Why this blog?

This blog is for those who live alone and those who find passion in food despite that obstacle.  The idea is to talk about the preparing to the cooking to the eating and all the experiments and experiences along the way.

Whether eating alone or with someone, food fully enjoyed requires time to experience the cornucopia of tantalizing flavors found in a well-prepared recipe that uses the highest quality and freshest ingredients available.

The idea for this blog began nearly 30 years ago when I found myself in a situation of unintended singleness.  Us “girls” who grew up in the 1950's Midwest anticipated a lifetime of marriage filled with family and hours of preparing meals.  My own cooking skills developed from age nine when my parents separated and my mother went to work.  I, being the only girl out of five siblings, became the keeper of the house, which included cooking meals.

When I married at age 24, two children came with the proposal.  I love them as if they came from my own womb.  I also married my husband's large family and his many friends.  Lonnie, now deceased, loved people and most weekends our home filled with visitors.  That meant cooking for a crowd many weekends.

When the marriage ended in 1981, I loaded my 1978 Ford Mustang hatchback with a few personal items, my clothes, a coffee pot and one cup.  I drank my coffee black and I resolved to eat every meal out.  After a few years, however, I found that I really missed my own cooking.  The challenge then became cooking for one person rather than a crowd.  Before I learned, however, the resulting leftovers often became green fungus in the refrigerator.

I tried freezing the extras, but discovered that a frozen dinner is a frozen dinner.  Period.  No matter how you package it or what you call it.  (There are some soups and casseroles that freeze well and I will pass along a few of those on this blog for those days lacking in either time or energy.  Even those of us who love to cook have our moments.

Once I decided to learn to cook for one, I started looking at recipes in a different way.  Most recipes serve four, so simply dividing the ingredients by four and making one serving should work?  Or, at least that is what I thought.  I found division does worked for some recipes; for others, not so well.  Thus began the process of writing recipes and learning along the way.  The recipes and lessons I continue to learn, I pass along to you through this blog and I hope others share their recipes and tips on cooking for one as well.

Single living comes with challenges beyond food, however, so this blog also goes beyond food.  I’ll pass along the things I have learned in other areas of the single life and hope you all will too.