Living on next to nought - is that the key?

starnac

Greying. Your pizzas always look so delicious. Do you make the bases yourself too? I can never get the bases right. They either end up doughy or crispy. Any advice?

Good luck on your chore list today. Team greying is really flying lately. Well done you x

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey starnac - how lovely to *see* you

Thank you for your kind comment about the pizza. Yes, I do make my own pizza base, I follow Richard Bertinet's bread recipe - I use it for pizza base, or bread. But I only put olive oil in when I'm making pizza dough, not when doing bread, but if I haven't got any OO - which I haven't had for ages, then I leave the olive oil out.

I made a post about it, a while back, as someone kindly asked the same question, so if you'd like to have a look HERE it gives a link (green text) to the blog that has the bread/dough recipe on it, plus I noted down the slight differences I do when I make the dough. Oh, and I tend to add the water in bit by bit - I normally use closer to 300g of water, rather than the stated 320g. As it is a 500g dough mix, it makes a BIG pizza, hence why I make mine on a large rectangular tray and we have 8 slices from each pizza made - not I hasten to add, at one sitting! :rotfl: And as I've said before, I roll my dough with a rolling pin - I've no shame, but neither have I the time to inch it out by hand! I have the oven on at 180 degrees C to cook the pizza, I have the bottom element heat option (my default setting on the oven) and it is a fan-assist. I put the pizza on the bottom shelf of the oven, not the oven 'floor'. The pizza normally takes about 20 minutes to cook, depending on topping. I usually make the tomato sauce too.

Erm, I use semolina or cornmeal to dust the tray to try to stop the dough sticking. I always let the dough rise again once I've rolled it out and put it on the tray, to *try* to get a nice wodgy pizza.

I've just measured my pizza tray and it is 34 x 30cm or 14 x 12 inches in old money, so quite big. I got the tray donkey's years ago, and it is a solid non-stick, tray - it conducts the heat very well.

Erm, HTH. Can't think that I'm doing anything else significantly different, I just guess, by now, I've made a fair few pizzas - but even I burn them from time to time - usually because I wander off and get distracted.......... :rotfl:

Greying

starnac

Thank you Greying I will have a look at the link.

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

...Black olive pizza and wedges last night...

Mmmmmm pizza looks lush as always!!!

mothernerd

Hello everyone. I can't drive, so no camper van for me but I have been looking at caravans again. Every so often I get the 'why am I killing myself trying to keep a roof available for everyone who might need one' grumps and think 's*d it, I'll go off and live in a caravan.

As to OHs and jobs my (thankfully now ex) OH was completely incapable. Shortly after we met one of the taps (at his house) needed the washer changing. I went back to mine for my superwoman book and guided him through step by step (with the pictures in front of him). Then he sent me out to the ice cream van to celebrate his achievement. He usually paid someone to do jobs - that would be why his cooker was stuck in the corner of the kitchen with only the draining board for the sink to use as a worktop.

I insisted on keeping my house (he only got a mortgage on his because his landlord died and he didn't want to move) and thereafter nearly all household jobs were mine. We saved up for a carpet (I was using a carpet square bought for my brother's christening 28 years before I got it). I was expecting our third child and the others were 2 and 4 years old respectively. We had picked the carpet, so I sent him back to the shop on his own.

He came back with the news that the carpets fitters were free between December 27th and 31st (I wonder why). So after bedtime on Boxing Day we had to move all the furniture and new toys from the front room to upstairs and the kitchen. The door handle had to be taken off to get the couch through (I was too pregnant to do much heavy lifting). Then everything had to be put back but he ran out of time before replacing the door handle and went off to work (300 miles away).

I had an ante-natal appointment and mum came to mind the boys. She thought it was cold, got up to shut the door - the boys got as far as "no grandma don't sh..." They were locked in the front room. When I got back I had to go in the back door and use a large screwdriver through the door to turn the mechanism. Luckily they had a toy fireman's helmet to use as an emergency potty.

Did a lot of cooking myself yesterday. Veg curry, veg quiche (without pastry), lots of raw veg, dips, bean salad, potato salad, hard boiled eggs with mayo and paprika, prawn salad and rainbow trout fillets (for mum's partner - all the value salmon was gone, 3 trout fillets were ys'd at £1.68, he had one for his tea and the others are away in mum's freezer). Fed 5 adults and 2 smallies and brought leftover salad bits home - mum and her partner have been invited out for today and tomorrow. I love cooking when there is no pressure - I just threw things together, never looked at a recipe.

Have a good holiday whether at home or in your campers.

brizzledfw

Brilliant tale Northernerd..that made me smile.

Good cooking too

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Today has been one of those *interesting* days........

Ho hum. Still, I've eventually achieved absolutely everything on my list and a couple of other things besides, so all in all........

Mostly, I am delighted that Karmcat is back in circulation

rtandon - lovely to *see* you on the thread

mothernerd - you deserve a medal!! And yes, I agree, the best, most creative and therapeutic cooking is that of the no pressure variety

Brizzle - how come you are not leading off the camp fire singing??? C'mon, give us a rendition of 'gin-gang-goooly-gooolgy-goooly-watcha-ging-gang-goo'...........

I have spent much of the day cooking. But I have to say, that I had a crisis of confidence, due in part to DP. I'm happy to take extras on our picnic tomorrow - to share - with the people who will be joining us, but DP started to say, oh, and you'd better take extra X and extra Y - we can't have that and not share..... Dear Reader, we would of needed 16 pack ponies and a mule train the way things were developing.........

So, with DP out of the way, I got things straight in my head and I have decided what we will take extra of, and what will be available only in '2 portion' sizes. And do you know what Dear Reader? The 'extras' will be of home-made things. The 'shop bought' drinks etc, will not be added to. I am now happy with my decision, the pack will be manageable to carry and we should enjoy the walk. I'm always happy to share, but at the rate we were going, the whole essence of the walk was being overshadowed by the 'snap' - sooooo not the whole idea of the walk. We're doing this walk to 'reward' ourselves for the hard work we've put in with the house of late. The fact that someone else is now joining us was in danger of shifting the whole event to 'prestige picnic' - rather than 'amble with snap' which is what I'd envisaged all along.

I had a bash at making some 'finger rolls' - they morphed into mini-loaves ... it's really funny. Had I needed feed the 5,000, of course, they would have stayed worm-sized wouldn't they???? I've no idea how we're going to clamp our nashers around them... will have to try is all, I suppose...... :rotfl:

Dinner this evening ended up being a freezer raid of the black bean and aubergine chilli that I had made earlier in the month. It is supposed to be for 'tea' a week on Tuesday - but needs must :rotfl: A pic is here;



But I'm currently stumped as to the recipe author. I'll have to get back to you on that one - just in case you feel inclined to give it a bash Edit: See post 1983, it's a Dean & DeLuca recipe, link included

So, today I am grateful for these 3 things;

for clarity of thought

for getting it all packed in, despite the 'wobbles'

for having a 'day out' to look forward to

As I type, I think that this post may well push us over into 100 pages...............

When I started this diary back in July 2013, I had no idea it would reach this milestone. I didn't assume that anyone would read, comment or join-in.

But you did, in your droves, and you have made this an absolutely wonderful place to 'hang-out'. Whilst I managed (primarily through the focus of the diary) to guide ourselves out of the hole we were fast digging ourselves into, I have found that I have got new impetus to keep trying with tweaking the budget. To keep challenging expenditure - do we really need it - do we?? As I've mentioned before, we need to live simply if we are to move onto our retirement years seamlessly. I'm not interested in a life of drudge and gruel, but I am interested in a life of inventiveness and creativity. Noticing that small stuff and unearthing joy at every opportunity.

I'm sorry if this means that I waffle on. I'm sorry if it makes the diary 'long'. But I'm not sorry that I took the step to start this diary, and I certainly have no intention of writing, THE END. Yet.

Thank you if you've been with me from the start (Beanie). Thank you if you've ducked in along the way. Thank you if you've only just found me and are sticking around to see if it gets interesting

I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT

See y'all tomorrow.

Greying

in_need_of_direction

It's we who need to thank you. You're both an inspiration and a support.

Greying_Pilgrim

In need of direction - you are so kind. Thank you

The mystery of the chilli origin is solved! It is a recipe from Dean & DeLuca - an American deli. If you fancy a bash at the recipe, it can be found HERE I had the Dean & DeLuca cookbook - is how I came across it. I have to say, I never salt aubergines before cooking them, the modern dutch ones are rarely bitter.

It was a good, textural dish - pity I was a little heavy handed with the chilli..... t'was a little bit spicy........:o It's in the 'keeper' pile though

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Well, we're about bright and breezy to start the day.

HAPPY Easter Sunday

It's looking overcast outside, but at least it's dry, there doesn't appear to be much of a breeze and it isn't too cold - good walking conditions I think

I shall be attempting to have a NSD today - should be easy really, as there isn't anything that we need, the shops are mostly shut and I've no desire to sit in a pub today

I'd better pack up the rest of the snap, jump in the shower and then we'll have to stand around for half an hour as we'll have peaked *twirly* - always happens, without fail :rotfl:

However you choose to spend the day, I hope that you have a wonderful time and that the weather is kind for you. I'm going to spend my time in the greatest cathedral I know - the outdoors

See y'all later.

Greying