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

weezl74

Allegra wrote: »

However, I would appreciate it if you could let us know soon if you are planning to delay the start of the "live trial", so I can mealplan for the time until then, cos I feel a bit panicky if I haven't got my menu plan stuck to the front of the fridge And if you're not planning to delay it, is there any way for me to see the latest mealplan without having to go to to the windows live environment, cos my 'puter really struggles with it

Hi Allegra, great thoughts as ever,

I think I'd be happier waiting til tuesday, then Lesley will have had a chance to change the spreadsheet so we can see how the breakfasts and lunches are shaping up, also it will give you all a chance to get ahead with your bread baking! As Frankie feels a bit unsure about that I thought we could walk her through it on one of the days over the bank holiday weekend. It's such an integral part of the planner the homemade bread that i'm not sure it's a good idea to kick off without having confidence in it.

I'm sorry about the delay folks and I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone:o, do please plan your normal meals for your family up til tuesday, and I shall have a shopping list ready for you for use on the weekend.

weezl74

artybear wrote: »

I must have read it then but not remembered-:o

Weezl can you confirm or deny if you have a welsh accent!!!??:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Its very important to the planner lol:D

Hmmmmn, I would say it's a kind of generic Englishy accent, with the occasional lapse into a South Walianism or two....?

ISOM needs to confirm this though!

She has a very english accent-proper classy

Allegra

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

People are able to eat a more varied and, what I would consider, healthy diet these days than they have ever been able to. Children seldom die early any more, people are aware of the different vitamins and minerals and are able to get them from their supermarkets in bottles if they can't be bothered to buy all the fruit and veg. We don't need to preserve things in massive amounts of salt and are able to have protein at more frequent intervals to keep our bodies ticking over. For people like my Mum who are at risk of osteoperosis there are supplements to take, for those who are diabetic there are drugs to balance their sugars, for people with allergies we can purchase foods which protect them. People used to die
much younger and some of the problems we have today with pensions etc are because people don’t die soon enough for us financially! A friend of mine who is a doctor says that the health service is a victim of its own success; people used to die of things like MRSA all the time and people didn’t bat an eyelid, now we think everyone needs to live forever. I don’t think sometimes we appreciate how good things are and the way in which we are able to trust the water we drink not to be toxic, that we have a sewage system that keeps us from so many diseases, that we have a benefit system that means that we can give free school meals to families who can’t afford to put the same on the table as they would like. Of course we have had the advent of junk food, but if we want to, we can eat like Kings or Queens from history!
Weezl, the sweetness of your heart astounds me, I think keep the chin up old girl and keep plodding on!

And another round of :T required for Siany Incidentally, if anyoneis really interested in what the human race ate over the last few millenia, I can very much recommend Reay Tannahill's book "Food in History" - I tell ya, folks, regardless of what anyone's got to say about white sugar, Chorleywood process, and Maccy D's, we've never had it so good. Honest.

Anyway, back to the job at hand. Batch cooking questions - calling all testers, please ! Would anyone who home-bakes and freezes bread be able to tell me how they go about defrosting and using it ? I slice it all up at once, sweep up the crumbs into a container kept in the freezer, bag up the sliced loaf and then just defrost what I need slice at a time. Does anyone do anything different ?

Secondly - bacon and onion steamed pudding. If you were to make both puddings at once as a batch, what would you do with the surplus one at this stage ? Steam it also or freeze uncooked, then steam when defrosted ?

Thirdly - spanish omelette. Any way of preparing any of this in advance, or does that have to be cooked on the night ?

Fourthly - onion tart - ditto. Can it be frozen or does it have to be prepared on the night ? Perhaps tart case only can be frozen and filling only prepared freshly ?

Any other get-ahead tips gratefully recieved for Shirley's batch-cooking guide

Allegra

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi Allegra, great thoughts as ever,

I think I'd be happier waiting til tuesday, then Lesley will have had a chance to change the spreadsheet so we can see how the breakfasts and lunches are shaping up, also it will give you all a chance to get ahead with your bread baking! As Frankie feels a bit unsure about that I thought we could walk her through it on one of the days over the bank holiday weekend. It's such an integral part of the planner the homemade bread that i'm not sure it's a good idea to kick off without having confidence in it.

I'm sorry about the delay folks and I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone:o, do please plan your normal meals for your family up til tuesday, and I shall have a shopping list ready for you for use on the weekend.

Aye-aye, Captain And thanks for the swift reply, much appreciated ! :A

artybear

Yay that means if your starting on Tue then I will probably start on the wednesday so wont really be behind!!!

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weezl74

Allegra wrote: »

Anyway, back to the job at hand. Batch cooking questions - calling all testers, please ! Would anyone who home-bakes and freezes bread be able to tell me how they go about defrosting and using it ? I slice it all up at once, sweep up the crumbs into a container kept in the freezer, bag up the sliced loaf and then just defrost what I need slice at a time. Does anyone do anything different ?

Allegra wrote: »

We make 4 loaves, slice one up into sandwiches for DH lunches, spread them with pate and freeze, freeze 2 as whole loaves and the 4th goes fresh into the bread bin.

Secondly - bacon and onion steamed pudding. If you were to make both puddings at once as a batch, what would you do with the surplus one at this stage ? Steam it also or freeze uncooked, then steam when defrosted ?

As steaming in the SC takes so long, I'd say steam one in the batch cooking day and then put the second one in overnight that evening and then freeze it

Thirdly - spanish omelette. Any way of preparing any of this in advance, or does that have to be cooked on the night ?

I ate the other pieces for lunch and tea the next day and it was a bit flopsy. OK but a bit 'middle of a quiche ish'. So my view would be no! But to make it quicker I would recommend that shirl grates and then freezes her big block of cheese on day 1

Fourthly - onion tart - ditto. Can it be frozen or does it have to be prepared on the night ? Perhaps tart case only can be frozen and filling only prepared freshly ?

This was fine on defrosting, bottom not soggy

Any other get-ahead tips gratefully recieved for Shirley's batch-cooking guide

the order she uses her food processor in is pretty important, doing the tangy bean pate and then the liver pate-no need to wash up in between, not so the other way around. Ditto apple curd then seed butter.

edit, I also think getting someone to cut up loads of onions really small or, like sian suggested let the food processor take the strain and do loads in that, and then fridge some in a sealed container and freeze some

weezl74

Frankie the fairies are winging their way to you with 2 loaf tins

artybear

Ok so to do this month I think Im going to need to get a few bits and pieces-I dont have a blender or loaf tins. Do people think they are essential items to complete the recipes. I do have most other kitchen items so should be ok for everything else

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FrankieM

weezl Thanks for the loaf tins and also for letting us know about the starting date. I will plan accordingly.
I agree with all that's been said about not stressing, how great we think you are and that we are very happy to go at your pace. Please don't feel the need to justify yourself.
I can't wait to meet all you guys....of course I have no idea when that was planned for...can you have pregnancy brain when your youngest baby is 11?

weezl74

artybear wrote: »

Ok so to do this month I think Im going to need to get a few bits and pieces-I dont have a blender or loaf tins. Do people think they are essential items to complete the recipes. I do have most other kitchen items so should be ok for everything else

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I have 2 more here arty that the fairies can bring you? then you could do half batches (you're doing it just for you and Mr Artybear?

Only thing is I binned the parcel with your address on, so you'll need to send it to me again

Blender-wise, hmmmmn can't be much help I wonder if your local freecycle might help?

It's the seed butter I'd be most concerned about... Oh! A possible idea! If your mum has a food processor, could you make 2 jars of the seed butter while you're at hers on the weekend?

If you pop it in sterilised jars it should be ok for the month in the fridge