Ever been tired and hungry after a busy day, relegated to driving around, shopping or ordering delivery because you have nothing for dinner at home?

Weekly meal planning can spare you from wasting time and money on disappointing meals.

Hi, I'm Britt, a busy single mom turned empty-nester, recipe enthusiast, sticker fan, car fridge carrying camping addict, and creator of the Oven for One weekly meal planning system.

Weekly meal planning has improved my life, and I hope to encourage other busy single people to relish the freedom that comes from being able to cook for oneself in an efficient, creative manner.

Take it from me, figuring out the whole "what can I eat?" thing once and for all can free up tons of time and alleviate dependence on outsourcing everyday meals.

"When you fail to meal plan, you plan to flail in the kitchen" (or whatever Ben Franklin said).

As a single mom, I wrote off writing in a planner as a crafting hobby that I was too busy to bother with. Back then, (especially before smartphones) a kitchen wall calendar was pretty much my only planner. Oh, to be young and disorganized...(just kidding). As it happened, winging it without comprehensive once-a-week meal planning did not actually save me any time. Whoops!

Hurry up and wait.

In my haste, I ended up driving too many miles on too many shopping trips, where I anxiously waited in too many long lines. I was so busy running around in circles, I failed to fully realize how much time I was losing...

Then one day my lifestyle abruptly, drastically changed. My first day alone in an empty nest was upon me.

Tucker, a hugger

Awkward, empty-nester behavior.

When my youngest moved into student housing near her college, I pretty much stopped cooking for a while. Empty nest syndrome? Yup! But there was only so much take-out I could take, and before long I missed cooking.

In my still, quiet kitchen, I reassured myself that all on my own, I could still enjoy cooking. In fact, cooking for one should be easy and fun. But how to go about cooking for one, so it's super convenient and economical? I decided to occupy myself by figuring it out.

Oven for One.

Determined to master solo kitchen economics, I began brainstorming, writing, cooking, coordinating, calculating, designing, and urging folks to "please, try my planner" in hopes of hearing helpful feedback. I kept at it, time flew by, and Oven for One was created.

Through trial and error I have developed a flexible system of weekly meal planning for one person that works, even for creative types who aren't into too much structure.

Here are five basics about the O.f.O. method:

Shop just once a week.
Coordinate recipe choices to mix and match fresh produce.
Consolidate prep-ahead tasks.
Task toward recurring weekly progress targets in varying bursts of time when it's convenient.
Plan intentional leftovers: Balance weekly plans with a conservative cycle of homemade frozen meals and preps for value and convenience.

My hope for you:

To enjoy a seriously cute, functional kitchen space stocked with good food to eat and good ingredients to cook with at all times, even as a super busy single person, even if you've been away from home for weeks or longer!

My plan for you:

Start a guided routine and keep at it until habituation takes over. Then you will have figured out the whole "what can I eat?" thing once and for all, never again to be needlessly sidetracked by hunger pangs.

How does this sound?

Fill the free planner each week.
Build a good personal recipe collection by only adding proven winners as you go.
Make kitchen work sessions more fun and interesting by enjoying content like podcasts, sermons, lectures, or whatever your'e into.
Share your creativity with friends here.

Meal plan with me?

I'm having tons of fun weekly meal planning for one! That's why I have created this site to share my method, show off my planners and stickers, and explore clever ways for busy single people to make delicious decisions that pay off. So happy you're here!