 | Pam Pirotte was raised in Wichita and received her Masters in Nursing from WSU. She was a nursing educator as well as a bedside nurse until 1986, when care in the home became her focus. Pam considers this the most rewarding field available to nursing personnel. The relationships are positive and precious. “People appreciate us for keeping them in their own homes.” Pam lives with her husband, donkeys, ducks, chickens, geese, goats, dogs and cats, near Leon, Kansas. Saint Raphael Home Care is located at 903 West 18th, Wichita, KS 67203, and Pam can be reached at 316-269-5400. |
Senior Living
2008-03-01 09:38:00
Cooking for one instead of two
Question: I am newly single again after 30 years; how can I cut down on the junk food merry-go-round?
Answer: The first thing you do to stop eating fast food, is to stop putting yourself in a situation where you say to yourself, “I don’t have time,” or “there is nothing that is quick.”
Set time aside once a week to make a list of groceries to buy. Buy only what is on your list. Do not go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, you’re more likely to grab more than you need and the purchases will most likely be high-fat snacks and desserts. Be sure to limit the amount of fresh fruit you purchase. It is very hard to keep fruit fresh for more than one week.
After you get home, prepare all of your groceries as described below to help your groceries last longer:
(1) Before freezing raw hamburger, chicken, or any other meat, portion one serving into bags. (This could mean ¼ pound of beef, or one chicken breast.) Tie and label them, then freeze. Thaw one portion for quick and individual meal preparation.
(2) When chopping up part of an onion or green pepper for a recipe, chop the entire onion or green pepper and then freeze the remainder in a bag for later use.
(3) When preparing spaghetti sauce or other sauces and soups, put the unused portions (cooked or not) into a plastic container, label it, and freeze for a later meal.
(4) Freeze your bread. Put half of a fresh loaf in a bag in the freezer so it won’t go bad before you can eat all of it.
(5) Place wax paper between tortillas and freeze them so you can use them individually as needed.
(6) Fresh veggies like broccoli should be prepared and placed in zip lock bags for easy access. Baby carrots are ready to eat out of the bag.
If you PREPARE your portions ahead of time, then there will not be that excuse of….”I didn’t have time.” ….or “there isn’t anything that’s quick.”
• Now it is just a matter of throwing the chicken breast in the skillet and making a simple tossed salad or baked potato to make a complete meal.
• You will find that the actual preparation time is much shorter than waiting in a fast food line at rush hour. You will feel good because you are eating healthy. And you will know what is in the food you consume.
Try this recipe:
Macaroni and Cheese for One
1 T. butter
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. flour
¼ tsp.. Mustard
½ tsp.. salt
½ tsp.. chopped onion
Pinch pepper ¼ cup (dry) macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
½ cup milk
2 saltines crushed
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a saucepan, melt 1 T. butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper. Whisk in milk until smooth. Cook and stir for two minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese, mustard, worcestershire sauce, and onion; stir until cheese is melted. Add macaroni. Transfer to a greased 1-cup baking dish. Sprinkle with crushed saltines. Optional: Macaroni and cheese can be eaten without baking, as long as it is heated thoroughly in the saucepan. (Saltines are optional). Bake uncovered at 350° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 1 serving.
Other general ideas:
•Make a crock pot of soup or stew-individually freeze single servings.
•Grill several chicken breasts or hamburgers on the grill and freeze single servings.
•Make a batch of home made cookies and freeze single servings.
•Make a batch of taco seasoned hamburger. Freeze in single servings. Thaw and place in a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc.
Be Creative. Be Smart. Feel Better.
