Cooking for one or two people is often quite different from cooking for a family -- unless you want tons of leftovers floating around. We've both experienced our first "semester" of this scaling down of quantities at mealtime, and what we're learning is mostly that we're still learning!

   And thankfully we're not alone. We're hearing from lots of people in the same boat. Empty nesters want to cook tastefully and efficiently, but like us, they haven't quite figured out how. So we've just launched new blog and recipe categories on Kitchen Scoop called "Cooking for One or Two."

   This section of Kitchen Scoop is devoted to cooking in small quantities -- quickly, and artfully. We'll be compiling all of the tips, ideas and recipes we can find, and we're counting on you, our readers to help us out. Here's a preview of reader ideas we've collected so far, but it's just a start. Visit Kitchen Scoop for more tips and recipes, and please join in the conversation!

From Mary Cail:  Make a freezable casserole and BEFORE you bake it, semi- freeze it (not all the way, just until it can be scored and cut into 1-2 person sized squares), Put those servings into separate baggies and put them back in the freezer, then bake however much you want of the rest.

From Ellen Ferlazzo:  I usually divide up raw meat into smaller packages and freeze them. I also keep a small stash of cooked meatballs, raw mini meatloaves (muffin tin size), and cooked chicken or turkey. Last time I made a small batch of chicken pot pie and froze two small dishes of it. I made baked chimichangas the other night and froze the 4 that were left over, thinking they'll make a nice lunch or another dinner later.

From Linda Adams: Buy single serving sizes from the butcher counter at the grocery store. I used to stay away from fish because it was so expensive. But 3 ounces of fish is usually around $1 to $2.