I love all these ideas! I can't wait to try some of them. Does anyone find a counter top convection/ toaster oven helpful? I find I feel wasteful if I am preheating my huge oven for 3 ounces of fish. Haven't ever owned one, but wondering what you all think and if it would be a worth while purchase.

Alicia -- so funny that you bring this up -- My mother just gave me a countertop oven just like this for Christmas. I haven't gotten it out of the box yet, and will have to re-arrange the countertop a bit since it's fairly large. But once I start experimenting, I'll let you know. And -- I, too would like to hear from people who use one! (My Mom swears by hers....)

One trick that helps me cut down on the waste is to cook recipes that call for some of the same incredients. For example, if I decide to cook a dish that calls for feta cheese, I might decide on a second recipe for that week that calls for feta and also add some feta to a salad. I also like to batch cook things like soup on the weekends and freeze it in small portions. One dish I discovered freezes well is risotto. Skip the cheese when you cook it. You can add it later when you warm it up.

Cool! We have a couple of risottos here on Kitchen Scoop and I'll have to try freezing some!

We roast a turkey, then vacuum-seal in meal-sized portions and toss into the freezer. The turkey can then be used for sandwiches, soups, casseroles, salads after a quick defrost in the microwave. We do the same with smoked chicken... (We raise our own poultry.)

I use a counter top oven almost exclusivly now that there are only two of us at home. I love it! The only accomodation I need to regularly make is to adjust the temperature I bake at. Most recipes say to adjust up, but I need to adjust the temp down about 25 degrees and then use the shortest suggested time. I also use the freezer a lot. I repoprtion and freeze meat and fish. I buy the large bag of frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts and then I just take out what I need for a meal (usually just one will do). I buy bags of resealable vegtables, meatballs and nuggets. I wish more manufactures would list the serving size in useful measurements. Recently I looked on a bag of frozen nuggets to find the serving size and it said it was 3 ounces, and the container held 7 servings. But in the bag there were 13 pieces... I wish for statements like 2 pieces per serving instead of ounces.

Please, please do a desperation cookbook with recipes for two servings! I love your cookbooks and used them several times a week when we were all at home. Now that there are only two of us, I really miss all those wonderful recipes, cutting them down isn't quick and easy.

Hi Rebecca! A new cookbook! Hmmmmmm.....Anybody else interested in a Desperation book for One or Two?? Just curious!

I'd like to go in a different direction with this comment. Because "Desperation Dinners" is about fast preparation and cooking, and because we’re talking about eating alone, there is a tendency to eat dinner too quickly. Sure, we all learned about eating more slowly, but often we simply don’t. So, here are some tips to NOT eat too quickly as well as not eating too much. ~ Purchase smaller portions right in the store. If you aren’t able to do that, measure those smaller amounts before you begin cooking so you don’t have leftovers unless you want them. ~ Use a smaller plate, bowl(s) and even utensils. Eating soup, for example, with a smaller spoon helps you to eat slower. And using a smaller plate helps keep the portion smaller, too. ~ Pause. In. Between. Bites. Put your fork down on the plate while chewing. Focus on the food in your mouth, not the next mouthful. ~ If you’re eating alone, have something else that you’re also doing. Read or watch TV; it will help draw out the time you are eating. ~ Finally, if you DO find you’ve taken a too-large portion, remember that it is OK to leave some; you don’t absolutely hafta finish every single morsel. Hope these help.