Meals for one

I referenced in my other post this evening how I hate making dinner for just myself.  Before I go into my semi-whining like moment here, I want to say that I don’t wish to offend anyone who is accustomed to eating alone because they are either single or for any other reason.  This is a situation where you are accustomed to your spouse being around to enjoy meals with and whenever that spouse deploys, it’s all about the temporarily single you.  Eating dinners, for instance, by myself just sucks.  My DH loves to cook and often will either have dinner started, finished, or we cook together when I get home from work.  He does this b/c he’s home earlier than I am and, as I said, he loves to cook.  When he’s deployed, it’s on me to plan my meals and I’m usually just lazy about preparing things ahead of time so that I’m not staring at my pantry and refrigerator hoping for a brilliant idea to strike me.  Every weekend I say to myself that I will thaw some things from the freezer or bake stuff or put some crockpot type meal together so that I can get several meals out of it and save myself time during the week.  That maybe happens once every 4-5 weeks.  It’s lack of motivation and also being sad and not wanting to expend the effort.  To me, firing up the grill, for instance, to cook a piece of chicken or steak is just silly and so I seldom go that route.  Salads and pastas are usually my dinners.  I must confess, however, that I have eaten popcorn for dinner, as well as nachos or cheese and crackers.  Not the most balanced or nutritional meals by any means but by the time I get home, play with the dogs, workout if that is on the agenda, it’s usually 7:30 or 8:00 and that’s just too late for me personally to bother with anything serious for dinner. 

So, today I was proud of myself for planning at least one thing that I can get several meals out of and save myself some time. 

Well, that’s enough whining for now.  I admit it - I was whining a bit, and I apologize pre-emptively for offending anyone.  I know that there are lots of people in this world for whom meals for one is their lifestyle and so me whining about is just stupid.  This post is for all the people out there that have to adjust to doing this for periods of time and can relate to what I’m saying.