Making the transition to cooking for 1 or 2 people

empty nesters cooking for 1 or 2 people

Being empty nesters has many pluses. We love having the house to ourselves and don’t miss having to cater for a crowd.

When we became ‘empty nesters’ some years ago, we had to make a few changes. Some changes were easy – like getting to cook what we wanted, not what the kids wanted, and getting to watch what we wanted on television.

But there were other things that took time to adjust to. Prime example – cooking meals for just two people, if you have my cookbooks 1-7 you’ll know that they’re family sized meals.

And I knew I wasn’t alone. So, I set about writing my first cookbook for singles and couples – Cooking for 1 or 2 people. It was perfect for those of you who, like us, are cooking for just one or two.

In fact, it was so popular that I wrote another one – and so MORE Cooking for 1 or 2 people was ‘born’.

And it’s not just empty nesters who benefit from these books. I’ve had several people tell me they’re sending this cookbook with their teenage sons and daughters when they move to the city for university.

One lady told me, “my kids have grown up eating these recipes, so it’s nice to be able to give them a cookbook filled with the recipes that they’ve enjoyed at home, that make 1 or 2 serves.”

These cookbooks also make great gifts for newly weds.

What I love is that it takes less time to prepare a meal with these new recipes. Instead of dicing one cup of carrots you might only need a quarter of a cup.

The recipes are cost effective and there’s very little, if any, waste. I’ve even included a section at the beginning of each cookbook that cross references leftover ingredients with other recipes that use the same ingredient.

Another benefit I’ve found with these recipes is that they’ve helped with portion control. I don’t know about you, but when I was cooking a recipe that served 4, I never seemed to end up with 2 serves leftover… oops 🙂

Let’s talk about the recipes

In the first book, Cooking for 1 or 2 people,  I’ve taken a selection of recipes from my previous seven cookbooks and converted them to suit singles and couples. For example, my Lasagne recipe from book 1 previously served eight, now serves two. Plus I included 21 fabulous new recipes.

In the second book, MORE Cooking for 1 or 2 people, I selected a few of my old recipes to convert plus I created 63 new recipes!

I love that I can make a quick, portion-controlled dessert, so once again it will help to prevent overindulging. Raspberry Cheesecake that originally served 12, now serves two.

And recipes such as my Asian Salad from book 3 that serves 10, now serves 2! So you don’t have to wait until you have a crowd to feed to enjoy this delicious salad.

And let’s not forget baking, how good is it when you feel like something sweet with a cuppa and you can just whip up 4 scones. I know! Fabulous!

These 2 cookbooks at a glance

  • Over 300 deliciously healthy easy-to-make recipes for singles or couples
  • Includes recipes adapted from cookbooks 1-7, PLUS 84 new recipes in total
  • Quick, easy, budget-friendly recipes
  • Cooking tips for singles and couples
  • Colour images for every recipe to tempt your taste buds
  • Full nutritional breakdown for the health conscious
  • Difficulty rating and easy step-by-step instructions
  • Variations for many of the recipes

Buy yours now


Here are some recipes from my other cookbooks that are suitable for one or two people:

Pizza Supreme – Book 1
Nachos – Book 1
Corn Chips – Book 1
Curried Cabbage – Book 1
Fruit De Light – Book 1
Bean Surprise – Book 2
Creamy Kidneys – Book 2
Banana Smoothie – Book 2
Big Breakfast – Book 3
French Toast – Book 3
Ham and Cheese Omelette – Book 3
Chinese Omelette – Book 5
Egg and Bacon Capsicum Cups – Book 7


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Want more? Read my 5 healthy eating tips