I remembered, I did have some food to feed him.
Long story short. God put in my path years before bulk cooking. I would cook one day a month or, as others have stated, make extra and freeze. Portion things in single servings for yourself. If you have last minute guests, you just pull an extra out. Get your next day's entree out the night before to thaw in the fridge. One time I bulk cooked on a Sunday and called my friend just as church was letting out and she was with about 6 others. They all came over for the food. But it turned out to be a great time for praying for each other and fellowship.
Some handy one-person meals with the lack of appetite we go through in our times of regrouping are meatballs and homemade chicken patties. I would cook chicken breasts, grind up a few and make into patties similar to salmon patties. fry them up and freeze. You can eat them individually as a sandwich or top with some pasta sauce and mozzarella cheeze and it is a handy little dinner for one. Keep some boiled eggs on hand for this purpose too. I would also portion out carrots and celery and breakfast cereals I could take with me.
Okay, it was a long story but I hope it helps. I praying you up and praying for people to surround you to lift you up.
3:47 am
May 11, 2011
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Alanna, I'm so sorry about your husband. My father died when I was 7 and my mom would always tell me that when I wasn't home, she wouldn't cook for herself. I hated that. I understand it but I'm single and believe in cooking for myself. I don't particularly like eating alone either but use your nice dishes and maybe even some flameless candles. As for food, I always buy a couple of pounds of ground beef or turkey to make chili or meat sauce. Keep some for a few days & freeze the rest. Buy chicken quarters in bulk and put them in those zippered freezer bags but cook a few at a time so you have them for a few meals. The same with rice. I used to do the same with my rotini pasta salad but I found myself eating the whole thing so I don't make it anymore except for picnics : ) Oh also, if you can buy a few steaks in a package it's cheaper than buying one and skirt steak is great for sandwiches. I hope we've helped a little. I know it's hard, but a support group or therapy might be a really good idea at least for a little while. Take good care : )
Amy
8:49 am
October 18, 2010
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Alanna, here's a link to Taste of Home magazine's "cooking for one or two" recipes. Hope you find some you like.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Sit…..ox-Recipes
9:05 am
December 14, 2010
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Alanna, From my experience the first year is the most difficult. Because every special day that you shared as a couple you now experience alone. A close friend told me that each morning she wakes up and realizes that she is still alive and says "Oh darn!" and then gets on with her day. People sometimes ask how you get through an experience like this and the reply is always the same, "I didn't know there was a choice." It starts to hurt a little less as time passes.
9:22 am
June 26, 2011
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I, also, lost my husband to cancer. Spring 2010.
Fortunately I had gotten into the habit, prior to his death, of making extra and freezing single meals. That got me through the first year.
Now, I still do this. But I also eat a dinner at a senior center 2-3 times a week. I buy bulk meat items on sale, and prep them for the freezer. With the date!
I also keep a list on the freezer of what is in there. So I am not having to rummage.
All of these ideas on here are wonderful ones. Hugs to you.
12:20 pm
January 21, 2011
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So sorry Alanna. I lived on my own for about 10 years and when I cooked a meal, I usually made enough to serve about 4-6, so I'd have leftovers to freeze. I never cooked for just one serving.
Hang in there and take it one day at a time. Hugs.
11:42 am
October 15, 2011
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I regularly cook for just two, and often for just one. When i make meatloaf, I mix up a big batch and then separate into small loaves, about one pound each. I put them in freezer in ziplock bags. Even with one person, this is a meal a little leftover for a sandwich. The convenience of being able to pull them out later is great, especially if you dont feel like preparing a meal.When you cook mashed potatoes, cook a few extra and use those extras in another meal next day or so.
I cook a huge pot of soup because its just as easy to cook the huge pot as it is a small pot. Then I ladle it into small ziplock bags, enough for one portion. Then i lay all the bags flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Quite handy to pull out for lunch or dinner and better than canned soup.
For my grandmother bread, I make it in a variety of forms. Small loaves, buns (round and hotdog), sub buns, pizza rolls (also ham and cheese, chicken, etc), bagels, you name it, can be all made from one batch of bread dough. Put in freezer and take out to thaw in the ziplock bag to keep it moist. I usually don't freeze my bread for over a month.
I sometimes cook up a large quantity of ground beef, crumbled up like you would add it to spaghetti/sloppy joe etc. I freeze this in ziplock laying flat so its spread out. Then i can remove whatever quantity i need to add to dishes quickly.
Family packs of chicken, or meats found at a great deal….i put a few pieces in small ziplocks. Easy to just take out, and throw it right into a dish without defrosting and bake it, just add a little extra time.
You can adapt just about anything you would normally make into this type of cooking. Have a casserole you like to make? Make one recipe and divide it into many dishes, you can line the pan with plastic wrap/foil or whatever so you can remove from pan and put in a ziplock bag for freezing. then put back into the pan for baking later.
12:02 pm
April 1, 2009
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I do a lot of double meal making and feezing, it is just the two of us, and we just dont eat that much, so cooking is difficult as well, but I freeze a lot of small portions for quick meals.
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