This website started out as a hobby farm blog where I shared stories of fainting goats, exotic chickens, ducks, geese, donkeys, and emus. When we stopped farming and moved into town, I renamed the blog "Oh, That's Good" and redesigned it around food, bringing along all the old recipes.
A little bit about myself:
I am a retired nurse, former hobby farm blogger, and former vintage shop owner. I married young, had kids young, and divorced after 30 years of marriage. I married my current spouse Michael, 23 years ago. We live in a lovely senior mobile home community inches from a beautiful lake.
I work in a tiny kitchen that I adore, with its window sill lined with lemons.
Growing up in a family of eight, I was accustomed to seeing a lot of food on the table. When I married and had 2 children, I still cooked for eight when there were only four of us!
Throughout life my relationship with food has been wild, to say the least. I have had a lifelong struggle with obesity. The wild fluctuations in my weight resulted in health issues and the need for bariatric surgery and later a surgical revision of that. I am finally stabilized at a reasonable weight.
The amount of food I have wasted over my 74 years of living is shameful. It took a lot of work on my part to change a lot of bad habits. In Oh, That's Good I show you how I did it, and share my tips and tricks for cooking for two, without breaking the bank!
What you'll find on Oh, That's Good!
Oh, That’s Good is a collection of recipes for two persons or for smaller households. This is the food I cook for myself and my spouse; nothing too fancy, just everyday recipes, adjusted down.
Grocery Budgeting:
I devised a scale based on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service's Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels, Average for August 2023.
I used the USDA calculations to devise a three tiered scale for rating recipes based on the cost per serving.
My categories are Cheap, Frugal, and Splurge. The Cheap category is for recipes coming in under $4.00 per serving. The Frugal Category includes recipes coming in under $8.00 per serving. The Splurge category is for recipes coming in over $8.00 per serving.
All recipes are evaluated and given a rating of Cheap, Frugal, or Splurge. Most of our recipes fall into the Frugal category.
We take every effort to ensure that the estimated meal cost per serving is accurate. We use a meal cost analysis application that estimates the cost of a recipe based on groceries purchased at a Walmart store in my geographical area, northern California.
Recipes:
Most of my newer recipes are presented with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and photos. The older stuff is in the process of being updated. In that group, you will find recipes for four or more servings. As I work my way through them, they will be rewritten for two or three servings.
Steps:
The easy-to-do steps will give you a visual guide to aid in following the recipe. I am a visual learner and I know sometimes if you just see it, you can do it!
Variations:
I love to tweak recipes and I know you do too. I like to give you options that will work in the recipe. I will also tell you what not to do. If there is a more affordable option without affecting taste I will share it.
How-To:
My "How to…" posts will provide the most detailed instructions and often are more about technique than the recipe. I want to share with you "the why," not just "the how."
Always For Two?
No. "Cooking for two" does not, in my world, mean only two servings. We are cooking for the smaller households, not necessarily for two servings. It may be one, two, or more people. Two servings are often not realistic for what you are making. Many things just don't make sense, like a recipe that calls for half an egg. On the recipe card, I note how many servings the recipe makes. If you need more or less adjust it up or down with one click! So you will find some recipes here for more than two servings.
Tips:
13 Top Tips on Cooking for Two.
In this article, I share the tips and tricks I use to make cooking for two on a budget work!
Whether you are newly married or have recently found yourself with an empty nest, transitioning into cooking for two can be a bit of a challenge, particularly if you are accustomed to cooking for a family. Cooking too much food can lead to food waste which isn’t good for the environment or your budget. We're glad you're here and hope you come back again and again.
Happy cooking for two, or more!