'supporting each other through really tough times'

kidcat

Poor katie - never has anyone been nagged so much and from such a distance too -:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Hope you are feeling better in the morning though Katie

kittie - I know someone who always eats really hot curry and chilli when she has a cold and she swears it helps - I cant eat hot stuff so I have never tested her theory

wondercollie

jem132 wrote: »

£500 just to go round and round my mum says fuddle

Kitchen Aid. Is a mixer you can get them in bright colours I got a mincer and pasta maker for Myne room I love it. It's an amazing amrican make really robust and fab :j

They are pretty indestructable. My kids are squabbling over who gets it and the pots and pans when I die. Did I mention I have boys!

Anyhoo, they are on sale right now for around $198- $249 depending on which model you get.

They are one of the few appliances made in North America. So to me it's worth the money to keep jobs on the continent.

I waited 20 years for mine and I love him. I made the mistake of saying I like to stroke his big red head in the SHTF thread. I just think of it as a him.

Softstuff

Currently very annoyed, returned some library books via the chute there yesterday (couldn't park during opening hours as there was an antiques fair in the next door building). Checked my online account, half are saying I still have them out.... grrr. Last time this happened the woman on the phone accused me of having lost them "somewhere in my house", anyone who knows how anal I am about these things knows that couldn't be the case. Hate being wrongly accused above all other things.

Anyway, my version of special fried rice for Kidcat:

I use leftover rice, probably about 6-8 cups. The quantity isn't all that important.

I lightly fry in veg oil with a smidge of sesame oil: 1 clove of crushed garlic if wanted (I can't anymore, but this does improve things), I use a little powdered ginger (a little fresh would be better, but I'd never get through it).

When that's nicely hot and smelly I throw in the following (which I've pre-chopped) bits of ham (or chicken, prawns, I've even used some luncheon meat on one occasion), chopped spring onions (chopped onion would be fine, but it causes me bother), diced mushrooms, a handful of frozen peas, a grated carrot. Fry the lot until it looks a bit cooked (precise, isn't it!). Move all of this over to one side of the pan and crack a couple of eggs in, lightly scramble those until cooked chopping them up with your spatula. Throw in the cooked rice and give everything a good stirring until the rice is hot and everything is mixed through, add in a dash more sesame, about a tablespoon of soy sauce and a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Mix it all well and serve. This results in a much stickier version of fried rice than the authentic, but we find it tasty and comforting!

Miso coated aubergines for Byatt, these are good served hot with rice, but I found them equally as good the next day cold for lunch.

Slice the aubergines into rounds, brush them with oil and grill under medium heat each side until nicely soft. In the meantime, in a pan combine a large tablespoon of red miso paste, 1 tablespoon mirin, 2 tablespoons sake, 3 tablespoons sugar and cook mixing well until it's a bit like a thick syrup. Spread this like thin jam over one side of the cooked aubergine circles, then pop under the grill again, just briefly until it bubbles cooked. It goes a little crisp like the top of a creme brulee! Not too long though and keep an eye, they burn quick. Very tasty. I've just started wondering if I could do the same thing with courgettes....

I realise these aren't written like recipes, but they're more like how I cook them (imprecisely!), so I hope they're of use.

meme30

Blimey Katieowl that sounds nasty! I hope you are alright and not too sore today.:grouphug:

Kidcat:- You have my sympathies for your back pain. It's so easy to think you can go on for just a bit longer but boy! do you pay for it later!

SGD:- Loved the flashmob, it made me fill up.:)

You have solved a puzzle for me. I did not know what a Kitchenaid was, but a friend told me recently she was extending her kitchen so she had enough counter space to display hers.:eek:
I had a lovely day yesterday, it was good to be able to give everyone a big hug. The baby was suitably admired and I think we all went home feeling more hopeful than we had been feeling.:)

Bathroom cleaning and marzipaning the cakes for me today. A bit of ridiculous to the sublime!:rotfl:

Pooky

Morning toughies

Katie - hope you're feeling ok this morning.

Kittie - thank you for the Epsom salt info. I had a read of some bits and ordered some. Last nights bath was very refreshing and rather than dropping off to sleep at 9pm I was still very alert at 11pm. When I went to bed I slept like a log and woke up at 7am having not stirred all night. I've woken up with what sounds like a full on snotty cold but it's just my sinus clearing out following the salt bath, very, very effective.

I was contacted by a friend of a friend yesterday asking if I'd do a weekend workshop for some of my craft stuff. She has a few friends that want to learn how to patchwork and crochet etc, they're all willing to pay for the privilege! I said its some thing I'll think about in the new year! I also had an order for one of my wreaths! Shall get that made up by the end of the week and posted off.

kidcat

Softstuff - thank you

Meme - am glad you and your family were able to get together yesterday

Katie - I hope you are feeling better today

I dont have a kitchenmaid (and i actually dont really want one either:o ) my parents bought me a big Kenwood mixer with all the attachments a few years ago for Christmas, it cost the earth and I hate it:o:o I was trying to save to get a good size food processor and they knew this, but not knowing anything about cooking bought it instead.
They meant well but it sits gathering dust and never gets used, as when it comes to mixing I prefer a hand held whisk or a wooden spoon. To use the food processor bit means stripping half a cupboard out to get to the processor and another one if I want any gadgets for it like the grater. As a consequence I will sometimes get the processor out but have never used the grater etc. It takes too long.

I am going to try to add a shelf to my under sink cupboard today its a job my dad promised to do for me months ago and hasnt had the time as other jobs keep taking over, but I think its probably the easiest of the smaller stuff so am going to start there. If I manage it I will move onto another small job and hopefully we will eventually get there.

The point of the shelf is that I can clear stuff out of a different cupboard into there and then I cant get the blasted mixed into a cupboard with the BM and hopefully the bread tub too. It would make a massive difference to my worktop space and really help.

fuddle

How are you this morning katie?

Monnagran my christmas decs box is sat ready packed and waiting. I'm keeping it separate so I can transport it otherwise the men folk will put it somewhere daft. DH dad is coming down from Scotland to help with the move.

Hobbit. DH is mad crazy and been waiting years for it's release so I'll be going it's released to the cinema. The night before the move :eek:

See through windows :eek: we'll not have to use that toilet in the dark until I can get some curtains/blinds.

Softstuff it may well be the slow cooker! :doh: Thanks. For mince, gravy and onions in the oven, what would you do? Bless you for posting your recipes.

meme it would have done everyone the world of good being together and the lil baby would have brought love and hope just by being there. I'm pleased to read that you do feel more hopeful. Tears and laughter. Proper tonics


Edit: plan for today:
*repaint old farmhouse chair for DD's room
*look at christmas sweet bread recipes as I have flour to use up (too much flour) Try one out for snacks and lunch boxes, batch up some for freezer.
*sort out freezer, plan to use up all odds and ends in the next few weeks.
*look at fabric online to make curtains.
*cook a roast in the halogen for dinner.
*pack up kitchen utensils that I'm not likely to use in the coming weeks.

Softstuff

fuddle wrote: »

H

Softstuff it may well be the slow cooker! :doh: Thanks. For mince, gravy and onions in the oven, what would you do? Bless you for posting your recipes.

I'm not a fan of mince, gravy and onions as a whole, sorry Shepherds pie or mince and dumplings makes me gag. That's not to say I'm not a fan of mince, I don't know what I'd do without it.

These have been our favourite mince based items (some are off limits for my stomach now):
Meatballs (the easiest meatball ever is a handful of mince, 2 handfuls of dry value sage and onion stuffing mix and a good slosh of water to moisten, then grill. Hubby loves these!)

Burgers (same idea as meatballs, but I serve a couple with rice and veg, I tend to fry these with a little olive oil to get a nice crust)

Meatloaf (same as meatballs, but add in grated veg too, form into a loaf and bake in the oven. I used to throw a little tomato pasta sauce over this near the end of cooking, and a little cheese)

Meaty pasta (Fry a handful of mince, a diced potato, a diced carrot and a diced onion in a generous slosh of olive oil, and salt and pepper, toss the cooked pasta through it, top with cheese to serve - surprisingly tasty. I use the same mix to fill homemade pasties).

Chilli (handful of mince, a grated carrot, a grated courgette, a chopped onion fried until soft, add a tin of kidney beans, half a spoonful of chilli powder, a teaspoon of cumin, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a couple of cubes of chocolate, simmer until thick)

Enchiladas (roll up wraps filled with chilli, put in baking dish, top with a little more of the sauce and cheese, bake)

Baked chilli pasta (use the same chilli, toss cooked pasta through, bake in a dish topped with cheese).

I also used to top homemade chips with that chilli and cheese for a real treat!

Sorry for the waffle, not sure if that lot is any use to you or not what you were after.

P.S If I was cooking mince, gravy and onions I'd do it on the hob in a pan. Fry the mince and onions, add gravy, simmer - less than 15 mins. The only things I think merit extended cooking over a long period like a slow cooker does is a decent ragu or stew using a cheap meat (even then, can't stand potatoes done in a stew that way) or a nice brisket. I realise people love theirs though, so qualify this is only my opinion .

Bigjenny

Fuddle I used this film on my bathroom window. It's not completely opaque but it does the job, you can see an blurred outline of the person, and it comes in different designs. http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/search?q=d-c+fix. I'm not sure but think some of the designs are more see through than others IYSWIM, hope I explained that right

I never liked mince and onions in the slow cooker, alway do mine on the
hob.

Jenny

kidcat

Fuddle - my SC is reseved for stews etc, things like spag bol and chilli I do on the hob after having the same problem, I have no idea why but they did taste different in the SC. That said I love my SC I am just careful about what I use it for.

I have a recipe for risotto in a SC that I love, it only takes an hour or so but it means I can throw it on and then leave it while I see to the kids no messing about.

My OH loves sausage casserole in SC, I serve that in giant yorkshire puds. But I have to say that my youngest three eat almost nothing I cook in the SC. They are not fans of "wet" meals as DS14 calls them. They will eat a pasta and sauce type dish but dont like everything cooked altogether stuff.