Figuring out what I wanna be when I grow up.
Oop..I AM grown up...


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Table For One

Sometimes I get to be alone.  Blissfully alone.  The Man and the kids go out, and leave me at home for a much needed mental break.  Gone are the days when I would hit McYuk's drive through, and race home with a brown bag filled with hot, joyous, terrible food.  After all, I'm pretty good friends with my HEART now.

 There's one meal I make more than any other when I'm all by my happy lonesome.  I concocted it myself even, and it involves TOMATOES, which everyone else here but me complains about bitterly:
 Oh waaa, tomatoes are yucky!  Ew, I don't like the seeds.

 Honestly--if you can't like a gorgeous, glossy, red, sweet, summer tomato, plucked sunshiny-warm from my sister's garden, then truly, you are dead to me.  Oh! Did I say "DEAD TO ME?"  Well, that's a tad harsh, isn't it! 

I stand behind what I said.

 Anyhoo, we all love junk food.  We'd all prefer to just boil up a hot dog when we're alone.  We all lurv hot dogs.  Wieners are the shiznit.  We know this.  But, sometimes you have to treat yourself like the amazing person that you are, so why not make something that's EASY, but nice, because you frigging deserve it!

 Remember:  you can make it any way you like.  Or hell, you don't have to make it at all.  You can have more, or less tomato, more or less balsamic vinegar, more or less (or none) parsley.  You get the picture.


 karen's Pasta For One

- Whole wheat spaghetti.  How much is a serving size?  Who is the magical wizard who always knows how much freaking spaghetti makes a serving?  Not I.  I wing it, so I end up with less than a cup of cooked pasta.  ANd don't freak that it's WHOLE WHEAT.  It still tastes yummy, and it's better for you.

 - One fresh, ripe, gorgeous tomato, cored, diced, and tossed with:

- One teaspoon of Balsamic vinegar

- Half teaspoon of salt and pinch of brown sugar (adjust vinegar, salt and sugar to taste).  Stir occasionally as you prepare the other ingredients.

-. 1/4 cup (or more, or less as desired, or omit) flat leaf parsley chopped

-  1/2 cup feta cheese chopped into small dice


* Make tomato "salad" as indicated above.  Stir occasionally.
* Boil salted water - Add pasta and cook for approx 9-10 minutes, or less if you like very al dente pasta.
* Coarsely chop feta cheese
* Chop parsley
*Drain pasta and toss all ingredients together in your serving dish.
*Pour yourself a friendly glass of wine in the good crystal that you got for your wedding (after you rinse the dust off)
*Chow down













The sweet, tangy "sauce" created by the tomatoes mixed with the vinegar, paired with the salty feta and the hardy pasta makes me freak out.

And see?  Nobody's here to see you CHOW DOWN.  Nobody's here to tell you you have parsley in your teeth, or that you shouldn't eat all that delicious feta cheese.

Now tell me:  what's your favourite meal to make for yourself when you're all alone?



53 comments:

  1. OMG I'm soo making that! But when do I have time just to myself? I'll have to make for everyone!

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    1. ah jennie--time to ourselves is PRECIOUS. FREAKING PRECIOUS. Let me know if you lurv it if you get to make it!

      Delete
  2. Yummmers! I will make that! Meal for one? hmmmm. I make a homemade fresh mushroom soup. It is insanely good. I eat it until I explode and then i congratulate myself on my healthful ways! But for real, I will make anything veggie based. I get very sick of meat but my hubby feels I'm not feeding him well unless something dead is on the plate!

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    1. that sounds very good Leanne. I think you'd better share the recipe. I think most women are happy, happy, happy to have a meatless meal or two or three, but men always want a sausage thrown on their plates. Wait. That sounds weird.

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  3. hmmm.... pre-dietary changes, my favorite alone food was a huge plate of nachos complete with fake taco meat and gobs of cheese.
    now.... wait, what's alone time again? it's been so long since i've had any that i'm not sure i'd even know what to do or eat with myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherilinnie, your fave alone food of the past sounds utterly delicious. However, I would have heartburn now if I enjoyed that. What is fake taco meat? Stir-fried tofu?

      Do you ever organise a night or a day or a weekend day or whatever whereby Brooke goes out with Daddy?

      Delete
  4. Grilled cheese sandwich with real cheese not that swished up stuff wrapped in plastic.

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    1. Johanna, I never make grilled cheese sandwiches with processed cheese. I LURV processed cheese, but NOT for a grilled cheese sandwich. Too bland.

      Delete
  5. Mmmmm... me copy dat.

    aimee

    (with the tomatoes from my backyard!)

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  6. I so rarely get to be Blissfully Alone, but now I am to the Season of Life where I don't care if the Others eat at all... they can fend for themselves if they're not digging what I'm Jonesin' for when I dutifully get into the Kitchen to prepare a fabulous meal. *LOL*

    Mine isn't too far off your Fav... mine is Fresh Ciglienne Mozzarella nuggets and Freshly picked Sweet Basil from the Garden, melted upon Pizza Crust and drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil {because being Extra Virgin is Special I would Imagine..., not that I'd KNOW, but I would Imagine?! Winks}. Your Posts always make me smile and cheer me up... which I've needed lately... perhaps I need MORE Blissfully Alone time too I suspect. *Le Sigh*

    Blessings and Bon Apetite from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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    1. Poor Dawn! You need some relax time. Treat yourself to a few nice things to get you out of your slump. That pizza sounds freaking delicious.

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  7. Ohhh crap, I forgot to add the Gorgeous Cherry Tomotoes!!! I LOVE Cherry Tomatoes!

    Dawn... The Bohemian

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  8. Awwww... Thanks for the Sage Wisdom, Advice and Encouragement! I needed that and shall give it a try since I know it is the stress that is getting to me, damn stress, it is the devil I tell you... so, I'll start with hoarding the ingredients for a few of those Pizzas... sorry to Torture you with the thought of them, they are simply decadent... and I'm the ONLY one in the Family that Loves 'em that way so I get them all to myself! *Winks*

    Dawn... The Bohemian

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    1. I'm making homemade pizza tonight, coincidentally, but it won't quite be the sophisticated version you mentioned.

      Delete
  9. You should have made this table for two last week and i would have come right over! Yummy Karen...I eat alot of pasta and love it so many ways!!

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    1. Damn it Pam, you're right. I should have! What is the matter with me? Did you have a lovely trip? You need to move back.

      Delete
  10. I used to make myself curried sausages :)
    My alone time now is after dinner two nights a week, so pretty much anything I can scrounge up. Usually a cup of tea and some chocolate.

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    1. did you make them from scratch, Sprite? My husband would freak. He loves all things curry.

      Ah chocolate...I need some this week. Sigh.

      Delete
    2. I sure did. My hubby makes curried sausages now and I can happily say that his are WAY yummier.

      Delete
  11. Who the crap doesn't love tomatoes??? This recipe looks super delicious. I have way TOO MANY meals alone and I usually eat poached eggs. Takes five mins to cook, uses one small pan and you can eat them standing up at the kitchen bench. My life is all about luxury, glamour and utilitarianism. Sarah xxx

    ReplyDelete
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    1. funnily enough, Sarah, I don't think I've ever had a poached egg before. Fried, hard boiled, etc, etc, but never poached. Brilliant lack of dishes though, don't you think? Mine's pretty low on dirty dishes too! Hooray!

      Lots of people hate the wondrous tomato. I don't get it.

      Delete
  12. I make fried potatoes and eat them ALL BY MYSELF.

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    1. yummy. With lots of salt I hope! Or maybe some yummy seasonings???

      Delete
  13. I used to (okay, once) cook mussels in wine and spices just for myself. Yes. This is now on the very long list of foods dangerous to a person on immune-suppressants, and that's okay, I've gotten lazy too. But your recipe is brilliant. I could do that, except I'm not allowed the feta. Yes, it sucks.

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    1. mussels! Maybe there's a seafood substitute, Jeanne? Yeah, maybe not. How come you can't eat feta? I think it's relatively low fat and all. I could be completely deluded on that one though. Ah well, I'll keep believing it.

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  14. Know what I find truly " inspirational" besides " Nice"?
    Johnny Depp.
    Know what I find " incredible"?
    The mob.
    And what I'm really "understanding" , is that mafia has gone global on the internet with chefs, musicians, cars, bikers, and finance.
    Soul Pancakes .
    Even Chowder.
    And some people even have the nerve to call it clowder.
    Cho.
    Lowe.
    And explosives with " Rick the Prick".
    All for Cocuk!
    Which some people call Cocons.
    And even Texcoco.
    Imagine that.
    To think Washington and the Tea Party are all involved with corruption with the Queen!
    And everybody's getting fees for guns, organs, drugs and bombs.
    There's a guy called " Billy Boo 222" who probably is the same " Billy Gunn" and " Blemmou ".
    And even bloggers are implicating themselves with " mmmmm" and " hmmm".
    So the next time you have a blog and you speak of " DOWNN" and " SYRIA" and " DASSAULT in MAINE- TORONTO" , know you have ousands following you in " CHUMATO" .
    It may not be our kind of " MUSSEC" or " RECIPE" , but we can " REID".

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  15. I am one of those who DOES NOT LIKE TOMATOES! However, I pretend to for my children, so when my husband makes this meal for us, I know he will only put a few tomatoes on my plate and I will eat it all. EWWWW slimy insides of a tomato just make me want to puke. There are about only a handful of veggies I do not like. Would you believe I even worked on a tomato farm when I was a teenager, can't stand the smell.

    Oh and yes I still loved reading 50 Shades of Grey, ALL THREE! I found out that yep I am a succubus as far as my husband is concerned and he is going around work telling all the guys at work to have their wives read the books. I keep trying to tell him that it is not the books! Your wife has a dirty mind and we will leave it at that.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Maybe that's why you hate tomatoes, Alaina; because you worked on a tomato farm! They can be pretty repulsive when they're a) over-ripe, or b) rotten.

      That is so funny about your hubby. Ah well, good for him! I need to develop a dirtier mind. It's too bogged down by the kids CONSTANTLY asking me someone farted.

      Delete
  16. I make something similar though mine has some olive oil in it too and it is THE BEST.
    Try this for lunch some time, you won't regret it:

    chopped tomato
    chopped or crumbled feta
    light Gazebo dressing (or oil and vinegar or light Italian or whatever you want)

    mix it together and then scoop up with light 7grain Wasa crackers (huge like the long graham cracker and only 20 calories each!)

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    1. Yummy Beth. Just yummy. I'd eat that all day. Yes, I forgot to mention about drizzling a little oil on if one likes at the end.

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  17. Luckily everybody here loves tomatoes, so I'm going to copy that recipe if you don't mind.:-)

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    1. I absolutely don't mind, Anke. Let me know how you make out with it :)

      Delete
  18. Ah you posted! I have been following your blog for about a week now and have gone back to the archives to read all of them. Its like crack! I can't get enough of your blog. I love when you post about food. I am from Texas (no I don't ride a horse or a cowboy) and my cooking is limited to Mexican food, burgers, and chicken. While my family is not picky when it comes to food, my husband has celiac's disease. Most gluten free stuff sucks arse so I have to come up with creative alternatives. I love this and think I am going to try it out tonight since the hubs is gone for work for the next 2 weeks. I might even make it for him and just sub the wheat noodles for corn noodles (more expensive but safer for his diet) Anyways, love love love your blog!

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    1. Hello and welcome, Sharla. What a lovely comment. You made my day!
      I'm so glad my blog is crack to you. My ego lurvs it too. Down, ego, down.

      Gluten free is a big challenge, no? It's in a TON of things. Corn noodles have no gluten? Incidentally, I've never seen corn noodles. Now I'll have to take another browse through the gluten-free section because I'm curious!

      Delete
    2. I have to go to certain specialty stores to get them. Super duper expensive though so for the most part, we don't eat pasta. Gluten is in so much stuff. Although I must say, the brand "Amy's" is delish if you are looking for great meatless, gluten free alternatives for "tv dinners." Stay away from the chili though. I'm from Texas with cajun roots and love me some tabasco on just about everything, but that black bean chili will kick my butt every time. Oh, and I wish I could grow flowers like you. The Texas heat zaps them every time. The only thing I've been able to keep alive is the mother-in-law tongue (the thing just wont die!) and my poinsettia which I have no idea why it hasn't died...I keep forgetting to water it and it survives.

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    3. the poinsettia, like many other flowering "house" plants actually seems to prefer a good dry-out between watering. Now I will have to google what plants you could grow outdoors that withstand the texas heat! I'll bet you could grow some bougainvillea and other vines with wonderful success! Oo..it says that the "Texas lilac" is drought tolerant. That's pretty! Or lantana (also known as 'mexican hats') are drought tolerant too. A few websites have also suggested zinnias. They're lovely.

      I probably don't get the "Amy's" brand here in Canada. Seriously--we are LACKING in fun food products here. I used to love spicier food, but my daughter flips if the food is just the tiniest bit spicy. I suppose I could get some tabasco sauce like you!

      Delete
  19. I'm always eating a meal for one, alone, so I guess my whole menu qualifies! Though my guilty pleasure was pasta with home made spaguetti sauce and, yes, tomatoes! Maybe mushrooms and oregano too, why not.

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    1. I frigging love homemade spaghetti sauce, Tanner. EXCELLENT CHOICE. I love mushrooms too. My daughter thinks they are repellent. I think they are wonderful.

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  20. This horrible but I DON'T KNOW!!! I'm always feeding three kids, three different meals. If I were pushed up against a firing squad, I'd have to say a good hot dog, on the grill.

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    1. damn straight about hotdogs Lizbeth. Damn straight. Three different meals. Ah, excuse me as I go make homemade pizza for the girl and I, and a peanut butter sandwich for the boy for dinner. Sigh.

      Delete
  21. I am moving back one way or another! When I do, Diane, you, Aimee and me are getting together!!(If it's at Diane's I'll be cooking since she hates it lol )
    So stay tuned for my arrival!!

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  22. I can't have wheat pasta or tomatoes, but that sure looks good.

    My diet is horribly restricted, so I usually eat the same things over and over again. It actually grosses me out, and has taken the joy out of eating. I cheated during our trip to Austin and indulged in some yummy Tex Mex and I'm STILL paying for it.

    It was worth it:)

    I'm lazy if it's just me. I'll make whatever requires the least amount of dishes.

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    1. I think you've hinted at your restrictive diet before Vesta. Or did you actually do a post on it?? Maybe it's good in a way to take some of the joy out of eating. Less addictive then, perhaps?

      Delete
  23. I just stopped by for coffee, but since hubby lives in a jar now and I cook for one, I'm staying to eat.. thanks.

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    1. lives in a jar! I must ponder what this means...a peanut butter jar? That jar would be okay. I could live in that one.

      Thank you for stopping by, your highness, it's always nice to see new friends :)

      Delete
  24. I hate cooking.
    I used to enjoy it, but the relentlessness of cooking family meals, including the deciding/planning, cooking, allowing for the kids' various preferences, allowing for other kids coming for tea, what time the man is home from work, doing a kids tea early then a parents tea later, etc, blah bloody blah blah - well, it's sucked any pleasure out of cooking, I'm afraid. I can't remember when it used to be fun...
    So if I had the joy of being along (a rare event!) I would eat a massive bag of crisps, washed down with a bottle of wine. (That should probably be whine, right?!)
    But your meal for one sounds SO much better. I will try it. Tomatoes are the food of the gods.
    PS. Can someone explain that very odd Anonymous comment to me? I am mystified! xxxxxx

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    1. Curtise, if I enjoyed your dream meal now, it would be heartburn city. Lousy aging process.

      Oh! I'm so happy you noticed that anonymous comment. If you google "billy boo 222", you will notice that the...poet(?) above has dropped by many blogs to comment.

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  25. I too am blissfully alone this weekend. But I DON'T cook, cuz every other sunshine-y day I DO and it's HEALTHY! Sooooo I tend to stray a little while the mice are away *evil laugh* I stopped at my local pizza shop & got me a dish of baked ziti, a side salad, & garlic toast. As any PMSing, pasta loving, feign would do, I tossed the salad in the fridge for the fam when they return & I scarfed the pasta & bread while catching up on my favorite blogs. Pure bliss ♥

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  26. I LOVE HOTDOGS!!! I also adore lovely fresh tomatoes, so I'm not dead to you, luckily. I'm definitely making this, being the pasta obsessed bitch that I am xxxx

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