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Cooking for one

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  • When DH worked away I dreaded the weekends until I found the bottle to walk into a resturaunt by myself and order lunch. Was always lunch, never evenings, much easier being a single during the day


    Also going Sunday lunchtime when everywhere was full of families usually meant I'd get a lovely window table for two

    It was finding the right place to go at first. A good diner near shops was a smart choice, I mean every lady shops :). A hotel would also be a good choice as well, and family run and owned places. If the worse came to the worse I'd use weatherspoons - good roast, just the company might not been so good

    I've never been turned away

    I have a little guilty pleasure. There's a family run diner in town, you know the type, wipe clean plastic table cloths, ketchup on the tables, tea served in mugs. Fine dining it is not, but good food at good prices. I've stopped colouring my hair, it's grey as grey can be. One day I went in and ordered and the young lass (15 or 16) asked me if I wanted the pensioners portion :eek: At first I was mortified , but I asked what it was and was told just a smaller portion for half price plus free tea, I jumped at it. :rotfl: Came out stuffed to the gills and £3 better off :). Whenever I go in there now I order from the pensioners menu, I'm just 53
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 12,492
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    I'd have just dabbed at it with circular motions and the corner of a microfibre cloth and either plain water, or some anti-bac spray.

    .

    I did but it must have been an un- new splattering, I never noticed until today

    My whole house is white auro paint number 321, it is a lovely soft white but I have one tiny room, snug, that matched that beige paint, the label had worn away. Next time it is painted, even that room will be white. I love the white tbh, it isn`t a sharp glaring white

    I am jiggered, just dusted and wiped paint in the en suite and noticed (again) that a shower door base roller has disintegrated. Blooming one thing after another, no doubt I could do it myself but plumber is coming on monday with a new toilet, I have already sent the roller e mail, even measured the roller. Noticed the roller and thought I had better steam clean the base of the shower doors and it isn`t a five minute job. I`ll put everything away after lunch, which is now salad and halloumi. I am going to walk around with my eyes shut for the rest of the day
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 12,492
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    [QUOTE=Livelongandprosper;72571864

    Also going Sunday lunchtime when everywhere was full of families usually meant I'd get a lovely window table for two
    [/QUOTE]

    good idea LLP. Good tips in your post
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    edited 19 May 2017 at 11:30AM
    It's not just me, but it's rarely spoken of... there have been some recent articles by journalists struggling to get a table.

    Maybe they thought I was a hooker, single/female.
    Maybe culturally they didn't want women dining alone.

    You don't walk in and choose a table anywhere I go ... you step inside the door and wait until one comes trotting over to find out what you want.

    If you Google it quite a few articles and tripadvisor posts come up where people have been refused service.

    I have certainly read of this and I recall comments on a recent thread about it.

    It's not a conscious policy decision on my part - but I think the difference is that I don't recall ever asking if there's a table available. I just walk over to the one I want - unless there is a reserved sign on it. Hence I'm thinking this may be the difference between being refused a table and not being refused a table??

    The only time I recall actually talking to an approaching waiter when I walk into a restaurant has been when I'm about to say "We've reserved a table for x number of people in the name of .....". Otherwise I just pick an obviously available table.

    I don't know what proportion ask "Is there a table available?" compared to seeing an empty one/with no sign and choosing it. Though it is true that solo meals out are more likely to be lunchtime than dinnertime.

    EDIT; Just noticed the bit about "pensioners portion". I've never seen that before - but I did ask the other day re a "childrens portion" for my elderly mother (as she eats so little). So that's another possibility for those with tiny appetites. Personal confession time being my last "dinner" meal out involved having all 3 courses....but very often these days I just want the main course only.
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698
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    Just looking at recipes ... "3 tablespoons double cream". That's always offputting as I have never ever bought any cream ... I have also never/rarely bought anything I could substitute.

    You might say "buy a small pot and freeze the rest". Trouble with that is that a small pot (say 150ml) is 3 portions of 3TBSP.

    So, I start with a recipe that makes 6 portions, when really I just want one. And then I have to additionally cook that/similar 3 more times to use up the frozen cream I bought/froze just to be able to cook a simple recipe.

    So now instead of cooking/eating one meal ... and seeing if I like it - there's a major commitment to making 18 meals ....

    Or, I can pick up a cheap ready made meal :)

    Or just accept it won't be as creamy/thick ... and toss in some cornflour at the end instead.
  • Just looking at recipes ... "3 tablespoons double cream". That's always offputting as I have never ever bought any cream ... I have also never/rarely bought anything I could substitute.

    You might say "buy a small pot and freeze the rest". Trouble with that is that a small pot (say 150ml) is 3 portions of 3TBSP.

    So, I start with a recipe that makes 6 portions, when really I just want one. And then I have to additionally cook that/similar 3 more times to use up the frozen cream I bought/froze just to be able to cook a simple recipe.

    So now instead of cooking/eating one meal ... and seeing if I like it - there's a major commitment to making 18 meals ....

    Or, I can pick up a cheap ready made meal :)

    Or just accept it won't be as creamy/thick ... and toss in some cornflour at the end instead.

    Shall I tell you what I done when I cooked for one? It's a tad cheeky but hey ho, pinch a few single uht creams from cafes or McDonald's :)

    If your conscience won't allow that, B&M sell them sometimes
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698
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    Shall I tell you what I done when I cooked for one? It's a tad cheeky but hey ho, pinch a few single uht creams from cafes or McDonald's :)

    If your conscience won't allow that, B&M sell them sometimes

    LOL. I'd not dare do that - and I am never in cafes or McDonalds to nick them in the first place.

    There's no handy B&M where I live, although I am near to one 3x a year.... I'll see if I can remember to keep an eye out - but I fear the letters "UHT" having tasted some vile milk as a child. And how close is UHT cream to double cream?

    I think I'd rather take my chances with some evaporated milk maybe... they have small tins, but at least I could get round to using the leftovers if frozen ... or make a crustless quiche or shove it onto a tin of fruit.
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,059
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    Good afternoon everyone,

    Being a bit of a "foodie" and also not being able to get to the shops means I rely on substantial stocks both in cupboards and freezers LOL though could get away with less.:D

    I used to have to away with work quite a bit so got used to solo dining though agree lunchtimes are easier when you are on your own:)

    I'm not CFO tonight as my son will arrive at some point so lasagne I think as I have both ragu & white sauce in the freezer and it's not really something I make for myself.

    Various seeds arrived this morning so I just need to get my act together and get some planted. I'm being really careful to succession so this year for salady bits so I don't hopefully end up with more than I can use with stuff that can't freeze.

    Ps - my kitchen is pale primrose yellow.....the paint was from Homebase kitchen & bathroom paint range and it has lasted really well and scrubs up nicely.:)
  • LOL. I'd not dare do that - and I am never in cafes or McDonalds to nick them in the first place.

    There's no handy B&M where I live, although I am near to one 3x a year.... I'll see if I can remember to keep an eye out - but I fear the letters "UHT" having tasted some vile milk as a child. And how close is UHT cream to double cream?

    I think I'd rather take my chances with some evaporated milk maybe... they have small tins, but at least I could get round to using the leftovers if frozen ... or make a crustless quiche or shove it onto a tin of fruit.


    It's acceptable in coffee so I'd imagine it will be perfectly OK in say a curry

    Evaporated milk might be a bit sweet for a savoury dish. I used to love that as a child over tinned fruit. My old nan used to make coffee with camp coffee and evaporated milk, OMG we loved it :). Guess that was a throw back from the war years and the rationing after. I keep getting tempted to buy a tin but I'm scared it won't taste as I remember and will kill lovely memories
  • I have certainly read of this and I recall comments on a recent thread about it.

    It's not a conscious policy decision on my part - but I think the difference is that I don't recall ever asking if there's a table available. I just walk over to the one I want - unless there is a reserved sign on it. Hence I'm thinking this may be the difference between being refused a table and not being refused a table??

    The only time I recall actually talking to an approaching waiter when I walk into a restaurant has been when I'm about to say "We've reserved a table for x number of people in the name of .....". Otherwise I just pick an obviously available table.

    I don't know what proportion ask "Is there a table available?" compared to seeing an empty one/with no sign and choosing it. Though it is true that solo meals out are more likely to be lunchtime than dinnertime.

    EDIT; Just noticed the bit about "pensioners portion". I've never seen that before - but I did ask the other day re a "childrens portion" for my elderly mother (as she eats so little). So that's another possibility for those with tiny appetites. Personal confession time being my last "dinner" meal out involved having all 3 courses....but very often these days I just want the main course only.


    I was watching rip off Britain yesterday morning and they were looking at concessions for children, esp meals. Now most of the big chains do kiddies menus which give an age limit, but according to the programme, the head offices of the chains confirmed there was really no upper age limit and those with small appetites were welcome to order from them ( I always take a kids meal in mcds if I'm taking the grandkids)

    The place I worked were more then happy to do half portions of what they could easily halve. Obviously we couldn't cut a chop in half, but chicken fillets and steaks and cod fillets we would and a roast dinner was easily scaled down. I've even been to a carvery and asked for a child's plate
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