Do you enjoy cooking for one?
By Fleur
@Fleura (34987)
United Kingdom
September 11, 2023 5:51pm CST
Do you enjoy cooking for just yourself? I confess I don’t find it at all easy. Shopping for food, preparing and cooking it, even eating it all by myself, all seems like a long series of tiresome chores.
In contrast cooking for guests is something I love doing. Browsing through my recipe collection looking for interesting dishes, preparing the meal and serving it to friends who like to try different things, that’s a real treat.
Family fall somewhere between the two. I’m sure all parents are familiar with the ‘Yuk I’m not eating THAT!’ response to some interesting dish you have painstakingly prepared. You just have to keep telling yourself that things will get better.
This week I’m away from home for a few days, so meals are low on the list of priorities. Before I had a family I lived on my own for many years, but solo ‘proper’ meals were a rarity – either I would just grab some bread and cheese and a bit of salad as I rushed from one thing to another, or I would be visiting friends or hosting them at mine.
Obviously many people live on their own and have to have meals every day – I can see why ‘ready meals’ are so popular. Yesterday I confess I bought one myself since I arrived late on a Sunday night when almost all the shops were closed. Today I have cooked myself something I only make when I’m on my own - baked bean curry!
11 people like this
11 responses
@DaddyEvil (174377)
• United States
12 Sep 23
I agree that it's more fun to cook for friends but Pretty and I still have to eat. I do get tired of being the one who has to come up with meals we'll both eat... When she decides to cook for herself, sometimes I just defrost and heat up something from the freezer.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174377)
• United States
12 Sep 23
@Fleura Nope. Sometimes she'll make a side-dish to go with whatever I'm cooking but she usually only cooks for herself.
1 person likes this
@Raine38 (12387)
• United States
12 Sep 23
I find cooking for one to be a challenge. Even for two, it's also tricky for me. When buying ingredients, I find it cheaper to buy in bulk, so I end up cooking for multiple meals. If so, we just reheat and have leftovers. My husband will take some for work.
2 people like this
@Fleura (34987)
• United Kingdom
12 Sep 23
You're right, bulk buying is cheaper. Of course for dry or canned food you can just stock up, if you have the space, but for fresh food it's a problem. I buy larger packs of meat, for example, then put portions individually in bags and freeze them separately. And yes I cook large meals as well and eat the same thing for several days. Normally after 3 days I'm getting fed-up of it, so if I cook a large amount then I portion some up and freeze it for a quick meal on busy days.
@wolfgirl569 (135690)
• Marion, Ohio
12 Sep 23
I would probably buy more frozen or canned meals if it was just me
2 people like this
@Scrapper88 (5980)
• United States
12 Sep 23
Most of the time; I find myself cooking only for myself. I have no one else to cook for.
2 people like this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Sep 23
I've cooked for Hubby . . . then for family with 2 kids . . . but I rarely have had to cook for just me. In fact, when I'm at home alone, I just grab whatever ingredient is in the fridge and eat that (without cooking). Not sure what I'd do if that were long term . . . I definitely have favorites I'd want to cook up. Baked bean curry - sounds delish!!
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Sep 23
@Fleura 
We have containers of different sliced cheeses - yah, I eat that too !
My kids like curry but they don't care for beans . . . I would totally love all of it. Do you eat it as is, or do you have it with rice/noodles/chips/bread?
We have containers of different sliced cheeses - yah, I eat that too !
My kids like curry but they don't care for beans . . . I would totally love all of it. Do you eat it as is, or do you have it with rice/noodles/chips/bread?1 person likes this
@Fleura (34987)
• United Kingdom
12 Sep 23
@much2say So I basically fry a chopped onion gently until soft, add curry powder or ground cumin, coriander, chilli powder or whatever (or all of them!) and heat for a minute or two, add a chopped apple if I have one and I like a few sultanas in there too, then stir in the can of beans in tomato sauce and let it simmer a little.
I usually eat it with plain boiled Basmati rice and some sliced banana and yogurt on the side.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502391)
• Italy
12 Sep 23
I never cooked only for myself. Mom did during many years and she enjoyed, she never bought ready meals and often she spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking for herself. I cook for my husband and I and I love. I also love when I have guests.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222310)
• United States
12 Sep 23
Even if I could still cook, I would not make anything special just for me. I would probably subsist on soup, frozen meals and sandwiches. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
