MASTER THE CHALLENGE OF COOKING FOR 2
2. Invest in a meal kit service. If you’re exhausted by cooking and don’t want to build a new repertoire, you might want to use meal kits through your golden years. Dozens of companies will deliver ready-made meals or pre-portioned ingredients directly to your door, including Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Sunbasket, Home Chef, Dinnerly, EveryPlate, and Purple Carrot. Read up on each service (they’re all recommended for two!), and choose the best fit for your diet and budget. A meal kit can be a permanent fix or a temporary tactic to find two-person recipes you love.
There’s one part of empty nesting almost no one talks about: After feeding a family for years, how do you rethink your kitchen to cook for two? Classic recipes like pot roast and roast chicken are challenging to cook in two-person portions and will create a metric ton of leftovers. But that doesn’t mean you have to eat from your freezer for weeks or survive on cereal and pizza rolls! Here are three tips to help you cook for two without compromising healthy eating. 1. Meal plan like you’re a young parent again. This will be a familiar tactic for big families. Back in the day, you probably had “Taco Tuesdays” and “Pizza Fridays” to keep your grocery shopping on track and your kids happy. Now, it’s time to develop a new meal plan! Work with your partner or spouse to choose your favorite recurring meals and find new two- person recipes that fit your preferences. If you’re not sure where to start, consider using a digital meal-planning tool. The editors at CNN recently compared the top meal-planning apps and recommend downloading the premium version of Eat This Much (EatThisMuch.com). It costs $9 per month, and you can use it from your phone or computer. Once you choose your recipes, it will automatically create a grocery list and even give you the option to order grocery delivery!
3.
Turn to the experts. For more inspiration and advice, pick up books like “The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen or “One Pan, Two Plates” by Carla Snyder.
If all else fails, buy backyard chickens — they’re fantastic at gobbling up leftovers!
Get to Know Samantha Baughman!
Hello everyone! I was born and raised in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where I met and married my high school sweetheart, Corey. My husband is a United States Air Force veteran, and our first post was at Cannon AFB in Clovis, New Mexico. As soon as I heard “New Mexico,” I got rid of all my hoodies and warm clothes. I was shocked when we arrived during one of the worst blizzards in New Mexico’s history! After this, I actually got to enjoy the heat of Tucson, AZ, our next post. Now, back in Columbus, I enjoy volunteering at the local dog shelter and, on weekends, hiking in the many beautiful parks around Ohio. We also like community activities and the Ohio Renaissance Festival. I serve as a statewide representative for the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio.
2
www.monastlaw.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator