Wednesday, August 1, 2012

20 Reasons Why Being Single Rocks

"I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine,
I'm loving cloud nine, my head's in the sky,
I'm solo, I'm riding solo..."

-Jason Derulo

I love being single and there are just so many reasons why. But the top ones have to be these:

(1) You don't have to worry about your privacy being invaded.

(2) Everything you get, you don't have to share.

(3) You can be impulsive, ask for someone's number, make out with some hottie you just met...

(4) More time to spend with friends.

(5) Changing yourself for you, not for what your Insignificant Other wants you to be.

(6) No jealousy or suspicion.

(7) You're not tied down. You could run away to Paris if you really wanted to.

(8) You feel like a whole person, not just part of a couple.

(9) NO IN-LAWS!

(10) You can watch all those movies that some people might not like (for instance, chick flicks...southern chick flicks).

(11) Much more fun at clubs and social gatherings.

(12) You're not a trophy. You are you, in unapologetic abundance.

(13) You have more time to focus on school/work/hobbies, etc.

(14) Every new person you meet, a first kiss.

(15) You don't have to hang out with people you don't really like.

(16) You can have your place just the way you want it.

(17) You don't have to worry about your phone always being on you.

(18) It's all yours. You're not cleaning anyone else's mess, buying anyone else's cigarettes, or wondering who's pair of underwear was kicked under your bed.

(19) There is no pressure on you to be a certain way.

(20) Food. You can eat the food where ever you want, when ever you want, you can eat whatever you want. You want to eat your food in your birthday suit? Go for it.

With that, I will talk about some utterly fantastic recipes for singles:

Honey dijon pork chop for 1

Minutes to Prepare: 10
Number of Servings: 1


Ingredients

    3 oz. boneless pork chop
    3 tsp. honey
    1 tsp dijon mustard
    1 tsp lemon juice
    Pepper to taste

Directions

Makes one serving

mix honey, dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Rub pepper into pork chop. Cook in no fat cooking spray until brown. Add liquid mixture until carmelized.

Number of Servings: 1
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user EUMENIDES_K.


http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=91547

Tandoori Chicken
2 lbs. chicken (cut into 1-inch cubes)
1 cup plain yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 cups cooked white rice

In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, garlic powder, ginger, cayenne and salt. Add chicken and stir until chicken is completely coated. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook about 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until completely done.

Serve over rice and top with fresh cilantro.

Broccoli and Cheese Calzones with Tomato Dipping Sauce
1 package frozen pizza dough, thawed
1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed and finely chopped
1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Jarred tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 500 F.

In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, garlic powder, oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.

Divide pizza dough into four sections. Roll each piece into a six-inch circle. Evenly divide broccoli mixture onto 1/2 of each circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Fold the unfilled side over the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork.

Place the calzones onto a lightly-greased baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat each calzone with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with prepared tomato sauce.

Breakfast Smoothie
1/2 cup frozen fruit
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Milkshake
1 cup chocolate ice cream
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Spaghetti Carbonara
1 lb. spaghetti
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pasta water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti until al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

In a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Drain grease from pan.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, parmesan, pasta water, and pepper. Place pasta in large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Quickly stir in egg mixture and reserved bacon and toss to coat. Remove from heat and serve immediately.



Read more: Cooking for One - Easy Meals for One Person - Marie Claire

My personal favourite?

Grilled Ham and Cheese

3 slices of the cheese of your choice (I use American, mainly because I'm a junkfooder like that)
4 thin slices of ham
2 pieces of bread (again, to your choosing. Wonderbread rocks)
Margarine or Butter

Prep:
Pull out ingredients, lightly cover both sides of each slice of bread with butter/margarine (if you put too much on, the bread will become too soggy and tear). Turn stove up to 6...NO MORE THAN 6! That's how you can end up with Cajun style Grilled Cheese. Assemble ingredients: (1) bread, (1) cheese, (2) ham, (1) cheese, (2) ham, (1) cheese, (1) bread.

Cook:
Put the fully assembled sandwich on the stove. Leave it there for about three minutes without moving it. I promise you that if the bread is fully grilled, it will not stick to the bottom. After three minutes, lightly tap the bottom piece with a spatula. If it moves and is hard, flip that bad boy. If the crust is still weak, leave it be for another minute. The second side will take less time to cook. Tap the bottom piece the same way you did with the other. I always flip it twice to make sure both sides are golden.

Serve:
Put GHC on a plate, put condiments on plate, enjoy.


Happy Single Adventures and Happy Cooking!

-Alaska

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