Mr and Mrs K's New Journey to a Debt Free Life.

AlexLK

7roland8 wrote: »

Here seems a good British site with clear recipes - slowcookerrecipes.org.uk

Thank you, just been having a look on Good Food, will have a look at this one too.

bess1234 wrote: »

It's your choice. Money or be a good father? Do you really believe you've chosen the wrong priority. Ask your dad what is the most important thing.

My father would change many things if he could go back in time, as I'm sure I will be the same if I reach his age.

I don't even feel I deserve to be alive on many days. However, I'm never without a smile for my son. He means the world to me, more than anything that could ever be bought.

mum2one

AlexLK wrote: »

Well, it looks like we've just spent £12. :eek: Wish us luck and I've no idea what we are going to make with it. :rotfl:


Thats brilliant, I love our slow cooker, I dont use ours enough, when I do I do a batch cook - usually beef in red wine, - gets portioned off into the freezer, - can go as topping with Jacket potato, or with mash.
I think we did too.

I hope this experience will be a more positive experience than my last (I have seen a counsellor before). In many ways, I do not think I deserve to be happy, thus avoided this for a long time.

[COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]Fingers crossed, maybe a different counsellor will be easier to work with, you deserve to be happy, depression is not a nice illness, but your getting some help, even by paying, no one is going to blae you for that - it is an investment in you for your and the families future.
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Often items are listed at weekends.



Bess, thank you but as much as I am flattered by your comment, my parents were very successful during their working lives. Ashamedly, I haven't got what it takes.

[COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]If we all followed our parents careers life would be a boring world, you are extremely talented at the music and the woodworking etc business, if you didn't have what it takes, would you still have pupils and a business..
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However, I care a great deal about my family and if I had to, I'd go without for them, for I failed my wife and son when I did not manage to be a success in my working life.

[COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]That career was not for you, and you have now found your vocation in life, I bet if Little K didn't get on with career A, you'd support him, heaven and back to get him into what is best, this is for you.x[/COLOR]

mum2one

AlexLK wrote: »

Roland: Thank you. I try everyday to be a good father to my son, not sure if I've ever made the grade yet though. I just hope striving to and doing my best is good enough.

ETA: That's if Mrs. K. and I work out how to use it :eek:.

In my books your on an A+ regarding the care and the love you give to Little K, he has 2 parents that love him to bits, and are doing there best to give him the best life he can have.

xx

mum2one

My main 2 recipies i use for the slow cooker 6 to 8 hours (or you can use these as a casserole in oven - gas 3 - 31/2hrs)

-Beef in Red Wine- (cheats version)

Ingredients
1 x sliced onion
445grams (old 1lb) stewing steak or braising steak
1/2lb bacon (any variety - I tend to get the off cuts bag from Poundland or supermarket)
1/2 bottle red wine (can reduce this if you want to)
3 tablespoons gravy granules
1lb mushooms - finely sliced
500g carrots - chopped or in batons (optional)

-- to make--
1. Gently fry onion I use frying pan or saucepan (which ever is to hand), fry till onion soften but not brown

2 Drain on kitchen paper - place in slow cooker

3. Bacon - chop into bite size pieces, fry in the oil/fat that you used for onions until the bacon is half cooked - lost the pale pink - drain onto kitchen paper - place into slow cooker

4. Beef - Fry this in the pan until all sides are cooked - drain and place in slow cooker

5. Make sauce - cheats method - use gravy granules - boil water, add half pint to the gravy granules and top up with red wine, mix well, if using carrots add as well

6. pour this over the meat and stir well, if you need more liquid add some hot water to the mix

7. Add mushrooms

6 to 8 hours medium heat - tenderises the meat as red wine soaks in, alcohol strength gets cooked off.

(oven cook it, Gas 3 /140C - 2/1hrs hrs then add mushrooms and cook for a further hour

---

Sausage and Tomato Casserole

1lb sausages
2 tins tomatoes
1 pepper - ideally green buy you can use frozen mix peppers or a yellow one - thinly sliced
1 onion - thinly sliced
Couple of tablespoons flour (self raising or plain)
2 tablespoons tomato puree

---

1 - prepare sausages - stab through the skin, and grill until lightly brown, - can take skin off and make the sausage into balls (personal choice) - pop to the side

2- Onions fry lightly until golden colour

3 - Put sausages, onions and pepper into slow cooker (or casserole dish)

4- Tin tomato's - can use chopped tomatoes, but I prefer the rustic feel and use tinned plum tomato's - drain juice off, bash down with a fork - gives it a rustic feel (reserve a bit of juice)

5. reserved juice add the flour and stir well (flour thickening agent) add to casserole

6, Squeeze 2 tablespoons - tomato puree in

-Leave to cook-

Slow Cooker - 6 hours
Oven - Gas 4/160C - 1 1/2hrs to 1 3/4hrs

-with this you can add tabascco sauce, squeeze brown sauce, use flavoured sausages, add some mushrooms, some veg -

---

Both recipies I batch cook for the freezer. x

gallygirl

The slow cooker will take a little getting used to Alex, the main one being you'll probably use too much liquid at first (it doesn't evaporate so you need less). Mum2One's beef recipe sounds lovely but I'd have thought 1/2 bottle of wine would be just about enough liquid without water as well. (But then, that is so often my mantra in life )

Glad you're going for counselling (crikey, they'll have their hands full ). I hope it helps you feel comfortable in your own skin and stop you judging yourself against someone else's ideals. You are bringing up your son in a loving environment and the close relationship you have now will have a lasting legacy.

I'm sure you're right that father would change many things if he could go back in time and one of them would be to spend more time with you when you were a child. You have that luxury with Little K so cherish it :T. As for failing in a career - you haven't failed, just chose the wrong career. Many people 'prostitute' themselves by slaving away for 30-40 years in jobs they at best tolerate. On their death beds do you think they'd do the same thing all over again?

Quality of life is what matters, not wealth or status. You actually do have the makings of a great quality of life. You know you can earn more when you can be motivated (or customers pursue you ) and hopefully the counselling will help with that. You have Little K. Mrs K has a good job and will no doubt get an even better one. You and Mrs K are getting on better and if you do buy this car to do up together (and sell remember ) you'll be working as a team, on something you both love. Crikey - I'd LOVE to have a passion Mr GG and I shared like that .

I hope the counsellor helps you Alex as I said above, you have the makings of a fantastic life if you can shift your perceptions :T.

LannieDuck

I think the counsellor may be one of the most MSE things you've done. Many people spend more when they're depressed, and I think you may do that too, esp on meals out. You're a lot more prepared to tackle your money issues when you're having one of your 'highs'.

Get the depression sorted, and the rest will follow

AlexLK

Well it looks like Mrs. K. and I have purchased a car!

In response:
mum2one: Thank you. We'll have a play when the slow cooker arrives and thank you for the recipes. I hope things work out with the counsellor but I imagine it will take a while to really know. I wonder if I gave up too easily before.

Of course I'd support my son no matter his choices. I also know it's not particularly "right" to feel like such a failure. However, sometimes I find it very difficult to move away from that mindset.

gallygirl: Thank you, I presume cornflour can be used to thicken the sauce if needed?

Even I reckon they've probably got their hands full dealing with me. :rotfl: I do hope it helps though in the long run.

Sometimes I do feel quite fortunate to not have a "proper" job and manage just about to make ends meet. You've gave me a lot to think about.

Lannie: I hope I manage to get this sorted too. I agree that when I'm feeling quite content in myself, things are so much easier and that I do tend to spend more than I should when I'm in a low mood.

theoretica

When you say that you think you react to foods, but aren't sure which ones, that rang a huge bell with me as I think I am getting a handle on my sensitivities and have improved my mood, energy, sleep, joints, complexion, digestion... Do you know if any of your relatives have food intolerances? Cutting any suspect food out of your diet for a month or so and then reintroducing it is the MSE test.

For me gluten turned out to be the main culprit, and it does seem to be one of the more common. It is advised to be tested for coeliac disease before giving up gluten, as the test is only valid if you are eating gluten.

AlexLK

theoretica wrote: »

When you say that you think you react to foods, but aren't sure which ones, that rang a huge bell with me as I think I am getting a handle on my sensitivities and have improved my mood, energy, sleep, joints, complexion, digestion... Do you know if any of your relatives have food intolerances? Cutting any suspect food out of your diet for a month or so and then reintroducing it is the MSE test.

For me gluten turned out to be the main culprit, and it does seem to be one of the more common. It is advised to be tested for coeliac disease before giving up gluten, as the test is only valid if you are eating gluten.

I am not aware of any relatives with food intolerances. Whilst I am not sure which foods don't agree with me, when we go through phases of home cooking, I'm usually much better, so it seems to be processed food. A part of me wonders if it's just something psychological though.

theoretica

AlexLK wrote: »

when we go through phases of home cooking, I'm usually much better, so it seems to be processed food.

Sounds like another good argument for home cooking!

About the slow cooker - it really isn't that different from shoving things in the cool oven of the Aga for hours - only without the expense of the Aga!