Cheap and Easy (cooking on the fly) part one

 

And no, those weren’t my middle names in High School…

 

I like to eat, but don’t really like to cook. The microwave is my best friend in the kitchen, along with the can opener, although a lot of cans now come with a pop top. There ARE times though, when I don’t mind taking things a step further. VERY small step… When the kids were still at home, I did try to make more or less sensible meals. Now that it’s just Marv and me…let’s say Little Caesar’s is on speed-dial…

 

Here are a few quickies: (again, that is NOT one of my middle names…seriously, get your mind out of the gutter!) And these are not things we have all the time. Sometimes I cook REAL stuff. This is for when you’re in a hurry, too tired to give a hoot, just need something to fill your belly and don’t want to just pop another frozen meal in the micro.

 

Buttered noodles/pasta

Cook it, put butter and Parmesan on it, and eat. Yes, it’s carb heavy, especially if you have garlic toast with it. And by garlic toast, I mean sliced sourdough from the toaster with butter and garlic powder on it.

 

Spam (cue Monty Python)

Fried or just cut up, this is SO versatile. And we LOVE Spam. (again, Monty Python). Add it to pasta or rice. If it’s fried you can even have it on the side with waffles or pancakes.

 

Ramen

The poor college student staple. Fine on its own, but you can make a real meal of it by adding a beaten egg, can of mushrooms, can of diced chicken.

 

PB&J

Absolutely nothing wrong with a good ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have a glass of milk with it.

 

Oatmeal

I’ve always been a proponent of breakfast for dinner. Had it many times growing up. And oatmeal is wonderful, especially now that it comes in many flavors in nice neat packets. If you’re really hungry, use enough milk to do 2 packets.

 

Eggs  

Another versatile item. And you CAN cook eggs in the microwave. Just take them out of the shell first. One favorite of mine is a cooked egg in a small dish. Nice and round. Fits perfectly on a toasted bagel. Add cheese and/or lunchmeat and you’ve got a sandwich far better that the frozen ones you get at the store. They are also great in a tortilla with cheese melted in.

 

Mac & cheese

Packaged, of course. And while it’s good on its own, adding any leftover meat or maybe a can of diced ham and you’ve got a great meal. We ate this SO often when we were first married. And microwave some frozen veggies and your meal is now balanced.