Dinner Time


After the ex and I split up, we still got together for dinner at least three or four nights a week — almost every night the last two years of his life. He did nearly all the cooking. His menu selections weren’t always the healthiest and he had a (delightful) bad habit of baking sweets after dinner, but I never complained. Beggars can’t be choosers.

He enjoyed cooking (usually), put a lot of effort into it, and took pride in every dish. I cooked occasionally, but we both preferred his cooking over mine. You would too.

In the early weeks of fending for myself, I relied heavily on familiar fast and easy options. Then I tried a lot of frozen, ready-made stuff. Most of it wasn’t particularly healthy, and the healthier choices weren’t very good. More often than not, the unhealthy choices weren’t very good either.

I rarely go out to eat — like maybe once a month, if that. I’ll grab lunch sometimes, and on rare occasions, treat myself to fried chicken from KFC for dinner. The rest of the time, I eat at home.

Most nights, I cook. The meals I fix for myself almost always consist of a protein (grilled whenever possible), a green vegetable (microwaved), and a starch. Nothing requires much prep time. I’m too busy (lazy) for anything complicated.

My grocery-shopping habits have changed too. I go online for personal care items, household supplies, and anything Toodles needs. At the store, most of what I buy comes from the perimeter — like nutritionists recommend.

I’m less likely to throw food out — leftovers get eaten for lunch or dinner the next day. I’m also less likely to buy more than I need, and more likely to freeze the excess when I do.

My culinary skills have improved with experience. I’m too good for Worst Cooks in America now, but would never win Chopped, Master Chef, or even the Kids Baking Championship. I’ll share some of my fast and easy menus in a future post. Thanks for stopping by!


2 responses to “Dinner Time”

  1. We’re big fans of the America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks (and TV show). They analyze all kinds of factors and try cooking things differently to see what works best and then share the tastiest method. Because we don’t eat a lot at a time, the hubby (who does the meats) usually cooks up a batch and we freeze it in serving portions, so that might be something to consider so you don’t have to fire up the grill quite so often. I’m glad to see you are taking care of yourself (0;

    • The ex was a HUGE fan of America’s Test Kitchen and used a lot of those recipes. Thanks for the tips and for stopping by!