NOW PLAYING: Bachelor Boy

12 February, 1998
The Wife has been out of town for the past week -- her Grandma is in the hospital. The dogs are spending time with my folks, with Annie filling her days chasing the neighbor's cats out of Ma & Pa's back yard. So I'm reliving the days before I became a Married Man™ -- especially in the Food Department.

Now, I enjoy cooking, and I have a bit of culinary talent, particularly when I have a recipe to follow -- I can read books with the best of them. My specialty is stir-fry, but there are many other things I make.

However, I don't like to cook just for myself. Never have. It always seemed like too much to do to avoid having my tummy growl. If it's more than me eating, well, let's make something good! Otherwise...

I lived on soups, sandwiches, pasta, and cereal. Especially cereal. I could eat cereal for dinner every night. It's fast, easy, cheap, tastes good, nutritious (if you buy that kind) -- and last but certainly not least -- there is virtually no clean-up involved. Just put the bowl & spoon in the dishwasher.

Hell, I've been known to eat it out of the box dry, and drink a glass of milk along with it. Then there's not even a spoon or bowl to deal with -- just a glass.

The Wife is a great cook, but she's not shy about using pots, pans, bowls, spoons, knives, plates, utensils, measuring devices, etc. while making a meal, which means there's usually a brutal clean-up to deal with. I'll use another bowl or something if I have to, but I'm very conscious of whether or not it's necessary to involve an additional kitchen item. I also like to "clean-as-I-go" if I'm not making something that requires my undivided attention.

The Wife was concerned that I wouldn't "eat right" while she was gone. I think I'm doing just fine. My dinner menu for the week:

• MONDAY
  Tomato soup, crackers, peanut-butter, Bass Ale.
   
• TUESDAY
  Chips & salsa; Honey-Nut Shredded Wheat; Fig Newtons; water. (This was over the course of the entire evening, not all at the same time -- I'm not a sicko, after all)
   
• WEDNESDAY
  Spaghettini alle olive nere, salad, fresh Italian bread, Pete's Wicked Winter Brew. (fresh spaghettini w/ tomatoes & black olives -- hey, I said I could cook -- I treated myself)
   
• THURSDAY
  Leftover Wednesday. Unless I have a bowl of cereal instead.
   
• FRIDAY
  I'll probably grab something at Arby's, since I'll be on the road, headed for the hospital.

See, there's nothing wrong with my menu. After all, I could be eating these:

...Or maybe not.

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