If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with: YOURSELF

I don’t know about you, but I’m a caretaker at heart. I couldn’t wait to grow up and be a wife and mommy, and ‘take care’ of my family. Being the avid reader that I was, I easily taught myself to cook (hey, a cookbook is a book, and if it’s a book, I’ll read it) and enjoyed creating the family favorites and staples. Sadly I never did discover any books on house cleaning, so I developed an ‘I’ll cook and you clean’ system with my husband, that works (for me, anyway).

In the course of all this caretaking, I’ve recently discovered the joy of cooking FOR ONE! The one, being ME.

I’ve started taking a lunch break at work – literary. Picking myself up and leaving the office for a good half hour or so, driving to a secluded area (or the nearest Loblaws parking lot), rolling down the windows to let the Fall breeze in, cracking open the spine of my latest ‘read’, and unpacking my lunchbag!

Who knew (or bothered to put thought into) just how good lunch could be? After years of cutting crusts, handwritten notes and special snacks for my kids, why not do something special for myself as well?

There is an extravagant luxury in making lunch for one. Firstly, no one need know that I enjoy luncheon meats (mortadella, genoa salami, prosciutto – bring on the salty meats!) on their own – no fancy breads or rolls for me. Today I brought a small package of salami, along with some organic yellow baby carrots, a bunch of radishes, and a ‘tupperware’ container of cubed tomatoes, cukes and fresh parsley, drizzled with lemon juice and sea salt and pepper. For ‘dessert’, a small container of rice pudding and a ‘100 calorie’ package of honey graham crackers.

Besides being healthier (let’s ignore the sodium levels in the luncheon meat, please!), it makes me feel special to take the time to plan and create something just for ‘me’. I don’t have to worry about someone else’s likes or dislikes and if I want to eat a stinky can of sardines (hmmmm….maybe tomorrow’s lunch?) I will and I can. Leftover cold chicken and rice – bring it on!

So my point is, don’t forget about yourself. It’s wonderful to take care of others, but take care of yourself too. Buy yourself a fancy (and inexpensive) insulated lunchbag and water bottle. I’m already envisioning the winter months where I can curl up in my car, with my book, and enjoy a thermo of white chicken chili (recipe available, if you’re interested), or leftover mac and cheese.