Grocery shopping for one

Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Grocery shopping for one
27
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 12:39pm

I always have the hardest time grocery shopping!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2005
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 1:09pm

Funny that I just got back from the grocery store!

Avatar for floridagirl52
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-2006
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 1:39pm

I'm a lot like the previous poster. I too love to cook, so it's always kind of fun to plan what I'm going to make. Plus, I can keep it low-fat when I cook for myself.

Freezing in individual portions is really the key. I always have some spring mix on hand and make a wonderful salad pretty much every night with oranges, low-fat vinegarette (with balsamic vinegar), blue cheese, walnuts and a few croutons. Heaven. I too have a variety of things frozen so as not to get burned out. Things like sweet-sour beef stew, chicken tetrazini, chickpea sauce, spaghetti sauce, a variety of soups. I work from home, so I have to have lunches planned when I'm not going out, and right now I'm on a hummus spread sandwich kick. I'll make a little carrot or slaw salad to go with it. Often I will buy a salmon filet when I go to the store and I cook it that night. With it I have a couple of new potatoes microwaved with fresh rosemary, and of course, the spring mix salad.

An often forgotten appliance is the crock pot. Yeah, I know. It's so 70s. But it's so easy, and at the end of the day, you can freeze 8 portions and be done with it. Oh, and don't forget to buy the liners...makes clean up a snap.

I have tons of recipes I got from Cooking Light magazines over the years. Tasty, fun to cook and low fat.

Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 2:07pm

I have several Cooking Light magazines that I've made some recipes from, but there are a lot of them that don't sound appealing at all!

Avatar for floridagirl52
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-2006
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 2:20pm

Well, some things really don't freeze very well. You just have to experiment. In general, I'd say beef and pork probably freeze the best. But chicken can be OK if it's part of a casserole or something. Bread freezes very well. Most seafood just doesn't freeze well.

The other mistake some people make is microwaving the hell out of leftovers (OK, I took a course in microwave cooking, so I learned a lot). If something is frozen, first defrost it for 5 minutes on medium setting. Some things that are more delicate (like chicken or vegetables) should be heated at a lower setting. Move the food around in the container. Contrary to popular belief, a microwave does not heat food from the inside out. So, if you're reheating lasagna, defrost it 5 minutes, then cut it in half and turn it so that the frozen part is on the outside. Don't forget too that a microwave continues to "cook" even after you take the food out. Letting it sit for 5 minutes is a really good idea. Cook it to the point where it seems almost done, then let it sit.

Baking potato hot tip (one potato): Scrub potato. Piece a few times with a knife. Place directly on the tray in the microwave. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on high. Remove from microwave and wrap in foil. Let it stand for 5 full minutes. Serve.

Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 2:23pm

I make baked potatoes in the microwave all the time.

Avatar for floridagirl52
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-2006
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 2:40pm
Hilarious potato story.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2005
Sun, 11-11-2007 - 5:38pm

That potato story was funny!

Avatar for schnappsers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-12-2007 - 11:48am

I love spaghetti squash casserole....mix the cooked squash with italian seasonings and layer it with mozzerella and shredded parmesan. My other favorite meal to make is whole wheat pasta topped with turkey sausage, mushrooms and olives cooked in the juice from the olives and a lot of balsamic vinegar and italian seasonings and a little feta cheese.


Lately, while I've been on a 3 week detox phase of a diet, I've been eating corn tortillas topped with ground turkey cooked with mexican spices with either lettuce, tomatoes and jalapenos or a veggie salsa that I make big batches of.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
Mon, 11-12-2007 - 1:48pm
As you know, I'm a bit of a health nut, so having fresh fruit around

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
Mon, 11-12-2007 - 1:49pm

I posted my response before reading the others. You and I think alike when it comes to food! :)

AJ, enjoying life with C.

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