Cooking for one

PasturesNew

SunnyGirl wrote: »

PN - I was wondering
Will you buy different types of food do you think? Or stick to what you've had in already? I get bored sometimes and am always on the lookout for new ideas. The keema is a case in point I was fed up of chilli.

My freezer's quite small, so I've learnt some personal lessons... never ever have more than ONE bag of frozen veg in there. Never buy sausagemeat, buy sausages as they've already got flavour, buy bags of small things (fishcakes, burgers, etc) that can be grabbed/eaten. Buy Quorn, at half price, but NEVER buy TWO bags as it takes a year to get through two bags.

There have been a lot of things in this freezer since I bought it 3 years ago that have turned into something I begrudged.

I've not often/always had a freezer before ... so it's been a bit interesting working out what/when/why to freeze things - and when to not freeze things.



I would like to explore more of Iceland's offerings to be honest.

Foodwise, I'm definitely "1970s peasant", not a foodie at all

To me a freezer should provide me with more choice of food - but nothing that "clogs up the system and just sits there for months, unloved". Food that's not moving through regularly prevents better/nicer things being bought and tried.

SunnyGirl

Thanks Caronc I'd never thought of aubergine that's a great idea. My normal veg to pad things out tend to be onions, carrots, celery, peppers & courgettes. Oh and tinned tomatoes of course

PasturesNew

I went to the chippy - fish £3.75 and chips £1.75. So I just got the chips. Weighed them, so I know.... 480 grams! That's HUGE, that's serves two really ... but when you live alone .... sometimes you soldier on

SunnyGirl

PN I'm so glad you went to the chippy bet they were lovely even if a large portion. The things we have to suffer through when single

Your comments re the freezer are interesting and even better advice as you're talking from experience. I'm a bit of a freezer queen tbh and would be lost without it. I keep bread permanently frozen and zap a couple of slices in the microwave when needed. It always stays fresh then. I do have a bad habit of keeping the crusts for when I make a treacle tart but I haven't actually made one in about 8 years so end up eating crust toast for weeks :rotfl: Good job I like crusts.

greenbee

PN - I usually have a child's portion of fish & chips. I've converted my mum to it as well, as she NEVER ate the whole lot and always regretted having too much.

PasturesNew

SunnyGirl wrote: »

PN I'm so glad you went to the chippy bet they were lovely even if a large portion. The things we have to suffer through when single

Your comments re the freezer are interesting and even better advice as you're talking from experience.

My experience is as somebody who has always lived alone and never accumulated stuff/gadgets nor a larger house ... whereas empty nesters are more likely to have a lifetime of accumulated dishes, gadgets, large freezer etc... so, probably occupying a larger space with more stuff.

As I've never had anybody to cook for - and am not really interested in it at all, I've just worked out how to slap food into a dish quickest

I COULD cook .... if I had the space/gadgets and an audience. But without any of that lot, there's zero interest for me to cook.

I do try to vary what I eat... not massively - I'd never "try something completely new" in case that purchase was a waste. So my foods are old style stuff - no new-fangled foods. There's also a lot I don't like/don't fancy (eg lentils, aubergines, mushrooms, courgettes, celery) and I never stir fry (can't use a hob/oven due to weird phobias/fears).

But ... I manage all right

PasturesNew

greenbee wrote: »

PN - I usually have a child's portion of fish & chips. I've converted my mum to it as well, as she NEVER ate the whole lot and always regretted having too much.

I'd do that if there were such an option there, but there isn't.

It's "take it or leave it" there.

poppystar

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd do that if there were such an option there, but there isn't.

It's "take it or leave it" there.

My local chippie do a "cone" of chips which is not on the menu (and neither is it served in a cone for that matter). It's £1 as opposed to £1.40 but quite frankly I still have to say stop as they keep piling the chips on to the paper - some people must have huge appetites or be feeding huge families! They only told me such an option existed when I was trying to stop them serving me a portion that would have fed me for a week.

PasturesNew

I think I'm going to die..... I ate too much

I should've split those chips into two portions - but they're simply not the same/not as good the next day .....

I have ballooned out and had to get changed into a massive T shirt...current position wallowing on the sofa

Never again .... at least until next time.

I've never eaten a whole bag of chips from that chippy before; always split them in half.... I must remember that next time.

Eyes bigger than my belly ... and that'd take some doing right now!

Er ... and I still managed to squeeze in a cheeky choc ice an hour after I'd scoffed them! Where does it all fit????

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

Er ... and I still managed to squeeze in a cheeky choc ice an hour after I'd scoffed them! Where does it all fit????

I'm really not sure how you managed that though :rotfl:


Chippy chips reheated the next day are never as good the next day, so you did the right thing by eating them all