Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Irenadler

Hey all

MIA again, sorry to read about your Menieres playing up Caron, hope you are feeling more like yourself now. Am sending you virtual sausage rolls!

Had a feeing of CBA yesterday on the food:
Porridge
Soup n yogurt
Toast

A little better today:

Porridge with banana n plum
Jacket spud, coleslaw, salad, sliced chicken
Toast n hot cocoa

To whoever said about the dog eating it's own vomit, (bleurgh) :eek:, yes my dog tries that trick sometimes!

And to those feeling tired of CFO, you have my sympathy, I am still getting used to CFO, rather than two, over-cooking, over-buying, and sometimes, crying a little bit that the OH isn't here to eat it any more.

Then I pick myself up, think of the good memories we had, rather than the sad, and soldier on again. I know he wouldn't want me to grieve forever... At least we had our time together, for a good run, and yes, I would get a cuppa in bed some mornings, but, no use dwelling on it.

moneyistooshorttomention

PasturesNew wrote: »

If you're part of a couple, with the other absent, it's a different mindset to being alone/billy no mates again. You carry yourself differently, there's a different dialogue in your head. Doing something on your own is a different experience because you're entirely choosing to do that thing, on your own, as you've another life/choices you could make... if that makes sense.

In part it's because if somebody tries to "bother you" you're more able to confidently/forcefully tell them to sling their hook as you already have a bf/husband/man.... when you're approached and already in "flight mode" it's harder to lie through your teeth to get rid of unwanted attention.

Now I don't see it like that - I see it as being a "strong, independent person (note I said "person" - not "woman") who has better things to think about than having to make a meal for themselves every mealtime (whether they like it or no).

But then I am very much a product of my home city - which is a very modern/self-confident/individualistic place. A fact that didnt strike me for one nanosecond - until I moved elsewhere in the country (yeh...I know...I know....and fancy thinking the rest of the country was much the same = mea culpa) - and have had to sometimes make a conscious effort to act/think in our normal (yep...basically pretty confident) way that I took for granted.

So I'm a bit nervous about a posh restaurant on my own of an evening - but would certainly do so if it was in a hotel I was staying in anyway or the like. But anywhere else = pfuh! why should/would I feel that way?:huh: Even if I wasnt staying there - if the evening choice was between a Wimpy bar/grotty pub or somewhere I liked the look of - then I'd just pull my shoulders back and walk into the place I liked the look of and eat there.

*************

Anyways - tonight's meal was some sourdough bread/some more of my cashew "cream cheese" and I tried out that recipe for summertime oatmeal from my new cookbook. It turned out to be basically overnight oats by another name - so porridge oats/plant mylk/frozen blueberries/flaxseed/chia seed/date syrup (amendment to recipe being that I shall do a quarter of that in future - rather than half of what he said).

caronc

Good evening everyone,
Thanks for the virtual sausage roll Irenadler, it has been virtually scoffed piping hot with a dollop of chutney:D

The down side for me in solo dining is the lack of social interaction. For me a huge part of going out to eat is the company and conversation. What I do wish we had round here was a "Supper Club", my sister & I spoke about doing one as a charity fundraiser a few years ago but it never came to anything as my health gave way.
I've had a very peaceful and [STRIKE]lazy[/STRIKE] restful day so feel a bit better in myself. These bad spells alway make feel a bit twitchy/keyed up so good to feel more like me this evening. Just need to re-find my balance and hopefully get the wonky donkey put to bed for a bit.:)

My lunch of a crusty roll with ham and coleslaw was as good as I hoped it would be - really hit the spot. I had planned to have coleslaw tonight with my chicken/corn/sweet potatoes but will have a big flat mushroom instead. I've also a lurking globe artichoke that really needs using so will prep and roast it while the oven is on and decide tomorrow what to do with it. Unusually for me I had a snack mid-afternoon- chocolate brazils (a box appeared over Christmas), dried figs and grapes.:) I just need to avoid the temptation to scoff the rest of the brazils as I find them very moreish.:o

wort

I'm still feeling stuffed from dinner at the Indian.
I had peshwari chicken and rice plus aloo saag, with a taste of garlic chicken, and chicken bhuna.
I've brought home a doggy bag of my meal !

I've not eaten out on my own . Though on the cruise when my hubby became ill I was eating alone as the rest of the people at our table for 8 never turned up!!
The problem I have is I feel embarrassed, I'm not sure why, I suppose not having anyone to speak to, and thinking people are watching you.

.

moneyistooshorttomention

I can understand the feeling of embarrassment at eating on one's own - but everyone has to eat at mealtimes. I guess the main way I got through it was I'm a bit of a "people watcher" - and so I'm often surreptitiously watching other people anyway.

Coming from where I do - there are a lot of people living there that come from better-off/more confident backgrounds than I do and they've learnt to "know what they want" and obviously confidently expect to get it even by University age. I watch and try to imitate. If they can act like they take it for granted they will form their own opinions about things/ask for what they want and assume they'll get it - then so can the rest of us imo.

So I guess I tend to feel "If they can - then why not me too?" and try not to let shoulders hunch/defensive look to come up on face and shove a smile onto my face.

So - they take eating out as an "everyday experience" and walk in perfectly confidently to places and treat it as the norm. The most I've noticed is they'll sometimes bury themselves in their textbooks or busily using an Iphone - which is something you could imitate if you're "wondering what to do with yourself". But most of the time - I notice them just sitting there quietly/confidently with little smile on face and generally having a bit of an interested "good look around them" - so you could imitate that too.

Quite often there's someone else on their own nearby and with an expectant "hoping for company" look on their face. If so - I'll often smile at them and lob in a neutral "opening remark" of some description (any positive comment about the food or the place will do for starters...) and noticeably often a stranger will join you at your table or invite you to theirs and there's a good conversation going by the end of the meal (even in more reserved Southern England).

gt568

I absolutely adore eating out on my own. I can focus on the food and nothing but the food. Zero f*cks are given as to what those around me think.

caronc

Good morning everyone,
It's frosty but sunny her this morning so hopefully I might manage out for a wee walk. If not I'll be sitting on the deck for a bit trying to boost my vitamin )
Planning on a bacon & tomato butty for brunch and I've a piece of steak defrosting for tonight so easy food options. I might make soup this morning - Portuguese Green Bean is being tried out this week:)

Hollyharvey

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'm a bit of a "people watcher" - and so I'm often surreptitiously watching other people anyway.

I'm a bit of a people watcher as well . I love to go and sit in the park when the weather is good and just people watch. The park here is ideal, it is really big with a castle so it attracts a lot of people from out of the area as well as visitors from other countries. As well as the mix of locals like me, there are always some students from the local sixth form college and university as well so it is really interesting.

There is a cafe and an Italian restaurant near the entrance from the town and they have both been granted permission to put tables outside this summer, so I plan to use the outside seating at both of those during the summer. I don't know what the food is like at the restaurant but the menu and prices look good and I've been in the cafe a few times and it is good coffee reasonably priced.

I don't like the idea of paying for coffee like that but I do want to get out a bit more this year.

Hollyharvey

Morning everyone

I've had porridge for breakfast. I was a bit naughty though. My neighbour gave me some cream that she didn't think she would use up yesterday so I had that on it, as well as some berries. It was really nice as a Sunday treat, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lunch will be a sandwich of either cheese with salad or pickle. I think it will be with the salad bits because the lettuce and cucumber is looking a bit sad now.

I'm going to do a roast using a chicken breast for dinner tonight. I've got the potatoes, Yorkshire and stuffing in the freezer so it will be easy to do.

caronc

Hollyharvey wrote: »

I'm a bit of a people watcher as well . I love to go and sit in the park when the weather is good and just people watch. The park here is ideal, it is really big with a castle so it attracts a lot of people from out of the area as well as visitors from other countries. As well as the mix of locals like me, there are always some students from the local sixth form college and university as well so it is really interesting.

There is a cafe and an Italian restaurant near the entrance from the town and they have both been granted permission to put tables outside this summer, so I plan to use the outside seating at both of those during the summer. I don't know what the food is like at the restaurant but the menu and prices look good and I've been in the cafe a few times and it is good coffee reasonably priced.

I don't like the idea of paying for coffee like that but I do want to get out a bit more this year.

A decent coffee had while sitting outside of a cafe on a sunny day people watching is IMHO worth every penny for the feel good factor. A cheap treat in the scheme of things:D