A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

SpikyHedgehog

H

grandma247 wrote: »

an extract from a news letter I get from here
Cook two simultaneous meals in one crockpot

As a family of two adults who cook often with a large crockpot, we regularly find ourselves with a heap of leftovers. So, instead of filling it with enough food for one meal several times over, we now take two oven bags and divide our meat between both bags. We add different flavourings to each bag then arrange them both in the slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours. I have just made Chicken Korma in one bag and Mediterranean Chicken with olives in the other bag. The conflicting smells are surprisingly delightful and the final result is two deliciously different meals cooked using the same amount of power to cook one. We freeze any leftovers to use for a later meal.
Contributed by: Linda P


I have also in the past put together all the ingredient for a casserole in a plastic bag to freeze so when I need it I just dump it in the slow cooker out of the bag , add the liquid and anything else it might need then leave it to cook.

EDIT i have just been scrolling down the newsletter and there are some lovely recipes. have a look at it online with the link above.

What a good idea! I do now put off using the slow cooker - it was a (requested) anniversary gift from Errant Husband, then known as DH, & he got a bigger 1 than I'd asked for. & now there's only the 3 of us, it takes ages to with through stew made in it.

DS1 has no school now till 6th form in September, so I gave him a list Sunday evening. This is the cruel & arduous tasks I set him: mon am - stay in for boiler check man. Wed - go to induction day at college (he's decided not to go to the college, but it would have been a day out). Over week - dust, hoover, mop hard floors, keep kitchen clean, go back to Explorer Scouts & to Beavers (he's a Young Leader, but had put both on hold during exams), check toolbox for a double hook & put up in the airing cupboard (this is now deleted as I remembered I'd used it in the kitchen for the aprons), check out Flylady website for handy tips, make sure to meet up with friends in person at least once.

So, he's grumping at me because I've given him this incredibly harsh list. & told me today it's because '"everyone" said if we worked hard, we could have a good rest over the summer'! Well, I pointed out I'd said nothing of the sort, I'd said he needn't think I was going to work all day while he stayed in bed/on the pc.

Feeling stressed with work still, only 2 1/2 more weeks of term, but we'll have to be in preschool some days to get ready for September.

I didn't go back to work after I had DS1, but I started minding my nephew when he was 18 months & DS1 9 months. Started at preschool when DS1 was going into nursery, went on maternity leave to have DS2, & went back when he was 5 months. I didn't want to go back, but then-DH persuaded me to so we could afford all his boys toys of huge tv, expensive stereo that was hardly used... & now I'm on my own with the boys, I can't justify giving up work. It's not what I wanted to do though. But it does make sure I see other people & don't hide under my duvet from the world...

prepareathome

[IMG][/img] jug by prepareathomeearth, on Flickr

The jug and basin, just click on thumbnail to see it better

grandma247

Oh dear SpikyHedgehog I do kind of have sympathy for him.
When I left school I thought I would have the six weeks summer holiday before needing to look for a job. My Mother and soon to be stepfather had other ideas!
He took me on the Friday to ask about an interview for a job he spotted in the local paper that morning.
I had been for other interviews courtesy of the youth job people( I can't remember what it used to be called) but there always seemed to be a million other there for an interview as well.

Thanks to his quick action I was interviewed there and then and got the job.

PAH that is lovely. See it was worth him having time off work

SpikyHedgehog

Happy birthday, PAH - the cake sounds lovely. I need to bring home whipping cream from the work fridge (left over from last weeks snack for the children of scones, strawberries & cream) or it will get thrown out, & I was wondering what to do with it.

DS2's after school club was cancelled (rain...) So I got him at the end of the day, & saw his brass teacher going home. He stopped to tell me he's very pleased with DS2's progress, he'll do Grade 1 at Xmas & should breeze that as he's working on Grade 2 pieces. & he'd like DS2 to join the county music juniors as it would really benefit him & he'd enjoy it. I'm sure he would, but it will be more money each term for joining, plus the transport. We'll see. I'm still sitting on a form our vicar gave us, to get financial help while DS1's still in education - vicar said we should get some help, & I know the money is there to tap into. But it seems wrong to do it in DS1's name, when he doesn't come to church very often & says he's an athiest. Which he's entitled to be, but I think it would be wrong for him to then benefit from it...

Popperwell

Pooky wrote: »

What a fantastic idea! I shall pick up some oven bags tomorrow.

I brought a halogen oven today - I love it already. Baked an amazing loaf of bread in it and then popped sausages and potatoes in for tea...the roasties were fab!

Thanks to our solar panels our electricity bill was only £19 for the last quarter, if I can reduce that by using the halogen oven instead of having to wait half an hour for the main oven to come to temperature then I will be very :j

Fantastic Pooky...I must get around to using mine though I need to cook less being single?

Which one di d you buy?

This is mine...I ordered it from Amazon but then when it arrived a few days later the company was located virtually on my doorstep.:p

Andrew James 12 LTR Premium Halogen Oven Cooker, they are all supposed to be good and use less power than an ordinary oven. A microwave is said to be something like 40% less. And similar with a halogen oven if the cost of energy is a consideration.

This one gives you a free spare hich means you can replace it(some ovens you can't)Mine cost £39 but I got lots of accessories and a cookbook(it normally sells at £89)

Replacement bulbs cost £10

grandma247

If it is an unopened tub you could turn it into butter with a food processor or mixer.

If it has already been whipped and /or sugar added you could pipe or spoon it onto a tray and open freeze then bag. Put a blob on fruit or pie. You could even use it to make icecream

littlecal

:beer: HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAH:beer:

The jug and bowl are so pretty!


I went back to work when DS was 5 months old but luckily my sister looked after him. I paid her,she was already at home with my niece who was only 10 months older than DS,so sis said it made sense. It also meant that DS had (and still has) a fantastic relationship with his cousin.They're still like brother and sister. After I was made redundant,I was fortunate to find work in a school,so childcare was never an issue and I was able to return the childcare when my sis went back to work:)

fuddle

I hadn't thought that panicking was normal. I feel pretty abnormal when I'm doing it. I'm going to have to get a bigger bag! Seriously, I'm taking a paper bag, bottle of water and lavender oil (where would I get that?) with me at all times. From what I have read about it this evening, panicking doesn't have to consume you, you can control it and by using distraction methods mentioned here today. I thank you again for dragging me through an episode, dusting me off and preparing me to begin the journey again.

I've promised my DD that we'll watch the second installment of Turn Back Time: families on the beeb at 9. She's so keen I didn't want to say no so feel for me in the morning when I try to rouse her for school. :cool:

Such a good idea for using the roasting bags. I have never used them as too stingy but my sister swears by them.

pah your jug and basin are so delicately pretty.

kitschy

Sorry I only pop in occasionally nowadays folks!:o Hope you're all well.

Does anyone know if you can reuse these oven bags? I've never heard of them before!

Mrs_Chip

Hi Kitschy ! Welcome!

No the bags are not re-usable. I got 50 and 200 (!!!) bags from ebay for under a tenner (I think the bigger bags were 10 for 2.99 in the supermarket here) so they work out pretty cheap and they pay for themselves saving cleaning time and less shrinkage.