Welcome to another Running with Spoons Thinking Out Loud link party where stream-of-consciousness is the name of the game! Thanks to Amanda for hosting!

Being single definitely has its perks, but one of the things I struggle with sometimes is cooking for one person. If you looked in my fridge or freezer, you would probably think I was feeding a family of four.

Case in point: I made this pumpkin turkey meatloaf the other night (recipe coming soon). It was great, except for the fact that I’d purchased a 29-ounce can of pumpkin from Fresh Direct, when I only actually only needed a ½ cup. Whoops. As you read this, I am still finding ways to incorporate pumpkin into all kinds of things: oatmeal, yogurt, hummus, soup, sauces…

I really hate to overdo it on any one ingredient, especially one that turns my palms orange. I also hate wasting food, so I am determined to use all the goddamn pumpkin. I’ve actually been having a really stressful week, but being aware of the fact that too much pumpkin is a good dilemma to have  keeps things in perspective. If there’s room in my brain for me to be consciously  annoyed about it, I’m  really okay in the grand scheme of things.

For better or worse, when I’m stressed out, I cook, typically things like soup, chili, or staples like roasted vegetables or dried beans. I go into this weird “preparation” mode, though I couldn’t always say quite what I’m preparing for. Stocking the fridge and freezer just makes me feel calmer. It certainly comes in handy when I get home from a crazy day and want to spend my energy on cuddling with the puppy or catching up on reading Glamour instead of on cooking dinner.

Only problem is, I am officially out of freezer space. Guess I’ll have to start cleaning my feelings instead of cooking them for a while. 

What do you do when you’re stressed out?