Giving "Old Style" for Christmas

SailorSam

And a blender, only a small hand one but i use it all the time when making soup.


Oops sorry, to late just realised it's there before me.

[Deleted User]

katieclampet wrote: »

What a fab idea. How about a small steamer, ideal for doing veg & potatos at once, (and great for healthy eating) or a slow cooker? Also a small notebook, to record prices, recipes etc?

katiex

Wilkinsons were selling a steamer last week for a tenner I am hoping to go and treat myself to one next week.
I also have on my computer a list of recipes that I have copy & pasted from this site ,Twinks hobnobs ect there is also somewhere on here a meals for 50p thread and some lovely chaep recipes for using up odds and ends.I called it 'my Misers cook book' and add things to it as I go along.Maybe give her a list of really frugal sites to surf through as well to get some ideas.

Pitlanepiglet

JillS wrote: »

Rather than getting 1 large/expensive piece of equipment you might consider seeing that she's stocked up with the basics. A couple of good sharp knives & a decent knife sharpener, chopping board, at the least 1 large mixing bowl & 1 small, grater, scales and/or set of measuring cups & spoons, a stick blender, etc.

I'd go with this suggestion, I'm not sure of the benefit of kitchen gadgets to someone starting out. A pan top steamer works just as well as an electric one and rice is perfectly easily cooked in a pan. The benefits of a slow cooker aren't as great if she doesn't have freezer space.

I'd make sure she has a couple of good knives, wooden spoon, maybe a mid sized baking sheet or roasting tin - my 9 inch square enamel tin works as a traybake tin and a roasting tin for chops, bits of fish etc. , grater, scales etc. AND definitely a stick blender.
Could you try to track her down a freezer from a charity shop or freecycle?

If you're anywhere close to Ikea they have some fab starter kits.

I'd also buy her a really nice plate and bowl set so she's got something lovely and uplifting to eat off - the benefits of a nice plate can't be overstated in my view

cooking-mama

If she struggles with pots n pans with boiling water in etc,then i would recommend both a slow cooker and steamer(£30 will be plenty for both both Tesco n Argos have small slow cookers for around a tenner,and steamers £10-£15)Altho if you only want 1 item,id go for the steamer,as it can do meat or fish,plus potato or rice and veg all at once.
And help with recipes,How about Delias,"One is fun" ?,cant go wrong with Delia.. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=delia+cooking+for+one&sprefix=delia+cookin
PS,dunno if this book may be cheaper elsewhere,be worth searching if you decide to order it.

Kellylea

What an amazing gift and I have to say that you must have a very warm heart!

Being new to old style myself I would have loved this as a gift, fortunately I found this site and learnt it from all you lovely ladies otherwise I'd never know!

I would say to maybe make an "Old Style Manual!" So you could have:

Chapter one: Example menu plans and shopping list to match, so maybe rubber chicken if she wouldn't mind making a weeks worth of meals from one chicken. Like chicken sanwiches, homemade chicken pie, pasta with chicken in etc. You could supply her with the original basic store cupboard like spices and herbs to start it all off and she'd just need to pick up the other bits with the weekly shop depending on which menu she might fancy and even start her own menus and lists learning from yours.

Chapter two: Cleaning materials (which you could include in your hamper ie vinegar) and what to use where with a few tips on stain busting etc. Maybe a minitare flylady ie. splitting housework into days so it's less overwhelming.

Chapter three: Winter checklist, things she could do in winter to save energy and stay warm.

Chapter four:Craft section, as someone suggested as a cheap way to pass the time you could supply her with perhaps a bit of yarn and a nice pattern along with some needles.

All of these things I've done firstly because I needed to save money but now because I love to do it. I love nothing more than when my oh goes to work and baby goes to bed at night time I sit down with a hot drink and read these forums, have a bit of a knit (i'm not very good yet) and plan some menus. And more often than not there's some homemade biscuits to accompany me.

x x x

Olliebeak

beautiful_ravens wrote: »

What a nice idea.

The first thing popped into my head was making up a handy folder containing pages of perhaps the best recipies and money saving/OS ideas from this forum [a while back this idea was in a thread about a student moving in somewhere on their own I think...?] so she can read it and carry it around the kitchen etc.
Sometimes I wish I didnt have to switch the PC on to look at some stuff which is on here!!

I've made myself a Recipe Folder consisting of a project folder with plastic pocket inserts. This kind of thing. Can easily add or remove recipes, re-organise them, add more plastic projects AND it's all 'wipe-clean' :j. I have a 'MY RECIPES' folder on my comp, copy/store recipes as and when I get them and then print out the ones that I use most frequently. I know that what's in the plastic folder is 'well tried and tested'.

23rdspiral

i'm giving a friend a slow cooker for xmas and she's really excited by the idea. so we are both happy!

it's a lovely idea what you are planning. i really couldnt add much more than what's been said already, but the printed recipies is a great idea, and one i'll be 'borrowing'. good luck!

sazzy6

A whisk-it drove me mad not having one!

lainz

Great idea :beer:- I'm doing a similar type thing on a smaller scale for 2 people I know who are new to cooking. I managed to get in M&S their cooks bible (it was 1/2 price) http://www.marksandspencer.com/Cooks-Bible-Definitive-Guide/dp/B002C4SGQW?ie=UTF8&qid=1260645024&categoryNodeID=43972030&ref=sr_1_12&page=&node=161378031&sr=1-12&mnSBrand=core&rh== (don't know how to do the short links!)

Also for some idea on kitchen stuff and storecupboard Jamies Ministry of Food has some good ideas http://www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food/kitchen-basics-cupboard
http://www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food/kitchen-basics-equipment

I have a 4 in 1 slowcooker/rice cooker steamer thingy - but then I have a massive freezer, I mainly use my 4 in 1 as a slow/rice cooker and I have a microwave steamer I use for veg http://www.johnlewis.com/230636539/Product.aspx something like this - but I got mine from the original factory shop for £4! The kitchen gadget I can't do without is my stick blender - but with the pot attachment -badly described - something like this! http://www.johnlewis.com/230841812/Product.aspx (how much :eek:mine was a tenner from Lidl!:rotfl:)

Hope that has given you some good ideas! Happy Shopping :rotfl: