Countdown to Freedom

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Yay, maybe using an iPad isnt ideal. .......
That's the one and it is unbelievably useful. Tllly x

SJ1

My husband has an iPad, I can't use it to save my life.... He says, oh but it is soooo easy and I am there making the screen disappear and then it goes blank and oh dear I have managed to kill the iPad and been on it for about 5 minutes. I find Apple products are good but I like windows, I know where I am with windows and the potential for it all to go really really wrong are therefore more limited:o

SJ x

katsu

SJ1 - go to your local library and look at their cookery book selection. You can then try different recipes out and if you want to buy a book later, then great, but if not, you have not wasted money on one.

Tilly - lovely detailed advice for SJ1 - well done you

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Katsu, thanks for your kind words. It's good to be able to give back after learning so much from this site. I am really looking forward to 2012 and all the adventures no doubt which will come our way.

Best wishes to you for 2012.

Tilly x

SJ1

Big thanks from me too Tilly, very helpful advice. I have cracked open the books this morning and think I am going to go for an economy gastronomy beef stew with tumbledown menus! Slow cooker should be here at the start of next week so will use it for the beef stew as that seems ideal. The thread on slow cooker recipes that you recommended was making me drool by page 2! I do have a slow cooker book that someone got me one time, everyone always buys me cook books as they know I am into it but I reckon a lot of the stews will work well in it as well.

I know that you bulk buy and take advantage of the freezer to reduce cooking costs but do you do veggie dishes as well to make things cheaper and have you discovered any that are child friendly? My little ones aren't so keen on the veggies!

SJ x

P.S. Katsu, thanks for the tip, I do have piles of cookery books already but always interested in what people find helpful. It's a new year resolution for me to stop buying cookery books!!

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi SJ1, sounds like you and I are very similar. I have a dedicated bookcase in the breakfast room, just for our cookery books:eek:

I tend to cook one or two veggie meals a week. We arent veggie but love all types of food so it all gets a place on the menu plan. How about making a veggie lasagne with roasted veg, then blitz it so the kids just get a sauce? Loads of variations on the same theme so you can take advantage of reduced veg, bargain tinned beans etc. I do veggie fajitas which are loved by all, plus veggie chilli. I have a rice cooker and tend to bung the rice in and whilst that's cooking, the rest of the stuff is heated up and dinner is ready in less than 30 mins, with only about 5 mins of actual effort.

Have fun with the slow cooker - and it's great for mulled wine if you have a crowd around.

Best wishes Tilly x

SJ1

Thanks Tilly,

Like the veggie lasagne idea, not sure I would get them to eat fajitas, we did try chicken ones one time and they were really not keen even though I did plain chicken with no spice at all for them, I had thought that the pancake rolling bit would be a winner! My two are quite plain food fans but they are still quite small. Might try it again though....

I have lots of cookery books as well and also have a dedicated shelf for them which is bursting at the seams! Love Delia, Jamie and Nigella but also love cake books like Hummingbird and Mary Berry. Just recently got into Nigel Slater and someone recommended the Kitchen revolution which is similar to economy gastronomy and very helpful. Not sure I will be able to plan 4 weeks in advance but going to keep my eyes open for offers and use them to my advantage as much as I can. May even invest in a small freezer that I could fit under the stairs to help with this but going to see how it all goes first.

Thanks again

SJx

Peonie

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Hi SJ, definitely buy a slow cooker, but check this site for recipes as the books which come with them are useless. You don't need food wallowing in masses of water, you can really use them in different ways and they are fab.
Tilly

I definitely need to find some new recipes. Everyone raves about slow cookers but I don't love the meals we've had. Some recipes say that meat is to be browned before it goes in the slow cooked but we've missed the stage; maybe that's why they are a bit bland. We've cooked curries in there with pre-bought liquid and special slow-cooker powder sauces.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hiya Peonie, it's worth having a go with very little liquid. That's what really makes the difference. The slow cooking thread on here is brilliant, as they really demonstrate how to cook properly with one.

I cook probably 5-6 times a month with mine but the secret is cracking the liquid thing. After that, "the only way is up". Good luck

Tilly

Peonie

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

I have a rice cooker and tend to bung the rice in and whilst that's cooking, the rest of the stuff is heated up and dinner is ready in less than 30 mins, with only about 5 mins of actual effort.

Is a rice cooker good? We eat the Uncle Bens microwavable rice as our boiled rice was not good but the packets are usually £4 for 3, or something like that, and wonder if a rice cooker would be economical in comparison.