Monday, February 27, 2023

Cooking Changes

 Sounds like a silly title right? Except.... go with me here...




I made Chili.... 4 days ago, and we just put 2 servings in the freezer for later. THAT NEVER HAPPENS!!!

When Child Number 1 left for college, nothing in the cooking department changed... the other children absorbed his portions.... 

When Child Number 2 left - we started having one serving of leftovers..... 

When child number 3 left - I cooked once a week !!!  Seriously! It was crazy....

Then in 2020 my Dad had a Heart attack - and he needed to eat more like a keto type diet - So I started cooking for us and for my Mom and Dad..... Sundays found me in the kitchen prepping our whole weeks worth of food....

Oh ya! and two of my children had come home because Covid closed their living arrangements....



( you get that I was back to cooking for 6 again right?)

Then as Covid restrictions lifted - the boys left me, and I continued cooking for 4 ( us and Mom and Dad)

My Mom passed away - and my cooking went down to three.... but just to be clear - I was cooking Dad 2 meals a day.. and he would eat out one meal - unless it snowed.

We have just realized we are back down to two, with the occasional addition of a kid (what do you call adult kids?)  and now I have to learn to cook for two again - or have leftovers for a year....

Husband likes Leftovers - I do not.... so there's that balance as well.....

All that to say - 



I learned a new recipe!!!


Its called Sheet Pan Fajitas - and it was good!! ( and okay, I even did eat one day of leftovers for this one)

1. Heat the oven to 400deg

2. Slice up Round steak ( or any beef for that matter, I had extra round steaks and I think this makes them more tender)  I used 2 pounds

3. Slice up 3 Bell Peppers

4. slice up 1 onion

Toss them all in a bowl and drizzle some olive ( or avocado oil) over them

Toss your favorite fajita seasonings.  I used Garlic, salt, a little adobo seasoning)

Spread them out in a layer on a cookie sheet and put in the oven for about 20 Minutes.

When I took them out I drizzled them with a little lime juice, and served them with tortilla shells ( corn for us, I am the gluten free one) and it was yummy!!! 

I just realized I don't have a photo....

But you will have to trust me, they were good. I bet you could use chicken too - but you know, beef ranchers - they prefer BEEF ;-)


Wish me luck in learning to cook for Two again.... or learning to like leftovers....



9 comments:

Delighted Hands said...

I am also familiar with the ups and downs of cooking! This is a great post and sounds like a wonderful recipe! Thanks!

Elizabeth V Kelbaugh said...

I have used a chicken sheet pan recipe and love it. The fajitas sound great and worth a try.

cityquilter grace said...

i can sympathize...took me quite a while to learn to cook for one...i would see recipes for 4-6 servings and make the whole thing...now i just pare down the required portions to get 1-2...usually freezing one for later..

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

We had 9 months with only 2 of us (both boys in college) before the oldest graduated and moved home (he's never left). I enjoyed getting to try new recipes during that time (picky eaters). At least my son does most of the cooking now. Hubby eats the little bits of leftovers for lunch.

The Joyful Quilter said...

In our house, we have PLANNED-overs! I buy the family pack of whatever and make the protein two or three different ways. That way, later in the week, all we have to do is warm up the main dish and make sides. Thanks for sharing your new recipe, as I'm all for easy meals!

Bernie Kringel said...

This totally resonated with me. We are down to cooking for two. Fortunately we both love leftovers and try to always make enough for two nights worth. We both cook which helps to split up the kitchen duties. I get this Alycia!!

Margo Yang said...

Thanks for your fajitas recipe. It sounds very yummy; I will try it. I know how you feel about cooking for two. I had to cook for 4 for many years and now back to two. I don't like left over much either, One exception for stew. Have a great weekend.

Caroline said...

Thanks for the fajita idea. I have pheasant in the freezer.

Kate said...

Cooking for two is hard, especially if you don't like leftovers. My Guy cooks on Sunday, I cook on Wednesday so we have left overs twice a week. That's dinner for 4 nights, so we do sandwiches the other nights or go out. I'm looking for quick things to make, I'm not a fan of being in the kitchen, I'd rather sew, thanks for the recipe.