The SOLO Shopper.

I went grocery shopping this weekend thinking “finally, no more roomies! Groceries for ONE! This is going to be CHEAP!!" ……….It wasn’t. haha! I ended up with a bunch of things that will take me years to finish or they’ll end up forever in my freezer! Sure, cooking for one isn’t as fun but — I’ve got great news!! Stockpile these basic ingredients and you'll have a few weeks' worth of cool healthy meals at the ready.

Pantry:

Don't leave Costco without them.

1. Jarred tomato pasta sauce

2. Dried pasta

3. White rice

4. Low-sodium chicken broth

5. Peanut butter

6. Canned beans (such as chickpeas, cannellinis, kidneys)

7. Dry breadcrumbs

8. Extra-virgin olive oil

9. Dried herbs and spices

Refrigerator:

There's room — Please toss the F*^! pizza box.

1. Fresh herbs

2. Eggs

3. Plain yogurt

4. Milk

5. Cheeses (such as cheddar, Parmesan, and mozzarella)

6. Lemons

7. Condiments (such as Dijon mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, and soy sauce)

8. Jams (such as strawberry, raspberry, and apricot)

9. Salad greens

10. Onions

Freezer:

**vodka**

1. Bacon (always a goodie)

3. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I like to cut some into strips and others cubed for easy use.)

4. Frozen vegetables (such as broccoli and mixed veggies)

7. Peeled and deveined shrimp

8. Pizza dough

9. Frozen fruits (such as strawberries, blueberries and mango)

10. Ice cream

Broccoli and Cheese Calzones with Tomato Dipping Sauce

1 package frozen pizza dough, thawed

1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed and finely chopped

1/3 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Jarred tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 500 F.

In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, garlic powder, oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside. Divide pizza dough into four sections. Roll each piece into a six-inch circle. Evenly divide broccoli mixture onto 1/2 of each circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Fold the unfilled side over the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork.

Place the calzones onto a lightly-greased baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat each calzone with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with prepared tomato sauce.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb. spaghetti

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 eggs

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pasta water

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti until al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. In a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Drain grease from pan.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, parmesan, pasta water, and pepper. Place pasta in large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Quickly stir in egg mixture and reserved bacon and toss to coat. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 large eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cups jarred tomato sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. In another bowl, combine parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dip chicken strips in egg, then in breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add chicken strips and brown about 3 minutes per side. Spread one cup tomato sauce in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place chicken on top of sauce then top chicken with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Bake 10 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

Thai-Style Shrimp and Noodles

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pound spaghetti or linguine

20 frozen shrimp

1 cup frozen vegetables (I like to buy the stir-fry mix)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta about 7 minutes. Add frozen shrimp and cook an additional 2 minutes then add vegetables and cook 2 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, toss pasta mixture with peanut butter sauce and cilantro.

Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup strawberry jam

1 Tablespoon water

Ice cream

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium low heat until syrupy. Serve over ice cream.

Its time to STOP being that woman at the grocery store pushing a cart filled with frozen pizza, lettuce, a variety of salad dressings, wine, water bottles and a box of Tampax!! START Celebrating everything.. Yes, even your meals!