Week 12: How Dependent Are You?

From Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

So how much of this can you do?

I read recently that "Millennials" spend more for eating out than all the rest of their grocery budget. Since eating out is expensive, I can see that this is true. Let me remind you that the purpose of a restaurant is to separate you from your money. Of course the best way to do that is to provide good service and good food. But anything "good" will be expensive. Another way to make money in a restaurant is not good but quick and cheap. Do you want to bet me about which option most people take? If you drive through any commercial area, you know the answer.

So my action plan for this week is to reduce your eating out, and when you do eat out, eat at better restaurants. Ethnic restaurants can be good choices. But since it is difficult to beat something with nothing let me offer you a way that with an investment of one hour a week you can prepare your lunches in advance. I have used this technique for decades, although currently due to freezer space shortage I am not. I am also assuming that you have access to a microwave at work.

The basic idea is that you make a hearty soup/stew once a week and freeze it into individual servings for lunch. Then, so you don't get tired of one thing, you label these frozen meals with a day of the week. So after your first batch you have lunch for one day for the next 6 weeks. Then you do the same the next week and repeat. After 6 weeks you have a lunch meal for 6 days a week. So you can't complain about a lack of time, who doesn't have one hour a week? This will "kill two birds with one stone." It will be a much healthier alternative and it will be a lot cheaper than eating at a restaurant for lunch.

Here is a recipe for chili that works well for this.

2 lbs meat

One onion

3 cans of beans

I can of peppers in adobo sauce.

1 can of Ro-Tel (hot pepper flavored) tomatoes

2 cans regular tomatoes

2-4 tablespoons chili powder

I fill the large pot I will be making the chili in with regular tomatoes, the Ro-Tel tomatoes, and 1/2 can of the adobo peppers. (I freeze the rest for the next batch.) I also add half the chili powder at this time. I put it on high and stir constantly until it is boiling. My goal is to caramelize the tomatoes, but be careful not to burn them. I reduce the heat to medium. Continue to stir as the boiling stops and then stir from time to time.

Next I prepare the meat in a separate pan. I left the type of meat vague because there are many options. Most would use ground beef. I often use stew meat—but my favorite is lamb. Depending on the meat you may need to use some oil for cooking. I add the rest of the chili powder to the meat. After cooking, remove the grease from the meat but keep it for later. Add the meat to the other pot with the tomatoes.

Add enough of the reserve grease to cook the onion in the same pan that you cooked the meat. I prefer bigger chucks of onion personally. Add the onions to the pot. I personally throw out the leftover grease. If I use good meat, there is usually none left.

While there is considerable debate about beans in the diet, I use them in moderation. For this dish I use one can each of kidney, navy, and black beans. Although the beans are already cooked, I want the flavor to meld so I cook for 30 minutes more.

This makes about 8 servings.

So with a one hour time investment each week you can have your lunches completed in advance You will probably wait longer than that at a restaurant for 6 lunches.

Action Plan: reduce your eating out. Preparing food in advance and freezing is one technique to accomplish this.