Weezl and friends Phase 3 - sitting pretty with Kitty

domesticgoddess789

VenusFlytrap wrote: »

Even though I can't be much practical use to you, I do have one little tip that might help someone! One of the things from the planner I like and eat a lot of already is porridge, but I know it's not everyone's favourite and wonder if some people trying the planner might struggle getting their kids (or even OHs!) to enjoy eating it on a regular basis. Something that might help is adding a spoonful of cheap hot chocolate powder - think Asda Smartprice do a jar for 50p which might not be too nice to drink, but makes porridge taste just like chocolate Ready Brek, only nicer and much cheaper! I realise hot choc powder is not on the plan, but people might already have it in their cupboards to use up and it would make a cheap addition to the shopping list that might encourage someone's kids to eat their porridge in a morning!

Hi Venusflytrap,

Thank you for your post, it is great to hear that people are enjoying reading and finding the website helpful.

I am very grateful for your hotchocolate in the porridge tip. This might just be what will convert my OH to porridge as he has a very sweet tooth! :T

Allegra

What a lovely post, VFT ! :T Now, you may not be any great shakes when it comes to getting up close and personal with a sackful of onions, and that's fair enough, but I can't help noticing that you are really rather good at writing a sensible, thoughtful and eloquent post - so, you know, I am not collaring you or anything, but if you feel you'd be up to writing/compiling any of our "Teach Shirl to fish" articles (all explained in this post), we'd be ever so grateful ! There is no rush and no pressure, but it's something that has been identified as potentially very useful for novice Shirls, so if you think you could help, that'd be grand - and if you can't, that's absolutely fine, please keep popping up and posting because it really does mean a lot !

MadDogWoman_2

I've just been reading the Chocolate Yule Log Recipe, it doesn't say what to do with the eggs and sugar after beating them, are they added to the chocolate before the egg whites? How do you make a sugar and water glue?

I'll need to swap a couple of things due to no one in the house liking them

Sprouts I will swap for Broccoli
Christmas Pudding - Steamed Banana Sponge
Egg Mayo Sandwiches - Scrambled Egg on Toast

Allegra

the order should be:
melt chocolate
whisk eggs and sugar
add to chocolate
whisk egg whites
add to chocolate mixture

Sugar and water glue is just a bit of sugar dissolved in a little water, so you get a sticky glue-like consistency

VenusFlytrap_2

Hey guys

Glad the porridge idea might help you with your OH PinkHayley, I have a sweet tooth too - always have to have sugar or raisins and cinnamon or hot choc in my porridge, having it plain is like eating gruel to me! Golden syrup (Asda Smartprice about 70p a jar :money:) or honey is lovely too.

And Allegra... what a flatterer you are! Seriously, you're very kind, I feel honoured to have you compliment my writing as I always find your posts very eloquent too and the way you recount your antics in the kitchen is hilarious. As for volunteering to help with an article... well, how can I refuse? Does feel a bit like I'm just barging in all of a sudden, but I'd love have a go... are you sure it doesn't matter that I haven't been following the planner at all? Wouldn't like to take away the chance to contribute from someone who has been more involved than I have.

Having said that, has anyone volunteered to do the "single person and other non-standard situations" article? If not, that's the one I'd go for, as most of the time I'm cooking for one (I have a sort-of OH but we rarely eat the same meals - it's complicated all round!) and I'm thinking there could be scope to cover all sorts of adaptations in that one piece - maybe collate some of the suggestions people have made of changes to recipes for whatever reason, plus (frugal) extras that could be bought to enhance certain dishes (sure I've read lots of ideas for this when testers have reported back on recipes, adding spices etc or substituting for ingreds they already have in) and suggestions for how to work the plan best if you're time poor (again, lots to go at on this in tester's reports, I'm sure).

Hope I am thinking along the right lines, if I'm totally off and this has all been covered elsewhere, please feel free to tell me to butt out! It's mentioned that BigJenny has already started with some single living tips so if this is her baby, I'll ponder on one of the other articles instead.

Note to self - must learn to write shorter posts!

Venus xxx

nopot2pin

weezl74 wrote: »

potty I think I will add this list of tips to the site. Thank you for those thoughts, they'll really help.

If anyone has anymore do PLEASE say!

I really want to try freezing the stuffing, both in the cooked and uncooked states, and your recipie of the yorkshire puddings, but unfortunatley, as you know, its bramble and elderberry foraging season, so my freezer space is at a premium at the moment
Even the biddies freezer is full
Hopefully, I will get round to freeing up some freezer space before the end of the mounth, and be able to try them. If no one else has done so, I will let you know how they are

life_in_termoil wrote: »

Today I am making the pork tortilla wraps but will made double the amount of tortillas and see how they turn out as tortilla chips.

Thats a great idea... I would be very interested to find out how these turned out

VenusFlytrap wrote: »

One of the things from the planner I like and eat a lot of already is porridge, but I know it's not everyone's favourite and wonder if some people trying the planner might struggle getting their kids (or even OHs!) to enjoy eating it on a regular basis. Something that might help is adding a spoonful of cheap hot chocolate powder - think Asda Smartprice do a jar for 50p which might not be too nice to drink, but makes porridge taste just like chocolate Ready Brek, only nicer and much cheaper! I realise hot choc powder is not on the plan, but people might already have it in their cupboards to use up and it would make a cheap addition to the shopping list that might encourage someone's kids to eat their porridge in a morning!

A great idea
I am not a sweet breakfast person normally.... but on sometimes when I am working nightshift, this will be perfect

MadDogWoman wrote: »

Steamed Banana Sponge

Do you have a recipe for this please MadDogWoman ??

Bigjenny

Hi Venus

Welcome, its always nice hear from lurkers.

I'm sure Weezl would be please to have another "single persons and other non standard situations" article.

I have written a small piece for Weezl but it is always nice to have another point of view IYSWIM.

You have such a lovely way with words.

Jenny

Allegra

VenusFlytrap wrote: »

Note to self - must learn to write shorter posts!

Venus xxx

If you ever twig how, please let me know - I could do with some of that myself :rotfl: I like reading long posts though, so no rush !

Okay, I have conferred with lovely Jenny, and as we are currently working her to the bone with the testing and editing, she is happy to pass on the piece she wrote and have you expand on that. Also, all other readers, if you have any suggestions on adapting the planners for non-standard situations, please post it FAO Venus Flytrap to make her job easier

And thank you for taking this on, you are a star :T

life_in_termoil

Im now home from work and have just made the tortilla dough which is now resting. I did have abit of a problem with the mixture being abit dry so "stole" 5 tablespoons of water from the 90ml leaving 15 ml left. Results later.

Im not in work now till Thursday evening so if you want me to test any recipes I have loads of time on my hands

VenusFlytrap_2

Thanks Allegra, just got your PM now, I'll have to get my thinking cap on... when I said this before:

VenusFlytrap wrote: »

...There could be scope to cover all sorts of adaptations in that one piece - maybe collate some of the suggestions people have made of changes to recipes for whatever reason, plus (frugal) extras that could be bought to enhance certain dishes... and suggestions for how to work the plan best if you're time poor.

Is this the sort of thing you're after with this article, or is it going too far off topic? It's all under the umbrella of adapting the plan to suit individual needs and different circumstances, but don't want it to be repetitive if all this is covered in other articles or elsewhere on the site, or if this isn't what you want. Let me know what'll be most useful to cover, I'm very open to all ideas and suggestions from anyone - still feel quite cheeky leaping in like this! Big thanks to BigJenny too for allowing me to come in on this, seems like you're a pro at the cooking-for-one thing so please keep the tips coming!