Cooking for one

Yesterday was a lazy day. It was quite hot here and I just didn't fancy doing much of anything. I had a rest in the chair, I visited friends, I read, I just enjoyed my day really.

Let me reiterate, it was hot. It rolled around to late afternoon and I could feel the little teeth of hunger begin to gnaw my tummy. I'd planned pork loin Parmesan for dinner with homemade pasta sauce. Ian and I were sitting outside on our new concrete patio barely moving. Den was inside sleeping as he works midnights. Even Pixie was just laying listless on the living room floor. A few ambitious people rode past on their bicycles. It took a lot of effort just to wave. One couple said we looked comfy. I replied that we were waiting for someone to stop by and offer to cook us dinner. The lady quipped back 'let us know when they arrive'. We waited. Nobody wearing a chef hat, carrying a case of sharp knives showed up on our doorstep. I tossed around the idea of going out for dinner. I have $3 to last until next Friday so that put quite a crimp in the going out idea. I finally realized that heat or no, I must move. Nobody was going to fix my supper for me. I've had a good 5 day run of being OP (on program for you non Weight Watcher people), and I didn't want to ruin that. Into the kitchen I went.

Man it was hot in there. I stood for a minute or two and then thought I could make this difficult, or I could make this pleasurable. I got out my ingredients and put a classical music station on and began to chop and dice. I snipped fresh basil and parsley from my herb garden. I washed fresh baby spinach. I chopped onions, garlic, and mushrooms. I realized I was really enjoying myself! I took my aggression out by pounding the lean pork loin chops to the thickness I required. I put the sauce together and left it to simmer while preparing the pork for the oven. Popped the pig into the proverbial poke, (OK so it was t'oven but poke gave better alliteration), and got a spoon to take a taste of my sauce. Oh my it was wonderful! I put the whole wheat pasta on to boil and took the pork out to let it rest. The meal was coming together nicely.

If it was hot in there before, it was really scorching now with both the stove top and the oven going. I decided I'd really love a glass of wine with my dinner. I'd put effort into this meal all for myself. I realized that it felt good to do something so nice just for me. Den was of course going to take some to work, but he'd take anything. No, this was a selfish endeavor and I so enjoyed it. I got the bottle of wine out and found I'd left my wine opener back in MI! I called my friend Mary, no answer. I called my friend Marty, no answer. I thought a minute, grabbed the bottle of wine and started going door to door! The neighbors opened my bottle for me AND gave me a recipe for a tasty sounding chicken pot pie. I love the place we live in!!!!

I came back home, measured out my wine. Yes, I really did. I told you I have been perfectly OP and I wasn't going to ruin it. Turns out that 1&1/4 cups of wine is equal to 4 Weight Watcher points. I had 8 left for the day so I was golden there. I carried my plate and my glass of vino to the lanai. It was lovely and cool out there. Windows open, fan on, just perfect. I lit a candle and relaxed and enjoyed every morsel of my dinner. Ian started his stir fry after I vacated the kitchen and he joined me on the lanai just as I was finishing up. I sipped my wine while he ate his dinner. What an enjoyable evening. I shall do it more often.

We, I think, tend to do things more for others and not ourselves. I learned last night that it's good to be selfish now and then. I felt so special eating that meal. I'd put a lot of time and effort into the meal. I did it just for me. Nobody else. I praised myself highly, and that is praise indeed.

Tonight I'm thinking tiny meatballs with fresh herbs in some of the left over sauce. A crisp, green salad, and of course, another glass of wine. The bottle IS open after all.