For some reason, I was unable to answer today’s prompt. I think it may be that I wrote yesterday’s prompt so late last night. Anyway, I would like to put across my 2 cents worth on today’s subject, ie: what is my specialty.

TOAST

I have spent a large part of my life planning meals, writing shopping lists, figuring out how to include children and visitors who may have special requirements and then carrying out the cooking of those meals.

About 2 years ago I had almost reached my limit! It was all one big round of plan, buy, cook, eat, clean up, plan, buy, cook and so on, and on and on. Then, I rebelled – but I, myself, still needed to eat and to make sure that I eat as healthily as my budget and likes/dislikes allowed.

So, I stopped cooking for Julian on Monday nights. I had already stopped in-person shopping because of giving up my car. I did my shopping by going on-line and making an order which would be delivered on a Monday morning. I ordered a ‘ready meal’ for Julian each week and occasionally, one for myself. So, that gave me a free evening when – HOORAY! – I didn’t have to cook.

That was okay, but it still left 6 nights when I had to cook……hmmmmm. What to do?

I got it down to 5 nights a week by a mutual decision that we would go out to eat at one of the many local restaurants for Sunday lunch. (I can’t eat a BIG meal in the evening any longer! My digestive system is getting older, too.) So, on Sundays we go to an Italian restaurant or a Turkish restaurant, or a Chinese restaurant, or maybe an Indian restaurant.

That still leaves me with 5 evening meals……

Okay. I am stuck at the moment at 5 evening meals to plan and prepare but I have made them as work-free as possible by buying pre-prepared vegetables, pre-prepared potatoes or microwave rice, and some sort of meat or fish which doesn’t need a lot of work. No longer do I make stews, casseroles, pies – it’s all chicken pieces in the oven, fish fillets in the oven, or the occasional sausages – in the oven.

The one meal I do still ‘cook’ is ‘cottage’ pie, but I make ‘deconstructed’ cottage pie because I don’t bother to put the mashed potato on top of the meat, vegetables and gravy underneath. It’s all the same stuff but not fancy! And, that meal is made in the microwave!

If I could get away with it (and we didn’t absolutely need vegetables every day,) I would make only TOAST! And my choice of bread to use, every time, would be Jason’s Grains and Seeds, Ciabattin sourdough. It is, by far, the best bread in the whole universe (as far as I’m concerned, anyway!)

To my toast, I would add butter and either cheese or peanut butter or jam and I would eat it with an egg or avocado or soup or baked beans. I guess I’d have to get Julian to cook or warm up the preceding if my only cooking was toast and I don’t see that happening any time soon so I’ll just stick to having my toast for lunch, with whatever I feel like on the day and carrying on ‘cooking’ in the evenings. But, someday…………..