And so it begins

I recently moved into my very own place for the first time. I've always lived with my parents, roommates, or a boyfriend until four months ago. Living alone presents challenges-- the dirty towels always smell musty before I have enough for a full load, it's easy to put off cleaning until things have gotten out of control, no one but me is going to grab me a drink on their way back from the bathroom, and cooking and shopping for one is an art form.

I'm going to focus on the latter. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can eat a variety of healthy and tasty foods without regularly trashing old produce and spoiled meat. I try to come up with combinations of ingredients that will save me trips to the store, because while there are lots of places nearby for me to buy groceries, the more trips I make, the more unnecessary junk I bring home and throw away later.

People often tell me, "It's easy to cook for one. Make big batches of things and freeze them for later." Ok, this isn't a bad idea, honestly. And I do this on occasion-- there is nothing like knowing you've got a bowl of chili just chilling out, practically ready to eat without all the prep work and cooking time. It's an excellent concept, truly. But even pre-cooked, frozen meals present me with problems. One, I invariably end up eating chili for nearly every meal until it's all gone. Two, I have no microwave.

Notice the title of this blog-- The Cramped Cook. My kitchen is tiny. Cooking, for me, involves extra advanced planning. For example, the dishes have to be done and put away because I only have enough open counter space for my dish strainer OR for prep work. If I'm making anything that needs to be strained, the single-compartment sink has got to be clean and empty. If I had a microwave, I wouldn't have a place for a bottle of wine (and that is UNACCEPTABLE, for the record). Anything I re-heat goes in the oven or on the stove. I'll explain my different methods as they become relevant.

This blog is mostly going to be for me to keep track of things that work for me and things that don't, recipes I've tried or want to try, and some brain-storming. Maybe someone will read it and get some ideas, or maybe someone will comment and this will be way more awesome than just a sounding-board for me.