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Cooking for one (Mark Two)

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  • Glad
    Glad Posts: 18,858
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    late check in :)

    B - overnight oats with youghurt, raspberries and blueberries
    L - Tuna, cottage cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, beetroot and salmon pate
    D - veggie curry, cauliflower rice and a piece of Cod, followed by a satsuma and greek yoghurt
    Snacks - satsuma, apple and lots of green tea

    I struggle most days to get enough protein so really happy with today :D
    I am a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Wales, Small Biz MoneySaving, In My Home (includes DIY) MoneySaving, and Old style MoneySaving boards. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • wort
    wort Posts: 1,663
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    Thanks Caronc and PN ,just wish I'd seen the advice earlier, it was only one chicken breast, and I couldn't resist a poke around 3pm, lucky I did as it was running dry and sticking a little to sides, I added extra water , and left it a little longer. I had half of it with rice and cheese on top, with a couple of little poppadoms left from Saturday. Well --- in the words of the song - makes a dragon want to retire, it was hot!!!!! Luckily I don't mind hot, the other half is going in the freezer as I don't want it again tonight, and my sister and hubby are taking me out tomorrow, on the train, to Edinburgh :T
    Today I've had toast with cheese spread, lunch at work will be hm leek and pot soup, with a ham bar, and a yogurt corner with seeds. Possibly a satsuma or two for my afternoon break.
    Not thought about dinner yet but will be something easy, when I get home.
    Focus on contribution instead of the impressiveness of consumption to see the true beauty in people.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 12,492
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    edited 21 November 2017 at 9:22AM
    Yes I agree, PN does undersell herself on this thread. I have read many posts from her on other threads and there is so much common sense in what she writes

    Being single is a whole package, not just food and often is about overcoming the CBA times, fighting for survival and jollying ourselves up to have real purpose in our days and in our lives. We need to be stronger than one person, not afraid to speak out and we need to see some sort of brighter future for ourselves. In my case wrt food, it is all about remaining true to my all time beliefs ie we are what we eat. Food is what gives us material to grow new healthy cells, to keep us as energetic as we can be as individuals, bearing in mind our different genes and upbringings

    I started with spelt flakes and almond milk and will shortly have yogurt, mixed berries and cacao nibs for my mid morning snack

    Lunch will be assorted mixed leafy veg stirred and cooked in a little water in a lidded wok with added aminos and added ready cooked swede and carrot mixed in. Served with edamame pasta followed by dark chololate

    snacks during the day, small handful of pistachio kernals. One piece of parkin. Last of the home bottled gooseberries and maybe small dollop of hm ice cream

    small meal, veg soup and hm sd bread with goats cheese

    I made my second batch of 8 yogurts last night, using only hm culture and a litre of grahams jersey homogenised milk, cost just over £1, so am now into saving mode and it won`t take long to recover the cost of my new yogurt maker. They look good and thick again
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,059
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    wort wrote: »
    Thanks Caronc and PN ,just wish I'd seen the advice earlier, it was only one chicken breast, and I couldn't resist a poke around 3pm, lucky I did as it was running dry and sticking a little to sides, I added extra water , and left it a little longer. I had half of it with rice and cheese on top, with a couple of little poppadoms left from Saturday. Well --- in the words of the song - makes a dragon want to retire, it was hot!!!!! Luckily I don't mind hot, the other half is going in the freezer as I don't want it again tonight, and my sister and hubby are taking me out tomorrow, on the train, to Edinburgh :T
    Today I've had toast with cheese spread, lunch at work will be hm leek and pot soup, with a ham bar, and a yogurt corner with seeds. Possibly a satsuma or two for my afternoon break.
    Not thought about dinner yet but will be something easy, when I get home.
    Glad your slow cooker venture worked out ok.:) Enjoy Edinburgh- are you visiting the Christmas market?
    kittie wrote: »
    Yes I agree, PN does undersell herself on this thread. I have read many posts from her on other threads and there is so much common sense in what she writes

    Being single is a whole package, not just food and often is about overcoming the CBA times, fighting for survival and jollying ourselves up to have real purpose in our days and in our lives. We need to be stronger than one person, not afraid to speak out and we need to see some sort of brighter future for ourselves.
    Completely agree:D

    Good morning everyone,

    Damp, grey and miserable today, so good weather for a pot of chicken broth. I took stock and chicken pickings out of the freezer so just need to chop some veg, look out some broth mix and get it in the pressure cooker and all being well that's lunch sorted. No breakfast this morning, I wasn't hungry so just had a cuppa. I find it harder though to get the amount of fruit/veg I like when I don't eat breakfast. Still lots of veg and pulses in the soup and I'll have a couple of clementines afterwards. Tonight I'm thinking either spaghetti & meatballs or stuffed pasta in tomato sauce. All are in the freezer/cupboard so no real prep either way.:)
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698
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    edited 21 November 2017 at 10:23AM
    I think there's far too much "food shaming" these days. Too many bandwagons for people to leap on and try to beat you from.

    Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, healthy, organic, paleo, low fat, low sugar, food miles, sustainable, plastics in food/fish/save the whales, perceived problems with all manner of materials used in food trays/wrapping etc, diets galore.... mostly lead, or championed by, by celeb chefs with a new book to flog.... and a raft of pricey kitchen gadgets for sale.

    I always say that so long as somebody's not morbidly obese and eating "serves 4-6" pies twice a day, then ANY food is "one up from anorexia" - and if those people choose to eat like me (old fashioned, simple fare, using a random mixture of fresh, frozen and tinned supermarket own brands) then where's the harm :)

    TV and the Internet has made a lot of people think they can't cook because they need all the gadgets and a raft of tricky ingredients. I say: grab a spud, give it a rub down with the washing up cloth, pierce it, chuck it in the microwave and come back in 10 minutes... that's food. Then work up from there :)

    Also, modern food isn't "cheap cr4p"; you can get some form of a balance with it. These days food manufacturers have worked hard to make sure their products are 1000x tastier and 'healthier' with fewer "nasty bits" than the 60s. You just can't eat pie EVERY day .... just four days in a row if you're on your own :)

    Also, with one, there's less money floating about - and nobody to cook for, except yourself ... and you have to eat all you buy .... so all my stuff's repetitive ... easy .... cheap. And quick! Because most people DON'T actually "like" cooking, especially if you're a bit poor and gadgetless.
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,059
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    I pay little attention to diet trends but cooking mainly from scratch is my preference. I also know if I eat less than 400g of fruit & veg for more than a day my system becomes really sluggish. Ditto if I have too much processed (aka salty) food my Meniere's symptoms are worse. Veg are also a food group I really enjoy so generally it's not hard. Fruit less so, I do enjoy it but if I had to choose between buying fruit and buying veg, veg would win every time. There does seem to be a culture these days of "shaming" be it food choices, other lifestyle choices, being on benefits etc. I'm sure folk who are morbidly obese for example are well aware of the risks (though may not admit it) and in my opinion need support not public shaming! Me I'm a "live and let" live kind of gal (within reason!);)
  • AndyCF
    AndyCF Posts: 748
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    caronc wrote: »
    Andy - I'm sticking my nose in but that really doesn't seem like enough calories to keep you healthy (even if you had lots of bread at lunch). Hope this is just a once off or you have had other snacks :)

    No its absolutely fine to ask. :) And I do agree however yesterday was an 'off day' as such although I do have some 'food/eating concerns' anyway but its more an ongoing thing. I'll just say things are slowly improving in that I am eating (usually!) more than I would. Its quite a long story actually.

    Not sure on lunch today I have a few ideas but I don't want to plan ahead as I think I'll just look at things then decide what to have.

    Oh quickly mentioning cookware a neighbour said they "have something for me" in this regard at the weekend hopefully so that will be interesting, I *think* I know what it is but it will come in useful maybe. More about that another time.


    Food: I was trying to find a link I read a couple of years back but I'm unable to find it again. It was about home cooking pie fillings: it suggested using one of those 'all day breakfast' type products (I'm aware there are at least two main brands plus supermarkets own offerings) , anyway said article suggested warming the contents of one of those tins up as they are pre-cooked then putting it into a pie/pastry 'shell' and baking it.

    That to me sounds a bit erm revolting. :D but I could be wrong and it might be nice ( ! ) although I guess it would be different at least. I won't be trying it though as I do not like about half the content of those 'products' from a cursory look at the content list.
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698
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    edited 21 November 2017 at 11:45AM
    AndyCF wrote: »
    It was about home cooking pie fillings: it suggested using one of those 'all day breakfast' type products (I'm aware there are at least two main brands plus supermarkets own offerings) , anyway said article suggested warming the contents of one of those tins up as they are pre-cooked then putting it into a pie/pastry 'shell' and baking it.

    That to me sounds a bit erm revolting. :D but I could be wrong and it might be nice ( ! ) although I guess it would be different at least.

    The reality is: anything can go into a pie - and as they come in tins you can see how it's not a bad idea, if you like the tinned goods in their own right. It wouldn't be for me.

    But there are other tins to consider. e.g. there are tins of chicken in white sauce - maybe add some peas or mixed veg, there are tins of curry - chicken curry pie anybody? The same for chunky soups - you could decant off the excess gravy, and/or thicken the gravy with some gravy or sauce granules and/or add more vegetables to it and shove that in. In cheap shops you can get some "interesting/bizarre" looking canned goods, e.g. I have a random tin of taco filling ... that'd go in a pie.

    Or .... just nuke the tin contents and cut/bake half a sheet of ready made pastry in the oven and stick it on the plate. Many pub meals are made by baking the pastry lids separate and chucking them onto the pie the customer chose just before they serve it.
    Making an actual pie doesn't always make sense.... if you think of it that way.

    I've always fancied a pie maker .... but I'd want one that makes a single pie, the choice is 2 singles, or a family pie. The trouble with a pie maker is you do then have to think about where the fillings are coming from and for a single you're rarely going to have sufficient "leftovers" to turn into a pie so you are having to "start with nothing" to work out what's going in it.

    But, you can make your own pie fillings using a nuker anyway, if you care to faff about with a pyrex jug and whatever you can pull together.

    Or, just chuck some raw beef cubes in the slow cooker with some veg and a bit of bisto and stroll back 4-5 hours later - that's a pie filling :)

    Or just buy a pie and that's job done without making any mess :)
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698
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    Today I've settled for: nuked spud, beans, cheese.
    Because: I have to get through the spuds.... the beans were already opened so needed using up .... the cheese was already grated and it was the end of the last pack.

    I do like spuds/beans/cheese ..... and it's filling/warming.
  • meg72
    meg72 Posts: 5,164
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    Feeling really sorry for myself, got a stinking cold headache and sore throat Had banana on toast and drinking chocolate for breakfast Was just about to go the door for Chippy fish and chips for lunch but gave myself a good talking to. Like "get a grip Girl, theres Cod in the freezer that you are supposed to be running down for Christmas you've got a sack of potatoes and tins of mushy peas so get your sorry !!! in the kitchen and cook it, save yourself the money. So I am doing that now.
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