Average Jane Dines Alone

The other day a friend and I discussed the differences between what we fix for dinner when our husbands are around and what we have when we're on our own.  There are a number of nutritionally-suspect meals I would never feed to my diabetic husband that I eagerly make when I'm home by myself in the evening:

• Pork and beans over rice.  One serving of quick-cooking brown rice topped with a pat of butter and smothered with a can of Van Camp's pork and beans that's been heated on the stove.


• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  Sure, they make EasyMac in small, microwaveable packets, but I can eat a whole box of regular Kraft Mac & Cheese made with butter (but no milk) and accented with freshly ground pepper.

• Tuna and cream of mushroom soup over rice.  Heat up the mushroom soup and tuna until bubbling, serve over white or brown rice.  This is tasty and filling, but it's important to note that we called this "throw-up and rice" when I was a kid.  You can add a few frozen peas to make it marginally more attractive.  Potato chips are a tasty side item with this recipe.

This doesn't count the perfectly legitimate foodstuffs that my husband just doesn't like, such as pot roast, beets, tuna noodle salad, pork tenderloin, rotisserie chicken, ham with beans, steamed broccoli or cauliflower, etc.  Those things I usually eat in restaurants rather than waste the effort of cooking a huge meal that one of us won't eat.  Too many rejected, large meals can lead to unwelcome homicidal thoughts on the part of the cook.

So tell me, what's your "guilty pleasure" meal when you're home alone?

Comments

[purplejoolz]

Value tinned meatballs in tomato sauce over spaghetti topped with cheese. When my partner spotted me buying the meatballs the other day he asked me if I was on my way back from collecting my Old Age Pension!

The only reason against making this is that it takes TWO saucepans and I like to keep washing up to a minimum when I'm catering for myself. (Not that I get any help washing the dishes, but I like to make as little mess as possible to prove it can be done. Ok, yes I'm a sad sad individual. No need to KEEP telling me)

[Yvonne DiVita]

I'm lovin' these posts asking for our feedback on stuff...since my hubby (rather, fiance soon to be hubby) does most of the cooking, I'm usually at a loss when he's not around. I have a p/b&j sandwich...or, resort to fast food. In the winter, since I refuse to go out, I will eat tomato soup. One of my very favorites that...tomato soup. With a grilled cheese sandwich. Yum!

[Bob S-K]

Fluffernutter sandwich, you know, with peanut butter and that fluffy marshmallow stuff in a jar. I put on at least three inches of the white stuff--at least. I want one right now. With milk.

[Jane]

Ooh, I can't believe I failed to mention my favorite sandwich: peanut butter, bacon and lettuce on toast. Mmmm...

[Cagey]

Gouda cheese n crackers with pickles finished off with a nice Boulevard Wheat Beer. Exactly what I ate last night! I also like to snarf on Meatball n' Mozzarella Lean Pockets and Morning Star Buffalo Chik'n Wings when the Husband is out of town.

[mojokittycat]

I like to run by Pizza Shop and grab a canadian bacon and mushroom pizza and salad with pink dressing. Hubby can't stand that place, so it's my best treat-to-me meal.

[Cagey]

Mojo,
They have a Pizza Shop in our area? We used to eat at the one in Lawrence when my parents were actually MARRIED (that tells you how long ago THAT was!)

[Becky S]

Like you, I enjoy a box of classic Kraft Mac 'n Cheese (generic brand just won't do!). Best to throw in a few sliced hot dogs (or tofu dogs).

Another guilty recipe is 2 hot dogs/tofu dogs cooked and sliced vertically. Fill the hotdogs with mashed potatoes and top with slices of American cheese.

[Emily]

Three words: Totino's frozen pizza. Best food in the world. Oh yeah, don't forget the chocolate chip cookies to polish it off. :)

[Keith Povall]

My weekend pleasure when making mashed potatoes for lunch ahead of lunchtime, is to spread the crust of a white sliced loaf thickly with butter, then spread a nice thick carpet of mash on the crust and have a mashed potato sandwich YUM

[Dave]

In University, I survived on microwaved hot dogs served on white bread. Now, it's merely a comfort food... plus it's ridiculously cheap and filling.

[Elisabeth]

Two of my favorite guilty pleasure eats - Frito pie (Fritos with chili and cheese) and vienna sausages.

[Krusty]

Totinos! Yes. No one else in my family will eat that pizza. Also, I love spicey Korean noodles with vienna sausages on the side. That's way too much sodium for my husband so I try to make it my own little private thing.

[Daisy]

Mashed potato sandwiches? Keith, you need to go meet my mother! My grandfather's daily treat was condensed milk sandwiches, with a liberal sprinkling of sugar. Bleugh.

Bestest treat when I'm home alone is french toast and a nice big mug of tea. Mmm.