Empty (or sparcely populated) nests

Much has, and still is being written about the Empty Nest Syndrome, and rightly so. The downscaling of a household is a major lifestyle transformation, and requires time to adjust. One thing these people might be surprised to learn is that, as consumers, they are now part of a large demographic that encompasses all ages: young couples, single parents, childless couples, roommates, retirees and those with only one child as well—any household with three or fewer members can be included.  

The main adjustment that people encounter when provisioning for a downsized household is in changing their buying habits accordingly. I know because I’ve been there. It takes awhile to stop automatically reaching for the gallon containers and get the half gallons instead. Of course, it’s easier if the downsize was gradual, and helps even more if the memory of what shopping was like before the family enlarged can be recalled. Sometimes reviewing old recipes can revive that.

Another very important thing for the person with the newly reduced household to do, as I advise in the first step of The Plan, is to take stock of their inventory and calculate the new rate of consumption. Make a note of any surplus products and try to work them into your menus before they expire. Also note any items that you can cut back on buying or even eliminate—usually these are snacks or sweets. If you’re tempted to keep buying these items, but don’t want to, take a tip from my discussion on Determination in The Plan Figure how much you save by avoiding them, pick something you want as a “reward” and earmark that amount toward getting it each time you resist.

Another reason for people providing for smaller households to don their Math Caps is to customize recipes. There is no reason for any recipe to be rejected because it states too many servings. Even large roasts can often be simulated by using other, smaller cuts of meat. If that isn’t an option, then attention should turn to ways to use leftovers when menu planning. However, all recipe calculations should be done before making the shopping list. A big aide in these conversions is a list of equivalencies. There is one free for download on my book website dinnerswithjoy.com. Just click on Charts. Often an ingredient quantity has to be divided into its smallest components, then multiplied to equal one portion, then multiplied again to achieve the desired number of servings, but with a bit of practice that becomes easy to do. Along the way, I’ve picked up a few tips on reducing–and expanding –recipes;

• Bearing in mind that recipes usually stipulate the use of large eggs, when decreasing or increasing a recipe results in requiring ½ an egg, I substitute 2 medium eggs for one of the large and the half. So if I’m reducing a recipe for 4 servings, requiring 3 eggs, to 2 servings, I use 2 medium, but if I’m increasing it to 6 servings I use 3 large and 2 medium eggs.
•  I keep the math simple. It’s easier to divide by two. If a recipe for 8 is a dish that can be served twice in a week, I just halve it. If a recipe for 6 is a dish that freezes well and I can have a single dinner on hand if needed, or it’s a dish that accepts additions to stretch a single serving, or even if it’s a “snackable”, or makes a cool “brown bag” I’ll make 3 servings not 2. The work is the same, as long as the cost isn’t affected, I’m ahead. For example; Stews are easier to cook in bulk, and improve with melding time; Extras of vegetable casseroles are great with added eggs and/or meat and/or rice and/or pasta, incorporated or just meat on the side. Scramble a couple of eggs with any leftover potatoes, even without other leftover vegetables. It’s delicious! So make the whole box of Au Gratin. Don’t try to divide it.

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In fact, I often make double my required portions of a recipe, that is to say, 4 not 2. If it’s a busy week, I’ll do this with two recipes and serve them on alternate nights with different sides, usually splitting the week with another meal in the middle. I always maintain variety in the type of dishes, casseroles, grilled, cold, hot etc. and the sides, as I menu plan. This method of meal scheduling works for large families too. It keeps cost, labor and boredom down and interest up. For example only, an economical summer week could be: Mon. Tuna Salad with boxed Au Gratin potatoes and broccoli; Tue. Homemade three bean salad and hot dogs; Wed. Grilled hamburgers with tossed salad and fresh tomatoes; Thur. Tuna Salad with corn-on-the-cob and peas; Fri. The leftover potatoes and other vegetables scrambled with eggs, served with hot dogs and a salad. The hot dogs can be replaced with any easily grilled or broiled meat. The tuna and bean salad are both made ahead. The vegetables are seasonal and frozen or fresh, but quickly cooked. It’s simple, easy with no leftovers and can set one up to take advantage of a market’s meat sale in planning the menu for the following week.

Many people with small families avoid roasts, but there’s no reason to.  If I want a roast on a weekend then I plan a “reprise” for one meal the following week and a leftover for another. I may freeze a bone, planning a soup later, or just some meat for a casserole, but it’s all in the menu line-up before I shop. A couple of weeks ago I cooked a pork loin and served cold sweet potato-lime salad and asparagus. This was acceptable for one re-run mid week, but a third replay was pushing it. So dinner #3 was a play on Waldorf Salad of cubed pork, diced apples, celery, walnuts and craisons (pecans and raisons would do as well) and crumbled Feta in a Peppercorn Ranch dressing, garnished with fresh chives. I had about two serving of meat left, and I froze that, in chicken broth to prevent drying, to use later.

I have met two problems in buying for just two people. One is the supermarkets’ insistence that the weekly featured meat be sold in “Value Packs”. These used to be 3lbs. but have crept up to 4, 5, even 6 lbs. each. If one takes advantage of these sales, small freezers are overloaded, but no one wants the same meat every night. Chicken and pork chops can always be paired with different sauces to give entrees variety.(See Blog #26 on Sauces) I recently bought a package of ten breast halves. Two I froze raw and 8 I slow roasted in about 1 ½ inches of water with an envelope of chicken bouillon and 1Tbs Teriyaki Sauce, maintaining the water level. This makes a great Au Jus and was the sauce for one dinner and base for another. Two pieces I made into pizzas and the last two I froze in the remaining Au Jus to prevent drying, for quick use later.

Quantities of hamburger are more difficult to disperse. My solution is to buy a pound roll of ground turkey and make a meat loaf using about two pounds of the beef. Then I use another pound to make a pot of pasta sauce. Half I use to make a casserole, like Lasagna, and the other half I freeze. That’s my quota of three similar dinners in one week, plus one quick one in advance. For the rest of the ground beef, I I use my Mother’s trick of freezing it in individually wrapped balls, about 3 to a pound.  It not only makes it easy to judge amounts for recipes, but the balls make a great entrée simply baked or broiled. My family likes one centered on a plate of pasta with sauce, preferring that to meatballs. I cook one, cut it in quarters and arrange them on a bun with whatever fixings I want, fresh tomato, raw onion, mushrooms, cheese, etc. It makes a satisfying hamburger.

The other shopping problem I encounter in provisioning for a small family is the latest craze for “Steam-in-Bag” vegetables. If I cook them as directed, I have leftovers and that defeats the whole idea of “fresh frozen” because they can’t be combined with more.  If I take out only what we need, there isn’t enough left in the bag for another meal. I’m paying more for the packaging yet getting less quantity that I did in the old bags, usually about 4oz. a quarter of the contents.  Many of the less frequently used vegetables, Brussels Sprouts, Italian beans, pearl onions, are, now, only sold as “steamables” except in the larger sizes, which clog freezer space. For the more common choices, like peas, chopped broccoli ,green  beans, corn, pepper stir-fry mix French fries, white and sweet, I now go to The Dollar Store, where I can still get a 16oz, bag of frozen vegetables, and quite nice ones too. They come from China, but then most of the supermarket ones are from South America. The best remedy, if you have access to fresh produce, is to freeze your own. It isn’t hard and for a small family, not too time consuming. Simply clean, blanch and dry the vegetables on paper towels. I like to spread them on a cookie sheet to freeze first, to prevent them sticking together, then bag and label them. Give it a try, you might enjoy it. You will enjoy the results because they do taste better.

One day a neighbor, whom I barely knew, asked if I, with a small family, missed having roasts and casseroles. I guess she assumed we lived on frozen dinners. She was shocked when I assured her we ate the same things as a larger family, and probably enjoyed more variety than most. She treated me to a run-down of her week’s menu, mentioning what each member refused to eat and we parted with my feeling elated that I didn’t dine with them. People with small households are so free, gastronomically, to cater to their preferences, to test new dishes or try cuisines, to experiment, to explore even to splurge occasionally, just to be spontaneous without huge consequences or lasting repercussions. From the kitchen point of view, small families are great, and that’s a promise to any new Empty Nesters!