Cooking for one (Mark Two)

PasturesNew

For lunch it was mac/cheese. The one I thought I'd make yesterday but didn't.

Well, that's another 4 grams gone from the bag of flour in the cupboard!

L1dl had a cheese offer the other weekend, Emmental slices, so I used a couple of those.... close to the end of the first pack (of three bought) now. 11 slices in one pack..... that's a lot of eating to do.

I made 180g of cooked macaroni and 120g of cheese sauce, which was "about right" quantity wise.

It probably cost me about 35p to make ... -v- ~£1 to buy a cheap one that are never as good as my own anyway. Mac was 8p, cheese was 16p, milk was about 10p. Then it was just a bit of marg and flour.

Farway

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm another one who liked the idea of the Scoop/Weigh shops, but not the unhygienic aspects to it. .....

Always intrigued when people say stuff like that, I peeked: if I sold this house could I buy there or is it truly horrific.

An initial search shows the cheapest three houses to cost: £180k, £188k, £200k.

A house "as similar to mine as they can show me" is priced at £217k.

If I HAD to live there, without knowing individual properties/roads/issues, I'd certainly feel able to view a few of them without feeling "hard done by".

I guess, if I had to buy one TODAY ... it'd be this one, which is a "major step up from what I've got" but the same value.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66950303.html

Although their taste is shocking ....

Hmm, I had a look around the same site, I reckon this one would do me, same value, not allowing for stamp duty etc & without knowing the area, seems handy short walk to the sea as well
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48532182.html

Reckon I could move in and do nothing, wonder if I could squeeze in holiday let room?

Actually I have just used the Streetview on Google, I don't think I would like it, rows of bay & forecourt houses, looks like ex B & B territory

Up later than normal, but no matter because the rain started as forecast, just as I was going out for the rice

Jumbo porridge for breakfast, think I have it mastered now following the advice on here, overnight soak, liquid just covering the oats

Rice now bought, and with the rain it is a nice warming comfort food day decided on cheese on toast with HM chutney for lunch

Using the last of the LO slow cooked pork plus the 2014 vintage jar of Korma sauce to go with the new buy Basmati rice for dinner. Looks like I may be following Caron path and curry for breakfast tomorrow, but I just do not think I could face it at that time, lunch maybe?

PasturesNew

Farway wrote: »

Hmm, I had a look around the same site, I reckon this one would do me, same value, not allowing for stamp duty etc & without knowing the area, seems handy short walk to the sea as well
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48532182.html

If we're going to Torquay, I did actually/seriously look there about 7 years ago. A bit further out's better as Torquay is "quite rough", especially after dark.

The better bit, where you also stand the chance of getting a spare room that could be let out, seemed at the time that I looked to be a bit to the south, more Preston/Paignton. There were spacious bungalows, not far from a little beach there.

It's an area you really need to study street by street though as ... it's not as pleasant as the holiday brochures have you believe.

As it's a "cheap place to live by the sea" you end up getting a lot of druggies as they can get the dole to pay their rent and doss all day on the beach/round town begging.

candygirl

Went for a curry with Mum last night, n as usual have tons left over, so will.have the rest with oven chips later 😗
PN don't mention crumpets or toast today, as my toaster has blown up :eek::rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I go to minehead on the steam train when I can, I do like that little place, nice atmosphere and I met some fab women in the little museum. They have lots going on for people lots of U3A stuff for starters and allotments wanting users. Oh well I need to be content, it is too far away from dds if I am honest

I made a 50% semolina loaf today, less flour than a normal loaf and it rose and rose, I had to hover in case I had to pr*ck the top to let gas out. French bread type and that will get a high grading in my little book. Just had a sandwich with it, cheese and tomato and was a pleasure to eat

Am in process of making real cream ice cream, just the boring stage of custard and then its easy. Had to make fluffy meringues with the left over whites, cannot waste food anyway they store for ages

PasturesNew

candygirl wrote: »

... my toaster has blown up

You're probably one for "posh toasters".... mine's the £5 basics one from Sainsbobs.... but, while wandering through 4ldi last night I did spot they are currently selling a "more modern looking" red set of kitchen stuff, including toasters.

I didn't actually look at them, but it'll be one of these:
https://www.aldi.co.uk/search?text=toaster
I'd guess at the £19.99 one as that's marked as "in store only" ... so I bet it's that sort.

Aldi is a website where it's hard to find what's actually inside the shops ... and what used to be there.

The toaster I want hasn't been made yet .... and if it has, then not at a price I am prepared to pay So ... it's £5 toasters for me.

Farway

PasturesNew wrote: »

The toaster I want hasn't been made yet .... and if it has, then not at a price I am prepared to pay So ... it's £5 toasters for me.

I think Which did a toaster test recently. Unfortunately it was dear one that just did toast properly, brown & even all over on both sides, at the same time. £5 one it is then

The pork curry was rank, not sure if it was due to OOD sauce or my taste buds have grown older. I had to bin it, it was very salty & bitter tasting, bleeugh :mad:

Opened emergency tin of ratatouille, which was not much better, the tomato skins were like leather, I felt a bit like PN at times, with picking all the bits out

Thank heavens for a bit of home cooking, the stewed apples afterwards were just fine

At least I now have a clean slate in the fridge, nothing needing "using up" which is good, but bad is I am back to thinking. If weather is still cool possibly get on and do something with steamed fresh veg

PasturesNew

Re toasters.... I want the moon on a stick. The perfect toaster would (cost £5 ... and):

- have long slots, long enough to take a good sized naan bread whole
- have variable width slots, so I could toast a whole naan bread one day and a piece of thin bread the next ... and crumpets... and maybe even toasted sandwiches (in those bags).

That's it really .... Long and variable ....

I don't need bagel warmers, or timers, or flashing lights.... it'd be nice to be able to try out those toaster bags I bought - WAY too big for my tiny toaster..... you can make omelettes in those if you've a mind to. I'd have to try that outside though as my fear of spontaneous combustion would surface when I tried to put anything into a toaster that wasn't plain bread!

PasturesNew

For tea tonight I had two of the sausage rolls I bought yesterday ... followed by a few chocolates.

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunchtime mac/cheese, although I wish I'd used up another slice of that cheese in it....

caronc

Good evening everyone,
I think my toaster was £10, it does a decent enough job but I do wish the slots were deeper.
I enjoyed my salad at lunch time and was good and had no bread or crackers with it so I could justify scoffing the crumble & custard my Dad gave me .

I've bramble overload as I picked another 1lb or so today. I've already used a kilo or so to make bramble vodka, I'm a bit crumbled out and already have 3 bags in the freezer. If they ripen there will be loads more to come .....:eek:. I don't eat a lot of jam so bramble jelly would be a waste and my friend always makes loads as gifts so I get enough from her to cover my annual jam needs. Reckon there may be a fair bit of bramble-based puddings made overcoming months though I might try pickling some:). My Indigo Rose tomatoes are nearly ripe, they are the size and colour of dark plums, I'm hoping they taste as good as they look:). The seeds were a gift so I've not grown them before.

Tonight I'm going for a chuck it in a pot option of LO chicken, LO rice, lurking veg and LO diced green chilli which I found a wee tub of hiding in the fridge. I'll probably add some stock to it to make a sort of stew. The rice I cooked last night was a boil in bag one that had been lurking in cupboard. It said serves 2 but I reckon I'll get at least 3 portions as I'm not keen on a big mound of rice so that will be something else for the freezer.......