The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

EssexHebridean

I hope it wasn't BG's pits that were making the curious noises and "interesting" aroma Greying! :rotfl:

Well done on the eggs - and I'm right there with you on the ludicrous price of wobbleflowers. 89p is my absolute top limit - and only then if it's a good big one. I've tried the frozen stuff but sadly have always found it disappointing to date. Likewise the frozen broccolli which always seems to disintegrate on it's first sight of a bit of hot steam.

I rather suspect the retailers know that the majority of people who buy grated this or prepped that are neither time poor nor infirm, they are simply lazy, and so the premium gets charged. You're right though - it is harsh on those who are less able to do things like cheese grating.

beanielou

Yes, good point GP re the grated cheese & the additional premium
I often have to buy pre prepared fruit & it is certainly a premium price.
I get very cheesed off about it as I sometimes just cannot manage

maddiemay

EssexHebridean wrote: »

I hope it wasn't BG's pits that were making the curious noises and "interesting" aroma Greying! :rotfl:

Well done on the eggs - and I'm right there with you on the ludicrous price of wobbleflowers. 89p is my absolute top limit - and only then if it's a good big one. I've tried the frozen stuff but sadly have always found it disappointing to date. Likewise the frozen broccolli which always seems to disintegrate on it's first sight of a bit of hot steam.

I rather suspect the retailers know that the majority of people who buy grated this or prepped that are neither time poor nor infirm, they are simply lazy, and so the premium gets charged. You're right though - it is harsh on those who are less able to do things like cheese grating.

Oh thank goodness to have found someone else who cannot get on with frozen cauli & broc, neither DH or I have ever managed to cook and serve it successfully. I hang about on the OS blogs where so many people find it perfectly acceptable, whereas the remainder of my stock (bought when I was poorly to save time and shopping trips) is gradually being incorporated into soup.

Greying - I positively loathe sprouts unless they are shredded and stir fried, but your curry does look delish:D

Painful hands and a dead food processor meant that I have been buying the ready grated cheese, but I now have a lovely new FP, so home grated cheese and HM coleslaw should be regularly appearing at MM towers:D

Cheery_Daff

I love sprouts, and would be quite satisfied with a sprout curry Not tonight though - I have not long got in from work (sshhhh, don't tell anyone) and Mr Cheery isn't here, so I'm just boiling up some spuds, sticking some frozen green beans and peas in the microwave, and some veggie sausages under the grill One of my favourite meals :j

I've never managed with frozen brocolli or cauli either - but I LOVE frozen green beans, cook dead quick in the microwave and I could happily eat bowl after bowl :rotfl:

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

beanie - i can understand a bit of extra cost because it's been further processed, but all but double???

EH - it was indeed the pits of BG's bowels that were a gurgling and smell emitting......... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

maddiemay - you can't casually mention *new FP* and not tell us all about it! Spill......

Lobs Cheery a sprout


I'm going to swim against the tide and say we use frozen broccoli and cauli all the time. Is it as good as fresh? H3ll no. But does it add diversity to our meals? Yes it does. I find as long as I am prepared for it to be different, then I'm ok with it. Occasionally we will have fresh of either vegetable, and it's lovely. And very occasionally we will be gifted a HG cauli or some purple sprouting broccoli from the gardening parental. Boy, is that ever a treat We really savour those meals

Tea last night was Spicy vegetables with polenta, which is a Reza Mohammed recipe. I couldn't upload the pic last night, p bucket was playing silly b's. I think the polenta looks like custard :rotfl:Served with a dollop of yoghurt and some nigella seeds. Pic here;



Tea tonight is soup. I was going to make spicy parsnip, to accomodate parsnips bought in mrL's PoTW, but I've some mascarpone to use up, so it will probably be cream of tomato & basil.

Right, best get a wriggle on - keep up with BG who clearly has ants in their pants!

Ta for popping in and joining in on the conversation.

Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Well, i get the gold star today I got a 'small-scale' grown cauli in the market 'all for 85p - 4p under EH's budgetary guideline A chap with a smallholding brings locally grownstuff along - he also sells wholesale bought stuff, but he's usually pretty reasonable on the HG stuff.

I did also have another look in m&$, and their caulis were still £1, and I was actually very taken with one, it was reasonably big, and had those lovely light green leaves curled aroung the curds - completely obscuring it and meaning you would getsnow-white curds. Very good buy for £1 as you could have used the leaves too.

People said some lovely things to and about Baby Greying again today. I don't know what it is about us that attracts such kindness - i don't notice other parents getting talked to in queues etc. Still, we'll lap it up. Better than the alternative

Right, only came on to *brag* 'bout me barginaciuos cauli Best crack on. Plenty more to keep me busy.

Greying X

joeyjimbles

I've not had a good fresh cauli all season. I have used frozen and it's been ok providing I keep an eye on it - less successful with frozen broc but that could be my slapdash approach. Fortunately friend with allotment seems to have had bumper year and keeps gifting it - she has home-frozen it after a quick splash in boiling water and it is very good, even better if I can let it defrost and then cook it from cool. I might try that with the commercial frozen stuff and see if that helps actually.

YS'd lamb shoulder at the weekend - about 1.4kg for £1.20 reduced from £11.50!! - no wonder it was still there. The butcher lady in Morrees was just going to put it out and casually asked if we were interested - I thought DH was going to hug her. Delicious slow cooked roast on Sunday and the leftover bit is now marinading in chili, cumin and ground coriander to make jalfrezi tonight for tomorrow's dinner.

BTW our Morrees is not big but we have about half an aisle of truly ethnic foods including several different types/sizes of rice so it may be worth a look when you are next in.

Greying_Pilgrim

joeyjimbles wrote: »

she has home-frozen it after a quick splash in boiling water and it is very good, even better if I can let it defrost and then cook it from cool. I might try that with the commercial frozen stuff and see if that helps actually.

joeyjimbles - I always de-frost my frozen broc first in the microwave and pour all but a smidge of the water away, then cook it on high for a couple of minutes. It is NOT like fresh broc, but most of the time (I do get it wrong sometimes and it goes mushy ) it is more 'substance than mush' if you get what I mean. And I know it is a completely different thing, but I did make the most delicious (sorry, sounds like I'm bragging and I don't mean to ) brocolli cheese soup with frozen broc on Sunday. Really tasty. But then it was whizzed up, it mattered not if it was fresh or frozen I suppose

Good score on the lamb - a definite bargain Our morries has 'ethnic foods', but the big brands iyswim - sHarw00ds, Unc13 B3ns etc, rather than eastern enders, Nattyco, la1la etc. We definitely don't have a ethnic foods bit. MrT does, but not morries But, I should go and have a look. I've been even more put off since they re-vamped the shop, but I should give them the benefit of the doubt. It would be just a long enough walk there and back for BG and me And I've not been for a while.

Greying X

EssexHebridean

Mmmmmmm to Y'S'd lamb JJ - I think your DH SHOULD have hugger her - might have encouraged her to do it again! :rotfl:

Good work on the wobbleflower Greying - you can keep the fivepence.

Oh - meant to say - no sign whatsoever of the "usual" Brown Basmati rice in HB's when I was in at the weekend. Not even a shelf space/label for it.

Greying_Pilgrim

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Oh - meant to say - no sign whatsoever of the "usual" Brown Basmati rice in HB's when I was in at the weekend. Not even a shelf space/label for it.

Mmmm, still in our branch and in the next town along - as funnily enough I happened to notice when checking the price of their basmati. So, temporarily unavailable or a discontinued line? I hope it's the former.

Greying X