Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

FrankieM

weezl Ok, I think I'm at the same stage as you with the Chilli Mince. There looks to be loads in the saucepan so I may well leave out the oats too.
At the moment the over riding flavour is onions...not bad but different and not very chilli flavoured. It also looks a bit 'watery'. I'm not sure that's the right description, but the tomatoes haven't really spread their colour through. I'll leave it to simmer and see what it's like.

weezl74

Allegra wrote: »

Oh, and another quick thought - Weezl, when you asked about home-made lasagne sheets, my answer would have been "but of course" - it's something I made with my mum when I was five years old. Dead easy !

ceridwen wrote: »

Ummm.....well I dont tend to do lasagne personally myself (despite the large-ish amount of pasta I eat) - as I can never quite work out how to cook it properly (ie without hard ends poking out and the main bit of the lasagne not being quite right either somehow...).

But - give me a recipe for homemade lasagne pasta sheets - and what to do with them - and I'll give it a go and tell you my opinion:)

Allegra, I wonder if you might write out a method to help Ceridwen (and shirley too) feel more confident in making Lasagne pasta?

artybear wrote: »

This family are only human-surely they will not want to feel that 'alternative' to their friends and family. Children may rebel/get bullied/Bob may feel silly eating his hummus sandwich when his mates want to go to Nando's for lunch/Shirley is bloody sick of locking up food and feeling like the keeper of the family rather than a valued mother/wife.

Just something OH and I were discussing this morning in bed;)-please feel free to ignore me as I eating cold pizza for breakfast lol so do not feel qualified at all to have an opinion on nutrition!!!!

ArtybearXXXXXXXXXX

great point arty. Will think further about sustainability...

Hope you didn't end up with pizza crumbs in the bed

weezl74

!!!!!!_here wrote: »

3/10 means perfectly edible so wouldn't be refused, but would never appear on any wishlist - not unless an improved score was guaranteed anyway

hello! Are you Mr Allegra or are you just giving us a valuable male perspective?

Either way, hello and thanks

weezl74

FrankieM wrote: »

weezl Ok, I think I'm at the same stage as you with the Chilli Mince. There looks to be loads in the saucepan so I may well leave out the oats too.
At the moment the over riding flavour is onions...not bad but different and not very chilli flavoured. It also looks a bit 'watery'. I'm not sure that's the right description, but the tomatoes haven't really spread their colour through. I'll leave it to simmer and see what it's like.

are you tempted to up the seasoning or will you wait till the end, I've regarlicked and chillied a bit, although my base will become the cottage pie, so not as much chilli needed here.

The cottage pie and chilli mince use the same starter sauce to save shirley cooking time.

FrankieM

I put in a fresh chilli on top of the chilli powder cause the recipe used up my last but it still tastes and looks like a saucepan full of onions. I imagine that with the cottage pie it won't matter so much cause you put mash on top, but it'll be interesting seeing my families faces when I put that on rice!
It tastes and smells lovely, though.

Sian_the_Green

Do you need a pasta maker to make lasagne? I would be totally up for that as I have that on by 101 list, to make pasta from scratch. I thought it would be more expensive than value sheets to make given that you normally use special flour and egg right? I would looooove to be able to do this, I am a bit of a show off with cooking sometimes and would be well chuffed if I could make my own pasta!

I feel bad about the survey thread, I think maybe I don't want other people on board if they are going to mess it all up again, selfish? Probably!

Hope all are well

artybear

I make my own pasta for ravioli from scratch-its quite easy if a little messy. If you just rolled that out would it be pasta sheets for lasagne??

I know what you mean about the DT thread Sian-Iv got too protective of the plan and dont want to get anyone else involved-which means I am completely missing the point lol!!!

I know one day Weezl will have to give it to the public but its so cosy and friendly hereXXXXX

weezl74

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

I feel bad about the survey thread, I think maybe I don't want other people on board if they are going to mess it all up again, selfish? Probably!

I veer between feeling that different ideas mess us up, and different ideas stretch us and make us a better meal planner long term, so I think I really know what you mean sian! Sometimes when someone introduces a new spin, or key idea or ingredient or nutrition info I get a little slumpy thinking 'oh maybe I'll never get there' I wish I was better at this!' But then I think, 'oh but it's so worthwhile, and the points are valid, and I bounce back a bit.

FWIW I think you are so good at encouraging people, and I've felt that for as long as I've known you online, that I can completely see why you would want to avoid any sense in our little research team of discouragement. It's so anti what you seem to stand for, and plough your energies into. :A

Sian, how oozy was your oozy topping on the cake? was it as oozy as the one I published? If not, I'd love you to detail your method a bit more cos I think my way was too oozy!

xxx

weezl74

Hello again

verdict and photos of thrifty cottage pie are now available.

Also gratuitous piccie giving Fergie's feedback on the carrot cake :

artybear

Oh he is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!! I want a Fergus (well just to play with then hand back! Dont think im cut out for motherhood yet)

XXX