Last night I cooked dinner for myself.
For some, cooking is a necessity. If they don’t cook, the family does not eat. For others, it’s a thing they do because they always have, or somebody has to do it and they do a pretty darn good job of it.
In this age of fast food, ready-to-eat food and restaurants on every corner, a person such as I really does not have to cook unless I choose to.
As I stirred the black beans and corn into the skillet sizzling with peppers and onions, I thought about my choosing to do this thing for myself, and it occurred to me: Cooking for me is an act of self-love.
I didn’t have to cook. I have prefab vegan meat-like thingies in the freezer. I could pop the top on a can of soup.
But I want to eat healthier. One of my resolutions for the new year is to move my diet away from the processed and to eat more home-cooked foods. That means planing menus and shopping. It means setting aside time on the weekend to cook as well as in the evening. It means prepping the crock pot in the morning before I head out to work.
None of this will happen if I don’t love myself. As a woman, especially as a woman of a certain size, I’m constantly bombarded with the message that I’m not good enough. So to counter-act all the outside noise with loving gestures such as feeding myself good food is one more way I tell the outside world to piss off! I AM TOO worthy of my love and loving care.
Yes, all of this food is vegan. That’s another thing I do for myself. I decided to go back to a vegan diet to lower my cholesterol, and a plant-based diet along with increased physical activity is the best way for me to make that happen.
What are you doing different this year to take care of you?
Dogpaddling Through Life 
what was the vegan cheese sauce like? i’ve tried a few recipes but don’t end up very well…
I liked it! In fact, I ate the leftovers for breakfast the day after. I found the recipe on Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog.
Cutting out a lot of comfort foods and looking into Yoga and meditation..me time…all about me 😁
Which sounds incredibly selfish, and I have to remind myself those thoughts are not true.
No they sure are not..feeling selfish is a state put on us..it helps to stop us giving to ourselves and serving others..which is fine in moderation..
I’m good at giving. It’s receiving I struggle with.
Then you have a task for this year…learn to receive!
Would love your recipe. I need to cook more too.
The squash recipe is on the Whole Foods Market website and the cheese sauce at the Chocolate Covered Katie blog.
The tofu looks so delicious x
It is good and quite easy to prepare. Drain and pat dry the tofu. Cut I to squares and season to taste. Dredge through a mixture of flour, salt, pepper and paprika then allow to sit I. Flour 5 minutes. Dredge a second time and drop in skillet of heated vegetable oil. Stir often for even browning.
So, I’m big on the cooking for 1! But sometimes I like to cook like a Nona……and freeze the leftovers & gift some also. But I confess I’m a meat eater so you won’t be thrilled to hear I made Brinner for Dinner tonight. That’s Breakfast for Dinner! 😔
I also cook and freeze for later- especially when I make soup. As for your food preferences- it’s not my place to tell you how to eat. I merely share my choices.
Luv your work!
I’m also trying to be more mindful of food by cooking more and keeping track of what I eat. I’m keeping a food journal and tracking more health statistics.
Awesome! You’re worth it!
By necessity we’re adjusting our meals to healthier. We bought a spagetti squash yesterday and that black bean spaghetti squash meal looks so good. So does the cauliflower dish. This gives me some good ideas for this end. Thanks.
Enjoy! I love veggies but this helps give a bit more variety.
“Cooking is an act of self-love”, yes, yes, yes! I love this concept! It’s easy to buy takeaways but you’re valuing yourself by cooking. 👍
It is for me. The time spent planning, shopping and preparing adds up- and it’s all spent on nourishing my body and my spirit.
I’ve given some serious thought to the vegan lifestyle and finally realized I just couldn’t do it. There aren’t too many vegetables I like. And there are only 3 I like both raw and cooked: broccoli, mushrooms and potatoes. I guess mushrooms count as a vegetable, right? I would’ve included spinach, but I’ve lost my taste for that.
Regardless of how you choose to eat, you can choose to cook for yourself.
Spaghetti squash just doesn’t do it for me, Jen. Maybe if I think of it as squash and not spaghetti… 😉 xoM
How about trying it roasted with a drizzle of olive oil? Delish!
That could work. Thanks! 😉 xoM
If you want a really quick dish how about vegan chili? I don’t usually use canned food, but this is made of canned food. 1 can of pumpkin, 1 can of white beans, and 1 can of a spicy tomato product. Heat in a pot. Season to taste. It is really good.
Man, that does sound good! I’m gonna try it! Thanks!
It really tastes like chili. I don’t do meat.
I’m especially intrigued because of the pumpkin. I love pumpkin!
All looks fabulous! What time is dinner, again? If you have a recipe for that vegan cheese sauce, I’d be super grateful for the share. 😇
I got it off a block called Chocolate Covered Katie. Every recipe of hers I’ve tried was good. I’d post a link but I’m at work now.
No worries, I’ll check it out. Thanks!
That should be blog. Sorry!
No worries (I knew that and found it). Thanks again!
Cooking for one definitely means taking time for oneself. For me eating better means eating less late in the evening.
I’m glad you’ve found what works best for you. To your health!
Nice one…Try reading.my post too
I am glad we are able to share our path with each other. Vegan recipes are a great treasure. Check our what I do to improve my health on my site. I am happy to share the story with everyone. Check my slow-simmered squash soup recipe. The best dinner for the family! Namaste.