Cook AT HOME, for God's sake!!

ziggy2004

omelettes in the mocrowave??? Never come across those!!!!

I like being oldstyle and love getting really old cookbooks for inspiration that does not mean that i do not appreciate my microwave it comes in very handy especially when reheating pancakes (HM ones of course )

x Anne

thriftlady_2

I use my microwave for defrosting hm stock and soup, and for heating up my wheat bag when my neck plays up

Blairweech

I haven't tried this, but you can make your own 'microwave omelette' by cracking an egg into a freezer baggie, adding cheese/ham etc, mixing it together and popping it in the microwave until its fluffy.

Budmiser, I see what your getting at with the old style - unfortunately, convenience foods are so widespread now, cooking is becoming a lost art. No, it shouldn't be, but such is life.

freyasmum

Ticklemouse wrote:

I saw an item on the news a few days ago, about the high price of gas and leccy. They interviewed a mum of 2 (I think) who said that the cost of leccy was so high, she couldn't afford to heat up the oven to cook, so she "HAD" to feed the family on ready meals that she could just bung in the microwave to heat up!! Madness. Now there was a woman who needed to be introduced to Old Style, without a doubt.

For goodness sake, the silly woman! I have just answered a topic (feeding visiting kids) and said there are few things I am as passionate about. It reminds me of a newspaper article from quite a few years ago, I must only have been about 14/15 (okay, not that long ago, lol) and this woman was complaining that she couldn't afford to feed her son so all she could do was give him money for something from the chip shop, every night. Now don't get me wrong, I like fish and chips as much as the next person, but that is just downright wrong and probably some sort of child cruelty. Think what you could do for that amount and how nutritious a meal could you make for that - there are threads here for feeding an entire family for that price!

Also, without wanting to be too rude, couldn't she maybe entertain her kids herself instead of probably sitting them in front of the tv/computer all the time. In fact that's a whole new topic there...

Addiscomber

I have never understood the "the poor have to eat unhealthily because they can't afford fresh food" argument - especially when the people interviewed on such features on the TV usually have nicely decorated homes, better/newer furniture than we have and seemingly the obligatory fag hanging out of their mouths.

Need for a change of priorities, methinks.

As for the "can't afford the electricity/gas bill to cook", Shirley Goode (who was possibly the original old-styler) says in her book, The Goode Kitchen, that buying and heating a can of soup costs more than making homemade soup and cooking the rest of the days meals as well. I believe her, and I like to know what is in my soup anyway.

kittiwoz

I find things like packets of pasta and sauce or instant flavoured couscous are great for cheapo self catering trips. Don't weigh too much in your back-pack, non-perishable so good if you are camping and don't have a fridge or are in a hostel and worried about fresh stuff going walkies if you can't keep it in your room plus they're easy to make with limited facilities. It's much cheaper than eating out and very quick so you can wolf it down and go and enjoy your surroundings.

Microwave ready-meals are generally something I buy on those ocassions when I wake up around mid-day at my friend's flat after a bit of a heavy night. I can't normally be doing with sorting out his teeny kitchen to the state where I can cook in it (though I did once do a big load of french toast which I highly recommend for mornings after) so I get something microwavable from the Sainsbury's across the road and eat it straight from the packet so I only have a fork to wash up. I sometimes buy the frozen vegi-lasagne from Aldi too for when I am in a big hurry to eat before I go out trampolining. It is a very tasty vegi-lasagne, has no e-numbers apart from the cochineal in the edam, and less than £1 so not too bad on occasion.

Another thing I sometimes do when I'm about to go trampolining and I want something quick and need to get ready is to put a cup of pasta shapes, a knob of butter, a cup of boiling water and a packet of cup-a-soup in a small frying pan with a lid and just leave it on a very low heat for 15 mins while I go and get changed. It cooks rather like risotto with the pasta absorbing the water and flavour and the soup turns into a pasta sauce. I tend to chuck in some extra stuff like a small can of tuna or some frozen veg at the end.

dolly_day_dream

Addiscomber wrote:

Shirley Goode (who was possibly the original old-styler) says in her book, The Goode Kitchen, that buying and heating a can of soup costs more than making homemade soup and cooking the rest of the days meals as well. I believe her, and I like to know what is in my soup anyway.

I too have got and used all of the Shirley Goode books but she was no way the original old styler. There was a book published which investigated the budgets of a group of families in Lambeth. Most of them found it hard to make ends meet. One woman had got it sussed though, unlike them she bought in nothing pre-made, her family were well fed and healthy. She had what was called 'The Knowledge' the knowledge how to cook and budget. This was 'Round About a Pound a Week' and was published in 1913 I guess that people have always been seduced by the advertising of an 'easy life' not realising how they are being conned.

thriftlady_2

Do you have any more details for that book Dolly, sounds right up my street

catznine

Round about a Pound a Week was written by Maud Pember Reeves and the ISBN is 086068066 published by Virago you should be able to get this from the library or check out the 2nd hand books on amazon. Well worth the read!

Trow

thriftlady - before you get too excited - I rather suspect inflation might mean the title is a little misleading nowadays...