Inspiration for The Lonely Cowgirl's Cookbook

Everyone knows that when you are single cooking can suck.  Most recipes are built for normal size families that you just can't or won't possibly eat all of.  You go buy your groceries, maybe you're not very good at meal planning and you always seem to end up throwing out quite a lot of food. Not meaning to of course but if you are like me maybe you are sick of seeing dollar signs being thrown into the trash.  At least I was.

I was always making too much, throwing so much away.  Whether it be cooked meals, or food I bought that didn't get around to being used.  It came to a point that as a former chef and a single person that I had to do something.  I got smarter at my meal planning.  Looked at what I really liked, what I cook often, and what I wanted to be able to cook and enjoy without making too much.  I learned to plan it out week by week.  I shop for the whole week and plan my meals accordingly and my food is getting eaten and it has made all the difference. Simple things like learning I can freeze breads was a game changer.  I can have all the types of breads I use tucked away in my freezer and take them out to defrost any time I need them.  Bread was the most of what I was throwing away because I simply just don't eat it fast enough. I learned how to cut recipes down in half.  This can be very tricky especially baked items.  Baking really is a science but I have mastered being able to make a small batch just for myself and have no waste.  Mini pies, mini meals, you name it, mini everything. You may have to purchase some new baking pans.  I was lucky and inherited quite a few.  I have small 5 inch size pyrex pie dishes, and those small vintage pyrex square baking dishes with the cute veggies on them, mini crocks etc. 

This cookbook is not just for women, it is for the single person who his daunted with cooking as a single person or anyone really.  Since I am a motorcycle rider I consider myself a modern day cowgirl.  I did grow up in the country and rode horses from time to time.  My mother worked on an organic farm and it changed our lives.  The owners of Fiddler's Green Farm were vegetarians but had cows for milk.  I landed myself quite a few cooking jobs from a very young age.  I worked as a housekeeper in a 5 star bed and breakfast at 18 years old.  Oprah Winfrey even came to stay and raved about us.  One day the manager rounded all us housekeepers up to ask us if anyone could make over easy eggs.  A guest had ordered some and the manager who was also the breakfast cook went through dozens of eggs only to fail.  I was the only one in the whole place who could make them so I immediately became their breakfast cook.  And when I was done with my breakfast cooking tasks I was sent off to help with all the housekeeping.  I then went on to work at various restaurants over the years ranging from ok, to even a Michelin starred restaurant that I worked at two days as a trial.  I was hired immediately after those two days, the boss wanted me very, very much, but I sadly turned the job down.  It was the brick oven I had to use.  I couldn't deal with it.  I had to reach my entire arm inside it and looked like a cooked lobster by the end of my shifts.  I lost all my arm hair it was so hot!  I've worked at high end tapas and wine bars, to awesome bistros smoking delicious meats to italian, fusion, sandwiches, subs.  You name it I've done it.  My favorite cooking job of all though was at my little hometown Co-op store in Belfast, Maine that had a small deli that was ragingly popular when I worked there.  I had people calling me from hours away to reserve delicious food I cooked.  I had the freedom to make what I wanted within reason, and within season.  It was so much fun and I cooked vegan, vegetarian, and meat dishes from every type of cuisine imaginable for every possible diet type.  I was even chosen as the chef to make all our best dishes for The Taste of Waldo one year and got to go and show case our culinary delights to our community.  It was really great!  It was a Monday through Friday job during the day and it was cake.  

I left the cooking industry incredibly jaded.  I lost my passion for cooking.  It took a long time to gain that back, and now, here I am, writing my inspirations and projects out.  This is exciting.  I'm doing this to share my knowledge and information.  

I hope you all enjoy this and maybe sometime I'll do some sort of Julia Childs style vlog (live video).  I often drink wine when I cook, it would be great to be able to invite you into my kitchen for real live cooking.  Until then I will be writing out my culinary adventures and sharing tips and tricks for you all right here.