Since my arrival to my Austin living environment, I have had one recurring problem that bugs me: what do I eat?
I grew accustomed to cooking for 3-4 people last year living in a shared apartment. Most of the time there was at least one other party present to assist in the preparation, give suggestions, and share in the finished product. But now, living in a one-bedroom apartment I find that I have a hard time motivating myself to cook anything more lengthy and time-consuming than enhanced spaghetti sauce. Some of my regular foodstuffs are:
- spaghetti & sauce
- ramen & hotdogs
- macaroni & cheese
- deli-style handmade sandwiches
- flavored rice (a lunch-like item)
- granola & milk (breakfast)
- oatmeal from oats
- grilled cheese & corn
- peanut butter & jelly sandwiches
If I get bored of crappy food, I will go so far as to make:
- asian-flavored beef with wok-fried veggies over rice (very infrequently)
- enhanced spaghetti sauce (jarred sauce mixed with diced celery, onions, and carrots sautéed with sugar, cumin, and black pepper)
- breakfast gruel
- cheap rice pudding (cooked rice + instant pudding + refridgerator)
I also have the issue of purchasing supplies to contend with. Last year I had a car, so getting groceries was a simple task, but now I do not have a car so I must rely on the bus. The one thing that sticks out immediately is “I have to carry this stuff between the store and the bus and from the bus to my apartment.” This fact alone affects purchasing frequency and volume.
I think that I’ll stop ranting now. What do you cook when you cook for one?
I’ve turned into Nick and started resorting to Ramen. If not Ramen, then other noodles that I have. Sometimes I’ll make pasta, and a small amount of meat, but nothing compared to what it was like living last year. I know what you feel though. It’s like I’m cooking to survive rather than cooking just to eat.
I sometimes get those “SoupInACup extends Raman” things too. What about sandwiches?
Yeah. I’ve always had that problem at my apartment. If you motivate yourself, you can make some interesting things. I have a hard time balancing QM, EM and other classes with food making though, so I have been on a peanut butter toast binge of late…
I usually made a bunch of spaghetti that lasted for a couple of days, and had them with varying types of sauce so it wouldn’t get boring. Varying == the powdery kind you have to mix with water and heat OR the kind that comes in jars and doesn’t require an extra pot. The microwave was my best friend.
Sometimes I had different kinds of pasta, too!
(Now I live back at home and have gained about 373,091,923 pounds thanks to Mom’s cookery. Sigh.)
Having never lived in an apartment or on my own, I think I would welcome this challenge. I’m still living with my parents, and they aren’t very open to new foods. Anytime I suggest something new to cook, or suggest a way to alter/improve a recipe that they do use I get strange, unsure looks…. and its getting very frustrating.
Bloody carcass of cow… or pig… or chicken. I usually have meat-stuff in individual baggies so I can defrost and cook it up hassle free. Of course… most people would want something else to eat with their meat… but I just don’t have the patience to cook up that additional stuff.
Lately the microwave has become my best friend. If I can’t microwave it, I can’t be bothered. I do make the occaisional meat-melt sandwich (turkey or ham usually) using the toaster oven, or maybe boiled eggs if I feel really ambitious.
I always cook for one… I love having many kinds of pastas on my shelf at all times. I boil 5 or 6 different kinds—a handful of each kind. I throw in some roma tomatoes as it boils. Drain. A few spoonfuls of butter, some milk, a little flour, pepper, salt, seasonings, stir… It’s very rich and good.
Or, if I do that, but run cold water over it after draining. Put some chopped green peppers, mayonaise, and mustard. I put that on bread and call it a ‘nood sandwich’. = )