If You Can't Stand the Kitchen, Get Into the Heat

There are many things I love about living alone, but a solitary mealtime isn't one of them. Cooking for one seems dismal and involves far too many leftovers. Take-out is everywhere in my neighborhood but I've lived here for years--the choices no longer dazzle me and the expense takes its toll. Two days ago I went to my local supermarket and bought my usual standbys--lean pork loin and plain yogurt. I steamed some jasmine rice and ate my supper, feeling bored to death.

Then it came to me in a blazing flash of satori--why bother? If food is becoming a chore, why not forget it. Following the example of a willowy friend who also suffers from meal ennui, I bought a large can of whey powder and a bottle of peppermint extract. Water, powder, a frozen banana, and a dash of extract whirled in a blender three times a day--voila. There they are--breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This is the second day and the liberation from the tyranny of what am I going to eat today is dazzling. It's not a diet regimen, although god knows if I lose weight that would be fantastic. The day I wake up eager to eat something, I certainly will--and eating with friends is still high on my list of pleasures. But that obligatory force-feeding that comes with living alone is something I'm more than happy to be done with. Viva the blender!