Failure to Launch, Ready for Lunch
Living alone for the very first time is intimidating at any age. It’s the definition of being responsible for yourself, which is the one downside of independence that none of us really want to talk about, let alone deal with. You can’t rely on the sound of your roommate’s blender to wake you up, and that internal pressure you feel when you see them meal-prepping has vanished. Sure, it means you can operate however you want. But it also means you have to decide what’s best for yourself (scary) when it comes to your routine.
Me, age 7, going absolutely bananas for a Nutella crepe.
Personally, I rely on the presence of other people to motivate me. That’s mainly because I don’t want to be perceived as lazy and I have raging ADHD, so getting myself to do things is a chore by itself. Watching people around me so easily accomplishing tasks like cooking put a fire under my butt on the daily. Surrounded by healthy eaters, it wasn’t as hard for me to get up and go cook myself a quality dinner.
Cut to my first week living alone: I opt for cereals, frozen dinners and salad kits. And the necessary and eternal pint of ice cream I keep in the freezer. I didn’t feel good, and I missed the pride of photographing all the colors I’d have on my plate. So, I voluntarily became an ingredient household aside from the frozen backups (Trader Joe’s just has such great stuff). I want my routine to align with what’s best for me, and that means I need to cook often.
I dread eating the same thing every day and cooking in bulk, so weekly meal-prepping is out for me. I’m also cooking for one, but one who likes having a reasonable amount of leftovers for lunch the next day. I don’t always meet my nutrition goals, nor do I track my micros, macros or macarons. I like to cook with what I have in a relatively short time frame, and I like bright flavors and colors. Those are the only parameters here.
With that, I’ve decided to start a series of the recipes I make while living in my tiny studio apartment as a currently unemployed 20-something. If you’re anything like me (A.K.A. if you grew up kinda chubby and/or with internet access), you’ve had a real love-hate relationship with food. I’m telling you, cooking is the best way to change that dynamic; with each step, I like to think I have a little more gratitude for what I’m making. Stay tuned! More budget-friendly, flavor filled recipes are on the way.
