preparing meals, particularly at the end of a busy day. A sandwich, tea and biscuits, junk food, a can of soup ... whatever takes the least effort is fine by them.

Some don't eat well for budgetary reasons.

Yet, it needn't be that way, as Valerie Creek, author of Cooking for One proves. Her book, which is available at the Bermuda Library, offers 100 easy-to-follow recipes for everything from appetisers to desserts, and even healthy breakfasts.

The book has been designed, in her words, "to encourage single people to follow a sensible, well balanced diet which also shows that cooking can be fun''.

Here's a sampling: STUFFED PEACHES 1 tbsp. seedless golden raisins 1 cup cream cheese 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts 2 canned peach halves 2 small lettuce leaves sprigs of watercress to garnish SOAK white raisins in boiling water, then drain and cool. Mix cheese, white raisins and nuts together. Chill for a few minutes to firm. Arrange peach halves on lettuce leaves and fill centres with cheese mixture. Garnish with watercress before serving.

SAUSAGE AND ONION SOUP 1 onion, sliced 1 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. gravy powder 3 cup water 1 garlic clove, crushed mustard salt and pepper 1 pork and beef sausage, cut into chunks 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated FRY onion in butter about 5 minutes. Mix gravy powder with a little water then stir into remaining water and add to onion with garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add sausage and simmer a further 10 minutes.

Pour into a warmed soup bowl and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Serve hot.

CHEESE, MELON AND SHRIMP COCKTAIL 1 slice honeydew melon few lettuce leaves, shredded 1 cup Cheddar cheese, cubed 1 cup shelled shrimp 11 tbsp. mayonnaise 1 tbsp. single (light) cream 1 tbsp. tomato ketchup DESEED melon slice, cut flesh into small cubes. Place shredded lettuce in bottom of a tall wine glass. Pile melon, cheese and shrimp on top. Combine mayonnaise, cream and ketchup and pour this sauce over the top. Serve chilled.

BEEF CRUMBLE 1 lb. (1 cup) ground beef onion salt 1 tsp. oil 1 tsp. gravy powder 4 tbsp. dry sage and onion stuffing 2 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. butter 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated salt and pepper SPRINKLE beef with onion salt and fry in oil until lightly browned. Dissolve gravy powder in a little of the water, then add to the rest. Add to meat, stir over gentle heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Put stuffing mix and flour in a bowl. Add butter and rub in until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add cheese, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Put meat mixture in a small ovenproof dish and sprinkle crumble over the surface. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for 40 minutes. Serve hot with green vegetables.

LAMB AND APRICOT STEW 3 cup lean boneless lamb, cubed flour salt and pepper 1 onion, chopped 1 tbsp. oil 2 cup chicken stock pinch of dried mixed herbs 1 cup dried apricots, soaked overnight and drained slivered almonds COAT cubed meat with flour mixed with salt and pepper. Fry onion in oil in a saucepan for 3 minutes. Add lamb cubes and brown on all sides. Stir in stock, then mixed herbs. Bring to a boil simmer gently for 1 hour. Add apricots, cook a further 30 minutes. Scatter almonds over surface. Serve hot.

VEAL ROLL 1 veal escalope 3 tbsp. butter, softened 1 tsp. chopped parsley pinch of dried thyme few drops lemon juice 2 tbsp. flour 2 cup chicken stock salt and pepper 2 tbsp. single (light) cream BEAT veal escalope until very thin. Put half the butter in a bowl and beat in parsley, thyme and lemon juice. Spread over veal. Roll up veal and secure with string or toothpick. Melt remaining butter in a frying pan and brown veal on all sides. Remove and keep warm.

Add flour to pan and cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in stock, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, replace veal roll and cover pan. Simmer gently about 20 minutes or until veal is cooked. Remove veal and place on a warm serving dish. Add cream to sauce and heat through gently. Pour sauce over veal roll and serve hot, with vegetables in season.

SAUSAGES IN CURRY SAUCE 2 pork sausages oil for frying 1 small onion, chopped 2 tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. gravy powder 2 cup water 11 tbsp. seedless golden raisins 1 tsp. chutney 1 tsp. tomato paste freshly cooked rice FRY sausages in oil in a skillet for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.

Remove sausages from pan. Lightly fry onion in the pan for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add curry powder and cook a further 2-3 minutes. Mix gravy powder with a little of the cold water and add to the pan with sultanas, chutney, tomato paste and remaining water.

Cut sausages into thick wedges and return to curry sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve curried sausages on a hot plate surrounded by rice.

ORANGE CHOP 1 pork loin chop 2 tbsp. flour 1 tbsp. butter 1 small onion, sliced 1 green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 2 tsp. brown sugar 3 tsp. mustard 2 cup. unsweetened orange juice 1 orange, peeled and sliced COAT chop in flour, then fry in butter in a frying pan until browned on both sides. Remove chop, then fry the onion until tender. Add green pepper, sugar and mustard, then stir in orange juice. Return chop to pan, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add orange slices halfway through the cooking. Serve hot, with fresh vegetables in season.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN 1 cup butter salt and pepper 1 piece of chicken 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tbsp. brown sugar 21 tbsp. malt vinegar 2 cup chicken stock 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. tomato ketchup 3 slices canned pineapple, chopped freshly cooked rice MELT butter in a small frying pan. Season chicken and fry gently in butter for about 12 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, mix together cornstarch, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, stock and soy sauce in a saucepan. Stir over gentle heat until boiling. Add ketchup and pineapple and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Put chicken on a warm plate, pour sauce over and surround with cooked rice.

Serve hot.

CHICKEN IN FOIL 1 small onion, sliced into rings 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 small carrot, parboiled and sliced 1 chicken quarter salt and pepper pinch of dried tarragon 2 tbsp. red wine PUT onion, celery and carrot on a large piece of aluminium foil. Place chicken on top. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with tarragon and pour wine over. Secure foil loosely around chicken and place parcel on a baking sheet.

Bake in a moderately hot oven, (375 degrees F) for 45 minutes, opening parcel about 10 minutes before end of cooking time so chicken can brown. Serve chicken and vegetables on a warm serving plate, with vegetables in season.

TURKEY CHOW MEIN 1 cup cooked turkey, cut into pieces 2 cup thick chicken soup 2 tsp. soy sauce pinch of ground ginger pinch of pepper 1 small onion, sliced pinch of garlic salt oil for frying 1 celery stalk, sliced 1 green pepper, cored, seeded, thinly sliced 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 cup fresh bean sprouts or 1 a small can 3 mushrooms, sliced freshly cooked rice MIX together turkey meat, chicken soup, soy sauce, ground ginger and pepper, then set aside. Gently fry onion with garlic salt in oil for 3 minutes or until tender. Add celery, green pepper and some of the soup from the turkey mixture. Heat to almost boiling, then cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Drain turkey from remaining soup add to the vegetables. Reserve soup. Dissolve cornstarch in reserved soup and add to turkey mixture. Stir in bean sprouts and mushrooms. Cover and cook a further 5-10 minutes or until all the ingredients are heated through. Served hot with freshly cooked rice.

LIVER AND BACON CASSEROLE 6 oz. sliced liver flour salt and pepper 1 small onion, chopped 1 tbsp. butter 2 canned tomatoes plus 2 tbsp. of their juice 2 tsp. tomato paste 1 rasher of bacon, halved and rolled SOAK liver in milk for 1 hour, then drain. Coat liver in a little flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry onion in butter until soft. Add liver and fry on both sides until browned. Put liver and onions in a small ovenproof casserole and season with salt and pepper. Chop tomatoes roughly and add to the casserole together with juice and tomato puree (paste). Top with bacon rolls and bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for 30 minutes. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

DEVILLED KIDNEYS 1 small onion, chopped 1 small carrot, diced 1 rasher of bacon, chopped 1 tbsp. butter 2-3 lambs' kidneys, skinned, halved and cored 1 tbsp. flour 2 cup stock 1 tsp. French mustard 2 tbsp. tomato ketchup 1 tsp. bottled brown sauce 2 mushrooms, quartered salt and pepper COOK onion, carrot and bacon in butter in a saucepan until tender. Add kidneys and brown on all sides. Stir in flour, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and carefully stir in stock, mustard, ketchup, brown sauce, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes until kidneys are tender. Serve hot with boiled rice or noodles.

PRUNE-STUFFED TOMATOES 2 large, firm tomatoes 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. cream cheese 4 canned prunes, chopped 2 walnut halves few lettuce leaves CUT a circle, about 11 inches across, from the top of each tomato. Scoop out inside using a teaspoon. Turn shells upside down to drain. Cream together butter and cream cheese, then add chopped prunes. Mix thoroughly and fill shells with prune mixture. Top each with a walnut half and the tomato top, then sit them on a bed of lettuce.

HAM AND BANANA SAVOURY 2 tbsp. butter 2 small bananas, sliced 2 slices cooked ham 2 tbsp. flour 2 cup milk salt and pepper 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated MELT half the butter in a saucepan. Brush bananas with melted butter and broil gently until hot. Place one slice of ham on the bottom of a flameproof dish.

Add banana slices and top with second slice of ham. Melt remaining butter in the saucepan. Add flour, cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, pepper and cheese. Pour this sauce over ham and place dish under broiler to heat through. Serve immediately, with a roll and butter if desired.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 1 oz. (1 square) plain (semi-sweet) chocolate 1 tsp. cold water 1 egg, separated MELT chocolate with water in a heat proof bowl over a pan of hot water. Beat egg yolk into chocolate, then leave to cool. Beat egg white until stiff and carefully fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into a stemmed glass and chill before serving.

APRICOT FOOL 1 cup dried apricots 5 tbsp. water few drops lemon juice 2 tsp. sugar 3 tbsp. double (heavy) cream, whipped 5 tbsp. plain yogurt 1 tsp. slivered almonds, toasted SOAK apricots in water and lemon juice for at least 12 hours. Simmer until tender -- about 20 minutes. Sieve or puree the fruit in a blender and sweeten to taste with sugar. Mix together fruit puree, whipped cream and yogurt. Spoon this mixture into a stemmed glass. Scatter flaked toasted almonds on top.

Chill until set. Serve chilled.

APPLE CHARLOTTE 2 tbsp. butter, melted 3 cup fresh bread crumbs 21 tbsp. brown sugar pinch of ground cinnamon lemon juice 2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced double (heavy) cream MIX together butter, bread crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Pour lemon juice over the bottom of a well-greased small ovenproof dish. Arrange apples and bread crumb mixture in layers in the dish, ending with a layer of crumbs. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender and top is a golden brown. Serve hot with double (heavy) cream poured on top.

STUFFED BAKED ORANGE 1 orange, peeled 2 dates, chopped few almonds, chopped 1 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. sugar lemon juice PUT orange in a saucepan and cover with hot water. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Drain, reserving the liquid. Core out the centre of the orange and place it in a small ovenproof dish. Stuff with chopped dates and almonds. Boil together 2 cup of the reserved liquid, honey, sugar and lemon juice to taste for 2-3 minutes. Pour over the orange. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for 1 hour, basting frequently with the syrup. Cool and chill before serving.