The commonsense thread

Popperwell

Well Aldis still have it in stock but I have one going back probably 40 years a food processor system with all the accessories and guess what...it is manual not electric and it's dead easy to use, anything the new super dooper power systems do this does...

But I do happen to have a whisk like you suggest.;)

In fact I may have some electric items for use in the kitchen but I also have items that use no power and just a bit of "Elbow" Grease...or small appliences that chop or slice vegetables. But even my "Nicer Dicer!" was on offer and I would never have paid the full price for it!

The only reason I don't use my Smoothie maker too often now is because I could not buy the fruit etc...cheap enough to make it worthwhile, its easier to buy it ready done and especially if on offer. Then again it will be handy if/when I make my own soups perhaps in the future.

THIRZAH

We took two flasks when we went on holiday last week.I filled them with coffee every morning before we went to the beach.We took a plastic box of biscuits too.
There were five of us so we saved quite a bit by not having to buy coffee out.It meant we could buy a few real treats like fresh crab, good cheese and nice bread from the local bakery.

taplady

Dazi - we have one of those cookers too and they are fab, great in powercuts too! and one of the toat making things from Aldi:)

as for gadgets I just replaced my mixer with one from Currys that cost all of £6:T might not look fancy but it does what I want which is to whisk eggs and make cakes, yes I'd love a big fancy machine but I cant afford it and I'm not getting into debt to buy one.

I bought a liquidiser and its gathering dust in the cupboard as I use my stick blender for most things.

I use my George Foreman for lots of things, chargrilling veggies, bacon, toasties and panninis :T

My breadmachine is also gathering dust - I just ate it too quick and couldn't get a decent brown loaf out of it.

I carbooted my yoghurt maker.

I do use my slowcooker in winter a fair bit - nothing quite like coming home to the smell of dinner cooking:T

havent really bought many other gadgets.

Popperwell

Dazi wrote: »

once you get into the habit of brewing up you won't go back to paying out!.....before we had the van we used to brew up in the back of our car. OH is waggon driver so he has plenty of practice lol

Yes have done all that before for many years and its been a long time and probably may be something I never will again...eating/drinking in a Caf!. I tend to take a bottle of water or a flask if I know I will be out ages in a rucksack or put something up that's quick to eat.

I know Caf!s have to make a profit and it is a business but they would be out of business if they relied on my patronage. Having said that near a theatre I have been lately in another town they were doing what seemed like a decent meal for under or around £2.

The other week in Durham I found a lovely fish and chip shop and a decent portion of chips for £1.35, I bet the fish would have been lovely too but add that the price was nearer £5 and I decided to save £3.65.

fuddle

I use the slow cooker a lot whether a stew or a steamed pudding. I loved learning about the hay box in wartime farm last week. Would a cardboard box filled with hay do the trick too?

HariboJunkie

taplady wrote: »

My breadmachine is also gathering dust - I just ate it too quick .

:eek: Jesus but that must have given you awful indigestion!!!

I'm the same with gadgets and do use the george foreman for toasties and paninis but only cos I figured it would have multi uses and it replaced my aged toastie maker when it croaked.

Yoghurt is easy to make in a flask, bread is better by hand (though I do own a freecycled bm) and hand blenders are far superior to jug blenders imo. I do like my slow cooker but that does save money on energy and is great for when I'm out all day.

You're a braver girl than me with the balloon whisk though Fuddle. You'll have Popeye arms soon. I have a Tesco value hand blender and it's being going for about 5 years.

People may say that quality lasts longer but I can't ever see me wanting to spend upwrads of £300 on a food mixer no matter what was in the bank.

she_who_can_not_cook

fuddle wrote: »

I use the slow cooker a lot whether a stew or a steamed pudding. I loved learning about the hay box in wartime farm last week. Would a cardboard box filled with hay do the trick too?

how do you make steamed pudding in the slow cooker please ??

Popperwell

Fuddle, Would the cardboard catch fire? I don't really know tbh...

HariboJ, I have had a fair few gadgets from Tesco's cheap but they last well...

I think my best and lowest priced electrical kitchen gadget was my Slow cooker. Most expensive...the combi microwave.

fuddle

Oh so easy. Just put your mixture in your pudding dish, tie the top with greaseproof paper and pop it in about an inch of water in the slow cooker. Leave it for 2 hours and when you go check you'll have a lovely pudding.

taplady

HariboJunkie wrote: »

:eek: Jesus but that must have given you awful indigestion!!!

You're a braver girl than me with the balloon whisk though Fuddle. You'll have Popeye arms soon. I have a Tesco value hand blender and it's being going for about 5 years.

:rotfl:

Fuddle - be very careful whisking by hand - I gave myself tendonitis in my wrist by hand mixing a cake once and my wrist has never properly recovered. It is easy to hurt yourself using a repetetive movement.