I agree its not only hard cooking for one its hard to eat healthy and not waste money and food especially on fresh fruits and veggies. I think it takes some thought and (my pitfall) a lot of planning since often when you buy something its more than you can eat and doesn't always freeze well by itself. So if you buy a big stalk of broccoli, separate some for eating and make a casserole for freezing, or certainly try to figure which is cheaper, frozen or fresh?. A bag of applies for fresh fruit may be a better deal than single applies but can't eat the whole bag before mushy? Make pie for freezing. Eggs on sale? Again, eat some fresh then make something freezable (is quiche freezable?) A couple of thoughts, Rachael Ray always mentions when using frozen spinach what a good deal it is since you get so much packed in the box for the price. Its good for you so you could google casseroles with spinach (I had a friend in college with no money, he ate one meal a day, spaghetti and spinach). Also lentils, and beans are high in protein and all sorts of good for you things. Back in the day people only ate meat a couple of times a week and ate things like lentils flavored with a chunk of salt pork or soup bone. Dr. Oz on Oprah was just talking about this very thing, cut back on meat and eat more lentils and beans (actually I think his wife is a vegetarian) You can search these forums, I'd search the cooking forum and even ask this question there for favorite recipes (actually I think there was a recent thread on depression food). You can check your library for older cookbooks, the kind that don't use a bunch of expensive ingredients. I imagine there are books on eating on a budget too. You might also keep your eyes out for someone in a similar situation - perhaps you can buy some things in bulk and split them. Last, you might look at the rest of your budget, how much do you spend on cleaning supplies when baking soda and vinegar would work? Do you have an Aldi's near you?

Thank you everyone for all the prayers and positive thoughts. My DH, Darrell, and I had been preparing for this for many, many years. His first heart attack was back in 1987 when he was 38. He had five by-passes then and a little over ten years ago the VA gave him a new heart. We knew that you're just trading one illness for another when he got the transplant. He was the last survivor of the three that got their transplants at the same time at the VA hospital. We were fortunate to have so much time together, 42 years. I am strong because I have to be plus I've had so many wonderful friends supporting me. Now we are back to every day life, without DH. I've decided its going to be nachos tonight while watching the Super Bowl. Also, I'm starting seeds for the garden, it will be a big one this year in order to preserve and share. Mustangs, I'm still planning a trip back to Florida later this year to visit friends and family and when I do, I want to meet up with you to make up for the last time when I wasn't able to. Hugs to all, Madonna

I agree. When I didn't have a freezer, I had a roommate who would eat everything up before we got tired of it. Freezers, especially ones that don't self defrost or top of the line ones that have evaporators rather than defrosting, are fantastic. Vacuum sealers help keep the food nice (less water migration) longer, especially when there's an evaporator. There are some dishes that still have to be engineered. Any meat/poultry that has a goopy sauce freezes better more towards the naked, with the sauce frozen separately, or made fresh the day of heating. Some proteins that were meant originally to be sauce free, heat after freezing better with a sauce added. This is a rewarming issue, rather than a freezer issue, however, so the same could be said for your batch cooking in general. Change it up and add a sauce and it may warm up better and will taste different. Cooked proteins freeze well, especially when vacuum sealed, or wrapped well in freezer paper. Less well when just shoved in a zipper bag. Cheese freezes very well, as do most breads and grains. Soup freezes well. Stew freezes, but the vegetables go mushy, so if you're making a big pot of stew, you can pull the meat and some juice out when the meat is cooked but not fully tender yet, before you put in the vegetables that are meant to be seen (not part of the gravy), and freeze that. Finish it cooking after you thaw and add vegetables then. As to keeping batch cooking going all week, rather than freezing, plan ahead what it's going to be. Summer is easier because you can do cold as well as hot. So a couple of chickens can be roast chicken one night, chicken parts with a sauce the next night, chicken salad the night after that, and the scraps can be thrown into an omelette. But you still have to do some work. If you want it to be just grab and go, perhaps vary the condiments, and accompaniments, but that's about all you can do on the fly.

Not as much as I should. I have freezers full of venison, beef, chicken and pork, lots of eggs in the refrigerator and all my canned vegetables from the garden, as well as the onions/potatoes/butternut in storage. I seldom "need" to go to the grocery store, other than for specialty ingredients, paper products or dairy. I go through the storage area and sort out any squash or potatoes that may be getting soft or old, and make plans to use them during the week. Elery loves beans so those go into the crockpot a couple of times a week. I try to have at least one meatless meal during the week. Elery makes breakfast and it's always the same. One egg over easy and one slice of toast for me, whatever is in the refrigerator leftover, topped with two eggs and lots of sliced hot peppers for Elery. We don't eat lunch. Since all my meat is frozen, I do try to plan a couple of days ahead and thaw out whatever will be needed for the next few days. Holidays, now that's something else. That takes me a couple of weeks of planning, at least two shopping trips and several "adjustments" to the menu before I'm satisfied! Annie