All the Single Ladies: rumor has it we eat too

Meal planning is hard.  Like, really hard.  Sure, you can subscribe to meal planning kits or services, but I've found that they aren't designed for people like me--busy, single women with taste buds.  But contrary to what you may have heard, single ladies DO eat.  And we like it too!

Most available meal plans/services are family or couple oriented.  With a little ingenuity these can be scaled down, but I've found that the companies that also include vegetarian options try to make them kid-friendly, which means they aren't particularly adventurous (or flavorful).

Balancing your schedule and dietary needs alone is difficult, but food should also be good for the planet and our neighbors and...IT SHOULD TASTE GOOD.  Yeah, that should be shouted.  At this point you may be thinking "no shit" as you're stopped in traffic catching up on texts while eating a granola bar you found crushed in the bottom of your bag.  Been there.  Done (doing?) that.  I promise, I'm not judging. 

Instead, this blog is an attempt to share what I know about the above.  I like cooking.  I like sharing meals with people.  I like building community around food.  But most often I cook for one.  And I have a complicated relationship with all of the above.

Nevertheless, here I am.  I bring with me several commitments to this work.  The first is that meals should be:

1. nutritious & balanced
2. tasty & adventurous 
3. seasonal
4. flexible
5. easy on the meat

The second is that I am committed to make things interesting but manageable.  To that end, weekly meal plans will make 10-12 meals, and include:

1. one staple
2. one meat dish
3. one new vegetarian dish (I'm pretty excited about getting to try such new things)
4. snack suggestions

I also plan to post breakfast and dessert ideas periodically, as well as party ideas.  Heck, maybe I'll even include cocktail suggestions!

I know food is a really difficult thing.  Most of us have a complex relationship with the things we eat (I do want to point out that complexity isn't necessarily a bad thing).  I want to share what I know, and make a difficult thing easier.  Or maybe make a shameful thing less shameful. So, finally, I commit to sharing what I know without blaming or shaming. And maybe along the way you'll find recipes or tricks that make you excited about what you eat and the place it comes from!