Wednesday, April 23, 2014

How Many For Dinner?

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly. 
Henri Bergson

Now that all the kids are off and independent, I'm trying to adjust to cooking for two. Difficult, as often at home and at the lake, the numbers at the table had a tendency to grow at any moment. I became adept at Stone Soup. Start at 4. Grow to 9, 12, even 18.

Things have changed. The realization that all our kids are indeed off on their own and financially independent is beginning to sink in. Through the years, seemed this time might never arrive, but now that it's here, it's taking some time to adjust and become aware of what might be ahead.

Easter Sunday I normally have crowds. This year - just my husband and me. No visiting college students or extended family. No friends from town. My sons that live in town, their significant others, and my husband and I will soon gather in New York City for youngest son's graduation. I figured with all that family togetherness ahead of us, the kids should spend Easter with their other parents.

I wasn't going to cook, but then decided that I must. Just because everyone was off in other directions didn't mean my husband and I shouldn't honor the holiday. Hell, we even made it to church!

But, as you can see, my measurements are off.  I had a meal prepared for many more than two.



That roast lamb was a tad more cooked than it appears in this photo. You had your golden beets and goat cheese, your heirloom tomato Caprese salad, roasted fingerling potatoes and your broccolini.  Strawberry shortcake for dessert and a nice bottle of wine.

The dinner was so good that we, in fact, had it again on Monday night. And Tuesday night. And although there is enough left for tonight as well, I think we're gonna eat something else. Good as it was.

The point of this story? Seemed like we were in that mode of almost getting to Empty Nest for so long. Kids going off to college, but not all of them gone at the same time. One kid coming back as one more left. Although they didn't require much from us, still, we were not completely deparented.

Now, with the youngest employed and financially independent like the others and no one living in the upstairs, it is not only safe to use the toilet up there, it's a little quiet as well.

Adjustments. Seems life is filled with them. Always an adventure.

33 comments:

  1. I think this is one of the reasons I love having chickens so much. When I cook far more than we need (frequently) and have eaten and eaten and eaten it, I can throw what's left to the chickens, rationalizing that it will all come back to us as eggs and thus- not really to waste.

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    1. Okay, I'm gonna look into getting some chickens. Tired of lamb.

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  2. I often wish we had a dog for leftovers, but much can go into the mulch pile...not protein, though. Some meals have to be cooked large for them to really taste good. You cannot really cook a tiny roast or half a pie.

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    1. You're right - doesn't always taste as good in smaller batches. Perhaps I do need to reconstitute my compost pile.

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  3. Looks extremely good. I had Burger King.

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    1. Aw... although my husband thinks the Whopper is even better than a Whataburger.

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  4. That looks absolutely fabulous. You are quite the cook.
    You must be very proud of your kiddos. I remember when my siblings and I finally stopped coming back to live with my parents. They had six children and by the time we were finally all out of the house they were rejoicing. ;)

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    1. Six kids? I'm thinking I'd be sing the Hallejuhah Chorus too!

      And, thanks. Now that I'm not cranking meals for a family of five every night, I do delight in cooking a little more.

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  5. It looks lovely. We cook in quantities that make the effort worthwhile and freeze portions for another day. We've also perfected left over lamb in red wine sauce as a second option:) Our daughter takes home-cooked frozen food home when she passes through.

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    1. Okay, I'm popping the rest of that lamb roast in the freezer for another day. Red wine sauce. Hmmmmm

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  6. Hubby and I have made an effort to stop celebrating by using food to do it. It's partly because we always overindulge when we do it, and partly because it's so much easier just to go to a restaurant and have a nice meal now and then. We had steamed veggies and rice for Easter dinner. It was lovely, but your beautiful place is very appealing. Except for the red meat, which I don't eat. But that's just me. :-)

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    1. I've sworn off beef -- most of the time. Certainly see the benefits of no meat. Veggies are my favorite part.

      Need to consider the restaurant gig.

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  7. I've heard that lament from so many friends. Guess I was fortunate in that we only had one child who ate very little of what I cooked, it seemed, so adjusting after she went away to college was not hard. I like to cook, though, on the weekends and have the food during the week to make other meals.

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    1. Yes, I enjoy cooking also. At my leisure. Creating. Never quite know how it will come out. Can't repeat it half the time.

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  8. Your Easter-plus meal looks delicious! My husband cooked lamb chops and asparagus, and other stuff and it was tasty too!
    The Empty Nest is still new for you, based on what I've seen with my neighborhood friends who have been through it or currently going through it. I'm taking notes, hoping to prepare my mind for it - though it doesn't seem bad - just a bit disorienting.
    So you and the husband are CEOs, huh? (Christmas and Easter Only) :)

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    1. Ha! You picked me! No, we have been known to go other than Christmas and Easter.

      Empty Nest - yes, disorienting. Not used to the freedom. Not used to spending this much time with my husband. Sort of fun - to experience again what it was like to only have time for each other.

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  9. Umm, with that setup of food, I'd be glad to help remove some of the dishes on the table.

    Each transition in life has its positives and negatives. I hope you enjoy the positives in with this one.

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    1. I think we will. A little adjustment here and there. Enjoying getting to have fun with husband again. Having the focus on us rather than everyone else. Challenging, but fun.

      Hope all is well in your world.

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  10. We have far too many leftovers for just two people all of the time also. I like them. He does not. He overbuys but I have to eat them or they'll just sit. That translates to .. I have weight to lose! Your meal looks quite yummy though. ;)

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    1. Thank you. This means you can appreciate my dinner tonight - leftover salad with pieces of lamb roast, yesterday's asparagus, Sunday's beets and tomatoes. I must say, it was rather delicious.

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  11. Been there, done that (emptied the nest, tried cooking for two). This Easter, however, was the first time for just the two of us. After singing at three Easter services, I knew I'd not be in the mood for cooking. So I microwaved my way through two baked potatoes, a bag of steamed vegetables, and a big slice of ham topped with pineapple slices.
    It was nice. We actually sat there and looked at each other and I told my husband the story of the Netflix I watched after he asked me about it....The Secret Lives of Bees. He actually listened to the whole thing and said he enjoyed it...that I told the story very well :)

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    1. Sounds like a perfect dinner to me. Complete with conversation. Can't beat that!

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  12. Deparented... Great word!

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    1. I fiddled with that - Unparented. Deparented worked much better. Liked it.

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  13. Sounds like the way I used to prepare for parties (when I still had them). Always way too much food. Now we buy x ounces of meat, measure out x ounces of pasta, etc. I haven't been cooking for the last six months while writing our book so I don't even remember what the numbers are! 10 and 4, maybe.

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    1. Book much more important than meals, for certain. The measurement idea is a good one, though. Will work on that.

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  14. It seems like once you adjust to how to cook, something changes and it starts all over again.
    That does look like a good meal...for a few days anyway.

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  15. Looking good for dinner. It takes some getting used to as the change slowly emerges but then the empty nest isn't all bad......

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  16. You're so right, it is difficult to cook for smaller numbers. It's been horrid, trying to cook for only myself since Dave died. I love summer best...raw, fresh and ready!

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    1. Yes, another life change, I'm certain, when down to one. Cheers to warm weather and summer bounty.

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  17. Well, I can say that the food you cooked not only looks amazing...it also looks like my husband and I could eat it in one sitting. Big eaters here.

    I'm enjoying and appreciating the glimpses into your current stage of life. It makes me think back on how my parents' lives shifted after we kids left--and how my own life will be changing in the future.

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Let me know what you think. Every word you write, I appreciate.

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