One of the strangest things about Chad moving out has been the adjustment in my cooking.
Chad's an eater.
He's a big eater.
And the jerk never gains a pound. (I say that in the nicest possible way.)
Now that he's gone, I've had to re-learn how to cook for a smaller family. I don't quite cook for three or even two. I cook for 1.75.
The first time I made enchiladas, I filled my normal 9 x 14 pan with cheesy verde goodness. And the kids and I ate enchiladas for lunch and dinner for nearly a week.
The second time, I made them in a brownie pan.
It was enough for dinner and Joseph's lunch.
And it's not just the cooking. Grocery shopping is different as well. Two loaves of bread is more than enough for two weeks. One package of tortillas last a week and the peanut butter is still half full.
In a weird way, it's similar to being single, but with the kids, I can't rely on my single gal standbys of Cheerios for dinner and jelly bellys for breakfast.
My twenties weren't the healthiest.
So I find myself scouring my brain for simple, kid friendly meals that can be cooked in advance or just heated up. So far, pasta seems to be high on the list. And I remember to cut the recipes in half.
Except for the pizza.
3 comments:
I still have a hard time cooking for us. Scott is too unpredictable- sometimes he asks for more, and other times he is offended that I would assume he could eat so much. I think unless we are cooking for 4 or more LEGIT eaters, it's hard to guess how much.
Spaghetti bake.
2 cups of elbow or spiral noodles.
Cook the noodles
Put the noodles in a casserole pan.
Pour enough sauce over it until the noodles are wet and coated
Cover with cheese (4 cheese is my fav)
Bake for 20m at 350
Serve
Enough for 1-2 adults and 1-2 kids
Keep making them in the 9x14 & freeze the leftovers, portioned out. Would make for easy reheats & no cooking work nights (and portioned frozen meals means not eating the same leftovers several nights in a row). Stir frys with baby corn...whatever they think of the rest, li'l hands nibbling li'l ears of corn is dining entertainment! :> (And if they won't eat the rest, I'll come over! ;>)
Breakfast for dinner is also a fast easy one...eggs or pancakes.
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