Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

poohbear59

weezl74 wrote: »

thanks PB


You aren't holding anything up. I'm a bit worried that I am!

Is your lappy ok now? Where's DS3 jetted off to?

We've just had a very nice vegan calzone for tea, I'll post DH's verdict in a minute...

Yep, DSIL sorted it out for me. I did miss it:)

DS3 has gone to Rotterdam to join a ship going to Cuba! He is a trainee/ cadet engineer. First time away though, and a four month trip. I was missing him and then he appeared on Facebook so we have had a long chat already. He is my baby so I think I am allowed to be a bit sad but also delighted for him.

DS2 came home at the weekend so I am up to four of us here and then DB arrives Wednesday.

vegan calzone sounds yummy. We had the bacon and onion pie.

weezl74

poohbear59 wrote: »

Yep, DSIL sorted it out for me. I did miss it:)

DS3 has gone to Rotterdam to join a ship going to Cuba! He is a trainee/ cadet engineer. First time away though, and a four month trip. I was missing him and then he appeared on Facebook so we have had a long chat already. He is my baby so I think I am allowed to be a bit sad but also delighted for him.

DS2 came home at the weekend so I am up to four of us here and then DB arrives Wednesday.

vegan calzone sounds yummy. We had the bacon and onion pie.

Awww you are surrounded by your menfolk, and Facebook helps bring even the far away ones near

I hope I'm as good a mum as you so Kezzie and fergie will want to facebook me when they're big

How funny that so many of us are still eating these meals through choice!:rotfl:

Allegra

I feel like a half-knitted jumper that's had the needles slip out and is now, unnoticed, coming half unravelled. No one worry about me though, please, that's been default state for me for many a long year yet I'm still diddling

Weezl, I am glad you posted re the batch cooking, cos having seen your sexy new feature on site, I was worrying that I've just held you up so much that me coming up with the new version would just cause a lot of unnecessary work doubling up for you. If you still want me to do what I'd said I'd do, though, no worries, I know what I'm doing now, just haven't had time to do it yet

Just to run the bare bones of it past you - my aim is not only to give cooking advice to those who want it, but also to explain the reasons why it's a good idea to those who have not needed it yet. So my rough draft is hung on these hooks:

save time - save energy - save money

in the oven once (explain why the oven should be as full as possible every time it's used, and how to make batch cooking work for you there)

on the hob once (pasta sauces, curries, etc that can be batch cooked; potatoes and veg in the steamer)

in the kitchen once (how to wash up the food processor the least number of times, ie make the spreads all in one go; how to muck up the work surface the least number of times by batch-cooking pastry based stuff etc.)

All our dishes can be hung on one of these hooks and things like storage, freezing, and fitting in a quickly-prepared dish like scones into the dead time when, say, bread is proving, explained in between.

Then when I have explained the principles, link to the big-batch-cooking-timed sheet as an example of the theory put into practice

Does it appeal ?

poohbear59

shanks77 wrote: »

Nothing mega important at the moment. Still waiting for volunteers to convert sizings from imperial to metric and to find good feedback for you to use. Also at some point for you to post the recipe for the sweetcorn fritters.
At the moment no need to be to naggy but i am sure that will change and you will be sorry you appointed me as your secretary:D Oh and i dont make tea or do shorthand:)

Can I send you a word file with the conversions on it?

weezl74

Allegra wrote: »

save time - save energy - save money

in the oven once (explain why the oven should be as full as possible every time it's used, and how to make batch cooking work for you there)

on the hob once (past sauces, curries, etc that can be batch cooked; potatoes and veg in the steamer)

in the kitchen once (how to wash up the food processor the least number of times, ie make the spreads all in one go; how to muck up the work surface the least number of times by batch-cooking pastry based stuff etc.)

*loves it and is thrilled*

wow allegra that's amazing.

Teach to fish, feed for life eh?!:T:T:T

Even all our stuff about not having to wash the food processor up in between jobs saves shirl time and money, and (as you rightly point out!) is greener too. Wow!

weezl74

PS allegra, do hugs help when you feel unravelllingish? Please have 10 from me if so

Julimk

Thanks shanks, I have made a copy of your post with the timings for me to refer to.

I still need a copy of the spreadsheet to add the info to. Weezl, I think I sent you a PM this morning. Though I am sure that you have plenty on your hands already!

Murrell

Well I loved the onion tart tatin and will definately make it again. It wasn't something I fancied at all, thought it would be just too oniony and boring with no other vegetables in it. Well I was wrong. Caramalised onions don't taste liked fried onions, so I was pleasantly suprised. Hubby said it smelt lovely, but didn't try it as he has had surgery in his mouth and wouldn't be able to chew it.
I used red onions, which I chopped, rather than sliced, as my dad has no teeth, so don't know how different yellow onions would be, I intend to buy some tomorrow and then find out soon. I opted for mixed dried herbs in the end, as I thought i'd better used dried. Although sage and onion does sound nice.
I loved the pastry, bit scone/savoury biscuity like. Like I said I accidently used 50ml of oil. Will use the 40ml next time. I think the liquid mustard worked really well and of course this could be a variation and depending on if you use french, american, dijon etc, will give different flavours. I used american. OH doesn't want me to buy dried until I use this up, as we don't have it with anything anymore.
I used 50g of the instant hot oaty cereal as you requested.
I served mine with salad and the croation potato salad, well a version of it, as I had used all my onions in the tart, I put chives in instead! I just loved it so much, I then had seconds. Then in the evening I served the other two portions for me and my dad with vegetables. It went in one day and I ate 3 portions of it!
Does the 500g of onions refer to unpeeled? I had bought a 500g bag, one was bad and peeled the others, and it left me with 362g. This was ok, though as I had used a silicon cake tin and wouldn't of been able to fit anymore in. If it refers to unpeeled, please add to site, as this will save getting the scales out for the filling, if purchased as a 500g bag. Trying to save washing up. I know the scales was used for the pastry, but if like me, you weighed the ingredients in the bowl you make it in, and now the pastry is in the fridge in it, you wouldn't be able to use this bowl!
Due to using a silicon cake tin, I didn't pre cook the onions in it on the stove. I used a frying pan. Can you make it clear about using the cooker top to cook the onions in the ovenproof dish or say if your dish isn't suitable for cooker top, like silicon you can use a frying pan. Also it doesn't mention rolling out the pasty. I have took photos and will load them onto my blog and see if I can link to them.

Sorry for long essay!
Sandra
x

SusanC_2

weezl74 wrote: »

You aren't holding anything up. I'm a bit worried that I am!

I wondered whether that is one reason why some people lurk and don't join in - that they're afraid they might hold things up.

weezl74

Julimk wrote: »

Thanks shanks, I have made a copy of your post with the timings for me to refer to.

I still need a copy of the spreadsheet to add the info to. Weezl, I think I sent you a PM this morning. Though I am sure that you have plenty on your hands already!

Aw julie, I emailed you this morning! Gah! Did the internet gremlins eat it?

Maybe check your spam file, cos sometimes new mail goes there, but I shall resend... sorry about that