Widows & Widowers Support Group

Janine.........I can relate to what you said.....I know since my husband died I didn't eat healthy for a long time.......now with Bobby gone......I'm back to that old routine. Cooking for 1 is no fun. It's whatever I have in the house or I go to a drive thru and pick up something. I try to pick up something healthier than the normal that they serve........It's another goal toward healing that I have to work with. hugs to all..Jenny

Tonight's supper? Didn't do breakfast for supper tonight!
The new technology of steam in bags is tremendous! They even
have this for potatoes now. No more time consuming mess with
peeling your own potatoes, etc. Simply put the bags in the microwave, heat & mash (with skins).
So, tonight was leftover mashed potatoes w/butter salt & pepper,
some leftover peas & 1/2 grapefruit. Very tasty!!
Will treat myself with a raisin pumpkin bread I found at a store.
Dennis

My kitchen is a very sad place now. Ted loved to cook and literally did all the cooking. I didn't even know how. His favorite joke was that I could ruin boiling water. I would sit at the breakfast bar and just talk to him while he prepared supper. Our deal was he cooked and I cleaned up, which was fine with me. Now it is just me and our l5 year old son at home. We eat out on the weekends and maybe one night during the week now. I do have a few easy things I can cook but I really hate it because it just reminds me of how much I miss Ted.

Janine...what a good topic!! After Wally died and my sister left for home, I found myself eating a lot of junk food and feeling crappy. Even if I shopped and bought healthy food I didn't cook it and wound up tossing it in the garbage. But just last week a light came on and I knew I couldn't keep doing that. I seemed to have heard Wally telling me to stop doing that and start taking care of myself. So now I make a concious effort to plan my dinners for the week. Lots of fish and veggies and a glass of wine. Now if I could just get myself to the gym..........One step at a time I guess. Hugs to all, Gloria

I think the worst is remembering the words "What for Supper or breakfast whatever" Will forget for a little while and then look at clock and think need to go fix supper and realize there is no one to eat it. Think that is why we don't eat right and go out to eat so much. The same as being busy all the time, is to stop thinking.

I have always thoroughly enjoyed cooking and baking. My deceased husband loved my cooking and bragged about it to everyone. I was constantly trying out new recipes on him, and his lunch was the envy of all his co-workers. After he died I completely stopped cooking. All the joy was gone. I also stopped eating. Dinner time was an important part of our family dynamics before my husband died, but after his death my kids and I could not sit at the table and have a meal without a major fight erupting. So I got creative: we no longer eat at our dining room table. We eat on the patio or we eat out. That's just the way it is. As to my own personal health, one day I realized I needed to take care of ME, so I began to plan out healthy meals for myself, joined the gym, met with a personal trainer, and began running. That was almost 2 years ago. I am now in better physical condition than I have ever been in my life and will be participating in a half marathon in January. Also, the exercise has helped me to avoid falling into a deep depression and helps me to sleep better. I eat healthy and have started cooking gourmet recipes again -- this time for friends and my kids. In the meantime my kids have learned to cook and we have formed new ways of dealing with the stress of family dinnertime. Take care of yourself first, sweetie. That's not selfish. It's just a fact that we have little to offer others if we aren't cared for ourselves.

We used to love watching HGTV and all the food shows. Chris loved to cook and I liked trying out new recipes...
I was exercising, eating right and feeling good until he passed away.. Then I went to beer and chocolate for my dinners and quit excercising. My grief diet had me gaining weight!! I had no motivation to be in the kitchen and fix dinner.
Now I am just getting back into being able to watch the food shows again. My clothes are telling me I need to start eating better and exercising again.....It is time for me to start taking care of myself again.

Tonight's supper?
My wife & I would prepare several soups & slow cooker type meals
that we would freeze for the winter. Since she was also insulin
dependent, these had to be healthy stuff. Last fall, her last on this
earth, we prepared & froze several soups. Beef vegetable, chicken
vegetable, 2 kinds of cabbage soup, as well as chili & chicken corn chowder. She would slice & dice (not to mention supervise) and I would cook. Since not all family members like that kind of stuff, it meant more for us! :)
I decided to break out a container of homemade chicken veggie
soup. MMM-MMM Good! Better than Campbells!!! :)
Washed it down with mixture of cranberry & pomegranate juices.
Dennis

I am finally (after 7 mos) starting to cook meals again but I'm sticking to easy stuff because I absolutely hate cooking for 1.
I remember when I sold my DH's motorcycle, I talked the buyer into staying for salmon dinner so I wouldn't have to eat alone.
It's expensive getting pre-prepared meals all the time though so I'm cooking again but I still don't like eating alone. My cats look so funny sitting at the table with napkins tucked under their chins ;)

Cyndi,

That is hilarious! Thank you....that makes my day! :)
You must get a picture of those cats with napkins, I think that would
cheer up everyone.
Dennis