Issue #14 - And then we were two

The practical issue of adjusting from cooking for 5 to cooking for 2 ♡

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Hello lovely people,

How are things? Is your week playing out as you’d hoped? ♡

I’ll never tire of the Cheaper by the Dozen films, those Steve Martin family classics where we get to witness the chaos that ensues in a life with 12 children, numerous pets and a super-neurotic father. There’s so much silliness but it's also golden, nostalgic movie material and, for me, the rather dated cringe factor is most definitely outweighed by the warm and furry vibes. I especially love the breakfast scene in the second film where serving bread rolls is literally throwing each one to a waiting child to catch – snooze and you lose. It reminds me that, with practice, we all get used to feeding however many hungry mouths we are regularly faced with – even 12. Like most situations, we find our rhythm and we find what works for us and then we ‘rinse and repeat’ day after day after day.

For me, cooking for a family of 5 was no great shakes. I knew that a 500g box of pasta made enough dinner for 5 + (limited) leftovers + a couple of lunch portions for the next day and I could feel comfortable that a vat of soup would still need a loaf of bread AND a dessert to stretch it far enough. I received feedback occasionally that I’d under-catered – a chicken salad (even with some hefty croutons) definitely needs the addition of chips to avoid hunger pangs in the early hours, but most of the time I nailed it and with a sprinkle of chopped herbs as a final flourish (because garnish makes even the ugliest meal look a bit improved) I most certainly had found my ‘feeding a family of 5’ rhythm.

And then, as my marriage ended and #1 and #2 sons departed for college in the US, we were suddenly two – and the kitchen activity pivoted to a whole new world. It’s taken me a while to adjust, but adjust I have and here’s what I’ve learned about the shift. As always, take what you like, share what you love and leave behind the rest. ♡

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• It takes time to adjust – when I asked my daughter what she remembered about the early days of me finding my feet in the new, more intimate cooking arrangements she was very clear, ‘The trauma of us eating chickpea soup on repeat for weeks was enough to force a change of plan!’ And she was right, in the early days, I cooked too much and eating the same thing day-in-day-out is a recipe for only one thing – miserable boredom.

• Make the most of the freezer so day-in-day-outness isn't a thing – I do still sometimes cook in large quantities, but generally, only things that will freeze and I know will always be a crowd pleaser (even when the crowd is only two) – bolognese sauce, chilli con carne, soups, caramelised onions, cooked brown rice.

  

• Freeze in small portions – I use individual sandwich bags to freeze sauces and soups in portions for two (that way, they stack better in the space in the freezer) and large ice cube trays for things like caramelised onions (great to have on hand to make a burger feel a bit special). I’ve also found it handy to split things like sausages and burgers into smaller portions before I put them in the freezer.

  

• Portion while you’re cooking – I used to bake a cake or a batch of cookies and they’d be gone within 24 hours, but for the two of us, it can be a struggle to get through even the loveliest sweet treat. Last week I tried using the Chocolate and Banana Bread recipe to make muffins, which I then put in the freezer – it worked beautifully and they are excellent when defrosted (I’ve added some notes to the original recipe with the details). I’ve also been making lasagne in portions for two and freezing them uncooked – we’re having one for dinner tonight and with a salad and a baked potato it will be as quick and easy as it is delicious.

  

• Some things are just BIG – I’m looking at you, cauliflower and so when I add one to the shopping trolley on a Monday, I need to consider whether we will still be loving it by the end of the week.

• It’s harder to judge quantities when you’re shopping online – in the early days, I had a lot of online over-buying frustrations, particularly loose fruits and vegetables. It’s easier to get it right when you can eyeball your purchases, so I eased off buying online until I’d found my feet.

• Having the right size pans, dishes and equipment has made a difference – I have a tiny, non-stick frying pan which is perfect for making a frittata for 2 and for cooking just two fried eggs to top off some Kimchi Fried Egg Rice. Smaller dishes for baking things in the oven have also helped (IKEA is a good value friend for these). A mini food processor has been useful, especially for things like a half quantity of pesto - note; it doesn’t look like all the leaves will ever fit into the small bowl, but if you add them gradually it works like a dream. I have this processor and I love it.

• Buy in smaller quantities – It seems obvious, but it took me a while to buy those mini tins of beans rather than the full size.

• There’s no more ‘someone will eat it’ mentality – when you are a big, busy family there’s always someone who will hoover up the leftovers or eat the ‘less than fabulous’ experimental cake. I think I struggle with this the most and although there’s a temptation to be more experimental (see below), perhaps I tend towards playing it safe most of the time, not least because it’s pretty soul-destroying to do the walk of shame to the bin with the rejects…

AND there are silver linings to having fewer mouths to feed –

• Food shopping takes less time and it’s quicker to put the shopping away when you get home.

• Cooking takes less time and the clear up is as speedy as a speedy thing.

• There are fewer people to please and that can feel like a relief. That means I can be more experimental and even dare to serve salad for dinner without a tonne of carbs to bulk it out.

• In theory, there is less need for meal planning but I’m (possibly) borderline obsessive on this in my quest for minimal waste, so I plan regardless. I also like to do the thinking when I’m in the mood, not at 8pm when it all feels like such a drag.

• Things stretch so much further when everything is for two – half a carrot will make a decent small side dish and a packet of biscuits might see us through the whole week.

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Here are my current top 5 -

Kimchi Egg Fried Rice

Omelettes - every variety and often served with these Paprika Potatoes

Roasted Peppers with Tomatoes and Anchovies - served with couscous and a salad.

Delightful Summer Chicken Salad - and leftovers are great in a packed lunch the following day.

Fish Finger Tacos - they look a bit fancy but are so very, very easy and always hit the spot.

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I think I’ve now successfully reimagined my kitchen activity and I’m fully in the swing of cooking for two, so much so, that if you come around for dinner there is, I fear, a genuine risk that you may go home hungry! What do you find hard about adjusting to cooking for fewer people? You can join the conversation by commenting below or you can get straight into my inbox by emailing me at rachelpage@substack.com.

I hope that there has been something helpful and inspiring here for you today, whether you are feeding an army of 12 or just the 2 of you. ♡ Sending you all the hugs,

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