Cooking with Love: Cooking for One

One of the greatest joys I get out of life comes from feeding people I care about. If I care about you, you can probably assume I either have already or am planning to feed you at some point.

More recently, I spent much of my cooking time feeding my boyfriend, his family, or my family. But most of the time was dedicated to cooking for the two of us, planning meals, grocery shopping, and cooking.

After we broke up, I was faced with a number of new challenges including finding my own place, living alone for the first time, paying all my own living expenses, and (God help us all) facing being single and dating again. Scary stuff. But one of the challenges I didn't consider was feeding myself.

How do I feed myself without cooking enough for a family or living on frozen dinners (which I absolutely will not do)? Sure I can eat chicken nuggets, cereal, or pizza, but none of these are really very good solutions. It is certain that if I do not figure out the answer to this dilemma, I will die a slow and painful death of preservatives, junk food, and a dusty kitchen.

It got me wondering, how do my other friends do it? What do they do? Some of them don't cook (not an option for me). Some of them do cook, but it scares me. And some of them may be onto something by cooking for their non-cooking friends who would otherwise be destined to live on MTO.

I can't stand not to cook. I love food. I love being in the kitchen. And I love all my pans, gadgets, utensils, and bakeware too much to let them just collect dust. I refuse to stop being able to cook all those great meals that I love just because I am only feeding myself. Looking ahead, I think this could be an interesting project, Single Girl Cooking.

And, on the positive side, at least I won't have to cook Hamburger Helper any more.

Hello, 2013!

2012 was definitely an adventure for me. I enjoyed having many new experiences like changing jobs, gaining new friends, visiting Vegas for the first time, getting into better shape, and moving into my own place.

I've also been through some more difficult times but always try to keep in mind I can learn something from everything. I tend to believe things happen for a reason, although the reasons do not always present themselves to us  in the most digestible and visible ways. We don't always like the things that happen and we don't always want to learn the lessons. But the thing is that we don't have control over everything that happens in our lives, but we do have the choice to learn the lessons and become a better person or ignore the lessons and continue to make the same mistakes.

So what do you want out of 2013?

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions. I think they are dumb because January 1st isn't the only time to start something new or make decisions about improving your life. But I do believe it is a good time to reflect on your life and what you want. There is something about a new year that is refreshing, a new start. Not only that, but there is a feeling of leaving things behind from the old year, moving forward, accepting your mistakes as mistakes, and putting those sad, angry or embarrassing moments behind you.

So what do I want?

• I want to make the most out of having my own place for the very first time in my life.

• I want to write more. I always say I'd like to, and I never make the time for it, but that is about enough of that. No more excuses. As a blogger, I don't consider myself an actual "writer". I have plenty of English major and Journalism friends who are very talented, and I am in no way near the writer any of them are.

• I want to make decisions about my life. Not decisions about if I want regular or decaf coffee or Sheetz vs. Rutters. I want to make decisions about what I want and what is important to me to be genuinely happy and content with my life.

• I want to master cooking for one.

This post wasn't about food or cooking or recipes for my favorite dessert. But I think it is nice to share a little about myself every so often. Maybe it will help you identify with me and bring you back to reading more often (as long as I keep writing).

What's Grandma's Secret?

It's a question I always wondered about. My grandma has always made my favorite oven roasted turkey. There was no comparing, and not even my mom could come close. There was always something particularly good about my grandma's turkey, a certain taste and texture no one else could achieve - very moist (sorry, Missy**) and with a slightly buttery/salty taste (but not too much). It was never dry, never bland. She didn't use a rub or fresh herbs.

Being curious, I finally worked up the nerve to ask her what her secret is, and if I wasn't at her house to eat turkey that day, I may have had a heart attack. Do you know what she told me the secret is? PAM. That's right. Pam cooking spray. It's as simple as that. She coats the turkey with cooking spray before covering it and putting it in the oven. She also says "don't open the roaster until the turkey is completely done" but we all know that, we just need to have the restraint and faith not to open it. All these years, I thought she had a special ratio of seasoning or liquid or method of cooking the turkey. The truth is, she may, but until I actually stand by her while she preps the turkey, I'll never know and no one else will either.

So this week, when I made my slow-cooker turkey, I sprayed it with cooking spray (I thought of this a few minutes too late. I had already first prepared and used a fresh herb mixture). Even though I didn't use my oven (I don't trust leaving it on while I'm at work all day - and it's been summer a.k.a. hot), I figured I could at least give the cooking spray a test run. You know what? It was good. So I guess, like most grandmas, she knew what she was doing with her cooking. I just didn't expect it to be so simple.

What other secrets does she have up her sleeve? I don't know, but I need to find out. If you have a favorite thing that someone in your family makes, find out (if they'll tell you). One of the best things about cooking is learning and passing along recipes.

**My friend Missy has a particular dislike toward the "m word" as she refers to it. And Betches Love This.

Why Brunch?

Brunch. The wonderfully delicious meal that isn't breakfast nor lunch. Why do we love it so much? Maybe it's the idea of slowing down and eating something good. Maybe it's filling the hung-over stomach the next day.

To me, a homemade brunch is something that only happens on the weekends or holidays. It is a full breakfast that usually occurs after a little bit of sleeping in. Some of my favorite brunch menu items are breakfast pizza,hashbrowns, breakfast casserole, croissant sandwiches, waffles, pancakes, and french toast - not to forget coffee or mimosas!

French Toast with Strawberries, Scrambled Eggs and Breakfast Potatoes

Usually we are always so busy in the mornings, getting ready for work or school or whatever that we don't take the time to create a really good breakfast. I have to say that I'm as guilty as anyone. My breakfast is usually coffee and yogurt. If I'm lucky I have some leftover cheese pizza. So a fully made brunch is like a luxury. I'm sure many of you agree.

But here's where we can help ourselves out a bit. Take the time to make yourself (and maybe your friends, family or significant other) a well-made brunch on Sunday. Keep in mind a well-made brunch can be easy-peasy and not quite as complicated as you may think. Make sure to make enough that you have leftovers to reheat and eat during the week.

Of course some foods reheat much better than others - and usually these are the easiest to make. Most foods you can bake also have a better reheat quality. I like to make a little extra on the weekends so I can enjoy a yummier breakfast during the week. I prepackage containers because I know I'm too busy rushing around trying to get to work on time. If I can just grab a container and go, I'm much better off. So do yourself a favor, and try out a brunch recipe this weekend. You'll thank yourself Monday.