My second favorite passion in life is food. Traveling — often with a fine restaurant meal penciled in — is No. 1. Notice I didn’t say cooking or  preparing food. I lean more toward eating food.

It’s not that I can’t cook. I can hold my own in the kitchen until recipes start throwing in terms like Dutch oven or Mexican tomato sauce. I rarely use the right pot or  pan and liberally substitute ingredients to soften the spiciness or because I just didn’t have it available. I guess you’re supposed to look at the totality of a recipe, including ingredients, before you go shopping.

Truth be told, cooking for one is tedious. Breaking down a “serves four” into single serving invariably means you have way too much of one ingredient {like sour  cream} or you find yourself buying spices you may never need again. Sure you could cook for four and freeze three — most of the time — but that presupposes you’re going to like it the first time. I, for one, am not a big fan of leftovers, refrigerated or frozen.

It’s easier — not cheaper — heading to the store mid afternoon to pick up something from Marie Callender that trips my culinary trigger, although even then, I’ve been known to wander around the store with an empty cart seeking dinner ideas for the evening. Of course, I could always dial up House of Pizza.

Meal planning is an art, however, planning — meal or otherwise — is not my forte. A couple of weeks ago, I established a weekly menu that included chicken, seafood, a little ground beef, and pasta as ideas. I ate a salad, an omelet, pancakes with sausage, and a quesadilla on the appointed weeknights. I eventually used the protein, just not on the night scheduled.

But tonight! I have it covered! I knew exactly what I wanted overnight — fried bologna and cheese on frozen leftover hamburger buns, a side of Uglies Kettle Cooked Potato Chips (those are regular rejected chips because they are too large or small, too curled, or too dark), and an antipasto medley of roasted tomatoes and stuffed olives. I even went to the deli and ordered fresh cut bologna and Swiss cheese (just enough for a couple of sandwiches). I would have scooped out the antipasto, but covid has everything prepackaged these days.

Why?

I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I have been waxing nostalgic lately and the repast reminded of my younger years. Maybe it’s because I saw a social media post about the delicacy a couple of days ago. Maybe it’s because it’s Throwback Thursday. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because I haven’t had the meal in ages — and it was just time.

Now, ask me about tomorrow’s dish du jour … in about 24 hours.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: No other person can bind you; you do it yourself!